In addition to being an audio freak I play drums, so I am particularly sensitive to how cymbals are recorded and reproduced. In exploring audio equipment in general, I find that equipment that is more "sweet" or "forgiving" frequently(but not always) covers up what many of us perceive as "air" or sense of space in the recording. Accordingly I've found that speakers with more extended treble capabilities are much better at capturing and conveying these characteristics if they're on the recording(of course this also assumes the upstream equipment is revealing enough to let this information through). There is usually a very fine line between speakers that can portray air and space and speakers that are overly bright or harsh sounding, and I haven't found many speakers that get it right(for my tastes). A partial list of speakers that can walk this line are Soliloquy, Silverline, Audio Physic, Coincident Technology, and Talon Audio(there are obviously many more, but these are the ones I've heard extensively enough to recommend).
The other factor I have found to be critical in retrieving spacial information from recordings is speaker placement. In my system I find that pulling my speakers 5 feet or so into the room allows the music and instruments to breathe and not be truncated or smeared by the back wall(this will obviously vary with different equipment and room dimensions). My feeling is that this spacial information is very delicate and can easily be destroyed if not allowed to pass directly as possible to the listener's ear. In this type of setup when the recording allows, cymbals as well as other instruments and voices appear in the room in a 3-dimensional fashion that is truly mesmerizing--like having the band in your listening room.
Although I feel these are the two most important variables to achieving what it is I believe you are searching for, audio systems are like a chain in that they are only as strong as the weakest link, so everything from source to cables will also play into the equation. I'm sure there will be other posts with a lot more helpful and interesting information and theories, but as far as speakers go, clean treble extension and speaker placement are among the most important variables to focus on to bring the performance into your room. Best of luck.
Tim
The other factor I have found to be critical in retrieving spacial information from recordings is speaker placement. In my system I find that pulling my speakers 5 feet or so into the room allows the music and instruments to breathe and not be truncated or smeared by the back wall(this will obviously vary with different equipment and room dimensions). My feeling is that this spacial information is very delicate and can easily be destroyed if not allowed to pass directly as possible to the listener's ear. In this type of setup when the recording allows, cymbals as well as other instruments and voices appear in the room in a 3-dimensional fashion that is truly mesmerizing--like having the band in your listening room.
Although I feel these are the two most important variables to achieving what it is I believe you are searching for, audio systems are like a chain in that they are only as strong as the weakest link, so everything from source to cables will also play into the equation. I'm sure there will be other posts with a lot more helpful and interesting information and theories, but as far as speakers go, clean treble extension and speaker placement are among the most important variables to focus on to bring the performance into your room. Best of luck.
Tim