Speakers that do pianos really well

Don't know if they were mentioned already but if you can, audition Audio Note
speakers. I dropped something off to be repaired and piano music was playing. I was floored by the realism of the music coming through the Audio Note's. Gorgeous.

Tonian Labs. Like Audio Note, they go counter to the "built like a vault" way of speaker building and still end up sounding very realistic.

That, and I agree with what Robsker says about what's upstream as well.

All the best,
Nonoise

IMO, no speaker can actually reproduce the tonal range and timbre of an acoustic piano realistically, but some I have heard have come closer than most.

To my ears, the old Apogee Full Range Planar was the best at reproducing piano, other EL/planar speakers such as the Maggie MG-1 and SoundLab are also very good, for a couple of reasons: I believe that not only does the nature of the planar transducer more accurately represent the effect of piano strings and a soundboard, but the dipole design produces a similar reflective environment.

I find the Quad designs pretty good at piano reproduction, but their limited panel size makes them less accurate for piano than the aforementioned larger speakers.

One non-planar speaker that impresses me with it's ability to reproduce piano and other tones with little coloration os the Earo Eight; an active, rear-loaded horn design that I find sounds remarkably similar to a planar speaker (but is much more room tolerant and wife friendly).

I think that this subject is a particularly interesting one, in the context of
many of the ideas that have been promoted in previous threads about how
we listen to music.

I have always had trouble with the idea that any one particular musical
instrument can, and should, be used as a litmus test in judging the possible
ultimate "accuracy" of record/playback equipment. To do so is
to not understand the subtle tonal variety and shadings that other musical
instruments exibit. Additionally, an instrument that is truly capable of going
from pppp to ffff is no guarantee that it will convey accuracy from p to pp;
and everything in between. Not to mention, the tonal stuff.

In the case of the piano: Sure, the piano can sound at a volume and
frequency range that an oboe can't, but the oboe's sound posseses tonal
shadings that the piano's does not. The wide variety in tonal signatures
between oboes (and most other wind and string instruments) is far greater
than anything that I have ever heard from different pianos. Of course, it's
great to be able to pick out the Steinway from the Yamaha, but ten clarinet
players, all playing the same brand clarinet, will each sound uniquely
different.

So, the question has to be asked: what is it that we are listening for? This
comment is not meant to criticize, nor invalidate, how a given listener
priotizes sonic benchmarks; but, in my opinion, to go in that direction of
priorityzation can pull the listener away from the notion of listening for true
accuracy in musicality.

If the analysis of recorded music accuracy (litmus test?) is to have any real
relevance, then how MUSIC (not just sound) is analyzed and discussed
has to be part of the mix. In music, no instrument is deserving of more
respect than any other; in spite of all the viola jokes. Having said all that, a
favorite piano recording with fantastic playing: Murray Perahia "The
Aldeburgh Recital".

Fried Studio Vs. The source I use to see how piano is reproduced is the Chick Corea CD, "Expressions". This CD is 100% solo piano - not another instrument to be found. Are the Frieds dead accurate? I don't know. But the piano sure sounds good.