FWIW, it's easy to agree with the general statement about expectations (and resultant perceptions). This is why serious audiophiles so often refer to 'listening skills' or the lack thereof. Unfortunately obtaining listening skills can be both time consuming and expensive, something many can not afford, not to mention the need to keep and open mind for those who like fresh air. :-)
Expectation and musical perception
The PBS series "Closer to Truth" did a episode on "How Do Human Brains Experience Music?"
https://youtu.be/1TsitZvvcsw?si=UnTa-wlFnrrFiTnB
in which they explained the complex pathway by which the brain turns perception of sound into recognizable speech or music. Most significantly Prof Elizabeth Margulis of Princeton states that prior knowledge in the brain actually changes what we perceive when listening to music. The whole show is worth watching but at least check out her segment around the 23 minute mark.
What I get from this is that when listening to music the issue of expectation bias is HUGE. If the brain is expecting something it can open the door to hearing it, and the reverse is also true.
I see relevance here to the many on-going discussions on this forum. What do you think?
Some of you may beinterested in Dr. Margulis books or the work of her Music Cogntion Lab at