Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Tried Yamaha NU1 for first time today.

I believe there are very real differences in the mechanical sound of the various actions. In general the Kawai actions seem to be the quietest while the Rolands tend to have a very resonant thomp-thomp sound. In general, I would expect a real piano action to be the noisiest of all when operated in silent mode. After all, there is the most going on. If acoustic pianos weren't so darn loud we would all probably be very irritated by how loud the real, genuine, authentic piano action is.

Key travel is smaller compared to the N1. In my test (different thread) quick repitition of the notes is not very easy. I was not sure if this was because of the sensor system on the Yamaha or even due to the small key travel. And i´m still not sure if a simple 3-sensor-system on the DP´s (either Kawai or Yamaha) is comparable to the Avantgrand models.
Im still waiting for another chance to play both instruments side by side.

Concerning the noise: Of course the mechanics of the piano action are louder than the typical digital piano. I had the same issues on my Yamaha silent and I did have one neighbour below my apertment who heard the "thump" everytime when hitting the note. This does not get better if you want to play fast pieces with a lot of fortissimo .

I´m really curious on your verdict for the NU1 since I am thinking about buying either the NU1 or the N1 in future.
The more you think about which instrument to buy, the worst it gets....This is even more difficult than buying a car

Uhm... played a couple of hours and I have to say that... I hope I will get used to it: it is definitely less enjoyable and pleasant to play than the CA95.

The sound seems like "in a box", not so bright and crystalline (maybe I have to move it more distant from the wall)... still sometime, in very fast passage, I get volume spykes which do not match my performance: it never happened with the Kawai.
And I am still a bit concerned with the smaller key travel, I am always tempted to press more in order to reach the bottom of the keys.

Sorry, I do not know... it is so different from the previous one. I have to play more and understand...

titowsky,
did you found now the NU1 MUCH BETTER than CA95?
I mean, is it worth 50% more money?

Because at first you were excited about NU1 and now you are like this icon ->

I said what I did not like in CA95, I tried the NU1 in the shop and it seemed to me better for my purpose: a more realistic/true piano action.

Now I want to be as honest as possible reporting my feelings, not saying "it is wonderful" just because it is here at home. In case I am ready also to admit that only a good acoustic may satisfy me.

So... please sorry if I confused someone with my opinions...
I will write again just after my subjective impressions have become more precise and stable.

OK, just asking, and yes, I am little confused now, maybe you need few days more with Yamaha

As a practice instrument it would seem to be better to have an instrument that prepares you for acoustic playing rather than one which is easy to play or that makes one sound better than one really is and does on an acoustic. The NU1 would at least seem to have an authentic enough action that qualifies, especially for acting like a real upright piano.

But any good and responsive action that has a realistic link to a sound engine should of course also be enjoyable and pleasant to play....hmmm



Can you say more about the key travel differences and the perceived volume spike behavior? I have played on some Yamaha Bx pianos that were very stiff, irregular (and also incredibly out of tune/seemingly untunable) during their first year of service. I wonder if the NU1 also needs to be broken in before it starts to become more even and pleasurable?

Regarding the practise topic I agree, NU1 seems really similar to an upright... at least from the action point of view... despite the noise it produces (more than I expected) I like to make exercises silently and I receive a good feedback.

I am also wondering if a burn-out period is actually needed in order to really appreciate the overall quality of the sound.
Now I am focusing on spikes and strange electronics behaviours: I understood that they are not so much caused by speed of repetitions, but more by some specific hand-gestures that for some reasons the electronics is not able "to read" in the proper way.
For example: soft chordal repetitions like at the beginning of Beethoven op.53 are nearly impossible to sound perfectly (they are absolutely not "fast")... it is not possible to get an equal soft sound without a missing chord or one resulting stronger than expected (I play this Sonata for years without problems on any acceptable piano). I often get spikes when the repetition is realized by a soft and fast alternance of the two hands on the same key.

Key travel is ablsolutely shorter than usual, but I have the impression you can get used to it, and not so bothered anymore.

I am also trying to change the setting:
- touch sensitivity to hard (I like it... and it is incredible how the NU1 can seem "heavy" even with its soft keyboard!)
- IA Control switched off, but I still have to clearly understand the function, no difference noticed... so I prefer to switch off anything that may appear "artificial"

So, in comparison to your Yamaha Silent Piano, you would say that the Silent Piano is much better, no?

Yes, this can be definitely said, no doubts... I never had concerns on the acoustic sound of my Silent, this is not comparable to the NU1. And the action of the Silent does not have the short key travel, that I would not consider "an advantage".

I want to test the NU1, then when I come back to Italy in a couple o weeks I will compare its eletronics to the Silent one (it is much time I do not play the last with headphones): this is interesting...

What is the model number of your Silent?

This weekend/next week I am going to try to play a NU1, a B1 SG2 Silent and a U1 SH Silent for comparison purposes...

Perhaps you need to turn up the sound on your television while practicing on your NU1?

theJourney, are you going to Clavis?

I have to be in Dusseldorf and so was going to try there. Do you think clavis would have all the models side by side?

I was in Clavis in Amsterdam last year and they had all three N models next to each other but I don't remember seeing the NU1. They might have it now.

It's worth mentioning that 'regular' music stores now carry the Yamaha hybrids, not just the stores that sell the acoustic grands.

Please believe me... I do not know (it was a very nice gift when I did not care so much about that, it was anyway one of the first Silent pianos, about 15 years ago) and I will be able to check the model when I will come back home.

Now I will switch on the TV and start playing the NU1

OK, my Silent is an old MP100 (1995), I played it now at home for some hours and I have to say that... it is incredible but it does not seem that electronics has improved so much in all these years!
Repeated chords are easier on my Silent (they sound without peaks or strange behaviours), I am able to play Beethoven op.53 without annoying issues I experienced on 3 different NU1 models.
Some strange responses are still there, so I would just say that I do not have a clear preference in the sound through headphones between MP100 and NU1: I do not care of the quality of the samples (coming from CFX or other) if I cannot get the sound my fingers want to produce.

So, at the end, I am pleased with my NU1 for the action, the quality of the cabinet... and looking at it as an instrument for pure practise maybe it is good enough. BUT I expected much more from the sound and sensitivity (I regard Kawai CA95 superior and much enjoyable from this point of view); definatly I did not want to play anything for anybody on this instrument: it does not reflet my musical intentions and does not allow me to deeply involve myself in my performance.

So I will save money for a Bechstein upright and hopefully find my way with that (as it is also possible to male it silent adding dedicated system).

My advice and my experience is really... try NU1, but also CA95... for me the latter represents the best quality/price choice, otherwise you probably need just an acoustic

Thanks for the final review Titowsky. I have wanted to try both DPs and your vote for the Kawai helps me in my decision making process. The only way to truly know if you like a DP is to play it, play it some more, then start the loop over again.

Thanks for the update.

If I am not mistaken, the MP100 is a tried and true Yamaha U1 with the 1995-era state-of-the-art Yamaha Silent System factory installed. These U1 Silent Pianos are apparently still one of the best sellers from our large, local Yamaha dealer.

It sounds like a Yamaha Silent Piano -- especially with the latest SH sound generator -- is still probably the best bet for serious pianists offering a true hybrid (or split personality) situation of acoustic + digital capabilities (and one that keeps on going for 15, 20, etc. years).

Of course, it doesn't come cheap to buy an acoustic piano with a digital piano built in. The price for the lastest reincarnation with the CFX sampled SH sound generator is around euro 10.000,--, about three times the price of the CA95. But then you really have something: a solid acoustic piano with Yamaha action and a very well integrated optical sensor system-driven digital piano off of the same action using Yamaha's latest sampling technology with a 10 year guarantee on the piano and, at least in Europe, a very healthy re-sale market.

It sounds like, despite the name, that the NU1 might probably be a digital only version of the B1 (or something even more inferior) rather than the U1?

Yesterday I tried the NU1 just beside the smallest Yamaha Silent in a Shop in Padua; unfortunately even the actions were not comparable, too light and short the trip in the NU1. Tried also to play the same note on NU1 with different weights of finger and shoulder, and various approaches to the key... too reduced differences (or no at all) in the response from the instrument: I do not think this the best that nowadays electronics can offer.

It is really a pity: I am noticing a huge effort from Yamaha in advertisement and support of NU1 distribution quite everywhere, like a revolutionary instrument for serious players... but at least for me it is not like that: the simplest Yamaha Silent wins without any doubt, including a very competitive price (considering the value of a true piano against a hybrid).

Last advice: do not make my own mistake, the instrument must be played for a while at full volume (high volume), testing different repertoires and all your own expectations, without trusting just in the superior action which results evident from the first notes everyone can play.

The only thing I am still interested in, regarding DP world, is eventually the VPC1... in order to use it as transportable keyboard for practicing in emergency situations, even without sound. Don't know if it can fit the purpose...

Is it possible for you to return it or at least exchange it for something else? If I was unsatisfied with such an expensive piano the way you are, I would not keep it even for a day.