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The Death of High Fidelity
Ponca City, We Love You writes "Rolling Stone has an interesting story on how record producers alter the way they mix albums to compensate for the limitations of MP3 sound. Much of the information left out during MP3 compression is at the very high and low ends, which is why some MP3s sound flat. Without enough low end, 'you don't get the punch anymore. It decreases the punch of the kick drum and how the speaker gets pushed when the guitarist plays a power chord.' The inner ear automatically compresses blasts of high volume to protect itself, so we associate compression with loudness. After a few minutes, constant loudness grows fatiguing to the brain. Though few listeners realize this consciously, many feel an urge to skip to another song."
I would suggest against participating in elitist forums like Hydrogenaudio. The regulars there have a history of posting "charade" ABX tests in order to ridicule participants. One of them, Roberto Amorim, has gone as far as suggesting that the site of a Hydrogenaudio bullied target should be defaced. People like the guy who posted the opinion (look below) ``It amazes me how many of the LP's I own still sound better than the CD versions,, would be considered trolls and they would have been kicked out of the forum.
Don't waste time with people who wasted their youth in posting thousands of messages on audio opinion -- you are not responsible of their (obvious and critical) personal issues.