Sometimes turning the audio level down may be the correct response. But probably not most of the time.
“Too Loud” might really be “Too Distorted” – something wrong with a speaker or amplifier. Or it might be “Too Loud For Your Age” – the chronologically-enriched may have certain frequencies that don’t sound as clear as they do for a younger audience member, and some of those still-functioning frequencies may be distorted through years of abuse.
For the first problem, there are two solutions depending on how bad things are. If it is only one set of speakers that sound ragged, then maybe those speakers or their amplifier need replacing.
If all the speakers are sounding ragged, then the whole system has to be looked into…and maybe replaced. The good fact is that there is more detail possible with the new digital cinema standards. The bad fact is that sometimes the old equipment just can’t keep up.
The thing to remember is that even if the audio is turned down, your audience may still hear the distortion and stay away no matter how low you turn down the level.