The seats without the adjustable thigh support I'll agree with you. Put that back on, and the seats aren't much worse than most aircraft seats I've encountered.
The squelch is rarely installed on the audio panel. You'll find it on each VHF Comm box if you look.
I and quite a few friends have flown ATR and similar (equivalent) turboprops. The general concensus (but not unanimous) opinion appears to be that the ATR beats most of the competition hands down, including F50, Dash-8, all models, etc. etc.
I agree with that assessment - far quieter than most, less vibration, good ergonomics on the flightdeck (except for the draught on the kidneys from the docs flap), good visibility, easy handling, very forgiving (yes, even in icing conditions if you follow the recommended procedures - Indiana newspapers please copy) and very roomy cabin. I like the H-mode (hate not having an APU) and the only thing that got me was the tailprop.