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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?
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hifidream's avatar
hifidream
135 posts
 
I grew up hearing a grand being played daily. Yes it’s hard to reproduce. . .

I recommend getting a pair of 20.1 Maggie’s or Martin Logan CLX’s used. They are close to your price range on the pre-owned market if you’re patient. 

Then drive them with some clean power with a low noise floor and do a sub array for the lowest octives. My dad (the pianist) came over to hear and was stunned at how real and powerful the system can sound. It is tough to get great recordings that actually offer the clarity and dynamic range of a real piano. I think a lot of properly set up top end systems can re-create the experience but few recordings stand up to the test. For me the sounds of playing: fingers on keys, pedal work, and pianist breathing heard in the quetest moments of decaying notes are the eerie real qualities of the live performance.  
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knownothing
1,596 posts
 
Yes, reproducing piano is hard.  But all is not lost.  I saw this thread and immediately thought about Maggies.  Biggest you can find/afford/power.  Others have mentioned Vandys and Quad.  Sure.  There are many other choices for used speakers available on Agon right now that can do a respectable job with reproducing piano.  Problem is, will they be the “best” in your system with your other gear in your room?  That requires trial and error.

Here is the list of potential piano stars available as of today under $4K:

Aerial Acoustics Model 9
ATC SCM-40
Monitor Audio GX200
Revel Ultima Studio
PSB Imagine T3
Harbeth HL-5
PMC Twenty.24
ProAc Response 3.8

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clearthink
1,421 posts
 
All of the advises offered here are of limited value because they are from audiophiles who work only in 2D and do not know the properties or DNA of the components with which they work. Only by understanding and applying properties can you achieve the 3D sound such as you can get with TruFi. I now believe that TruFi also has limitations and my early experiments to reveal the incompleteness of TruFi as it presently is shaped, understood, and implemented are yielding results which I expect to share with this group sometime soon next year! 
biscorbit
143 posts
 
I'd go with the Harbeth m30.1 over the Harbeth SHL5.  I still love my c7es3 though.  The piano is also incredible on them!  
ptss
1,964 posts
 
Look into JBL 708i monitors. 
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