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What are the best loudspeakers under $4000 to re-create lifelike piano

Over the past 4 months I've spent time with five loudspeakers.  On a scale of 1-10 I'd rate them as follows in their ability (with my equipment in my room) to recreate a lifelike piano.  Tekton Lore - 6.5 (great scale but tonal accuracy and clarity somewhat lacking),    Kef LS50 - 7.0 (moderate scale but slightly better clarity and tonal accuracy)  Kef R500 - 8.0  (great scale and very good clarity and tonal accuracy), Spatial Audio M3TurboS -8.1 (great scale and very good clarity and tonal accuracy and very smooth)  Magnepan 1.7i - 9.0 (very good scale with excellent clarity and tonal accuracy - very lifelike).

In your room with your equipment, what loudspeakers are you listening too and how would you rate them for their ability to recreate a lifelife piano and if possible a few comments as to why?
snapsc
snapsc OP
661 posts
 
@johnnyb53   Question:  do the 1.7s need a sub to do piano or do they go low enough on their own??
inna
7,132 posts
 
Well, this is an audiophile forum. Anyone with hearing knows the difference between digital and analog. Frankly, the only kind of music that I can listen to in digital is tribal/ambient. I mean, my rig. I listen to whatever I find on youtube with headphones, no problem. But when I want hi-fi I want hi-fi. Analog can be terrible too sometimes, sure, but even then it is differently terrible. I can't think of another instrument that, overall, would be more difficult to record and reproduce. Only orchestra is more difficult. So, you really need good recordings and a very strong source to begin with, then perhaps some $4k speakers bought used might be okay Hi-end transports and dacs are also quite expensive. Digital cables are not created equal either.
wolf_garcia
6,602 posts
 
I’m a piano freak (lots of jazz) and I’m pretty critical of how piano sounds from my rig...Silverline Preludes do great piano, as do my Klipsch Heresy IIIs (so SUE me). I also have a piano in my listening room that sounds like a piano, so there’s yer reference right there. I’ve mixed many live shows with Fred Hersch, Bill Charlap, Eldar, yo mama, etc., usually using a large Steinway…2 mics, trying to avoid EQ, no compression…blah blah…and you do get to know what a great piano sound is…it’s great. However, recorded piano is 100% all over the map as far as tone goes, and if your system is working well you already know that and it doesn't matter much.
snapsc OP
661 posts
 
@wolf_garcia   how do the preludes sound with respect to mid and low bass with such small transducers??
vahes
47 posts
 

A well recorded, uncompressed, Steinway-D needs a fairly large, efficient, and expen$ive speaker to reproduce its full fire power at a realistic volume, I can not think of any $4000.00 speaker that even comes close to that, if your budget is set then try as many speakers in that price range and decide how much of a compromise are you willing to accept.


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