Piano Reviews

“I like the way it feels when I’m playing and there’s no noise (clicking) on the keyboard either”

I ended up buying a Yamaha CP300 and set it up in a little alcove in my guest room.  It has a great sound  and seems to have a lot of versatility, is fully-weighted and has touch sensitivity. I think it’s going to make a great practice piano.

I wanted something comparable to my grand (sound, touch, response)  and so far it seems great.. I like the way it feels when I’m playing and there’s no noise (clicking) on the keyboard either like some I’ve tried out.  However, it is heavy!  It took my husband and son to get it upstairs to the guest room. How can they call that portable??   So far I’ve only played it a few times. I’m hoping to set up a practice schedule after the holidays of at least 1-2 hours a day.

I would have liked the Roland V piano, but it was totally out of my budget. I’ve heard lots of good things about them though….definitely high on technology!  The Classanti’s also seemed interesting…

So far I am just learning all the things it can do and am extremely happy with it.  It seems to have great versatility and I have already received many hours of enjoyment playing it.  I am not a professional and just wanted a practice piano as my grand piano is near where my husband watches TV and that didn’t work.

The CP300 has far more capabilities than I will ever use (and maybe even understand), but it also has a lot I am using and just love…like the split keyboard and the overlays of other voices…all the different sounds I can get…Wow!  It takes playing piano to a whole new level for me and makes me want to practice even more! My playing has improved so much because I enjoy playing it…

I’m not planning on using it for “gigs”.  Just going to leave it where it is and enjoy playing it!!!   Can’t imagine any musicians wanting to lug the CP300 around to gigs though.  They’d have to be body builders too in their spare time!  lol

Reviewed by Joanne Himes, USA

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call freephone 0800 358 8880

 

>> For Yamaha CP300 information, specifications and prices, click here

“The last three or four notes at the high end do not have a strong sound at all”

I haven’t had much chance to use it, but it seemed a good choice. Even with the volume knob on maximum, the last three or four notes at the high end do not have a strong sound at all, the last one being only a faint tinkle, and the notes do not sustain at all.  The difference in volume and duration of the notes is very noticeable if you compare the higher end of the keyboard with the lower.

Review by Paul, Stockholm, Sweden

 

“My mother is very pleased with the rich warm sound that you get from the DGX”

Overall we are very pleased with the DGX630. 95% Of the time it is used in ‘piano mode’ to emulate a traditional piano, my mother is very pleased with the rich warm sound that you get from the DGX, also she finds the touch and key weight very similar to those of a traditional acoustic piano. She has said that using the other features of the keyboard can be very complicated, but she admitted she was just trying things without having read the manual and once she had gone through this she found them very easy to use, but still prefers to use it in ‘piano mode’ most of the time, as, after all, she did want a piano.

The unit was delivered in two boxes, and the stand was very easy to assemble, mounting the main DGX unit on the stand is really a two man job, but I had the whole thing assembled (including the optional pedal set) within 30 minutes.

I bought it from Dolphin Music in Liverpool and the service and delivery were top notch, as well as being significantly cheaper that other outlets, I would recommend them to anyone.

Review by Jarrod, Liverpool, UK

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call freephone 0800 358 8880

 

 

>> For Yamaha DGX630 information, specifications and prices, click here

“Great piano tone and key touch”

Here is my review of the Yamaha DGX 650.

I have had a Yamaha DGX 300 and a Yamaha PSR 8000 for a number of years. Now I wanted one instrument that could replace these. My choice was the Yamaha DGX 650. It has a piano sound and a key-touch that appears to me as good as the far more expensive digital pianos.

It seems to be one of the most versatile digital instruments Yamaha has made. Besides being a very good piano, it can be used as an arranger keyboard with up to 5 tracks, as a keyboard with mange good voices and styles. It can record and play SMF and Audio files. It has various helps to people who starts playing from scratch. Even the bass sound is surprising despised the relatively small loudspeakers.

Review by Poul Andersen, Denmark

 

“It was a very pleasant and enjoyable experience”

Hello Graham

I bought a Yamaha DGX 650 (which is most suitable for my purpose) from your shop on Saturday.
I was served by 2 female staff in the showroom who were extremely helpful and friendly. It was a very
pleasant and enjoyable experience. I only had a glance of you when you came down when you were showing
a lady a piano. I told the girls to give my compliments to you.

Thank you for everything

Review by Hla Bu

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call freephone 0800 358 8880

 

>> For Yamaha DGX650 information, specifications and prices, click here

“After playing around with it for a couple of days, I am very happy with the result of my investment”

 

At first, I had my eye on the Yamaha DGX-630. It looked sleek, modern, and had plenty of gadgets which I like to have. It was then I discovered Graham Howard and UKPianos to help me. I contacted Graham and got a very quick response from him saying that it produced a thin and weak sound. That is what put me off. Time to do some more hunting…

After a couple of hours on the internet, I discovered that there was a newer model of the 630, the Yamaha DGX – 640. It claimed to be the most realistic piano sound and touch every cloned on a digital piano. The feel was supposed to be better and the top keys were matte. There were more sounds, styles and voices (535 I believe) and the walnut finish made it look stunning. I knew this was going to be the focal-point of my Living Room!

So I went down to my local music centre and took a look at this machine, boy was I impressed. I tested it for response levels, sensitivity, sound quality etc, just like on the site. I also discovered that there was an optional pedal board for it, LP-7 containing all three pedals which was even better. There was crystal clear display, same with the speaker quality. This well and truly had everything I needed AND MORE for a nice £612. The same piano was in the music store for a whopping £729! Complete rip off!! Then again, same with most music stores.

I went to the Digital Village website and ordered it plus the pedal board for an extra measly £43.99. 2 days later it arrived. There was a man with a checkboard and a massive box beside him, I knew this was the piano. I scribbled down my signature, dragged it in, said goodbye and shut the door. Then to the kitchen to grab the first steak knife I saw! Slicing open the box, revealing another box! It was the LP-7…

I took it out of the main box and placed sliced the seal, slid it out and gazed! It was bigger and better than I thought, it felt sturdy and when shaken, nothing rattled. Setting that aside on the sofa I arrived at the good stuff! I annihilated the delivery box and literally threw it out of my site. It may have hit the TV a bit but I wasn’t going to let that spoil the moment! Then carefully and delicately I sliced the sealing tape, removed the styrofoam and there was the beauty… Wrapped in plastic covering. Sliding it out showing the pitch-bend wheel and the left speaker already made me a bit too excited so I just thought “screw it” and dragged it out , pierced the wrapping and ripped it off. There it was! I digged in to find the instruction manual and the power supply. Fortunately there was a socket close to me so I powered it on and pressed a note. The sound was wonderful. Strong and vibrant.

After playing around with it for a couple of days, I am very happy with the result of my investment. I upgraded from a little Yamaha YPT-210 61-key 32 note polyphonic no touch response keyboard to this 88-key 64 note polyphonic touch responsive graded hammer action digital piano. I tried out some of the Clavinova series pianos that they had in the £800-£1000 range and trust me, they are not worth the money, you literally pay more for less.

Review by Andrew

 

“Its emulation of a real piano is awesome and the built in functions to make learning both easier and a pleasure are brilliant”

The Yamaha DGX-640 was a present for my partner and she is delighted
although still learning the full capability of the piano itself let alone playing it.

As an I.T. person and not a keyboard player myself I am mightily impressed.
Its emulation of a real piano is awesome and the built in functions to make
learning both easier and a pleasure are brilliant. We are still probably
some years from such a keyboard replacing the Steinway at the Royal Albert
Hall but for use at home or in a school getting a digital piano rather than
a “real” one is a no-brainer.

Incidentally, we got the piano on a visit to Milton Keynes which is where I
lived from 1985 until recently. I was astonished to find that the large
music store (Chapells) had gone and we eventually had to travel to the One
Man Band shop in the backstreets of Banbury to find a sensible selection of
keyboards.

I had previously looked at the Yamaha P155 on the internet and we tried the
software included version of this keyboard.which I would happily have spent
the extra to buy. But you need to be a fairly experienced pianist to even
notice the difference. To the credit of the young man in the shop he did not
try to sell us the more expensive model focusing on what was most suitable
rather than most profitable.

The large box fit neatly in the back of the Picasso and is now back in my
partner’s house in the Ardeche. You need a Philips screwdriver but putting
it on its stand was fairly easy. Since it is basically a computer with a
rather small screen but a large and very realistic keyboard and good
speakers there is not much to not work.

Review by Nick Bishop

 

“We found the middle octaves far too shrill or almost ‘harpsichordal’ for our liking”

Hi Graham
Many thanks for your digital piano buyer e-book and free piano lessons which I am currently devouring. My wife, Barbara, is the principal pianist and I really downloaded these items for her so she may be in touch directly in due course if that is OK.

She’s been learning on a DGX230 for 18 months and feels it’s time to move on (although this keyboard is pretty remarkable value for money). In fact we decided to purchase the DGX 640 only to find the middle octaves far too shrill or almost ‘harpsichordal’ for our liking. The bass and treble octaves are far more convincing than on the 230, however, and the feel of the keyboard far superior.

Suffice to say the DGX640 has been returned and we decided to audition locally. We found a second DGX 640 to sound similar to the one we returned so I don’t think it was a faulty item.

We’ve also ordered the Rocket Piano course – it sounds really good and the reviews are unanimously favourable. Learning to play is far more complex and difficult than I imagined (especially for a 65 year old brain!) but these courses may well encourage me to persevere.

Review by David

 

“Very live grand piano sound”

I suggested to buy new Digitial piano , i began search , i found 2 chioces , the dgx 630 , 640 … Finally i decided to buy the DGX-640 W i orded it from radioshack , and i recived it after 7 days … i played on many acoustic pianos and digital pianos . so the DGX 640 is really excellent instrument … excellent keyboard gradded hammer , excellent sount qaulity , very live grand piano sound , and the excellent option in the instrument is the touch sensivity control , the player can choose between 3 choices ,,, soft , medium , hard …. really amazing instrument .. but there is only one problem from my opinion in the DGX 640 … its about the tracks in the record mode .. if i am recording song for example … i want to record my own style using a drumkit on the single track .. the problem that if i recired for example snare drum and after i finish i want to record on the same track timpani ,, this cant be done .. the snare drum will be overwritten by the timpani … thats the only problem .. by the way it will not be a problem if u dont want to use record … Amazing Instrument .. really if u want to buy excellent digital piano with a lot of excellent options it will be The YAMAHA DGX-640

Review by Alexandria, Egypt

 

“It does exactly what it says on the box”

I read the reviews on your site Graham, Thankyou for your input.I have since bought the Yamaha DGX 640.
I am extremely pleased with my digital keyboard.It does exactly what it says on the box.

Review by Roger Aucott, Nottingham

 

“This is an amazing machine

Sound:
The Yamaha DGX-640 features the Live!, Sweet! and Cool! voices which I must say are truly impressive. The default piano has an amazing sound for such a low price Digital and you will be astounded. Some have critisised this model for the lack of speaker power, although I must disagree. I am lucky as we have this piano at the school im at and I have performed on it in a large hall without any external amplification and it held up well. The piano has great bass in the lower notes, which you expect on a Grand Piano.

Touch:
The keyboard feels great considering it’s Yamaha’s lower range ‘GHS’ (Graded Hammer Standard). I have played on many different high end ‘Clavinovas’ and the keyboard on the DGX really does replicate an acoustic piano. It features matt keys unlike the cheap keyboards you find at Argos for eighty pounds!

Overall:
The Yamaha DGX-640 (in cherry and walnut) is a great Digital Piano and I would reccomend to anyone looking for a well priced, acoustic replacement. I am not a professional pianist but I know a great piano when I play one and this machine is what its says on the tin; a Portable Grand. The differences between this and the Clavinovas is that the Clavs have slightly better touch and piano tone (as they are sampled from Yamaha CFIIIs – Concert Grand), but I really do not see the point in paying more for less. I am in love with the DGX-640 and i’m sure you will be too. These instruments are currently going at great prices so I truly reccomend catching one while you can! THE YAMAHA DGX-640 IS A TRULY OUTSTANDING PIANO!!!

Review by Kieran Davis

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call freephone 0800 358 8880

 

>> For Yamaha DGX640 information, specifications and prices, click here

“The RP401R will be suitable for a longer time”

Dear Graham,

As per my reply earlier to Jack, I found your Guide very informative. Jack recommended the RP-401R over the 301 in accord with the sense I’d gleaned from your
inclusion of the 401R in your “fully weighted” preferred list. The enhanced input features also look to be assets which will make the rp401 suitable for a longer time.

I wish I was in a position to reward you for the great info you provide, but alas I’m in Vietnam. Thanks though for putting such useful information in the public domain.

Review by Ray

 

“Very pleased all round”

Hi Graham
Very pleased with the Roland RP401r
Equally pleased with the service from UK Pianos
Kindest regards

Review by Derek Lindsay, Helensburgh, Dunbarton, Scotland

 

“I am super happy with my piano”

I had NO idea that a digital piano could bring me such joy. If it was not for your website, all the information that you supply – I would still be without a piano.
I am super happy with my piano.

Review by Lauren Wing, Bath, Somerset

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call freephone 0800 358 8880

 

>> For Roland RP401R information, specifications and prices, click here

“It sounds and feels a lot better than the cheaper models”

My 18 month old loves the sound of the church organ and the choir, making me want to buy a piano and get her prepared in the long term – I could dream seeing her playing the organ in a cathedral – no pressure.  I wasn’t looking for something high-end in the digital market, as I never played the instrument that well myself (I barely passed Grade 8) and I am just not sure how interested the little one will be in a few years’ time.  However, growing up playing a Steinberg made me a bit fussy, and I want my digital piano to sound and feel like a real (‘acoustic’) one. My natural choice is a Roland (sorry, never a Yamaha fan for some reason!).

I thought I would get a F-120, as it is slim, seems good for the purposes I need, was within my budget of less than £1,000, and sounds quite good on YouTube videos.

Went into the UK Piano Store in Enfield, got my hands on the F-120, it really sounded great….. until I touched the HP504 that is.  The sound and the touch was just SO MUCH better on the HP504 and it felt so much more natural that I couldn’t help but bought it.  It is another £470, almost 50% extra to the F-120, but for me it is totally worth it.  Not only it sounds and feels a lot better, but also the technology swayed me.  I always believe if you are to get something electronic you are meant to buy the latest model/technology, otherwise it will be out-dated in two months’ time.  The HP504 has it all; it was just out this year, whereas the F-120 has been around for a couple.

I have had the HP504 for two weeks now and I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying it.  The grand piano mode (Concert 1) sounds good for ‘performance’ pieces, and the Upright piano mode (Upright 1) sounds just like my good old Steinberg.  I even start to add on other voices when I play the theme tune of Laputa, which is great fun.

I tend to put the key touch to its heaviest (H2), probably spoiled by the Steinberg that I am so used to; and I like putting the brilliance on high (7), even when playing softer music.  My preference in ambiance differs: if in grand piano mode I prefer it higher (7-8), if in upright mode mid-level is good enough for me (5-6).

All in all, I cannot fault the instrument.  It is a pleasure to have, it looks wonderful, and it sounds and feels enough like a real piano.

I would also like to thank the sales team at UK Pianos.  They are so busy, but they are so knowledgeable.  I thoroughly enjoyed the discussions with the ladies during both of my visits; of course Graham’s help on the scores, prices etc contributed to it tremendously as well.  A couple of suggestions to make it even better would be to include discontinued models on the Howard Score chart – at times I wondered how the HP504 fairs with its predecessor – the HP503.  Also, as the world has gone crazy on YouTube, why don’t you share your own demo videos on YouTube, Graham?

Many thanks for your help and discussions, Graham!
With kindest regards

Review by Angela Tye-Galichet, Mill Hill, London

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call freephone 0800 358 8880

 

 
>> For Roland HP504 information, specifications and prices, click here

“Wanted Yamaha CLP575 but chose HP506”

Hi Graham,

Thankyou again for your most thorough and extremely helpful information in the digital piano bible. You empowered me to make an informed choice and steer away form the pseudo-knowledgeable salespeople.

I made a purchase last weekend.
I had the intention of the purchasing the Yamaha CLP 575.
I changed my purchase decision to the Roland HP506.
The salesman recommended both but told me he preferred the Roland sound and feel over the Yamaha, which I guess is a personal choice.
I am a novice and found both models to be quite similar in feel. Sound quality and performance is something I cannot yet accurately gauge but I am confident both will perform well.
The Roland was around $500 cheaper and in line with the CLP545 pricing.
I think its specs lie somewhere between the 2 Yamaha models.

The Yamaha warranty was 3 years and I was told only one person covered Western Australia, South Australia and NT.
He tried to up sell me to the HP508 which was a wonderful piano, but I simply couldn’t afford the extra $1500.

The piano arrives tomorrow. My daughter and I are looking forward to our ongoing piano journey.

Review by Michael

 

“This is a wonderful piano”

Hi Graham

I have been playing a Yamaha Electone organ for many years but recently realized that every time I sat down to play I had the organ set for ‘Piano’, so it seemed right to think of getting a piano instead.
But where to start looking!

I searched many websites and found Graham Howard’s free Digital Piano Bible.  I cannot stress how helpful this was.  I printed the pages I wanted to keep and eventually was drawn to the Roland HP 506.
I asked for Graham’s advice, having told him of my musical background, and he agreed that this would be a good piano for me.  I have had it now for a week.

This is a wonderful piano plus…  Firstly, such a lovely sound and with so many features that will keep me on a learning curve for a long time.
I particularly like that I can select and listen to a piece of music on the piano, then try to emulate it, or even play along with it!

The accompanying book of 60 Classical Masterpieces is excellent.

I can also record and listen to what I have played – a very useful feature.   The headphones are a must when it comes to that!

There are so many features to this piano.
I particularly like the built-in metronome, the fact that the pitch can be transposed, and that the piano can become two halves allowing for two players.
I could go on and on.

Thank you, Graham, for pointing me in the right direction.   I am delighted with my purchase.

Yours appreciatively

Review by Jenny Murray, Auchterader, Perthshire, Scotland

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call freephone 0800 358 8880

 

>> For Roland HP506 information, specifications and prices, click here

“I am thrilled with it”

I decided on a Roland HP508 and am thrilled with it.  I am 70 years old and  played piano when I was about 8 then gave it up at age 16.
Started again at age 40 but with no piano at home I did not progress so here I am 30 years later and a little greyer, but being
on my own now I have no distractions.  Also my friend and next door neighbour is a pianist and former teacher.
I am already mastering Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer!

Review by Marion Paton, Carlisle, Cumbria

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call freephone 0800 358 8880

 

>> For Roland HP508 information, specifications and prices, click here

“It sounds for all the world like a real instrument”

I opted for a Roland DP-990RF-PE and I’m over the moon with it. I saw two criticisms of it – one
on your site – that the higher tones are a bit on the bright side. But I honestly don’t hear it, which is I guess
what matters. To the contrary, to me it has some artefacts in the sounds in both the higher and lower registers
that sound for all the world like a real instrument. I really can’t fault it – it sounds real to me and its minimal
footprint and sleek simple look is exactly what I was hoping for.

I found your website and piano articles very useful and
informative in trying to weed through the possibilities and home in on my
requirements.

Reviewed by Paul Herzlich

 

“The matt black panel on the polished black model tipped it for me”

There’s a wide choice of electric pianos, but my requirements quickly narrowed down the field for
me. Because of constraints on space, I wanted a compact instrument, and because my room has a meticulously minimal
look, I wanted a sleek piece of furniture. I would have loved to have bought a Yamaha, since virtually everyone
agrees that they have the best sound and touch. But my two requirements ruled them out – even the small Yamahas
have design details I find annoying and the others are too big. After some research (videos on YouTube really
helped), I narrowed things down to a Casio PX-830 and the Roland DP-990RF-PE. Very different prices. My local piano
teacher said the cheaper Casio would do fine. The Roland technical specs gave it the edge, but would I be able to
tell the difference? Probably not.

I was on the verge of getting the Casio when I realised that the back panel on the polished black
model is matt. That tipped it for me. The Roland looked right. I’ll never know now about the Casio’s sound. So I
can’t say whether the extra money is justified by the sound. What I can tell you is that the Roland looks every bit
as good as I’d hoped.

However, I also have to say that it sounds better than I could ever have imagined. The reviews of
the Roland (including one on this site) mentioned that it is a bit bright in the higher registers. I can’t hear it.
On the contrary, the instrument sounds so real that you’d swear there were real hammers and strings in there with
secondary resonances. The touch is great too, as is the ‘ivory feel’ of the keyboard. In some ways, the touch might
be better than many acoustic pianos because it is even across the whole keyboard. I have no idea about the other
electronic features – voices, twin mode, layers, recording and playback. They don’t interest me. I know they’re
there and I imagine they’re competently engineered.

Bottom line, I’m delighted. The DP-990RF not only looks great but sounds fantastic.

Review by Paul Herzlich

 

“Yamahas didn’t come anywhere close in quality to the Roland’s sound and feel”

I checked out Rolands and Yamahas. To me, the Yamahas didn’t come anywhere
close in quality to the Roland’s sound and feel, and tended to be more expensive
to boot. The DP990RF was a special order (and additional $800), but I felt it
was worth it because a polished case is much easier to clean and the feel of the
natural keys superior to standard plastic. Since I expect to have the
instrument for years, I considered the extra investment to be minimal.

It took almost two months to arrive but was worth the wait. The sound and touch
are very close to acoustic, with an extraordinarily rich bass and very
responsive velocity sensitivity. All in all, I’m very satisfied.

But . . . I do have some complaints.

1. The piano has no automatic memory from one session to the next. So the
reverb (concert hall effect), metronome (both tempo and downbeat), and other
settings have to be reset each time the piano is turned on. There are some
defaults that can be changed, but not the most important ones as far as I’m
concerned. This is a completely unnecessary annoyance. Many electronic devices
will turn on where you left them the last time you used them. Usability 101
would dictate the same for the piano.

2. All of the function buttons, including volume, are located an inch or so
above the keyboard, are activated by a light touch, and are easily brushed by
the hands. So during a passage everything will suddenly get louder, or a
completely different piece from its memory will begin playing along with the
pianist, or the metronome will start ticking. To me this is extraordinarily
dumb engineering by people who don’t play. After a while one gets used to it
and mostly avoids incident, but a guest pianist will invariably stumble into
this most irritating situation at least once.

3. Some of the notes in the low bass tends to be too sharp in pitch. There are
pitch adjustments possible, but I haven’t tried them out yet. The default
should be in better tune.

4. It’s way too complicated. All I wanted was a really good digital piano that
did piano well. I got that, but far too many blinking lights, tricks and
enhancements that require adjustment that I don’t care about at all. But
they’re all like that these days, except the cheap ones that don’t sound that
good.

These aside, however, it’s a wonderful instrument. Thanks again for your
generous and insightful assistance.

Cheers from the colonies!

Review by Adam Sacks, USA

 

“In a small room, the speakers are adequate but sound nowhere as good as through headphones”

I started out with a flexible budget up to £2500 if necessary. I tried the clavinovas
at a shop, including the 430, 440, 470 and 480.  I found the 430 and 440 to be insufficient and the 480 to be
excessive in fancy features. Overall, the clavinovas sounded too tinkly and light despite a heavy
touch.

There was a Roland 990rf at the same shop which I initially passed
over as I had not read much about Rolands. However when I played on it I found the sound to be closest to a real
acoustic piano. The speakers let it down but through some headphones, the Roland is hard to beat.

My background is in classical piano, I completed grade 8 ABRSM on
an inexpensive non-examination standard Yamaha and acquired a Schimmel baby grand later.

The clavinovas do not resemble what I remember in my Yamaha or any of the other
yamahas i have used during piano lessons. The low and high ends sound particularly jarring, with coarseness in the
low end and a muffled high end.

The roland has a warmth especially in these areas which reminded me of a Chappell
and this made it my top choice thereafter.

Trying to decide between the Roland 990f and 990rf was a bit more difficult. The
Rf offers a synthetic ivory feel which is in fact quite realistic, having played on an antique piano with real
ivory. However the display piano in the shop showed significant discolouration of the keys and I wasn’t impressed
given the age of the display model and the volume of human traffic through the shop.

I settled on the 990f in a medium cherry, which turns out to be a very handsome
colour and with the cover down, masquerades well as a respectable piece of furniture. The plastic keys are shiny
and a bit slippery however I have never had problems on my old acoustic Yamaha and haven’t found significant
slipping on the keys on this either.

Within a small room, the speakers are adequate but sound nowhere as good as
through headphones.

Since taking delivery I have only used the piano voice of the Roland, and haven’t
felt the need to use the other voices or features.

Review by Pingping, London

 

“It has been well worth it!”

What a lovely piano to play and I would like to thank Graham Howard so much for
pointing me in the right direction.
I knew a Roland would suit me but hadn’t a clue which one. I initially had doubts
about paying so much extra for
the “ivory feel” but it has been well worth it! Thanks once again – UK
Pianos’ expert guidance is much appreciated.

Review by Andrew Ford, London, UK

 

“The DP990 is magnificent”

I purchased a Roland DP990RFPE on Thursday, from a local music instrument outlet.
It was not a shop, more like a warehouse with all the instuments, – drums, guitars, brass instruments, other
keyboards, set out in various areas of the building.

The DP990 is magnificent, having tried the Yamaha Clavinovas CLP 470 and 480 earlier in the week, at a main piano
store in Bolton. Both the Yamahas had no “note tone” in the last 4 or 5 top notes, both in normal use and with
headphones. This was the very first thing I tried on the Roland, even before sitting down on the stool. The top “C”
rang out clearly as a musical note, not like the sound you get when you “clap” two pieces of wood together. It was
because of this lack of tonal sound on the top notes that a decided to look eleswhere from the Clavinovas. I do
play some classical pieces that include the top “C”, and my accoustic piano’s keyboard ends on the “A”.

The Roland is everything you could wish to have in a piano. My accoustic piano is
an Eavestaff “Mini-Grand”, just over 40 years old but an ideal small piano for domestic use. The Roland is tonally
better, with very rich base and lower middle notes and equal to slightly better in the upper register. The keys
settings have a choice of five settings from two heavy through normal to two light settings. the normal is just
like a new accoustic piano. The rapid repeat of notes is also no problem, being able to play trills without any
hesitation. I bought the piano so that I could practice in silence – Chopin Studies, a wide range of Rackmaninov,
Debussy, Beethoven, Schumann, Listz. With headphones, none of the sound lustre is lost, one thing I noticed in
earlier trials of the CLP 370 last year.

Key clatter is indescernable to people in the same room, however my wife could hear this in the lounge below my old
office ( the small bedroom), I am converting into a “boy’s room”/spare bedroom. I have read about this on a website
and have inserted rolled rubber car mats beneath the feet of the unit. This has considerably reduced the mechanical
noise transmitted from the keyboard, down through the frame, the carpet, and floorboards, to it being almost
indescernable in the room below.This was without any other sound being in the lounge.

One thing not mentioned so far is the size of the keyboard “Box”. Sorry for calling it that but that is what it is.
A nicely damped lid that opens up to reveal the keyboard and control panel. On looking through the comprehensive
users manual, I found you can lock the electronic settings you have set. Before being aware of the lock facility,
in my playing my finger tips caught one of the electronic buttons and set off an auto playing of one of Chopin’s
famous Polonaises.

The Roland DP990 is in polished black ebony, reminding me of the Bechstein Grand piano I used to play at my old
school, over fifty years ago.

After my first visit to the warehouse, I received an e-mail from the piano department manager informing that the
model I had tried had just been replaced by a new model having a few new inovations, which were of no use to my
requirements.

…As mentioned before, a wonderful instrument for it’s sound, touch and response, just like the best accoustic
piano’s with the added benefit of being able to play in silence, and not being an annoyance to members of the
household and neighbours.

Thank you for the digital piano
guide. It certainly highlights the various points you need to be aware of and consider before buying a digital
piano.

Review by Geoff Whitelegg

 

“The sound is generally very good – but the electronics interface SUCKS!”

Hi Graham –

I bought a DP 990RF around 16 months ago, when I gave you a brief review.
Now that I’ve been playing it regularly since then, I’d like to offer a bit of an update – something to consider
when you review it.

The sound is generally very good, although the normal decay on at least one key is
inexplicably short.  Makes me wonder how they did their sampling.  The touch is excellent, including the
escapement feel, and they did a very nice job emulating some of the subtleties of an acoustic, such as executing a
forte-piano by lightly damping the strings by releasing the pedal halfway and then depressing it again without
silencing them, and also capturing sympathetic vibrations.  So I am very happy with the musical electronics
and normal physical interface of the piano, well worth the price.

But I wouldn’t buy it again.

In a word (an impolite one), the electronics interface SUCKS!  The control
buttons are inexplicably placed so close to the playing fingers all across the keyboard that it’s very easy to
press one, and at any moment without warning the instrument suddenly transposes, or plays a pre-recorded polonaise
over whatever the pianist happens to be playing, or turns into a string orchestra.  It’s not just me, several
other pianists, and some very good ones, have had the same problem.  Furthermore, there are very few defaults
the user can set.  Every single time I turn the instrument on I have to turn off the annoying downbeat ping on
the metronome and reset the tempo (it always defaults to 108, so I can’t stop one day and start at the same place
the next).  In addition, the volume slider seems to be non-linear and is very difficult to get right; a knob
such as the one on my old 1500 would have been better.  If I had known about the N-1 then, I probably would
have bought it despite the additional expense.

Anyway, thanks for the great information you make available!

Review by Adam, USA

 

“The Roland DP990 is magnificent!”

I purchased a Roland DP990RFPE on Thursday, from a local music instrument outlet in Salford. It was not a shop, more like a warehouse with all the instuments, – drums, guitars, brass instruments, other keyboards, set out in various areas of the building.

This piano is magnificent, having tried the Yamaha Clavinovas CLP 470 and 480 earlier in the week, at a main piano store in Bolton. Both the Yamahas had no “note tone” in the last 4 or 5 top notes, both in normal use and with headphones. This was the very first thing I tried on the Roland, even before sitting down on the stool. The top “C” rang out clearly as a musical note, not like the sound you get when you “clap” two pieces of wood together. It was because of this lack of tonal sound on the top notes that a decided to look eleswhere from the Clavinovas. I do play some classical pieces that include the top “C”, and my accoustic piano’s keyboard ends on the “A”.

The Roland is everything you could wish to have in a piano. My accoustic piano is an Eavestaff “Mini-Grand”, just over 40 years old but an ideal small piano for domestic use. The Roland is tonally better, with very rich base and lower middle notes and equal to slightly better in the upper register. The keys settings have a choice of five settings from two heavy through normal to two light settings. the nornal is just like a new accoustic piano. The rapid repeat of notes ia also no problem, being able to play trills without any hesitation. I bought the piano so that I could practice in silence – Chopin Studies, a wide range of Rackmaninov, Debussy, Beethoven, Schumann, Listz. With headphones, none of the sound lustre is lost, one thing I noticed in earlier trials of the CLP 370 last year.

Key clatter is indescernable to people in the same room, however my wife could hear this in the lounge below my old office ( the small bedroom), I am converting into a “boy’s room”/spare bedroom. I have read about this on a website and have inserted rolled rubber car mats beneath the feet of the unit. This has considerably reduced the mechanical noise transmitted from the keyboard, down through the frame, the carpet, and floorboards, to it being almost indescernable in the room below.This was without any other sound being in the lounge.

One thing not mentioned so far is the size of the keyboard “Box”. Sorry for calling it that but that is what it is. A nicely damped lid that opens up to reveal the keyboard and control panel. On looking through the comprehensive users manual, I found you can lock the electronic settings you have set. Before being aware of the lock facility, in my playing my finger tips caught one of the electronic buttons and set off an auto playing of one of Chopin’s famous Polonaises.

The whole unit is in polished black ebony, reminding me of the Bechstein Grand piano I used to play at my old school, over fifty years ago.
After my first visit to the warehouse, I received an e-mail from the piano department manager informing that the model I had tried had just been replaced by a new model having a few new inovations, which were of no use to my requirements.

As mentioned before, a wonderful instrument for it’s sound, touch and response, just like the best accoustic piano’s with the added benefit of being able to play in silence, and not being an annoyance to members of the household and neighbours.

Thank you for your guide. It certainly highlights the various points you need to bne aware of and consider before buying a digital piano.

Review by Geoff

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call freephone 0800 358 8880

 

>> For Roland DP990 information, specifications and prices, click here

“It has a very dull and booming bass and the tones sound artificial”

After trying RG-3 I decided that the Roland is not realistic in its sound.

It has a very dull amd booming bass and the tones sound artificial. Even though it has the new “supernatural” sound. The RG-3 was a special offer from the store (5900 Euro): they had to get rid of it since its successor RG-3F was coming.

I found the action sluggish (but of course it was the “older” PHA-II action. At first sight the sound was impressive:
using many loud chords and the pedal you might get the “woow” feeling. But playing a chromatic scale across the keyboard revealed many deficiencies. Notes that were too loud, too sharp or just plain ugly.

Reviewed by Paul Provoost

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call freephone 0800 358 8880

 

>> For Roland RG-3 information, specifications and prices, click here