AN AIR TAXI FLC FLYING AN LJ35 INTO IAH FAILS TO FOLLOW ATC INSTRUCTIONS RESULTING IN A TRACK DEV.

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WE WERE PROCEEDING ON THE CUGAR 6 STAR INTO IAH AT 10000 FT. A PAX CAME FORWARD TO ASK A QUESTION. THE PF ANSWERED THE QUESTION AT THE SAME TIME I RECEIVED A CALL FROM HOU APCH TO PROCEED ALONG THE STAR TO BANTY INTXN THEN TURN L TO 085 DEGS. I DID NOT HEAR THE PART ABOUT BANTY INTXN AND READ BACK THE HDG CHANGE; WHICH WE DID IMMEDIATELY; STILL ABOUT 10 NM FROM BANTY. THE CTLR DID NOT CORRECT ME. I SENT THE PAX TO HIS SEAT AND BEGAN TO BRIEF THE APCH WHEN ATC CALLED AND TOLD US TO FLY DIRECTLY TO IAH VOR AND STAND BY FOR VECTORS. HE ALSO CLARIFIED THE PREVIOUS CLRNC. WE PROCEEDED TO IAH WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY. THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY THE FOLLOWING: 1) PAX FAILING TO OBSERVE FASTEN SEATBELT SIGN/DIRECTIVE. 2) DISTR BY PAX QUESTION. 3) POOR QUALITY OF HEADSETS (NORMAL HEADSETS WERE IN REPAIR). 4) FAILURE OF CTLR TO CORRECT MY READBACK. IT IS MY PERCEPTION THAT SINCE CTLRS HAVE BEEN ABSOLVED OF LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT READBACKS; MANY END A 'TRANSACTION' WITH A PLT WITH THEIR ISSUANCE OF A CLRNC INSTEAD OF ENSURING THE CLRNC WAS CORRECTLY HEARD. THIS SHOULD BE REVERSED IMMEDIATELY.