Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Silent Systems - serious evaluation needed!

Hello everyone!

I have seen on this forum that many of us struggle with the dilemma "which silent system is the best?". Unfortunately, they are not very popular so many of comments are based on technical specs or manufacturer' reputation. This is fine, but I would love to hear people who really used such systems and can give pros/cons to help others make their way.

To have something to start with, I put together available specs of the most popular silent systems (mainly built-in) which I hope you will find helpful. Sources of information are also included (if anything is incorrect just let me know)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...EUU1tOUlfa2d6Y1FJZktudHc&usp=sharing

Which one of them is the best for you and why?

Romek

I'm leaning toward the "as long as I can't hear the neighbours complaining" silent option, myself.

I have a Yamaha C2 SG, and that's the only silent system I can really judge, since I know it. The best silent system for me is the one available.
I did however try the SH on the Musikmesse this year.


Here my opinion of my SG system.

Pros:
Action feels almost like without silent options. Very good response.
Good sampled sound. More beautiful than of my old Clavinova CLP-150.
10 sound colors (which I rarely use. I wanted a piano. SH system has even more).
Recording possibility with MIDI.

Cons:
When I play the E flat 4, the silent system vibrates, so that note sounds a bit metallic.
No direct recording of WAV/MP3 (Yamaha fixed it with the SH system, I think).
No built-in metronome (SH system has one, but the external metronome I use via AUX-In has more functions than the built-in metronome of the SH system).

The cons however are outweighed by far by the pros. And having no silent system is not an option for me who lives in an apartment with neighbors who like to complain about noise.

Hi PatH,

thanks a lot for your post! Did you noticed any significant difference in sampled piano sound between SG and SH systems? SH has 256 polyphony whereas SG 64 and I wonder if it makes much difference. Of course, SH is based on the CFX GP so the comparison might be biased :-).
Anyway, I had the chance to compare SI and SG2 systems on Yamaha B2 and my impression was that piano sound of SG2 was richer and brighter (I used my headphones sennheiser hd 598) and the piano sampled was the same (Yamaha CFIIIS). I loved the sound even thou I am really used to the concert grand of my MP 6. Other sounds (e-piano, celesta, organs etc) were pretty basic. I need to go back there and check again whether the Quick Escape system in SG2 makes much difference in comparison with SI. Did you noticed any difference between SG and SH in this respect?

Romek

The SH sounded great. Better than the SG, I think. But I didn't make a side by side comparison.
A very big part of the quality of the Silent System sound is made with the headphone.
My SG came with a headphone, which is pretty good. I hope that SH pianos come with headphones as well.

About the vibrating E flat 4: It vibrates when I do NOT use the silent system.

I will post my insights about Vario system next week since I've become a happy owner of it ;-). The piano will be delivered on Wednesday.

Congratulations!

Is it an upright or a grand? Because I am interested in the following:
- Is the playing feeling (action) different when you play with or without silent system? (I like grand action much better than upright action)
- How does it sound through headphone?
- How loud is the key clicking noise?

I forgot to mention: My old Clavinova had very loud keys, my neighbors in my old apartment could hear me even when I was playing with headphone. With my C2 SG, I never had a complaint; not even when I played at midnight.

It's an upright, W.Hoffmann V120 When I tried it in the showroom it seemed that keys are quiet, however, I have to test it at nighttime. My MP6 is very quiet but it woke up my kids several times when I got emotional during the practice The Vario sound was bright in all piano presets (as far as I remember) and other voices seemed much more complex than in older Yamaha SI system (even than in SG2, I guess). I did not experienced a significant difference in action with or without the silent system but I need to confirm this once it's arrived. Anyway, this weekend I will test it thoroughly and I will post my opinion and pictures.

Well, first go the pictures :-)

Hi Romek,

I am going to buy a piano equipped with a
silent system, and am hesitating between
Yamaha's SH and the Bechstein Vario system.

Could you tell me more about your experience
with Vario? Do you enjoy it? What about
the difference between playing the real Hoffmann
piano and its "silent" version?

Thanks

Stefan

Hi, Stefan

it is a complex question but I will try to put a few bullet points and then we can discuss specific issues:

1. The bottom line - I enjoy it
2. The sound - bright, clear and LOUD. Probably, the "loudest" silent system I've ever played so far. There are 6 piano presets which differ slightly form one another (basically 2 kinds of velocity curves) with some differences between mellow and bright, however, I consider all onboard sounds as bright. The samples are "the Bechstein samples" as described by the manufacturer and certainly, it sounds like a grand piano. Bass section is very clear as well as trebles and they sound naturally. The middle section is not up to my liking, has some strange overtones. I have never played C. Bechstein grand piano so it is difficult for me to judge whether the Vario reflects ideally the sound of an acoustic Bechstein GP or not. Definitely, it is something one can live with, however I am very much used to the sound of the Galaxy Vinatage D and I use it on the daily basis.
2. There is a difference in the touch when the Vario system is on and the rail blocks hammers. It feels like a shorter key travel whereas the acoustic mode makes me feel of a longer key travel. I had a similar feeling comparing uprights with and without a moderator. It is not a problem for me and both modes are very much enjoyable.
3. Vario is very much user - friendly and I operate it easily without a manual. One can adjust it easily, although there are simple adjustments not as much sophisticated as in advanced digital pianos. I spent some time adjusting velocity curve to match my acoustic and now I have no significant differences in playing pp to ff.
4. MIDI - just plug and play. I hooked it up to my laptop with the Galaxy Vintage D and it works perfectly.

If you have any question just ask me I will try to give you more details.

Cheers,
Romek

Hi Romek,

Thank you very much for the reply.

Meanwhile I tried the Yamaha SH,
and it is fine, although it seems to me that the
higher register sounds metallic and this was a contrast
to the sound of the piano itself (this was Yamaha C1X).
I would prefer a milder sound.
What about Vario?

It is very interesting what you say about the difference of touch.
I did not notice that much difference for SH system.

What do you mean by "velocity curve"?
Sorry to put a question wich is probably very basic,
I am a newbie in the digital piano world.

Thanks,

Happy NY 2014!

Stefan