My journey to find a speaker + amp + setup for classical music (piano)


Hello, my small room project is almost done, only left with a few acoustic touches. (Couple pieces from GIK, Vicoustics, maybe)

After leaving this hobby for years, I needed to spend quite a time catching up and got lots of help from the forum. I’d like to briefly share my little experience.


First of all, I don’t think I’m an audiophile who likes equipment... indeed I don’t try to listen to the equipment, I just like music. So sound quality comes first, but I only care about the quality of music I listen to (Classical, primarily Piano based and some Jazz) with my sources. This means that some of speakers I consider as “not really” work wonderfully for pop/rocks etc but somehow lack certain aspect in classical music.

I try to come up with the least amount of BS but a slight touch of personal voodoo too. Still, I only care “how it sounds” to me. - Best sound quality with least amount of money


Initially, I was considering something for a bigger space, but I decide to put something in a small room first. Anyway, here’s the result.


Note:

Contenders mean something almost equivalent. Boulder 866 has very slight edge over these for me. When I think “not really,” it just means that either not my personal taste, the quality isn’t in the same league, or the cost-performance ratio is not satisfactory.


Set up

  • Boulder 866
  • Marten Parker Duo
  • Wireworld Eclipse speaker cable (wouldn’t go for expensive ones; also, I would avoid Jorma trinity and anything Nordost) PAD would be worthy considering but only top line meaning $$$
  • Wireworld Toslink cable
  • I got an Audiolab CDT to play cds. I have
  • Roon, Orbi router
  • Lan cable from Bluejean
  • Dbpowrtamp for cd ripping
  • Some Sacds and Qobuz subscription
  • Butcher acoustic platform
  • Now Playing easel from Daiso


Note. I thought I might need a sub like JL f110 v2, but it turns out I do not need it.


  • Amp Contenders
  • CH Precision I1
  • Gold Mund Telos 590 Next Gen 2 w $17k tag (including tax - 50% deal from a dealer, with full Msrp - nope)
  • Dartzeel LHC 208
  • Vitus sia 025

(Not really)

  • Gryphon Hagel
  • Pass int
  • Jeff Rowland continuum S2
  • Bryston
  • Luxman


  • Speaker Contenders

Honestly, I can’t find any other contenders with a similar price range of $11k - bottom line is I coudln’t find one for reasonable lengthy audition.

(Not really)

  • SF Olympia iii
  • Focal Sopra 2
  • Magico A3 / S1
  • Wilson Sabrina
  • Brodmann VC 2
  • Harbeth / Graham / Tannoy
  • Vienna Acoustics Beethoven Baby / Liszt
  • Boenicke w8, w11
  • Steinheim alumin 2
  • D&D 8c
  • Avant garde Uno Fino
  • Odeon Helix
  • Genelec
  • B&W 803


Fast, high sensitivity - in my case, ceramic/diamond is the starting point. I couldn’t find something horn for my case. - Matching Boulder is secret for ceramic and any other typically considered metallic sound.


“Depth” with the right amount of detail is the key - all about detailed tonality with the right amount of pressure when music coming out.


  • Dac / Streaming Contenders

Very difficult to find one to compete.

Boulder’s integrated DAC is surprisingly good. Boulder knows something for sure. Streaming is flawless too.


  • Molamola / MSB

Personally, I like MSB DAC but don’t like how this company does business. So If I had to go for separate boxes, I would pick Molamola or Dac from Boulder. (new, more affordable model coming.) Aurender topline product is interesting but a bit too much $.



  • Possible upgrade or sidegrade (under 50k) for a bigger space

Boulder 866

+ Parker Quintet (no diamond)

+ Alumine 3 (it’s tricky one though)

+ Sabrina X


If I won a lottery, I would consider the boulder 1100 series with a bigger house.

Along with the 20% discounted Formation Duo that I picked up years ago for wireless, this setup is very cost effective considering its performance level, mainly boulder 866.

If there’s any question about the specific combo mentioned above, I will try to share my memory.


Have a nice day.


128x128sangbro
How about investing in a good dac using toslink very limited 
and for under $5 k the Holo springs May edition dac, great sounding period ,and beats many much more expensive dacs out there John Atkinson Stereophile one of the lowest distortion dacs ever ,
And much lower in cost then the higher $$ competition .
I am currently saving for one . 
I think is nothing to do with speakers if integrated amp,preamp or dac can not reproduce it.For example,I had well praised audio research ref 3 preamp and it could not cope with piano .While less expensive onkyo p3000r sounds much better and like real piano
Some Audiogon members won't appreciate my system, due to owning what I consider to be quality 'Chi-Fi' components, but I'll describe what has worked regardless of those "views." 

Like you I'm an avid Classical listener with an extensive piano repertoire collection. For me I find planar speakers with tube monoblock or stereo pre/power amps sound best to reproduce the complex sonority of piano recordings. The recording of course must be of high quality to begin with. Also I don't endlessly compare vinyl to digital to streaming because they are, after all, different formats produced by different studio recording technologies. Active testing in pairing speakers to amplifiers will always be needed, but I ended up with electrostatic / planar paired to tubes as performing best.
After you listen to ALL those speakers IN YOUR ROOM, go get a pair of smaller Magnepans and wail out your piano.

You will be amazed, I am sure.

Cheers,

Richard
This means that some of speakers I consider as “not really” work wonderfully for pop/rocks etc but somehow lack certain aspect in classical
music.
By the way, this will always be the case with speakers in the entry-to-middle market sector. You’ll have to hit the $8,000-$10,000 range auditioning different designs and efficiency levels if you want that macro solution.