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Maybe, maybe not. Youre own experience can bear this out for some of us who cant be a"sed spending time fiddling with settings and stuff.

Switch on (dammit, wheres the bloody switch? Volume control? HOW long before it actually sounds?) and play. Hopefully the default setting will highlight the pianos best qualities make it stand out from the nonentities suurounding it.

Some do. The kawai ES7/8 was good to go and a worthy contender. The HP 605 was very disappointing. Others were unimpressive to fair. Now I know Im not being fair myself, or even to myself, but within 10 seconds of hitting the keys, Im walking away. In fact Im almost propelled away by what I perceive.

And pérception is the name of the game. Advertising gives you that which is not always (hardly ever) borne out in practice. . .I use the word "practice" lightly.

My current FP50 (over deep pockets wouldnt allow me the FP80) made an impression, but has had issues with me since I got it home. Bit like the dog (wont mention thr wife) but Im happy to say its now a much loved member o the family and has its very own bass practice amp, to make its bottom a bit fatter.

But it nearly went back!

If anybodys got this far (Sun morning is a good time for drivel) then, please can you tell me what "sounboard behaviour" is supposed to do. . .

Have fun. Here she is in her new home. . .

I rarely test DPs but usually my first impressions are very accurate (also for DPs), say 10 seconds is enough for most. Your ears get tired very quick and also get used to the sound. For the feel of the action similar. I personally would not bother about switch-on time.

Regarding some you mention. I didn't play 605 but the HP603 sounded dull to me. The high notes of all the rolands are way sharp. The action is lighter than Kawai, very much a steinway feel. I like that. Also the response seems faster than the Kaway, like there is less delay between pressing and sounding.

You could have a look at the HP605 instead. There the sound is better, and it also has a per-key equalizer. I had to dial down a range of notes in the treble a LOT to get it sound even.

Most Kawais have the right amount of agressiveness for me, not too little (yamaha) or too much (Roland). Their bass is thick (though less still than the Yamahas), I dont like that.

But in the end, none of these DPs really satisfy me. I gladly stick with my Grotrian acoustic.

I am not aware of furniture-wood-style stands like this one you have for your FP50. It's very interesting. where did you get it from? I am interested! ... or you'd custom make it?

My first impression of a keyboard has never varied. I know within 10 seconds my opinion. For me, I also learned that touch is way more important than sound. That's what I'm really reacting to.

I would say 20 seconds. Also, if I go back to the store the order in which I play the boards matters.

Yup. Thats what I did. Made for a DGX, adapted (a table for the piano to sit on) for any slab other than MP 11. .

Heh that pic was not there yet when I posted

Congratulations, with your new DIY stand.


Was that easier than putting it in an old upright case? Or lighter? Or were there other reasons to go for a complete custom build?

Now was THAT what your post was about? I thought you were talking about testing DPs?

No. This has been on last year when I built it around my DGX. The only difference is the hole for the headphone socket and Ive finished the front. Sort of.

Id ha never bought the piano without having the case. Its just not pretty enough. . .but youre right. It detracts from the topic, so. . . off it goes!

Ooops, Too late!

Great custom stand. Very nicely done!

Buying things is much more about marketing than it is the product. Your perception of the brand/product is heavily influenced before you even see or hear it. When people think 'Yamaha' or 'Nord' it means something to them from all the past experiences with that brand. For something as subjective and emotive as piano playing this is a very powerful force, much more so than the feature list or sound/feel of a product.

But yes, even if you have no huge bias about something first impressions are usually all we need and are made up within 10 seconds, I think this hold fairly true whether you're deciding to buy a car or a piano or an apple or a spouse. Our minds can change of course, but it's an uphill battle against our first impressions and normally they're a very good indicator of our final decision.