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Hi all,
I am looking to buy and start learning the piano. I was in the shop trying a Roland Hp 203 and a Yamaha 340. As far as I could tell I had set both up to be 'normal'. It seemed to me that the Roland was alot harder to push the keys down. It also seemed 'clunky' - I was using headphones (not too loud) and I could hear the keys being pressed above the sound of the music. This is something that I did not notice when using the Yamaha. I am (was 20 years ago) an accordionist, and have no idea if this clunky-ness is what a real piano is like or not. The shop did not sell acoustic pianos, so I could not compare. I want something that is close to playing a real piano.

I preferred the non-clunky Yamaha in terms of keyboard feel.

My other thoughts on the differences between them:
I compared the sound of them, and I couldn't tell much of a difference, I think I am going to go for a second listen.
In terms of aesthetics, I prefer the look of the Yamaha, I really dislike the plasticky look of the music holder on the Roland, but its 42cm depth is a major plus. I know that aesthetics aren't as important as sound, but the thing is going to sit in my living room for a long time.

I would appreciate any thoughts on this 'clunky-ness'.

Andy T

Piano actions are weighted and vary from slightly heavy to very heavy. The Yamaha action is lighter than most acoustic pianos. The Roland is also on the light side, but closer to an acoustic in my opinion. The Roland also features "escapement" which is an acoustic piano feature where if you play too softly, no sound at all will emerge (also there is a slight "bump" or "catch" in the action as the escapement releases). Action noise is a separate issue. The Roland may be mechanically noisier than the Yamaha, but neither is noisier than a regular acoustic. You just don't play an acoustic silently, so it isn't obvious.

Most people here agree that Yamaha has better cases and furniture than Roland. The Roland design is compact and attractive, but looks cheap in some respects. Yamaha is very nicely made. However, the action and electronics are well-made on both.

In terms of the sound, the Roland samples a Steinway and generally has a darker, heavier sound. Yamaha samples Yamaha grands and has a brighter sound. Also the 340 has two-way speakers, which give it a much better treble response. However, the 203 has many more sounds available (over 300) and some nice high-end spec features (string resonance, etc.)

Both of these are excellent DPs--among the best available. It really comes down to personal preference as to which one is better. I prefer the Roland sound and touch, so I own an HP-203. But many people here like Yamaha also. If you're used to a very light action (on the accordian), than Yamaha might appeal to you.

Someone here recently said that the Roland escapement is nothing more than a "clicker", with no other functionality. Is that so? And is that inconsistent with your notion that "no sound will emerge" if you play ppppp softly?

That's mostly true. But, it has two functions, as I noted. First, as you go past it, the "clicker" provides the slight "bump" or "click" in the feel that you get on an acoustic. Second, if you play too softly for a real hammer to reach the strings, the "clicker" will prevent your keystroke from sounding (i.e. you haven't used enough force to get past it). That's all that it has to do, and it does the both very effectively. The fact that it's a simple device and "fake" don't really matter. Everything on DPs is simplified and faked. Otherwise they'd have real hammers and strings...