How to reproduce sound of piano

Right on Detlof. . . I found that in some cases, there are some details of piano sound that I can hear -- or perhaps feel -- only when when my own now totally inept fingers are at the keyboard. . . e.g. the absolutely magic harmonics of a Bosendorfer. The 5 CD set of complete Dvorak piano works with Inna Poroshina at the piano is Brilliant Classics 92606. The quality of the compositions varies from dutiful to great. . . but Poroshina is invariably magnificent.

I suspect that there may be more ways to skin this particular 'piano cat' than there are audiofools on Agon. In my case, I have achieved magnificent piano results with a system that combines a digital front end, an SS pre, a class D amp, dynamic speakers dipping to 22Hz, and a recently added power conditioner. I listen to about 50% classical piano, the rest is chamber with a smattering of orchestral work and non classical. I will never be so bold as to assert that my way is the only way, rather that it has worked remarkably well and getting better for piano reproduction, as I make careful incremental changes. My system currently consists of TEAC Esoteric X-01 Limited CDp + PAD anniversary PC, Jeff Rowland Capri linestage + Cardas Golden Ref PC, Rowland 312 amp + Shunyata Anaconda Alpha Helix PC, Vienna Acoustics Mahler speakers + Cardas Golden Reference speaker wires. For piano analysis I often use Inna Poroshina playing The Ruins Of the Old Castle by A. Dvorak from a Brilliant Classics box of complete piano works. After I completed my review of Vienna Mahlers and Rowland 312 (TAS 188), I have added to my system a Synergistic Research PowerCell + SR Precision Reference PC. Surprisingly, I have experienced that the harmonic exposure in piano notes has increased to the point that on the lower notes I can easily hear not only the direct ringing of overtones 3, 5, and beyond, but also the faint contribution from treble strings of the grand piano resonating in sympathy with the bass.
In some piano recordings, I can now even identify the anomalous resonance of high strings immediately adjacent to the reinforcement struts of the inner cast iron harp. While I will write about the SR powerCell in a great deal more detail elsewhere on these pages, I suggest that there may be no single electronic/transducer technology to yield supreme excellence in piano reproduction. Rather, every component in a chain of disparate technologies can be synergistic (no pun intended) to overall results. G.

Newbee, you are absolutely correct. That is why I often say that our hobby is much more about the creation of a subjectively desirable hyperreality congruent with reality, than the replication of factual reality per se. What I hear in the Poroshina recording is a virtual performance from a vantage point no more than 12 feet in front of me, but with some low level detail elements that are more suggestive of a performer's viewpoint than a third party listener. Interestingly, some residual congestion of close chords towards the bottom of the 2nd and 3rd octave below middle C were largely addressed by replacing the original Synergistic Research T3 cord with the SR Precision Ref. What is very amusing is that the harmonic congestion I was initially detecting and later eliminated, is actually consistent with the listener's live viewpoint of most grand pianos under concert hall conditions.

Mapman, for the most refined results on piano using JRDG amps, you should consider models that either are equipped with active power factor correction like Continuum 500 and 312, or models that can be augmented by PC1 external PFC units like 201 and 501 monos. Without power factor correction, 201 and 501 can sound slightly 'matter of fact'. Fair to state that, even with my beloved JRDG 312 and Capri in the system, significant musical value was still added by the addition of the SR PowerCell conditioner + Precision Ref PC combination, to which I feed all components, including amp.

"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.

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.