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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
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Dave,
Yes in theory, but it very much depends on the room, finding the right volume, the phase- and crossover points , the proper placement of the sub(s) to get such a blend with the mainspeakers that the sub disappears. It is quite tricky to get it right. I would suggest to first get everything else right to sound to your satisfaction and then later play around with the deeper frequencies and ...if you can find a sub fast and controlled enough within your budget, aim for 20 not 30 hz.
plaser OP
26 posts
 

So it appears getting the right subwoofer is absolutely critical first step in this endeavor. I find that ironic given many classical enthusiast probably consider bass the least important characteristic when selecting speakers. I up to now thought subwoofer was more for home theatre and not for serious musical reproduction. Thanks again for all the suggestions. Anyone recommend a good musical subwoofer that's physically compact?
sogood51
2,157 posts
 
Detlof

I have 4 subwoofers, 2 fullrange speaker systems, and 40 years experience.

I hope that doesn't sound like bragging?...but I wasn't using theory in my post.

Dave
detlof
1,899 posts
 
Again, I would advise against getting a sub first. Have everything else set up to your satisfaction first. After that, yes I would say that a sub is essential. ( or even one for each channel) A sub is not only about getting the bottom octaves more right, but if set up correctly, will give you a lot of ambient cues about the recording venture and you can fine tune soundstage and transparency. Also finding the right sub to sound right in your room will depend on wether you decide on SS or tube amplification. Many subs of today have digital amplification, which according to my experience does not homogenize properly with the rest of the system, if you use tubes. I'd advise not to rush it and later, once you are happy with your system, try out a few brands if you can until you are satisfied.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,189 posts
 
I'd try playing with current speaker location 1st as SoGood suggested because that's easiest and no cost.

Try to listen with them out away from rear and side walls for better imaging and in order to allow those beautiful piano key strikes some breathing room with which to reverberate .

The next step if things are looking up at that point (good chance) might be adding the sub(s) to fill in the low end.

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