It is a big deal. It means for a lot of people there's nowhere they can go to actually enjoy the sound of nature. The strategy of getting ahead or staying behind doesn't work when there are switchbacks or crowded trails. The strategy that does work is to get fit enough to go deep into the backcountry because the troglodytes that bring speakers to hikes lack the discipline to ever get that far.

> The strategy of getting ahead or staying behind doesn't work when there are switchbacks or crowded trails.

If a trail is crowded, you won't hear much of the sound of nature, whether someone is playing music or now.

It all depends on where you live, and what access you have. Nature is not far from me, so I have several options within an hour's drive.