Have anyone heard about these instruments?
I have experience only with acoustic pianos, but these ones look interesting to me.
Local prices here are comparable to high-end uprights or mid-class grands.

Yes, they are very impressive instruments (particularly the N3), probably better than corresponding acoustics with a similar price tag. But you should try them yourself. That will probably be faster than starting another "acoustics vs digitals" thread on the PW forums. Those tend to go on forever.

Got your point. The digital vs. acoustic discussion is, however, not interesting to me. I just want an instrument that serves my needs well.

Most important for me is that the mechanical action is not an obstacle for playing.
Secondly I want an instrument that isn't so easy to play that I get problems when switching to another piano or grand.

But of course it is nice to have an instrument that allows silent practice. And for composing and arranging music I expect a digital instrument with computer interfacing will be greatly helpful.

The action is exactly like a grand piano, in a smaller package.

The sound is very good. It is most similar to a C2 or C3, in a small footprint. It's not a high-end grand or upright, but it's very good.

That being said, I did get tired of the sound after a long while. Perhaps perfect consistency results in fatigue. The extra features are very very useful.

Based on your previous posts on
Pianoworld, I believe that buying
one of these, at ~$20,000, would
throwing your money away. For the
type of playing you do, your
current acoustic piano is more
than adequate, and you don't need
anything else. Moreover,
despite its impressive
performance and tricked up design,
this is essentially just another
digital piano, and if it is
a digital piano that you want,
then you can get good ones
for less than $1000. My digital
cost $600 online in the US,
and it enables me to work on
anything, from jazz improvisation
to big-time concertos; and I can
switch to any acoustic piano
with no problem. I would
never spend $20,000 on a digital
piano when you can get one
for $600 that will serve just
as well.

Although I couldn't consider it, based on its price (and my budget). I did have a chance to play it while I was doing my piano search. Walked away very impressed.

What they appear to be are just "normal DPs" but with very powerful and well tuned amps and speakers systems. I'm not surprised at all that you'd be impressed. When we listen to DPs we are listening to speakers. With thousands of dollars to work, with Yamaha had the budget to put in some nice speakers.

I think you'd get just as impressive sound with a stage piano and a $2,000 speaker system.

That's one of my projects to build some nice speakers for a DP. Current ideas are looking like a custom stand for a P155.

That is strange that you know that much about me. My impression is compared to the high end kawai digital that I owned prior to my purchasing an acoustic. And it wasn't just the sound that was superior, it was the touch as well.

Each person has his own taste and sensitivity. I am secure enough in my own (albiet limited) abilities to tell the difference between different pianos, whether they be digital or acoustic.

Please use the search function on this forum for "avantgrand", "avant grand", and "N3". Lots of threads on the Digital Synth section on this revolutionary instrument.

ChrisA, there's considerably more to the Avant Grand than a good amp and a nice set of speakers - the entire instrument represents a fundamental change in digital piano technology.

Kind regards,
James
x

And how and when will KAWAI meet this challenge?

That's an excellent question, however I don't believe it's entirely relevant to this thread.

Kind regards,
James
x