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After doing a lot of research, I have finally decided to go with Roland LX-15. I believe I'm also getting a good deal on it. One shop is selling it to me for $4,900.

I started with a mind set to buy a mini digital grand piano
Mini Digital Grand Piano Discussion

But after my research, I realized that it's not possible. All the mini digital grand pianos that are under 8k are no where like a mini acoustic grand piano(look wise). They are usually 3 feet deep. Plus they also don't have the latest technologies. Unless you are willing to spend over 14K, you won't get what you need (N3, Roland V-Grand).

Any final thoughts or disagreements?
Thanks a bunch.

Interesting. I plan on test playing one in London in June.

I am also considering the Kawai CS9, the Kurzweil CUP2, a Yamaha CLP4x0PE but not the NU1. I will also play test a CS9 and Yamaha but so far have not found where I can try a CUP2.

On paper the LX15 seems expensive and lacking in features compared to the CS9 and CUP2. The cabinet photo's show all three look good, and are better 'fake' uprights than any of the mini-grand DP's impersonating a mini-grand. I think we agree on that.

So I assume you've seen and played the LX15, what about the others I mention (CS6 in the US probably has less audio power), as I'm wondering what makes you think the extra money is worth it? One thing I don't like is the visible control panel (also same on CS6 but not on CS9).

I didn't try CS6. Looking at the specs the only two differences I could spot was
1 - the look. LX-15 has an upright look (which leads to 2nd difference)
2 - LX-15 has two extra speakers.

When I tested LX-15, I was amazed with the sound quality. I don't know how to play much so I basically tested how the keys feel (great) and then how piano sound (great) and finally I played some built in samples (great sellection btw) and each one of them sounded amazing.

I just ping my dealer and he told me that CS6 would cost me 3,600 including everthing. So it's a difference of 1,300 in between the two which raises the question if it's worth spending more for LX-15? I haven't Compared other factors yet (SuperNatural vs Ultra Progressive Harmonic Imaging) etc.

Go with the LX-15

Why?

Sherazi,

If you like the LX-15, go with it. I don't know if you realize, the Kawai CS-6 is a CA-63 engine and audio plus let off in a polished cabinet. The CS-9 is the same engine and audio as the CA-93. I have a CA-63 and I like it, but the additional price for the cabinet was not worth it to me. I would rather save that for a future acoustic.

@SherazPianoGuy,

Be advised that the LX-15 has the potential for serious "Ivory Feel" key top wear* as you will need to consider this issue, before buying.

*Do read some of the other threads, like this one:

Roland V-Piano "Ivory Feel" key tops wear & request

Here are photos of wear, taken from above:

1) http://www.b4net.dk/photos/DirectLink/D3C_8354.jpg
2) http://www.b4net.dk/photos/DirectLink/D3C_8355.jpg
3) http://www.b4net.dk/photos/DirectLink/D3C_8360.jpg

Try not to sound so alarmist. You don't know if the LX-15 has gotten better Ivory Feel keys than the older models talked about in that thread.

*Also, I don't know how you guys are making such deep gouges in your keys. Maybe you should cut your fingernails if it is THAT easy for you to damage the keys like that.

It has nothing to do with cutting or not fingernails. It's all about a Roland's Ivory Feel issue, which is not normal at all. Most other pianos, acoustic or digitals, doesn't behave as this, figernails long or short.

[Thanks, CarloPiano, for beating me to the punch on this one]

Obviously, I am unable to speak for the person who posted the photos, and, even though they are not a pretty sight by any means, I am very particular in keeping my fingernails trimmed very short as I had the same exact problem.

I know for a fact that it is the thumb nails that do most of the damage as you can only trim them down to a certain length, as if you go too short you risk getting sore fingers (or, torn skin) underneath that nail.

There is absolutely no way to avoid fingernail contact completely, since they still contact the keys when trimmed very short. Otherwise, you would have to cut your fingers off at the first joint, to avoid it!

Here's another thing you should be aware of:

My Casio AP-620 has absolutely PERFECT "Ivory Touch" keys even though I play it as much as (or, more than) my V-Piano, and, there is not a scratch to be found even though I have hammered on it now for over a year.

It took me only 2 or 3 months of play to degrade the V-Piano's keys.

So what exactly is at fault, here?

1) The player's fingernails
2) Dirty hands & fingers
3) Excessive playing

Actually, none of the above:

It's Roland's flaky key top material that's the culprit.

My HP-305's keyboard started to peel only four months after buying it. Now it has visible and evident signs of wear. It's discouraging (I never saw/felt something like this in any other piano, not digital nor acoustic). I'll call for a replacement, I think it's covered by the warranty as I understood on the V-Piano keytops thread.

I hope this issue has been corrected on the new models. Otherwise I'm very hapy with my 305 and I think that, for the OP, the LX-15 is a fantastic option.

While the wear is definitely a disappointing issue for some but not at all for dozens of other Roland owners on this forum, individual body chemistry may be an unrecognized variable. The fact that more Roland products are getting "ivory feel" keys several years after their introduction suggests to me one of 3 possibilities.

1) The reported issues are such a small percentage as to not warrant an expensive "formula" change.
2) A change was made for the most recent products, but replacements for older products come from the original parts stock (a bureaucratic issue).
3) There are 2 configurations of the PHAIII action, same in principle but somehow different and requiring original parts stock.

I never got an answer why the HP-300 series were so quickly changed to the HP-500 series. I wonder if this was a factor?

Ive been contemplating the HP 300 series for a while now and I have searched high and low for praises and complaints. I've heard NOTHING about this key wear issue. I have heard that the speakers were pretty terrible however.

Indeed, and what happened to the HP-400 series?

@BrokenChord,

How about these threads?

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

And, there are more...

I owned two Roland DPs with Ivory Feel keys (one admittedly for only a couple days). I kept my RD-700GXF for almost 2 years, and although the keys wore and looked like posted pictures on here, it never bothered me. In fact, I liked the way the keys felt worn in. I keep my fingernails short and always cleaned the keys once a week with a plain white linen cloth dampened with water. It was never an issue for me, and I promise you, my keys were every bit as worn as the worst I've seen in pictures here. For some, it is an issue, for others, not so much.

*Note, I am not trivialising the wearing of the keys since it probably isn't what Roland had planned, and is disappointing when spending so much for an Ivory Feel key equipped board. All I am trying to say is that it isn't necessarily a disaster, and it shouldn't deter one from purchasing a Roland keyboard with these keys on it.

My two cents...

...Okay and in more than half of those threads the SAME people are posting over and over and also there are tons of people posting that don't even own one of the Roland models in question. Not only that, but there are people here on this very forum that say they have never had an issue with the key wear you are talking about.

Look, I get it...you have issues with your stuff. That doesnt mean that every single model is having the same issue as you. You pretty much tried to discourage the OP from buying the Roland just because 4 people are having a convo about their scratched up keys in one thread...as if those 4 people own the only existing Roland models the thread is about.

Hi BrokenChord,

Yes, you are right I have had an issue with these keys, although I am still hopeful there is some kind of resolution for it. Also, Zachary above is correct when he says that this key wear bothers some of us but does not affect others. Depends on how you look at things, too.

As for SherazPianoGuy, I would definitely give him a "go" for that LX-15, since (ironically enough) I would have probably purchased one myself had it been available at the time I purchased the V-Piano, last November.

Or, at least, I was considering the LX-10F model, prior to it.

Let's hope that the keys are good on this one.

Hello,
I am from NJ too and was wondering where you got the Lx-15 for 4900.
Thanks for any help you can give me.