Musician vs. audiophile

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).

Your wife is right.........you better agree with that or sign up to eharmony 

I am not a fan of the little 50 tubes used in the Bat. Try a pre with a larger tube. Seriously big tubes big sound......deHavilland's are such a bargain and sound so good. 

**** 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. ****

I really am surprised at your apparent cluelessness about this subject; I expected more.  I would be glad to educate you if it interests you, but a certain amount of openness to being mistaken is necessary.  Do you even know what exactly you mean by “tone deaf”?