It may well have just been a TV/sound system issue. I've never heard anyone else make that complaint, but both my dad and I noticed it when we watched through the series a few years ago. Good chance that's all it was.

Lord of the Rings I actually enjoyed more watching it as a kid. I think I was at just the right age. I had hugely climactic memories of some of those battle scenes in Lord of the Rings, but seeing Game of Thrones in the years between viewings dulled it for me quite a bit for me by the time I went to watch it again. It didn't quite live up to my memory, and the battles were over with a lot more quickly than I had recalled. But that also just speaks volumes about how amazing GOT was at it heights.

Did you ever give that show much of a chance? I forget if I asked. I know you mostly stick to the movies.