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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."
Just remember, the music you hear when kid will stay with you for all your life.
Only if you're not willing to listen to anything new. It's more a reflection of the fact that people suck than anything else.
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During the Japanese electronics invasion in the 80's I first noticed a radical decline in warm-sounding tones in music everywhere...I figured out what was happening, it seemed most amps/speakers made in Japan had a very unnatural sound response profile to western ears. In comparison, they are very sharp, sort of high and tinny, with hardly any warm tonal response at all.
Apprently it is a fact that Japanese use the other side of their brain to hear music than western cultures. Perhaps that accounts for why they like harsh-sounding speakers.
Unfortunately it also seems western standards of what is good-sounding has changed to fit the proliferation of Japanese electronics, rather than the electronics being tailored for western ears. Just go find and listen to an old American or European-made stereo (say from the 1960's or 70's.. mostly pre Jap influence) It will blow your mind.