2. music
  3. 1229831897

How to reproduce sound of piano


I currently own a decent rig, Mac MA 2275, AP Sparks, Marantz 8001, Rega Apollo, Benchmark DAC w/ Squeezebox Duet. I love the way it sounds with jazz, voice, orchestral works and also it's decent with chamber music.

But I find when I'm listening to piano solo performances it doesn't quite sound nearly good as the live instrument. This is too bad because I mainly listen to classical piano works. I want to build a new system from scratch dedicated to listen to solo piano works as well as piano conertos.
I don't care for "warmth", "timbre", "soundstage" or other loaded audiophile terms. Just want absolutely accurate piano reproduction as possible.

What qualities should I look for? Analog vs digital source. Solid state vs tube amp? I find my tube amp unable to keep up with technical masters as Pollini or Horowitz. But will going to SS take away from the performces of more romantic pianists like Kempf and Zimerman? As for speakers, I never heard of a speaker capable of reproducing the deep bass of a 9ft+ concert Steinway grand. Are electrostatics way to go? My budget is around $25K USD. Thanks for any feedback.
plaser
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,189 posts
 
Plaser,

If I were you, I'd focus on getting the right speakers to accomplish your goals first and build the rest of the system around those. The reason is that, particularly in the case of piano, the speakers present practically the most limiting factor to achieve what you want.

The APs are very good speaks TTBOMK. So have you ever heard piano on a system with a totally different speaker design, say Magnepan Planars or Martin Logan electrostats or even MBL or Ohm omnis or pseudo omnis?

I think auditioning radically different speaker designs might be the place to start looking for a radically better sound.

Then put the other pieces in place needed to drive those speakers optimally with good range and dynamics.

Make sure the speakers fit the size of the room they will go into properly. If the room is not too big, you should be able to find an ideal system to do the trick in it optimally for less.

After speakers, the other thing to look into, if needed, is to determine whether vinyl floats your boat better for piano than digital in general.
barnes
45 posts
 
My previous system consisted of Martin Logan Aeris i, with Bryston 9BTHX and Mcintosh MX 132. My Den had prefinished wood flooring over concrete, and wood paneling on 3 sides with glass on one,(covered in wood blinds, The room was partially open to the back. the 8 foot ceiling was sheetrock.

Best Piano Sound I ever Heard in a system, including the one I have today.

Get some Room Acoustics first.
jimjoyce25
215 posts
 
The point is a simple one.

It is *not* that there are differences between the sound of the piano in my living room and the sound of the piano on your recording as it was heard in the room in which it was played. Pianos do sound different from one another.

It is *rather* to suggest that the sound is so much bigger and richer and more textured and nuanced on a concert grand piano as played in one's living room that to think that a hi-fi system can reproduce this sound faithfully is a version of audiophile wishful thinking.
detlof
1,899 posts
 
not wishful thinking, I'd say, but self delusion. However, like being freshly infatuated with " the most wonderful, most intelligent, most considerate and gentle person", it is one of the most enjoyable temporary mental disorders in this here our world I submit. (And I would not miss either for anything in the world!)
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
Simply moving the speakers another 2ft or so forward, and adding a couple of small subwoofers, behind, or just forward of the main speakers would probably get the poster, a large step within his goal in that room.

Plenty of small subs will do 30hz with ease, and thats all you really need for piano to sound very nice.

Dave
More to discover