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Hi, thank you everyone who helped me get my list down to the final four. Please comment on the following. Would like to know the pros and cons that might help my decision on "the one" that I should get. Thank you again for all your help.
And the final four is:
Roland FP4
Korg SP250
Kawai MP5
Kawai ES3

Personally:
Korg SP250 and Kawai ES3 on have 60 and 64 note polyphony, which is a far cry from Roland FP4's 128 note polyphony.

The Kawai MP5 has 192 note polyphony, but it looks like a dinasour.. When was this model released? Looks to be at least 5 years old.

Kawai ES6 is more comparable with 192 note polyphony, but it only has 32 voices.
For me, the Kawai keypad isn't as nice. I don't like Kawai acoustic pianos either, mind you so I may be biased.

So then the Roland's. I did not like the "bottoming out" feel of the FP7 as in my other thread, but I did like the FP4's action.
The major differences between the FP4 and the RD300GX are that the 300GX is a stage piano more suitable for gigging, whilst the FP4 is more of a home piano where you can record straight using it's recording functions.
The 300GX does not have speakers, the FP4's speakers aren't very powerful either.
It'd be wise to invest in monitors either way you go.
I was thinking Behringer B2031A Truth Active Monitors.
Seems like good value: http://www.zzounds.com/productreview--BEHB2031A

Thanks so much for all your input JahjaMan. I will definitely look into those monitors. Thanks for all the information and taking the time to post them.

How were you able to eliminate the Yamaha p-155. I'd think most peole would rate it above the SP-250. Was it price? no because some of your final four are higher priced.

Beware about monitor speakers. Monitors that will outperform the built-in speakers will cost almost as much as a DP. Also the sound of the monitor will depend a LOT on the room and how they are mounted and how close to corners and lots of details. Buying high end monitors is not an easy task. You must audition them yourself and buy from a place that will let you return them as they WILL sound different at your place than at the store.

I would not normally say so much about speakers except that if you already know you don't like the built-in pair then you have senitive ears and WILL go nuts with little things like speaker placement, distance from the walls and how to aim them.

I am inclined to agree with JahjaMan and ChrisA.

The ES3 is rather old by digital piano standards. Really, I cannot think of a good reason to purchase this instrument over an ES6 or even an ES4, unless you are able to find an incredibly good used model at an extremely low price.

In addition, I too am rather surprised that there are no Yamaha instruments in your list. The P-155 is one of the best portable digital pianos on the market today, while the P-85 is also a popular model, due to its low price.

Indeed, did we ever establish how much you are willing to spend on a new (second hand?) instrument?

Kind regards,
James
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Thank you so much for all your input KawaiJames and ChrisA. Will review those models you mentioned above again. Will let you know on the outcome and if you think I am making the right choice. It is very difficult with so many wonderful machines out there. This is the kind of time that I wish I were a millionaire.

Be mindful that the Yamaha P85 has a single layered piano sample.
That means, whether you play softy or hard, the sound will always be the same, the only thing that differs is the volume.
Other DP's have 3 or more layers (i think 3?) as the sound a piano makes differs between pianissimo and fortissimo.

Once again, please specify your budget.

Kind regards,
James
x

Budget is up to $1,500.