So the last few weeks I've been looking at Yamaha YDP's and the Privia lines, and just as I almost make my mind up I come across some nice looking Williams pianos for half the price.

I searched on the forums but couldn't find too much info / reviews on the three: Williams Overture, Symphony, and Symphony Elite. I'm not thrilled about the 64 note polyphony they have but am curious if anyone owns these or has tried these pianos out in stores. I'm most concerned about the key action and the true piano sound.

No stores nearby have them so I can't test them out for myself.. thanks for the help!!

You
get
what
you
pay
for.

I think you answered your own question. If "cheap" and "nice looking" are what you want buy it.

But I'd think most people would be more concerned with the "feel" of the key action and the sound. And maybe after that reliability and the reputation of the manufacturer.

But you do seem to have found a way to describe the Williams DP accuracy.

You can get a good feel for a DP buy reading the very first sentence on the seller's web page. The authors are trained to put the strongest points first and set the tone from the start. They are pros and mostly do this very well. So read and compare both lead off sentences and see which you like:

"..The Williams Overture is a console style 88-Key digital piano with a sliding key-cover and full vanity panel."

"..The Arius YDP160 offers Yamaha's trademark playability with ultra-responsive Yamaha Graded Hammer Effect (GHE) action and the remarkably realistic sound of a stereo-sampled Yamaha concert grand."

Both were quoted from GC's web site.

These pianos are not what I would recommend...go with a reputable manufacturer like Roland, Yamaha, Korg or Kawai.

Even Casio make better pianos than Williams.

Snazzy

I briefly checked out the Williams at GC when I bought my Casio. I didn't have to turn it on to decide that the Williams was out--the action was enough.

I have an Overture that I bought online in 2009 for $600; today
it apparently sells for $500. This is the least expensive Williams
console. I like it. I can play anything on it, from jazz to
concertos. Of course, at this price you're not going to get
a V-Piano or a CLP 380, but it is okay for any kind of playing.

Since the early 1980's I've had an expensive acoustic upright
piano in storage. A similar model today would be in the
~$20,000 price range. I'm a serious amateur player who
is trying mightily to get my playing up to really advanced
levels. If I thought for a minute that that upright could be
more instrumental in taking me to the highest levels than
the Overture, I would move it to my apt. in a second. But
it stays in storage, because I believe the Overture is okay for what
I am trying to do at the piano, which is to get to the
highest levels of playing.

Hello, I bought a Williams Symphony for $450 (used) and I am pretty happy with the piano. I know and have to admit that they're better pianos out there but for the price I think is the best you will get. Many features and a good sound. I put a set of external speakers and the sound is way better than the stock speakers that sound a little muddy, but with the new ones the sound is perfectly clear and loud, and the Grand Piano tone is great. It has midi interface so if you want better sound you can use pianoteq or something similar.

About the action of the keys, that is one weak point about Williams Symphony, but, as I said before, its the best you can get for the price. And is acceptable if you are a beginner like me and haven't played all your life in a real acoustic)piano or an expensive digital. It has weighted keys but absolutely not as smooth action and as heavy as a Yamaha Clavinova for example. I have a friend that has been teaching piano for 20 years and she told me it's a good piano to start but I will need to replace it in about 4-5 years (depending on my progress obviously). For $450 bucks I think it will pay his value great in 4 years and anytime I can sell it and save for something better in the future.

I tried to be objective in my "review" and will add my conclusion:

If at the moment you can't afford to something over 1000-1500 and you are not an advanced player then a used Williams Symphony is the way to go, but if you can save that amount of money in a reasonable time or you are an advanced or experienced player, I would recommend to buy something else.

About a comparison of the three models you are mentioning, the Overture has a big lack in features compared with the other two, so I would discard that option. The main difference between the Symphony and Symphony Elite is the 32 vs 64 polyphony and, again, if you are not an advanced player, I think 32 polyphony is more than you are going to need, so, my choice would be the Williams Symphony.

I hope this little review is helpful to you and, to everyone: these are just my opinions and I understand many can disagree with me, I am just being as honest as I can.

Last: sorry about my bad English, I am not a native speaker.

Leo.

I recently saw a Behringer DP at Costco, and it looks, feels, and sounds curiously like the Williams DPs at the studio where I take lessons. If you have a Costco nearby, it might be worth your while to stop by.

The touch on the Williams that I'm used to is very odd. There's a lot of friction at first press, but once you get the key moving, it drops to the keybed quickly and with little resistance, almost like what I imagine a harpsichord would feel like. The Behringer was better, as the keyweight was more consistent, but it had a springy feel more like a synth action keyboard with a somewhat heavier touch. The keys also had a tendency to bounce off of the top of the key dip when released, which might be a problem if you play very fast passages. The good side of this keyboard is that it didn't exhibit that clunking sound that most of the hammer action DPs do.

I've tried all the inexpensive Yamaha DPs, various Casios, and the Korg SP250, and would choose any of them over the Williams/Behringer.