interesting series of posts (and ensuing discussions inter alia) chez wayne marshall of wayne'n'wax on what he calls "treble culture" and a corresponding decline in the cult of bass - one, two, and three

i was really struck the first time i saw a 14 year old kid listening to music via a cellphone cupped to his ear, just like a 70s transistor radio in the 70s, while walking full speed up the street. this was london a few years ago and the squawk of top-volume distorted mp3 treble sounded awful, i dread to think the damage he was doing to his ears