Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Step up from P155?

So, as I discovered in my last thread, I'd prefer to pick a P155 over some other, lower-priced options.

Of course, given that my budget is flexible, and given that I am new and still learning so much about digital pianos, I'm now wondering if I might even want something beyond a P155. Problem is, I don't know much about what is the next step up past that. Can anyone enlighten me?

The one thing I've seen is a few mentions of a Kawai MP6. How does that compare for $500 more?

Any other thoughts are once again highly appreciated, and thanks for putting up with a piano newbie who doesn't know how to set a budget!

The main reason to step up from a P155 is for different sounds or extra features. What features are your priority (portability, recording features, piano sounds, other sounds, speakers, cabinet style, color?)

MP6 is a reasonable choice along the same lines but better than the P155. You might also demo the oft-discussed FP7F and even the MP10.

These are upgrades in terms of action, which is the most fundamental direction of upgrade. However, action choice is personal, so you need to play these things yourself to see if they are really upgrades *for you*. They will also have better sounds and more functionality, but that's really a smaller consideration than action in my opinion.

Well, really, I'm fairly open about features in part because I don't know exactly what I might want down the line. I do know that I'm looking for are portability (only infrequent moving, so nothing super portable, just something easy to move every six months or so). I'd also like something that has as high of a quality piano sound as one can reasonably expect at the price point. As for other sounds...well I don't know. Part of me thinks it would be nice to have a wider variety of sounds available, just in case. Same thing with recording. Style is no big deal.



The action is certainly important to me as well, although I don't have much of a sense of things, just a general idea of what feels good at this point. I'll certainly get out and try anything out, although I might have to make a bit of a trip to find a place that sells Kawai if I'm interested.

I think you should not be overconcerned with the quality of the action right now. For a beginner, being my self a beginner, the differences arent so great or important. I play for an year and a half now on 61 unweighted keys, and let me tell you, i've progress alot, especially in sight reading; when i play on a grand or upright i adjust very fast. So P155 should be more than sufficient for you excepting the case when you'd plan to be a concert pianist and you'd need a grand right away. Get the P and focus on practice alot.

I don't agree. I'd recommend buying a piano with the best possible action. This one factor is more important than any other.

Absolutely.

Soundwise, the CP50 should be a step upwards as well, although you'd have to skip the integrated speakers.

You really should get the best action/DP you can afford right now. It makes a HUGE difference, especially for a beginning player. I'd recommend the Kawai RM3 action, if you can stretch it. Of course, the P155 is nice, but why stop here if you can afford a better instrument? MP10 or, cheaper, the Kawai CA13(console) for example...



Good luck
Manolios

Well...my point was based on my very limited experience; this is how i feel right now and in your case P155 has a good dp action. Chances are though that my knowledgeable preopinents are right and if your budget is sufficiently flexible you should buy something with RM3 from Kawai , considered by most the best dp action.

Is RM3 used on the MP6 too, or only on the MP10 (speaking only of Kawai slab models)?

No, RM3 is found only in the MP10.

Step up would be the CP series (CP1, 5 and 50). But no integrated speakers in these new model. If you need a built-in speaker, consider CP300. It is an old dis-continued model. But stunning sounds, nonetheless.

For built in speakers DP's there is besides P155, Roland FP7F with PHAIII action, which is very highly regarded by many...and should i add you also find it in the V-grand which is some 20k.

Based on what I've seen, the two things that grab my interest the most are the MP6 and the Fp-7f. The lack of speakers on the MP6 isn't a big deal, since it may well be that I'd want to get something external for any DP anyway. Of course, superficial as it may be, the availability of a more home-appropriate stand for the Fp-7f is nice

You can put the Kawai on the Roland stand. I never played a Kawai, but I loved the action on the P155. I ended up buying the Roland FP7F, though.