Yeah, yeah, they've always said that. But I don't buy it.
I've had a pretty fair amount of recording production experience, and fooling around with the equalization does NOT account for the amount of volume differential I hear.
No way their not boosting the overall volume level.
Just wait until digital televisions use the same “lockout” controls when tv ads come up that are already present in webstreaming ads and in the intro materials on DVDs.