Let's see . . . how many months have I been bugging everyone about which DP to buy? My husband forced my hand by getting me a "gift certificate" at Christmas which was a terrible move but he was very happy about it so I didn't have the heart to criticize. I finally spent literally hours on the showroom floor (actually, in the basement since they were all being liquidated). I got a Roland Fi5, which is not the model I would have ideally preferred, but it was deeply discounted.

In the end it was the process of spending a lot of time with the dp's that helped me. The salesperson was extremely busy and I was left alone for a long time. I was able to try all the models they had and compare them with the acoustic Steinways across the room. I realized that even the most expensive Rolands (more than $10,000) had inherent limitations when compared with the acoustics, and that helped me decide to go with the the cheaper models. If no matter what I bought I was going to feel like I was making a big fat compromise, why pay more?

Of course, I had buyer's remorse even before I left the store. And I live in NYC so it goes without saying I overpaid when compared with the rest of the world, even with the "clearance discount." But I have been getting more and more excited about having it here and can't wait until it is delivered Friday morning.

I just wanted to thank all of you who so kindly and patiently answered my questions. Some people even took the time to email me privately regarding my purchasing dilemma. It's been 25 years since I've seriously sat at a piano keyboard and there are a whole lot of memories--good and bad--that it is going to bring back. But I also feel like I am embarking on a new adventure and I can't wait to introduce my children to our new piano.

Thank you!

Congrats on the purchase. Yes, my thoughts are that even a great dp doesn't quite cut it the same on piano sounds as a piano (even a slightly out of tune one). But there are advantages to the dp as well, of course too.

I think you'll be happy with it there in your house. It sounds like you made an informed decision.

Sprout