Unlike a recording, though, an instrument sound doesn’t come with another room‘s sound around it.
Sure… i suppose.
But the speaker and the piano both interact with the room.
and a recording may also have the sound of the room it was recorded in.
i like sweet-n-sour when it is an Asian or Hawaiian dish… but I do not want to spice the speaker choice with the room choice.
It’s about sound, it’s about anticipating how the sound will change over time and it’s about playability. And consideration for the space the piano will occupy.
Most people looking at a Steinway would likely have a decent room, and if they already had a piano, then the room is/was likely a a driving force in the selection of the house.
What people seem to be talking about here… or how I am reading it… is that we have say a teenager setting a garage for the band scenario.
And that they choose a Casio keyboard because it sounds good in that particular garage.
That is a lot different than scenario, than saying, “I know the garage is not a great room, but uncle Mike said we can use his ol Steinway.”
granted… I do not own or play a piano, so maybe it is more nuanced than I think.
but I would not be opposed to selecting a speaker without an in-room demo.
Klipple, and other measurements, should generally provide a way to get a good idea how it should perform.