Whats the general opinion? Does it take the P-250's place as the daddy of stage pianos? i tried them both today for the first time with the same headphones and they were both excellent in touch, features and sound (to my untrained ear). i would say that the p-250 felt better to play though. any thoughts?

The P250 was never the "daddy of stage pianos".

Fair enough stevey, i didnt intend to ask peoples opinions on the p-250's status. From reading many of the posts on this forum it appears that a majority do consider it to be the best stage piano. However what i was hoping for was for someones view on it in comparison with the new roland rd700sx. Can anyone tell me which they prefer and what they consider the reasons for one being better than the other?
I am very near to taking the decision to buy the p-250 but am worried i didnt give the rd700sx a proper chance in the store whilst testing them all out and when spending this much money i want to make sure im pretty certain. Thanks, Craig

P-250 is a great piano, but it sounds a little harsh to my ears.I owned one for about 6 months.
Now i own the RD700SX and a have a lot more fun with it.
More sounds, much better user interface,knobs, sliders and that fantastic "superior grand" patch...
Check the user reviews of both instruments at
http://www.harmony-central.com/Synth/Data/Roland/RD-700SX-01.html

and

http://www.harmony-central.com/Synth/Data/Yamaha/P250-01.html


Good luck with your choice,
lvercaut

I was surprised that a local store (Yamaha & Roland dealer) already has the RD700sx. So in I went with my trusty AKG headset and spent a good hour comparing them. I'm primarily interested in the piano samples and spent only a few minutes on the other voices. With both boards set to default setting, the RD700sx definitely has a softer timbre/texture than the P250. The sound is full and massive like a concert grand should be but it's a bit muffled/muted. [Flame suit on] I guess this is the tonal quality Roland users call "mellow" or "warm". Personally, I still prefer the texture of the Yamaha. I'll have to ask my classical pianist-friend to come in and see which board she likes better. She would be a better judge than me since she grew up playing a Yamaha grand and recently traded it in for a NY Steinway. And of course, there's the issue of personal taste.

Key action: P250 is slightly heavier.
Layout: RD700sx is more intuitive, better user interface.
Price: P250 is $300 lower; RD700sx is priced at $2k (+8% tax).

PS: Anyone know which concert grands Roland pulled the 2 new samples?

Boy -- my biggest complaint about the factory presets on the RD700SX is that a few of them are on the bright side. Shows you how subjective all this stuff is.

Does the RD700SX have the same piano patch as Roland's HP103 or 107?
Thanks

Doz

I'd assume that Roland used a Steinway D, Yamaha use a CFIIIS.

On whether the P250 is 'the daddy' - Of course this is purely subjective, but if you measure it on how many professional acts use a P250 as opposed to an RD700/sx, I have seen many more P250s used in professional situations.

Actually, Roland has used several different pianos for their samples including Steinway & Bosendorfer.

Considering the RD700SX is about 30 days old, that's not much of a statement. As a professional keyboard player formerly of the LA area and currently in the NYC area, I can tell you that I can count the number of P250's on one hand that I've seen in pro situations. Now granted, I'm not talking about wedding receptions and the like. I'm talking about concert tours and studio sessions (that's what I'm familiar with).

Thanks for your opinions guys. I've taken the plunge for the yamaha! Its arriving next week! Can't wait!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
Craig

I would gladly trade my P250 for a RD-700SX. The Roland RD-700SX has a better grand piano sound and a better action in my professional opinion.

Sorry I should've been clearer, I wrote RD700/sx meaning both RD700 and RD700sx models.

Okay, your experience differs, but I've definitely seen more P250s myself.

As an ex P250 and recent RD700SX owner i still want a P150. Yes a 150!
Why doesn't Yamaha use this sample anymore ? Why?

I don't know this model too well, but am I right in saying the P150 was not as bright and dynamic as the P250?

Indeed, it was not as bright and dynamic but it was fat, very fat sounding and full of character.(as P100 did )
Even it was only 32 polyphony,single layer, no string resonance ( i believe, not shure about this ) i still want to buy one even today...

Regards,
lvercaut