I have an in-law who has a Pro Tools setup and does professional mastering, and they absolutely have filters for "what this will sound like in a 2003 Corolla wi

I have an in-law who has a Pro Tools setup and does professional mastering, and they absolutely have filters for "what this will sound like in a 2003 Corolla with the stock sound." I don't know how much that kind of thing shapes the actual decision making process, but it's absolutely considered (and it's almost certainly considered all the more for FM/satellite radio broadcasts where in-car listening is expected to be the bulk of the audience). Also relevant is Lars Ulrich's famous quote defending the disastrous state of Death Magnetic, exposed in part because of how much better the tracks sounded in their Guitar Hero versions: "Listen, there’s nothing up with the audio quality. It’s 2008, and that’s how we make records. [Producer] Rick Rubin’s whole thing is to try and get it to sound lively, to get it to sound loud, to get it to sound exciting, to get it to jump out of the speakers. Of course, I’ve heard that there are a few people complaining. But I’ve been listening to it the last couple of days in my car, and it sounds fuckin’ smokin’."