Classical speakers that do violins well??

as much as a musician has exposure to an instrument, either playing it or listening to another musician playing, aural memory is the issue. it is not reliable.

so, you need a reference. a memory is not a reference. it is a collection of experiences stored in the brain.
i would not rely on someone's memory as to what an instrument sounds like. i would prefer to hear the instrument.

if the instrument is not available, preference and opinion takes over.

Well, I disagree. I've heard no evidence that my aural memory is not reliable.

Based on your premise, almost no one could judge the accuracy of their system.

Comparing non-musician's aural memory to mine is like a casual driver comparing his driving skills to a regional champion racer. I'm constantly listening and adjusting to sounds, timbre and pitch. I only do it a few hours per day, so that's nothing compared to a pro that puts in 8+ hours per day on his or her instrument.

Still, practice, repetition and performance hone skills that most people never develop. Even if you father is Michael Jordan, you'll never be a great basketball player without hours and hours of practice, week after week, month after month.

Listening to music enough CAN get a non-musician to a high level at judging a system's timbral accuracy.

We all need a reference and I agree that starting with a live acoustic instrument is one of the best ways to start, but at some point you learn enough that you don't need the instrument present to "know" the reference.

Dave

...and all I did was ask for a few speaker recommendations!

-Bob (OP)

Yes, well, your thread got hijacked!

Good luck - do lots of auditinoing.

A used active speaker probably is the best solution with as big woofer as you could buy.