YDP213? Come on!
In that price range there is only one choice
GEM PRP 700/800

If you increase the price range to, let's say,
one million dollars - still the same.
You will not find a better sounding more expressive and playable hardware digital piano or software virtual piano, streamed from HD or modelled.
This sound was created in 2002, I think (but PRP 700/800 are very new models),
and it is still light years ahead of competition.
That is the concensus among the lucky ones who experienced it, I only listened and watched GEM demos and they sound just beyond words beautiful.

As to the keyboard action, RPR 700/800 have GEM own graded hammer action, I haven't tried it yet,
the reports are that it is much better than Fatar in Promega, and that it is very realisting but also easy on hands, good for practicing for hours and hours.

Dislaimer: this strong opinion is based mostly on opinions of others, and on the fact that I own an old GEM digital piano keybord, RPStudio, which I love

How do you edit already posted stuff and fix typos here anyway?

I wrote the previous message,
because I remember that specificly YDP213 was used by some people as an example that for the same money that costs to buy a junk like YP213 you can also get the best digital piano imaginable PRP 700 or 800.
One strong opinion may be still wrong, but I've seen quite a few similar opinions.
Many many opinions about this GEM piano sound (which is found in Promega 3, Promega 2, GRP 8000, RP 800, PRP 800, PRP 700 and piano module RP-X) can be devided into two groups:
1. Most: the best piano sounds, the most expressive, the most playable, nothing even comes close.
2. I've seen three somewhat negative reports:
a) a looping point audible in Fazioli 308 in a certain keyboard range - one report, but still a very positive report otherwise.
b) one report about upper-mid range getting muddy when playing fast, not confirmed by anybody else
c) one report about upper mid range sounding not as strong when playing in a band.
b) and c) may be related somehow,
but somehow nobody else has such problems

Every feedback I read from people who already baught these pianos - exceeding all expectations

BTW, the samples may be looped,
but there are no velocity switching at all,
two velocity samples together are used to generate all the intermediate velocities.
Also it has sympathetic string resonance, half-pedalling, etc.
This piano sounds alive

oh, again typos, ignore them,
but GRP 8000 instead of GRP 800 should perhaps be corrected
On other buletin boards there usually is "edit" button for the author of a message to make fixes,
but here I don't see it.

Hi SoftFloor,

You can edit your own posts by clicking on the icon of a sheet of paper with a pencil poised over it.

I'm not too sure about the GEM... can't find too much information on it and it seems to be difficult to obtain in the US. Sweetwater is the only place that sells it. That and the price range is a bit over what I was looking at. Also, it doesn't include a stand. I'm not looking to carry it around and want my DP to aesthetically match my living room decor... so that's also something I put into consideration.

Does anyone else have an opinion on the GEM keyboards?

For what I need and what I'm looking for, I still think the YDP213 or PX800 would do best. Thanks for the suggestion though! It's always good to know what else is out there.

DinoCow,

I have read several posts from people that have had a very difficult time obtaining support for GEM products here in the US.

I would not even consider them because of this problem, but that is just my view.

Yea, that's one of the main reasons I'm not considering it at the moment. If it were better, the testimony of their sound engine (?) is impressive... but still... probably overkill for what I will be capable of.

I'm wondering if there are any owners of the PX800 out there who've owned it for a while now (how long has it been out?) and could tell me about the quality of the product and how they feel about it.

I can't advise on the PX800, but I have had my PX310 since September. It has been very reliable. The PX200/800 were anounced at NAMM in February, I believe. I've heard about people that have had the PX200 for about a month or so.

I heard a report from someone who's had personal experience with the PX800 that it does not save personal settings after shutdown. I haven't read this in any "professional" reviews, but it might be something that those "professionals" just overlooked.

I think that is a major drawback, as it may become a great annoyance after some time when I have to reset the preference every single time I play...

Can anyone confirm this flaw with the PX800? If so, is there a chance that Casio could "fix" this through a firmware update in the future?

Also, I've decided that if the PX800 is not quite "usable" in that sense, I might as well throw in a few more hundred dollars (maybe up to $1,300 max) in order to take a slight step up. Are there any recommendations out there for a console DP in that range?

I've been looking at the Yamaha P140, Kawai EP2, and the Casio AP45. I like the AP45 because it looks the best, but I know that the Yamaha and Kawai probably sound better and have more realistic action.