Pokemon Sword and Shield locks audio sliders behind an in-game item

Here's a really odd discovering in Pokemon Sword and Shield. If you want to lower aspects of the volume individually, such as music, sound effects, and Pokemon cries, you have to find an in-game item called the Hi-tech Earbuds. Many fans are confused as to why this decision was made, instead of letting people adjust these levels right from the start.

There is someone early on in the game that can get you these earbuds, but numerous people missed that opportunity, and didn't find another option until much later in the game. Did you catch these earbuds early on, or did you miss out completely?