They probably pointed that out because several votes for keeping the sounds existed, so a claim of tampering is pretty specious. That said, I took a glance with admittedly google translate over at the JP forums (where I amusingly saw Valric there asking for opinions) and mostly they seem about the same ratio as here: most people hate the new solid barrel, don't really care about the rest, some people like the new sound effects because of the Gnashing Fang explosions, but everyone wonders why it's a blunt weapon. So these opinions are clearly not formed in an echo chamber, unless that echo chamber extends across the Pacific Ocean. You're entitled to your opinion, even a controversial one, but don't be surprised when people get heated defending a class they may be passionate about. I got into Shadowbringers partially due to being a big FF8 fan, and while Eden delivers and the feel of the GNB skills bring a smile to my face, the thunks sound straight out of fistfights in The Matrix and it genuinely brings down the entire experience. I doubt I'm the only one who feels this way and I'm really not surprised people are mad about it, even if sometimes you can't excuse how they act.
I very much hope that one of your favorite classes doesn't have its identity unilaterally changed with no word in the future to something you don't like, at which point you face the daunting prospect of somehow making enough noise about as subjective an issue as "class fantasy" to the point where the devs deign to grace you with what will likely be "Sorry no more changes you're screwed".
It's no surprise people want to be heard on this, we came for what we heard in the job preview, things that sounded like this: https://youtu.be/XyBensMp_MA?t=130
Instead, two weeks in after what feels like a bait and switch, with absolutely no warning we now have this: https://youtu.be/7GSgWzmR_-c?t=90
I understand why someone might not care at all, but you'd be very hard pressed to tell me that the latter is what a gunblade should sound like, not the former.