Piano Notes On Harbeth SHL 5

The fact of the matter Mikey is that different pianos produce different sounds and among pianists there are preferences. The Steinway is considered among most lay people as the gold standard for pianos simply because many classical artists were/are paid for playing and endorsing this brand and it is widely used and heard in many recordings. It is of course a great piano but there are others with different presentations. For instance a Fazioli would be as you describe what you like, on the crisp end with a clear attack of treble notes where for instance a Petrof or an old Chickering would have a richer rounder less clipped sound so as the presentation of speakers are different so are pianos. Of course ideally a speaker's purpose is to reproduce the sound, not make one of its own. So IMHO it is only wrong when it brings attention to itself. If it sounds right to your ears and engages you in the performance without your mind wondering, mission accomplished!

Sometimes when I hear a real piano it sounds brighter and livelier than I expect and sometimes it sounds about what I imagine.

I think I expect more heft to the sound than is normally there so I am biased.

fwiw the sort of tonal balance you describe is easily swayed by cable and component matching you may need to go into 'tweek mode' - and good luck with that!

If it doesn't sound natural, then by definition, it isn't. Only you can decide what is natural.

The piano is very difficult to reproduce on a stereo. I would never describe a real piano as sounding thick, regardless of manufacturer. The upper frequencies of a piano have a distinct clear and sweet sound, almost like a bell.

For box speakers, the quality of the speaker enclosures and drivers will pretty much dictate how piano tones and timbre will be reproduced. The Harbeth seems to lean more to the sound as you've described in most system, rich and warm pleasant tone.

Although speakers will dictate how piano notes would sound like, factors such as quality of recording and ancillary equipment play a part as well. Piano notes will sound "fat and thick" on the Harbeth if comparison is made with leaner or more precise speakers with extended high frequencies such as Dynaudios, Revels etc. It is difficult to ascertain which sound is more accurate, neutral or natural as everyone has their own benchmark.

May I ask what amps are hooked up to the SHL5 when piano sounded "fat and thick"? The Harbeths are inherently warm and organic sounding speakers with smooth highs, and a warm and smooth amp may just exacerbate things.