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^September 2010?
If so, I'll just buy the HP 203, I can't wait for another year...

Anyone know when the HP-40x range will be released? Seriously, isn't the DP manufacturing arena getting like that one we suffer from with computers, buy one today and it's replaced, and obsolete, in a years time? I'm not knocking it, it's indicative of the "must have" societies we live in, it makes our world go round. Sorry, OT.

I don't see what's wrong with that. My ten year old Kawai CA550 works just as well as it did more than 10 years ago when I bought it, my ten year old PC in the basement however is good for nothing by now as it can't support any modern software. I think it's great that so many improvements are made in digital pianos. That the new ones are a little better doesn't make the older ones any worse. As for the HP-40x range, my uneducated guess would be about 2 years after the release of the HP-30x range because that is how long it took from HP-20x to HP-30x (I think...)

I think Masume is right.

Computers become obsolete because you're always wanting to add new software (or you're being forced to). This requires more system resources, eventually forcing you to get a newer, better box.

But there are no upgrades to your piano. It's not subject to the burdens of new software. It never changes. So, until it breaks or wears out, it can keep going and going ...

I think what I'm saying is, the technology and the means to incorporate it into the DP are there already it's just a matter of releasing it slowly over a number of years in order to maintain the market, I believe it is called "planned obsolescence". Sorry, still OT I'll stand down.

No, please keep up talking.
You are of course right.
That is why healthy competition from new, young innovative companies is so important!
Otherwise, consumer markets resemble simply monopoly or oligopoly style profit pools to be milked the best way for the market making companies, keeping prices high and consumer-value-increasing innovation late.

If you want to see capabilities hit the market earlier, put your money where your mouth is and vote with your dollars and euros on those companies that are pushing things forward, like Modartt and their PianoTeq product.

Here is the paradox: If you want to see more from the Rolands and Yamahas of the world, give your money to Modartt instead.

To covert the price of the discounted HP207 it will cost around 3.2k whereas HP203 in my country cost around 3.5k. The price range is pretty huge, i wonder if it will be cheaper to import a HP203 from Japan..

I have a question with this respect. I also was just about to buy HP 207 but now i don't relly know what is the best timing. Does anybody know how pricing works in this case. The price in Germany for HP 207 is 2749 EUR. Would it be complitely stupid to buy it now, knowing that new modelis coming from price perspective or this future release is already IN this price. I am not sure I want to wait 307, but wouldn't like to see a big discount next month after I bought it.
Does it make sense to wait until New Year?or messe in Frankfurt in February?
Thank you in advance!

hmm... that makes sense, so I'll just hijack your question and add: How about the LX-10? I consider buying it instead of the 207 or instead of waiting for the 307, because it sounds so much greater playing with the LX-10s speakers. But since it's a different product series It shouldn't be greatly affected as far as pricedrops are concerned, I guess...
Oh, and by the way: even though I like the alliteration, the Musikmesse in Frankfurt is in late march, not february. (hm, Musikmesse in march, that still works )

You will. And you want the PHA III keyboard.

The PHA III, really? From what I've heard the differences between the PHA II and the PHA III are barely noticable. I tried both myself (On the v-piano and another modern roland stagepiano) and I didn't really notice any differnce, both felt equally great and fun to play.
I would say the sound is of much greater concern, but since it doesn't seem to be on par with the v-piano just yet (judging by mezzo-poors review, please correct me if I got the wrong impression) you could just as well wait for the next next generations of Roland pianos as they are surely going to be better yet. Wanting to buy a new digital piano myself I came to the conclusion that you can always wait for the next, better generation but that way you will never buy a new digital piano...
So much for my opinion on that topic, but maybe I'm just telling myself all that to rationalise the purchase of that new piano I want (that and my situation is a little different as I'm looking to buy the LX-10 model instead which makes the HP-307 less appealing)
But even though, I would at least wait till NAMM (January 14th to 17th) to get some more impressions on the new model before I actually decide on waiting or not, an additional one month and two weeks waiting should be short enough to bear.

OK, but if we switch to pure pricing issue, what is your impression: will the price for HP 207 go down in the nearest future or it stay at this level and new model will be just more expensive.
I don't have any DP at all, so I need to buy something to start practicing and i would say that 2749 EUR ( current price for HP 207 in Germany) is my upper limit i would lke to pay more, even for 307 or anything else.

Buy at thomann.de after Christmas, they have a 30 day returns policy that I've personally used for a digital piano. 30 days after delivery, NAMM will be over and if it hasn't dropped in price till then, it probably will not for a while.

Plus you have a great amount of experience with the 207 to decide whether the 307 will be worth the premium.

if the piano is not defective you will be required to pay the return shipping which will be considerable for the HP207.

I would recommend actually only buying something you are actually planning to keep rather than abusing return policies.

You don't pay return shipping in Germany at Thomann, unless that changed since August 2008, when I bought mine.

Whether it's ethical or not is something you have to decide for yourself, of course!

I haven't found any accompaniments on the Roland RD-700GX or V-Piano. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Does any of the new Rolands have a built-in sequencer, for accompaniments, like the Yamaha CVP-series?

I browsed the Japanese manual for HP307 and found no description for accompaniments.

Does anyone know the name of the two classical pieces played on the demo at www.roland.co.jp? Talking about HP307

/Andrée

Please refer to

http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/7178.html
and
http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/7226.html
No.1 Ab

mezzo-poor, thanks for your help

/Andrée