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Best speakers for piano music

How many members are there here on AK, that's about how many different opinions your going to get.

For me I won't recommend what I own, I would say a few good ones have already been listed,

A big plus one for the Beveridges

And the Thiels

As far as the elecrostatics I have heard a nice one but you need to make sure that they have the ablity to handle the lower frequiencies well. I have only heard some big Martin Logans and they sounded great, but many of them are wonderful on the mids and hi's but intregration of the bass on lessor models might be a problem.

As far as the two way horns they would probably make it on the bottom of my list for really good accurate piano reproduction, but I am sure there are some wonderful models I have never heard that would make me doubt my statement. Those big Tannoys the Westministers would be a great speaker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPrZMxMqGgs&feature=related
 
Funny, was just talking this piano ability subject with a friend today while playing some of his VERY nice modern Jazz piano selections through an old pair of L100s and a Fisher 500-C

The combination proved very very good and musical, but not spectacular (the recording was excellent) The L100s showed themselves to be very capable, albeit the vilified boxes they be!

The best I have ever heard do piano (and I have heard a lot of speakers, both old and new) are the Stephens Tru-Sonic 206AXA (not so easy to come by, so not a very practical example; I have been Blessed) followed closely by the Altec 604-8K running their "stock" networks.............

...........both with TUBES! :yes:

Both very pure and believable! Truly an "in the room" illusion; with the "Goldberg Variations" to Monk, you ARE THERE!

Thomas
 
I just listened to a pair of the Altec 604-8K's on a youtube video, and i was not very impressed at all, they didn't sound any better than my PC speakers! :banana:
 
Of course! I have always wondered why people post pics of their sound system on you tube to show you how wonderful there systems sound. Like you going to be able to tell on a PC's speakers.
 
Ken Boyd said:
Of course! I have always wondered why people post pics of their sound system on you tube to show you how wonderful there systems sound. Like you going to be able to tell on a PC's speakers.
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Agreed. Although somehow I always think I can kinda sorta tell anyway. Which makes no sense.
 
Ken Boyd said:
I guess he didn't get it!
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I got it, and I "get" it. You seem to take some pleasure, and are a mediocre master at this sort of trolling, baiting, instigating sort of ****.
Example:
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=401213

When you say something like "Whats the big fuss about older JBL speaker?" and then want to play the role of Mr. Innocent, I ain't buyin' it.

You Sir, are a Troll and are full of "it".

You consistently make it a habit of posting things simply for the sake of stirring up non productive, unenlightened or non educational/meaningful dialog bull ****

Just pushing buttons is all; you must be very bored

Thomas
 
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My vote would be a pair of large coaxials on open baffles :D. Altec 604, EV 12TRXB, etc. I love my 12TRXBs. Theyre not perfect at any one thing, but they seem to do everything just right IMO.
 
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Ken Boyd said:
As far as the two way horns they would probably make it on the bottom of my list for really good accurate piano reproduction, but I am sure there are some wonderful models I have never heard that would make me doubt my statement. Those big Tannoys the Westministers would be a great speaker.
Click to expand...

Ken, I've got a pair of 2-way horns that don't sound so bad. If you're ever in the Jax area, you're welcome to do a swing-by.

(simply an offer to share, not jumping on any bandwagon and...I got the joke about the you-tube experiences)

:thmbsp:
 
Specifically, Karlsons can do a mean piano, but I might be biased here... ;)

Genrally, any (usually large) speaker that won't restrict dynamics is a step in the good direction. If that setup includes either a large midrange driver, wideband mid-bass or large horn driven by a good CD or cone driver, it should go towards reproducing that piano nicely.

az
 
Play nice boys....

audiozaz said:
Specifically, Karlsons can do a mean piano, but I might be biased here... ;)

Genrally, any (usually large) speaker that won't restrict dynamics is a step in the good direction. If that setup includes either a large midrange driver, wideband mid-bass or large horn driven by a good CD or cone driver, it should go towards reproducing that piano nicely.

az
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Until you've heard what a big Altec setup can do with midrange, it's hard to try and convince someone that's not heard this type of system. Altec has always been about midrange.

One of the Altec forum regulars took a set of multi cell horns out to an old unused NC speedway. He could still he vocals clearly at half a mile away.....:scratch2:
 
analog addict said:
Until you've heard what a big Altec setup can do with midrange, it's hard to try and convince someone that's not heard this type of system. Altec has always been about midrange.

One of the Altec forum regulars took a set of multi cell horns out to an old unused NC speedway. He could still he vocals clearly at half a mile away.....:scratch2:
Click to expand...

That's some good projection!

I'd like to hear a good vintage Altec setup sometime, something like the A7 or 604 in a large enclosure.

More or less related, I plan on buying some GPA 416-8C in not too long, to load in the K15 I plan on building come spring.

az
 
K horns or Jubilees....effortless, true to life dynamics of a piano. Go to Coytee's house in Jacksonville and listen to his Jubilees, he converted me.
 
My favorites, price not withstanding, for instrumental sort of stuff, as well as vocals, would be Martin Logan ESL panels, like the Ascent or Odyssey model speakers.
With proper room prep and speaker placement, they are amazing, and so life-like, you'll think you're in a club hearing the performance live, provided you have proper amplification and good source media as well.
A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link after all.
 
Ken Boyd said:
How many members are there here on AK, that's about how many different opinions your going to get.
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Yep. That's why usually hate these "help me pick some speakers" threads. It gets worse when the OP doesn't narrow down their criteria.

The truth is most people are not qualified to give proper advice simply because they have not personally compared all the available choices. When there is little criteria the choices could be anything.
 
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Are not those Tannoy Westministers a big pair of two way horns that I said would probably be a great pair of speakers, not just for piano reproduction but all music? I would think they would be as good or better than anything I have!
 
Coytee said:
Ken, I've got a pair of 2-way horns that don't sound so bad. If you're ever in the Jax area, you're welcome to do a swing-by.

(simply an offer to share, not jumping on any bandwagon and...I got the joke about the you-tube experiences)

:thmbsp:
Click to expand...

And thanks for the invite, I might take you up on it sometime!
 
images
to reproduce a piano correctly, at the same volumes, you must have a large speaker.

personally I've only heard one speaker that reproduced a Piano so well, that if you hadn't been told it was a recording, you'd have thought it was a piano, and thats
The Wisdom Audio Infinite Grand.


Now, that's obviously not practical, but I'd say something big, like the maggie 20.s, pipedreams, maybe Bob Carvers new line source speaker could do it also.

anything smaller, is going to 'shrink' the sound, and I agree midrange is critical to correct reproduction, also I hear the crossover point(s) of a speaker more clearly with piano then any other instrument.


Good luck!

jaz
 
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