What are the best loudspeakers under $4000 to re-create lifelike piano

@vahes

A well recorded, uncompressed, Steinway-D needs a fairly large, efficient, and expen$ive speaker to reproduce its full fire power at a realistic volume ...

Indeed, an important aspect here is sheer radiation area coupled with high efficiency to give way to the physicality and full dynamic range needed for the more authentic reproduction of a piano. Add to that coherency, relative timbral accuracy, not least (transient) speed/dynamic prowess, and a low degree of smearing through the whole of the (wide) frequency span - as rightly pointed out by poster @james_w514 into the sub-region as well, all of which is no small task.

Listening to a grand piano at a relatively close distance can be an extremely physical, dense and dynamically (and emotionally) startling experience, just as it can be a very liquid/floating and gentle instrument to take in. The trick is to incorporate the whole of the envelope of these traits mentioned into a speaker, the "gentleness" as well as the sheer force of the instrument, for it to be a more convincing reproduction - not something realistically attained with a <$4,000/pair speaker. This is not strictly what the OP is inquiring on, though; for that to be accommodated several other posters above have chimed in.

@joeschmoe

I can understand why you, or anyone else for that matter could be discouraged reading this thread, but for my part - with my post above - I’m trying to get after what it would take to approach a fairly realistic(!) reproduction of the (grand) piano, no less, an instrument I’d regard as one of the absolute most demanding for ANY speaker, regardless of price, to tackle. Any sought realism with this instrument and its reproduction is a daunting task, certainly if you uphold what it really sounds like live.

I’ve never heard your Bryston speakers in question, but I’ve read very positive reviews of the larger, floor standing sister model. I can only assume Bryston is consistent with the quality across their range of products, and for this to naturally translate to your speakers as well.

Be that as it may; if you like ’em that’s all that matters. Enjoy them and your future ventures into "audiophilia," but, if I may: remember to attend acoustic live concerts to really bridge your own sonic findings in audio equipment with that of a real reference. To my mind it could have you save a lot of money, and importantly by-pass a tendency in "audiophilia" to close its walls around itself and be less susceptible to marketing drivel.