cel4145 said:

Quality monitor speakers

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Interesting - my uneducated understanding is that these are primarily used by professionals for production purposes. Are you suggesting they fit a need for the hobbyist music fan? i.e. Are you willing to elaborate a bit?

rhbecker said:

Interesting - my uneducated understanding is that these are primarily used by professionals for production purposes. Are you suggesting they fit a need for the hobbyist music fan? i.e. Are you willing to elaborate a bit?

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Doesn't have to be powered monitors necessarily, but I like listening to music through good speakers as much as headphones. A good pair of speakers is a bit different listening experience than a good pair of headphones.

As far as the idea that pro audio studio monitors are only for music production, well, they tend to have accurate sound. Research has shown that a majority of people do tend to like accurate sound, so I would ignore that idea that they can only work for studio production work. The main reason I suggested powered monitors is that you bought the Astell&Kern AK100II, which suggested to me a tendency towards a more minimalist setup than full audio separates kind of rig.

rhbecker said:

   
Fair enough ... Let me re-focus on the original point of the thread - i.e. If you were me, with the equipment I've mentioned, and the solo piano musical focus, what would be your next purchase?

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I would get some balanced headphones with better detail.

cel4145 said:

you bought the Astell&Kern AK100II, which suggested to me a tendency towards a more minimalist setup than full audio separates kind of rig.

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Yeah, I think that's where my head was when I bought it - i.e. checks a lot of boxes in one go. At this point, I'm not sure I've necessarily changed my mind, but the skepticism I started with around my ability to hear a difference with high quality pieces is now gone, and so I'm interested in what other improvements I might hear with other setups.
 
I'm intrigued by your monitor suggestion. Part of what I've enjoyed about my purchases is how "intimate" they make the music listening experience. When I put on the headphones, it sort of puts me in a particular music-focused frame of mind. But given that I'm after whatever might improve my listening experience, I'm open to any suggestion.

Speakers are just different. If you an set them up well relative to your listening position, they can create a nice soundstage in front of you. There is some technical aspect to the setup, though, in terms of being smart about placement.

If you have a local high end hifi shop, you might go give some speakers a listen

youth said:

   
I would get some balanced headphones with better detail.

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Do you have a favorite or two to toss out?
 
My understanding is that there are some balanced cable options for the HD650, but the way you worded your post leads me to assume you don't prefer that route.
 
If you happen to have any experience with the AK100II's balanced output abilities, I'd be interested in whether that comes into play with your thinking. I've read mixed reviews.