OP:
Could be, could also be they had tweaked the player via DSP and ended up with some weird EQ curve. Whenever a store won’t let me play a CD directly I always suspect this, or it could be odd room reflections / interactions.
Research on Head Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) has shown how the right/wrong EQ can trick your ears into surround like effects as well. It’s the basis for many virtual surround features.
Best,
Erik