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Speakers for High-End Digital Piano

Hello,

I have a high-end digital piano (Kawai MP8II). The keyboard is in a dedicated living room with a hardwood floor, couch, chairs, windows (no drapes) and high-ceiling. The room (approx 800 sq ft) can seat about 15 people. Uses: for solo piano playing (classical, some jazz/contemporary) and classical chamber music. Requirements -- speakers that would produce warm acoustic realism to hypersampled piano sounds (i'm using Ivory II American Concert Steinway D & Kawai EX Pro). I have tested several active/powered speakers (Mackie, JBL, Yamaha) and have not found them satisfactory.

Two questions:

1. Which mid to high-end floor-standing speakers would you recommend (budget is $4,000).
2. What kind of peripherals would I need (e.g., cables, amplifier, etc) to connect the digital piano to the speakers. The piano outputs have "R, L/mono" and fixed XLR R & L.
koncherto
chayro
3,010 posts
 
The twin Barbettas will give the piano the weight of a real piano, which is substantial. You know this, as you actually know the sound and feel of the live instrument. Yes, you can reproduce the sound of a piano or a drumkit though a set of studio monitors, but they will never reproduce the acoustic weight of the real thing.
marqmike
846 posts
 
Chayro is right on target. I don't think you could do much better.
martykl
3,578 posts
 
In my earlier post I didn't mention that I've also tried 3 way M-Audio powered monitors with the piano. They didn't work as well as the Carver/sub set-up, so the powered monitors went back to my studio where they do yeoman's work. I agree that both external systems I tries sounded too forward for my taste, hence (along with the "feel" issue) my decision to generally use the Kawai's internal system, it's deficiencies notwithstanding.

Chayro's suggestion re: Barbetta intrigued me, so I visited their web site. Yikes! that be some really bad web design, right there. The good news is that the company appears to be reasonably close to my home, so maybe I'll be able to visit and check the products out. I'll report back with my impressions if that happens.
Post removed 
martykl
3,578 posts
 
I am very familiar with the Eon as a stage monitor and FOH PA. The ridiculous max SPL of the system (1000 watts behind 15" woofers, IIRC) is impressive, but....

I'd guess that it would be a very bad solution for amplifying solo piano. It's all punch and bark - a rock band will sound like a rock band - but it sure ain't designed with piano in mind. I suppose that, in a rock band setting - with much of the the left hand passed off to the bass player - it might work okay, but for solo piano, I personally wouldn't go there. Just the wrong tool for the job, IMO.
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