How to reproduce sound of piano

It probably goes without saying, but since no one has touched on it yet; not only is the Piano one of the most difficult to reproduce, it also seems to be one of the most difficult to record judging by the wide range of results I've heard on my own systems. The recording itself is going to have a profound effect of how real the instrument sounds. Seems to me that in general studio recordings are more successful than live stage recordings in bringing the instrument into my room. BTW I'm not using the classic formula of profound muscle from my amps to do this. I use 9 watt SET amps and high efficiency speakers in a moderately sized room. It's certainly not the last word in 'live' sound, but it does a pretty good job to my ears. I've also had powerful amps (Bel Canto Ref 1000's) in the same room and they did a very nice job as well, but I prefer the sound of the SET amps overall. I do use a sub. I know you said you listen to mostly classical (as far as piano music, so do I), but the most realistic portrayal I've heard of a piano in my space comes from a gifted alt-pop artist, Tori Amos, who was a child-prodigy on piano and remains an amazing keyboard artist. She is a Bosendorfer sponsored artist. Pick up a copy of her out-of-print EP of "God" and listen to the two piano solos on that EP. That's the closest I've heard to the piano in my listening room. It occurs to me as a very closely miked recording and has the most immediacy of any I've heard of a piano. Most of the classical recordings I enjoy seem more distant in comparison. I wonder if anyone could comment further on this - why aren't there more recordings like this in the classical realms?

I heard a pair of Audio Note speakers at a dealers'. I wasn't there to audition and it was very brief but I clearly remember how life-like the piano sounded.

Piano is very hard to record so it sounds natural, as Jax2 says. Close-miking gets half of it; miking back gets the other half; using both compromises imaging. If the engineer does get it right, it is, as others say, very hard to reproduce naturally.

My favourite piano system involved SET tube amplification and large horns (Loth-X Polaris). It was the only system I'd ever heard get attack and dynamics nearly right as well as timbre.

Well, if you are going to build a larger, and dedicated sound room, that changes things greatly.

I would build a room at least 16'-20' wide. IMO, anything less is a compromise.

I would also go with double wall construction...lots of bass trapping behind the outer walls.

I would also give the ceiling lots of thought, depending on what type you have to go with?

In a well constructed larger room, you have lots of component/speaker choices at your price level.

Large "fullrange" dipoles would be (my) first choice...(a fresh pair of Apogee fullrage maybe?)

A well designed horn system would be very, very nice (take a look at some of the "Classic Reproductions" systems.)

And of course the "active" ATC's mentioned by Shadorne would be a top choice.

The Beveridge speakers I mentioned above would work fine in the room you are in now (they will play plenty loud in that room)...but they would not be my pick, for large room reproduction.

Dave

IMHO, apart from the issue of the ability of recording engineers to get it down in the first place, and getting an audio system that could make it sound real (i.e. as it would sound at a live performance) just how large would your room have to be? I think very few of us could afford a house with a room large enuf to accommodate a grand piano, let alone a Bosendorfer or Steinway Concert grand playing something orther than Twinkle Twinkle Little Star at anything like the appropriate volume.

Just imagine Beethoven's Hammerklavier, for example, being played as it was played by Giles, or Mussorgsky's Pictures by Richter, in a 20x30 room (or even larger for that matter). I don't think I could imagine it. :-)

I copped out some years ago even though I probably listen to more classical music for solo piano than anything else. I've learned to focus on the music/performance itself somehow and disconnect the 'audio' connect.