I think some of the problems stem from physics (the impossibility of mimicking 500 musicians on stage and that magnificent organ in SF’s Davies Symphony Hall at the end of the Mahler 2nd and 8th symphonies from “drivers” < 3 mm in diameter).
Some of it stems from physiology. I love my AirPods Pro, but I basically need to choose between them and my BT Phonaks (which are about 4 years old now). Until an audiologist can program hearing assist devices with all the goodies of AirPods Pro into a pair of noise-canceling “Hi Fi” hearing assist devices, I think those of us with typical hearing loss will remain stuck with not knowing what we’re not hearing at concerts OR while listening to streamed music, except for what we remember from when we didn’t have the hearing loss.
However, I am amazed by the progress in sound quality in hearing assist devices. Just about a year ago, I left my Phonaks in a hotel room at a medical meeting, and by the time I realized where I’d left them I’d returned home, and the hotel couldn’t find them. My audiologist gave me a pair of the latest Phonaks to use for a week while I waited for replacements (thank God I had a Phonak replacement insurance policy that would get me “brand new” 3 year old technology for $500, but the improvements (no need to wear anything around my neck to get stereo sound to my ears from my TV, etc.) made me consider buying REALLY new ones (until I learned how much they would cost). The happy ending was that just as I was about to take delivery of my insurance replacements, the hotel called and reported they’d found the ones I’d left behind.
I understand that this year’s CES featured some discussions about the merger coming between prescription hearing aid devices and consumer headphones/in ear BT earphones.
Assuming we all get through the next 6 months without our entire society melting, I think good days are ahead for those of us who love immersive music, but the target audiences (people with normal hearing who already can experience private awesome sound reproduction without bothering their neighbors, and people with extraordinarily limited hearing who will be able to get something of the same sound quality from their hearing ASSIST devices) are so different, as are the price points for marketing the two types of devices, that the economics will be as muddy as the sound those of us with impaired hearing must accept for now.