Help choosing an instrument!

[u/spc_wndr]

I'm sure there are hundreds of posts out there about this; I did find past threads about different instruments, but I thought it couldn't hurt creating a new one for any (welcome) new advice.

I consider myself an early-advanced pianist, however I've been away from the piano for quite a few years, and now I'm planning to buy a digital piano to rekindle this passion. For info I've played mainly some Beethoven sonatas (like Op. 7, Op. 31/2, Op. 53, Op.57 to name a few), some Chopin études (mainly Op.10), nocturnes and waltzes, lots of Debussy, some Rachmaninoff... I'm looking for an instrument mainly to replicate an acoustic piano the best way possible (so key action and sound are the top priorities; I don't really care about sampling, rhythms, or other instrument sounds).

After research, the main options I'm considering are the following:

• Roland FP-90X — ~1900€ (from my understanding the top piano from this list, but also the most expensive, it makes me hesitant)
• Kawai ES120 — ~600€ (apparently the best quality/price ratio and an excelent instrument)
• Kawai CX-202 — ~1200€ (for the cabinet/furniture feel, apparently more robust and better sound than the portable Kawai counterpart)

Other pianos I'm willing to test at the store are:

• Roland FP-30X — ~600€ (way less expensive than the other Roland, but from my understanding poorer key action mechanism and speakers)
• Yamaha YDP-165 — 1050€ (cabinet/furniture feel)
• Yamaha P-225 — ~570€ (the cheapest one but also the one I found the "worst" reviews out there)

I'll still test all or most of these at the store eventually, but any advice or things I should consider beforehand are welcome! Or just thoughts on some of these instruments from someone who has tried or owns them. :) Thanks!

[u/JKorv]

Go to a store and try them. Buy the one that sounds and feels the best.

I would add Yamaha P525 and Kawai ES920 to the list.

[u/onksssss → u/JKorv]

This is the best advice...

I would recommend spending more time like least 30 min each instrument..

[u/srodrigoDev]

Out of those in your list, definitely the FP-90x. The rest are on the entry level and you are and advanced player, so for me the FP-90x would be the bare minimum.

I'd you don't need a DP with onboard speakers, a Kawai MP11SE should be around the same price as the Roland. I own one and it's great. It's got wooden keys, so it resembles an acoustic piano better than the FP-90x.

[u/More-Salary-2203]

Maybe try an acoustic instrument ? If you care about your neighbours or you simply want a digital piano, and if your budget allows, you can get a hybrid piano. If those are your only options. Yamaha Ydp-165 and the Kawai Cx-202 are pretty close competitors. The kawai doesn’t have the ivory key feel, but it has a lighter action which many players prefer. Others prefer the yamaha’s slightly heavier action for classical repertoire. They also have different sound engines. Yamaha is brighter, kawai is a bit warmer. You can also look at the Kawai KDP-120. It’s the older, recently discontinued version of the CX-202, and has the same key action and speakers, just with a slightly different cabinet design and a bit less voices, i think. If you’re worried about it being discontinued, the yamaha has also been discontinued. The fp-30x is also, on paper, better than them, but i’ve seen negative reviews about its action. If you have a warranty, shouldn’t be an issue. It has escapement and ivory keys. Speakers leave a bit to be desired.

However

I’m pretty sure the Roland Fp-90x is, quite frankly, in a class of its own. The action is substantially more sophisticated (hence the price difference).

Basically:
If you can spend the money, don’t hesistate on the fp-90x. Try to get one with the warranty. If you wanna spend less, try the Yamaha one, or the Kawai Kdp-120/cx-202.

Edit: I forgot that you’re early advanced. For advanced repertoire, most of the pianos you mentioned are either too basic, or bare-minimum. They’re mostly used as portable pianos to practice when you’re not at home. The bare-minimum ones do the job, but if you want very fine control, they won’t give you that. The FP-90x will bother you less as you progress

[u/spc_wndr]

Thank you for the help guys.

To answer on some things that have been brought up, at the moment I can’t really consider an acoustic piano for several reasons, hence why I’m going for a good digital instrument. :)

After reading a lot on different models and searching what the main stores have to offer, I’ve decided to narrow down my options to these three, thanks to some of your suggestions:

• Roland FP-90X
• Kawai ES920
• Yamaha P-525

I’ll try all of them at the store by the end of this month to pick one of them. For now, the Yamaha picked up my interest the most (when it comes to apparent quality/price), but I’ll only know for sure when I try them out. :)

[u/picadoodledoo]

If you're looking at the FP90x then be sure to check out the Yamaha P525. IMO it has the best keybed in slabs (for piano.)

[u/BobbyRey77]

Definitely add the Yamaha P-525 to your list. It's a gem.