Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Help. Avant Grand N3 or RG3 ????? What "really" is the best

Hello everyone,My second post to the forum now in the correct area,

Im keen to get a decent digital piano, that will last but more importantly resemble as close as possible to a proper grand piano.

My searches have led me to either the N3 or the RG3, initially i was going to go for an RG1F, however after seeing one in the flesh recently decided against. (Shocking build quality\texture, for a high price)..

Does anyone know technically which is the better piano ?

Thanks everyone

Apologies in advance for not answering your question, but how about the V-Grand?

James
x

hmm, decisions, decisions... is the V Grand much better than the RG3 though... ,and would you compare the Vgrand to the N3... ?


lol all i was is the best grand digital piano.....

Yeah the V-Grand is much better than the RG3, but I think I'd rather have the RG-3F over the V-Grand. Maybe not over the N3. I'd have to sit down and play both the RG-3F and N3 then decide from there.

The RG-3F is the RG-3 with the SuperNATURAL sound engine plus Roland's top of the line PHA III Ivory keys. I prefer Roland's SN piano sounds over their V-Piano/Grand modeled piano sounds. I think for the money, the RG-3F is one of the best digital grands made.

Don't rule out the AvantGrand N1. It has the same exact action of the N3 for about half the price.

Only thing is that neither the N1 nor the N2 have the grand piano design the OP is looking for.

Technically, in terms of the sound system spec, it looks like the RG-3F is a stereo setup with 2x60W power amps driving 2x20cm and 2x5cm speakers.

On the other hand, the N3 is a 4-channel setup with 10x22W, 4x30W and 2x80w power amp system driving 4x16cm, 4x13cm, 4x2.5cm speakers and 4xtransducer.

But better specs on the sound system does not automatically mean better piano if there are other criteria that may be more important to you.

It would help to know why you don't buy an acoustic grand piano. There most be some reason for preferring the digital and knowing which of several posable reasons you have would allow people to suggest a match to your needs.

For example if the reason is so you can practice at night with headphones then no one would suggest a piano with big (expensive) speakers.

You want it to resemble a grand piano. Does that mean the touch and the sound or must it also look like one and come in a rounded case?

I'm not sure if you mean sound quality, touch, or appearance? Probably all three?

My advice if you care about sound quality is to get a DP with the touch and appearance you want and use it as a MIDI keyboard with computer virtual pianos. The sound quality and variety/choice of emulated acoustic pianos will be much better and you can upgrade to new pianos and new versions many times for fraction of the cost of replacing DPs.

If you get a "mini-grand" DP with a good speaker system, you won't even need external speakers, external amplifiers, etc. If "living room" appearances matter an iMac looks really nice sitting next to a high-luster black mini-grand.

If you want a piano to resemble a grand piano in looks, sound projection and performance, then the best option would be to buy a Yamaha C3 with the Silent system installed. You would then not just have something that looked like a grand, but you would actually have a quality acoustic grand and a built in digital piano reproducing Yamaha's top of the line concert grand.

If you don't want an acoustic piano, but you want the looks, approximate faking in sound projection and best digital performance of a grand piano, then the AvantGrand N3 or the Roland V-Grand are your best bets.

If you are mostly interested in resembling a grand piano in its performance for practice (e.g. with headphones) but don't care about speakers or pretending to look like a grand acoustic piano shaped object (GAPSO), then the Roland V-Piano, the Roland LX-10F and the Roland HP-307 are other choices to consider, where the HP-307 would give you the most bang for your buck.

This points out the problem with asking for the "best". The two above pianos are both good and both very different and I doubt if either could be called "the best". The Roland V is a modeled sound and Yamaha is a sampler. Each has advantages. Many people dislike Roland's modeled sound and others don't like Yamaha's

there is no best, only my favorite

Surely there can only be one answer ?...

The exam question is , "whats the best digital piano on the market that comes as close to an acoustic concert grand"...

I dont have the luxury of a very large room, otherwise i'd have gone acoustic hands down. Im not interested in modeling sounds and having 3 strings on C zeros etc..

The touch and sound come first, what it looks like is secondary....

Marky Mark, (I get so tired of all these bu**sh** names), why don't you play the pianos in question and decide for yourself. I am reminded of an old, now deceased friend, who, when speaking of Consumer Reports saying, the magazine for people who can't think for themselves.

Play the ******* pianos yourself and report back after you've made a decision. Better yet, why not share some mp3's of your playing so we can better evaluate what might be the best piano for you.

Exactly. However, these are, in my opinion, the alternatives from which one may choose. Some people will prefer a real wooden action and amazing sample while others will prefer a dynamically responsive modeled sound engine that isn't quite piano sounding -- while others (the majority) will prefer an acoustic.


OK. So, you are not interested in it resembling a grand piano. So why are you looking at the RG3 and N3 then? If you don't have enough space for an acoustic grand piano, do you have enough space for an acoustic upright piano? If so, then I would recommend you buy an acoustic upright.

If you don't have the space for an acoustic upright, then I recommend you look at a portable or stage piano that you can then fold up against the wall like an old foldaway bed or ironing board.

You say that touch and sound come first, yet you say you are not interested in modeling, which indicates that you are likely contradicting yourself about wanting the best soundor not putting the effort to understand the terms. What do you mean by the best sound anyway? The best samples, the best organic dynamic response, the most Steinway like the most Yamaha like?

To duplicate faithfully the sound of an acoustic grand with amplifiers and speakers would cost a lot more than the Avant Grand N3, which is the best on the market for sound projection IMO. But, this piano has a footprint approaching that of a baby grand and costs as much as a grand but will never offer the playing experience of a grand.

You don't mention a budget. Given that your requirements are already self-contradictory, is your ability to pay also a mismatch to the price tag for your desire for the subjective "best"?


LOL. Getting a bit testy, Dave?
This forum is entertainment.
Not everyone visiting a forum about sports cars has any intention of buying a sports car.
The same thing applies here from time to time.

LOL. Getting a bit testy, Dave?

It does get tiring after a while.

Wow Dave, bad day? Even the smiley fails to lighten it up. But even so your advice is spot on.

Wow Dave, bad day? Even the smiley fails to lighten it up. But even so your advice is spot on.

I've learned my lesson years ago not to buy equipment based on advertising and even the suggestions of others. At some point you have to make a decision based on the piece of equipment directly under your fingers, there's no way around that.

Magazines are good to know some new equipment out, and reviews gives you a basic idea of how a device can work. As well as suggestions by others...in a certain amount indeed. But in the end, you need to try it yourself. Especially an instrument.

Magazines are good to know some new equipment out, and reviews gives you a basic idea of how a device can work.

You mean the same magazines that accept advertising from those same keyboard makers?