Hello,

It is my first time here on the forum and I'd appreciate your opinions and views on the pianos that I have in mind.

I used to play keyboard a while back and its been around 7 yrs since i have stopped. I am looking now for a DP that would "closely emulate" an acoustic in both feel and sound. I want to play classicals, and general "soothing" music, but not want to play any fast stuff or jazz.

After doing some research and trying a couple of stores, i am torn between the CLP340, and HP207. I'd appreciate other Yamaha or Roland model suggestions too (these are the brands that are available in my area, and also most comfortable buying at this point).

Thanks

I am in the Austin Tx area

Could you share how you feel about the two pianos? I am also researching. I have tried Yamahas and Rolands briefly and am looking forward to trying the Kawai CA models.

Where I live (Vancouver, Canada) there is a significant price difference between the two. From what I've read here, the closer match in price to the HP207 would be the CLP370 and in feature the CLP380. You may want to check out the HP203 also, which is closer in price to the CLP340.

If not for the substandard 1 year only warranty offered by Roland Canada (compared to the other manufacturers' 5 year), I probably would have bought the HP207 already. The Roland warranty offered in the US is better I believe.

Like others have said, the HP-207 blows away the 340 in terms of features. It has many more additional sounds (and better ones in my opinion) a better display, more control over the piano tone ("piano designer"), string resonance, and many other features. It is very close to a CLP-380 in overall capabilities. But the biggest differences are in touch and sound.

Yamaha samples Yamaha grands, and has a similar sound. It is clear and fairly bright. The touch is relatively light. Many people like this distinct "Clavinova" sound. Th Roland samples (probably) Steinway and has a fuller, bassier tone. The keys are a little bit heavier. Overall, the two are very different, and most people form a preference for one or the other, in spite of the advantage of the Roland in features and spec.

Personally, I like the Roland touch and sound better than Yamaha, so the price and spec advantages are icing on the cake. I think the HP-207 is awesome. However, you may be a Yamaha fan, so try to play them both.

Within the Yamaha range, the CLP-340 is probably the best compromise between features and price. The CLP-370 isn't really any better than the 340 and the 380 is nearly twice as expensive as one.

Kawai is also worth trying out. They have some new models coming which look very impressive.

not sure if i got the icing on the cake reference when it comes to price because isn't the roland much more expensive?

It means that I would have chosen the Roland anyway based on the sound and touch, so the fact that it also had more features and was a better value were just a nice plus for me.

As for price, the HP-207 is more expensive than a CLP-340, but it's a lot cheaper than a CLP-380, which it compares well to. So I think it's a very good value overall.

Thanks Geoffk,

I expressed to the salesman that one of the things that bothers me in a piano is hearing myself pounding on the keys; I know it is normal, but certain pianos are "noisier" than others in that aspect, and I felt that the HP207 was noisier because the keys were heavier.
One thing that the Roland sales person mentioned was that Yamaha keys are supported by plastic frames whilst Roland's is metal(Sorry if this is not clear; i forgot his exact wording of the term). He said that after a 6 month use for example, a Yamaha key will start becoming noisier as one pounds it since plastic deforms while Roland's metal stays in shape. Any comments?

Tony, I am planning a couple more visits to both piano stores, but I did feel what Geoffk described regarding the keys a little bit heavier on the HP207, and the piano's bassier tone. I loved the HP207, but at the same time, I also like the "clear and bright" sound of the CLP340, which is also tearing my brains apart!!!
I am not sure if I can play with HP207 settings to make it "as bright" as the CLP340.

Both the Roland and Yamaha are very well made and should last for a long time. We have people here with 20 year-old Yamahas, so I don't think you'll have any problems.

You can't make a Roland sound exactly like a Yamaha (or visa versa), but you can get pretty close. The Roland 207 has very powerful equalization features that let you boost or cut specific bands of the tone.