True. It's most likely due to frequent concert attendance in clubs where the sound system was way too large and powerful for the size of the venue. Well, that and the fact that most of the folks running the soundboards at those clubs were partially deaf themselves. So, when they'd turn up volume levels and boost high frequencies to the point where things sounded right to them, it was painful for most of the audience.
TNP was smart, and usually wore earplugs to concerts.