Musician vs. audiophile

Working musicians likely can't afford Wilsons…so there's that. I work with various musicians in my live sound mixer sideline, and have known plenty of 'em as I've been a professional musician for over 5 decades, and I'm not deaf…yet…most don't involve themselves too much in high end audio (although there are serious exceptions here and there) for reasons explained elsewhere, nor do musicians necessarily hear things better than anyone else…they may simply hear things differently relative to what they do. I've known amazing instrumentalists who have told me they rarely listen to the style of music or the instrument they play (cool and interesting) and others who listen to nothing else. Like people in general, generalizations don't work generally.

I seriously doubt ANY musician or audiophile thinks he’s deaf. That’s what makes this whole thing so interesting, doncha think? 😛 Just out of curiosity, do orchestra musicians or any musicians wear ear plugs whilst playing?

I have to assume that you are being facetious and striving for humor; I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt anyway.  Surely, you must understand that if musicians were all deaf they could not make the beautiful music and sounds that they do.  Re earplugs:  of course, in situations that call for them due to high SPL’s.  Many orchestral players who sit in close proximity to brass and percussion wear custom plugs for certain passages in the music that ramp down volume without altering tonal balance much.

I was not (rpt not) being facetious. As far as musicians being required to have “good ears” in order to play, I doubt it. Surely there must be musicians who are tone deaf. You yourself said they use ear plugs sometimes. Yet they still play on. One assumes they just watch fhe director and hope for the best. 

Just out of curiosity, do orchestra musicians or any musicians wear ear plugs whilst playing?

Surely you've seen lots of musicians wearing IEMs...they provide substantial SPL attenuation while still allowing the players to hear themselves and the rest of the group.  Peter Townsend was one of the first rock musicians to acknowledge significant hearing damage but others reportedly include John Entwhistle, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and more I am sure there are others.  I have a friend whose tinnitus is so painful that he can no longer play.  There is actually a web site called Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers (HEARNET.COM).