I live in Anchorage, AK and ride with a blue tooth speaker on almost every ride. The main reason is to let wildlife know I’m coming. 700 pound brown bears and 800 pound moose are in the municipality every day, of course the bears aren’t an issue in winter. I carry bear spray when the bears are awake. Mountain biking in bear country is a dangerous proposition. We move fast and make little noise, great way to get mauled by a bear or stomped by a moose. I keep my volume low and have a sanitized play list, no “F” bombs allowed. It’s better than listening to a bell ringing for hours. I dont care for high volume music on the trail, totally agree it’s annoying. I can always make conversation without turning my volume down. Animals hear way better than us, you dont have to blast the music. For me it’s all about safety. On overnight bikepacking trips I use bells. I have kicked up plenty of moose and a few bears without getting charged, they generally move off if they hear you coming. The worst thing you can do is surprise a bear or moose and put them in a defensive mode. It’s not what you ride or how you ride that matters. The fact we ride is what matters. Different regions require different tactics to stay safe. Doesn’t mean you have to be an A-hole blaring offensive music when passing others, especially children.