Hi all,

First off all, thank you for all the useful information and comments on this forum. As a newbie to the world of piano's (and this forum) this site has already been of tremendous value to me (for factual info as well as building a better understanding of the joy of piano playing).

As mentioned I'm a piano-newbie and in the difficult phase of purchasing my first piano. Having 5 different neighbors, the wish to play at any time I like without disturbing my girlfriend and an ICT-geek I am determent on buying a digital version.

Having read a lot of comparisons on this forum and playing several brands and types in stores (using the limited skills i have after a couple of lessons) I have narrowed my search down to the Roland HP series[/b]. I nearly bought the HP107e[/b] (European version) when I discovered Roland will be releasing the 20x updated series next month (US: HP201, HP203 and HP207[/b], Europe adds the HP204 and replaces the HP207[/b] for the HP207e[/b]). Because the prices will be comparable I tempered myself and decided to wait until next month.

So, here I am: waiting for the new Roland series, absorbing the specs to decide on what type gives me the best quality for money. Although I can could manage to afford the 'flagship version', the HP207[/b], I'm not sure I will need all the features it offers. I would like your opinion on the comparisons I made between the versions thus far.

First: what do I want? I want to play classical pieces and take lessons on an acoustic upright. Both good action and sound are therefore required. I expect to be playing on the next instrument I buy for at least 7-10 years, so it needs to grow with me. I will definitely not use all features at the beginning, but maybe(?) i want to be able to alter certain settings as i progress (sensitivities, sound settings, etc) to better match my needs (I am also feel attracted to jazz and blues, so who knows what type of music I will end up playing)

So, about the various types Roland will present us (I will omit the HP201[/b] because it misses a lot of basic features I would expect on a serious dp):
- The whole HP20x series share the PHA-II keyboard. It features 88-key multi-sampled piano sounds, as support for continuous pedaling.

• Polyphony = 128 voices, GM2/GS/XG Lite compatible sound banks
• Temperament: 8 types
• Advanced recording options
• Large memory banks
• And a lot more which is not relevant for our discussion (like the number of demo-songs, etc :-)

The main differences however are:

• Keyboard: HP207[/b] features 'Ivory-feel' keys
• Touch sensitivity: HP207[/b] features 100 levels, HP203[/b] has 5 levels
• Stretched tuning: HP207[/b]: Off/preset/User tuning (adjustable in individual notes) while HP203[/b] only offers an on/off option
• Number of tones: HP207[/b] has 337, HP203[/b] has 306 (probably irrelevant for normal classical piano playing)
• Effects: HP207[/b] features Rotary speaker Effect for organ sounds, 4-band equalizer, Tone effects (these features are not present on the HP203[/b])
• Effects for piano tones: HP207[/b] offers Open/close lid (7 levels), hammer noise (5 levels), damper resonance, damper noise, duplex scale, string resonance, key off resonance, while the HP203[/b] 'only' offers key off, string and damper resonance.
• Speakers: HP207[/b]: 2x16cm & 2x2,5cm; HP203[/b]: 2x12cm

A HP204[/b] version will be available in Europe only and has the same features as the HP203[/b] except for the speaker system, which is the same as the HP207[/b] version (2x16cm & 2x2,5cm; except for only 2x12cm speakers).

Pricing (sorry, could not find them in USD$):

• HP203[/b] = EUR 1779,-
• HP204[/b] = EUR 2299,- (adds 520,-)
• HP207[/b] = EUR 2749,- (adds 450,-)

For me, the differences between the various types paradoxally seem both small as significant. Also, as a computer geek, the amount of features sometimes carries (too) much weight.

The real question is: will my piano-playing enjoyment be limited (in time) if I do not choose for the more advanced models? Will ivory touch make a difference or is it only marketing? Will I actually use the piano effects and stretched tuning features as my skills progress in time? Etc.

I would really appreciate your comments on my dilemma and questions!

For more info on the models (like a brochure (se the Support-page) that specifies all features of the models mentioned), visit the Roland website

(My starting post turns out to by quite an essay, sorry for the information/question overload. But hopefully the information from this discussion will also be useful for other users.)

Robert (The Netherlands)

Hey Robert,

I'm in the same boat as you. Here in Australia, the HP201, 203 and 207 are already available, and I've played the latter two models. The HP204 will not be available here, which is a shame as it addresses the biggest hole in the HP203 - namely it's on-board sound system. If you want realistic room-filling sound, you'll need additional amplification and speakers on the 203.

Some more opinions:

The 207's ivory feel does make a difference, but not a huge amount. The action on both models is very good with good responsiveness, escapement and negligible keybounce. Note that I'm only comparing it to other digital pianos as I don't regularly play an acoustic and don't have any real experience playing a grand piano.

Something I loved about both was the sound. I love the two principal pianos, and the honky tonky - which I will use a lot as I came into piano playing via Winifred Atwell. The huge collection of GM sounds were a bit of a novelty, but I don't honestly believe that any of them are really useful. (I don't think I'll ever bother to learn Maestropiero's fugata for cowbell, dogbark and telephone).

The 207 has a piano designer where you can fiddle with temprament and the angle of the lid on the grand piano, but I think I can live without that.

I've also played the new KAWAI CA-51 and CA-91 (again, the CA-71 won't be brought into Australia). Absolutely amazing action, but I don't like any of the sounds. If I was going to go Kawai, I'd sit for the MP8II and build up a system from there.

I've also played the yamaha CLP-230 and CLP-240. The additional sounds on the CLP-240 don't kill me. The action is good, and the base piano sounds are fine. I haven't managed to find a CLP-280 yet to fiddle with.

So: In summary:
The Rolands had the best sound with very good action. The sounds are big and full which suits the solo style of bass-thumping music that I gravitate towards.

The Kawais have excellent action but the sounds don't appeal to me.

The mid-range Yamis are a bit restrictive, and I'd go for the Roland HP203 over the CLP-240. However, I don't know how the CLP-280 stacks up against the HP207 as I haven't played the former yet.

I think I'll be getting a Roland, but the model will depend on my budget come september.

Matt

In my experience (6 years with a Yamaha CLP 970, and Roland & Technics keyboards prior to the Yamaha), the most important thing is polyphony, needs to be 128! most digitals have the main essentials anyway (midi, disc, computer connections, etc.). Given the above it is then all down to quality of speakers and touch.