The last time I cutout a blue power LED, it was so bright that it not only would light up the room the device (speakers) was in, but it would also light the hallway outside the room if the door was left open.

It was so bright that even two layers of gaff tape didn't resolve the situation.

It's crazy. I often wonder about the reasoning behind choosing to use these LEDs is. Does nobody actually use these device in the real world during development?

My guess is that the manufacturers have a ton of incentive to use the same leds on everything to cut down on component costs via scale.

So that basically leads to them purchasing leds that are powerful enough for all uses and using them for everything, ie, they're way too bright.

Usage is entirely secondary