Hi everyone,
I'm an ex Yamaha CVP-107 owner and a current Motif XS8 owner so I believe I know my way around the Yamaha digital pianos quite well. I use all kinds of instrument sounds: Strings, Leads, Organs, Whistles, Flute, Piano, etc. I also use a lot of functionality like the accompaniment, record, fills, syncs, etc. Just so you can see my qualifications, here's my youtube.com/pianopate

Today, I tried the CGP-1000 & the Avant Grand to see what the fuss is about. I've been interested in the CGP-1000 for a while so, it was a self fulfilling trip. Thought others would like to hear my take on these digital pianos, and hopefully Yamaha will listen as well.

CGP-1000:
The look: This piano on the exterior looks beautiful. It looks just like a real piano. I like the way it hides the electronics and you can flip the lid the 2nd time to show all the electronics - which is very cool.
Pros: Looks just like a real piano. Hides the electronics quite well.
Cons: If the piano is turned on, you can see the electronics through the cracks as you flip the lid for the first time(remember you can flip the lid twice). The lid doesn't seem to close or open comfortably, there's no click to let you know that it's closed, or it is open.

The sound: I was in one of the private rooms with wooden walls and floors at the piano store, and to me, the sound was just ok for this piano. Wasn't too impressed.
Pros: I can't figure out what I liked..
Cons: The sound was not impressive. Doesn't sound very clear or warm. Not very Yamaha like. I expected much more from Yamaha for a $25,000 piano. If the speaker system isn't that great, I can't tell the quality of the sound banks.

The feel: The keys felt like it was aged a little to give that grand piano feel. I personally prefer it to feel more like the Avant Grand (without the vibration feedback). So there's room for improvement here.

Avant Grand:
The look: This piano looks absolutely beautiful. It's contemporary and yet classy - very sexy! The speakers on top looks just as good as what is shown on the pictures. The wood is just like a real piano, it has a nice shine to it. The controls on the left pops out once you press it. It has a nice feel and looks solid. The navigation is just a bit tricky, but one can get the hang of it fairly quickly since there isn't too many options - only 5 instruments.

The sound: If only the CGP-1000 sounds like this. The sound is rich on highs, mediums and lows. It was such a great experience playing this piano. The 5 instruments all sound very high in quality.

The feel: The keys feel much better than the CGP-1000 keys. The one thing I didn't like was the vibration feedback, I think you can turn it off. If I can turn it off, I would. But the target market for this piano are for acoustic players, I'm a mix of acoustic and synth piano player.

Conclusion:
For an acoustic player, I think the Avant Grand serves its purpose very well. But for me, I wouldn't buy either one, because I want the functionality of the CGP-1000, but with the look, feel, and sound of the Avant Grand. If Yamaha can do a combination of the 2 instruments, it would make a very compelling case for me to buy one.

Ideally:
- I like the CGP-1000 cabinet, with the speaker setup of the Avant Grand.
- The Avant Grand keys on the CGP-1000 with no vibration feedback.
- Improve on the lids of the CGP-1000.

Hopefully this helps anyone looking to purchase one of these instruments. I need to start saving for the next version.. hopefully the CGP-2000 will have all that I've suggested!

Cheers!

One other thing, the front panel speakers for the CGP-1000 sounds a bit dry.