How to reproduce sound of piano

Wireless200,
" I would say no the former and yes to the latter question. "
I completely agree. (:

Jax2, You've brought two points up, which mirror my experience:
I've pondered extensively as well as listened two various SET and horn combinations and came to similar conclusions as you did. I didn't try the biggest aCapellas though. I couldn't and wouldn't afford them, quite apart from their size.

Also I've found that OTLs pleased my ears most with really big orchestral music doing big dynamic swings without losing important detail, so I settled for the 200watt Atmas, which however proved a tad weak on the chest together with my Sound Labs on that very DG recording of Argerich's playing Liszt which I had mentioned above. I would have loved to have bought Ralph's biggest offering in amplification, which however would have busted my budget, so I settled for second choice, the Siegfrieds, which I could buy used here on A. I could have avoided the Sound Labs of course, but I've gotten so used to the sound of stators and to build systems around them for practically the last 50 years that can't help to find most cone speakers either colored or slow or lacking in homogeneity. Question of hearing-habit I suppose. I know this is neither factual nor "objective", but I listen to my ears. (;

"If you were to hear what a piano like this actually sounds like in a living room, I don't think anyone here would be claiming that his system quite reproduces that sound."

You are correct. I own a German Steinway model M. . . and piano from my system can sound quite different. . . often 'better'. On the other hand, I already stated that a music reproduction system does not replicate reality. . . rather it creates a -- hopefully congruent -- hyper-reality.

Halcro,

Well beyond the question of compression, piano is a pain in the ass to record.

As noted in an earlier post, close miking and ambient miking both have their advantages, neither is perfect, and combining the two is an art unto itself. I once "executive produced" (read funded) a recording session for a friend who is a prominent LA based French Horn player, so I attended some of the sessions. After struggling mightily to get the piano sound right, and waiting for a take that everyone liked, we finally got one. Given the time and effort that had gone into getting that track down, there was a real sense of relief in the booth. Then, playback revealed a squeaking bench!

Trust me, more time was spent on getting the piano to sound right than on everything else combined.

Marty

Marty, no worry about squeeking benches or even singing pianists. . . we would have no Gould, schiff, and Brendel recording if producers ditched every take that contained squeeks, sharp intakes of breath, or impromptu solo vocalizations.

Anyone else feel that best headphones do better justice
to piano than most speakers?

Headphones have very low distortion levels and only a handful of speakers are
designed such that they could begin to compete with $1000 headphones. I
mentioned the numerous distortion and dynamic compression problems in
conventional speakers above - a $1000 headphone playing at tiny output levels
close to the ear has a much easier job than a speaker. Remember the vast
majority of speaker drivers cost less than $100!!! (basically there is no contest
between excellent headphones and most speakers)