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Seems like you're asking me to go for Yamaha no doubt?
I don't think anyone is asking you to go for Yamaha at all as far as I can see. The Casio hybrid section includes the models GP300, GP400, GP500.

Why not try a Roland FP90 and a Kawai ES8 as Essbrace and a few other people here have suggested? It would give you a very good idea of what's on offer.

I bought a GranTouch, the first hybrid offered from Yamaha, between 15 and 20 years ago.

I'd say they are here to stay. I wouldn't worry about availability of parts.

+1... Yamaha "hybrid" is another category... I find them superior but quite more expensive. Some other pianos (even these not branded "hybrid") are quite good however. Then the best thing to do is to test them, ask your banker which options are available and choose by yourself. Economics would say "maximize YOUR utility function" which is a compromise between how YOU value what you buy and how much is spared for other things.

Using wood for the keys doesn't make it a true hybrid.

I'd advise trying the Casio hybrids. If you like them, you'll have a reasonable facsimile of a grand piano action and a very good grand piano sample.

If you don't like the action of the Casio, and you still want a grand piano action in a digital piano, your options are the Kawal MP11, which has the best action in a non hybrid, or the various AvantGrands from Yamaha which are hybrids.

Of course, it might be that you're just as happy with a Clavinova or the equivalent offered by Roland or Kawai ... or you might be happy with a slab, a digital piano used by professional musicians who really don't need the furniture aspect.

Exactly how much time have you spent in stores actually playing various keyboards? Everyone here has their own opinion ... and so should you.

Hybrids?

So. Should I go check out Yamaha NU1 Upright Hybrid or Kawai CA97 Console Hybrid or Kawai CS11 Upright Hybrid?

@keykeyzkeys : You shouldn't insist on the "hybrid" term : as I told you, it doesn't mean the same thing between different brand (and I suppose only the Kawai US site use the hybrid term about Kawai. )

Then you should simply try the different piano, and even these which are not branded hybrid (Roland). They may be quite good enough.

We have different way of feeling a piano, the best for me may not be the best for you.

Okay

Well so there are three elements "copied" from acoustic pianos into these digital pianos... 1) action 2) soundboard, and 3) the cabinet.

The NU1 has 1) a true upright action and 3) a nice cabinet.
The CA97 has 2) a soundboard.
The CS11 has 2) a soundboard and 3) a nice cabinet.

If what you want is a true upright action, go for the NU1.

The Kawai action is modeled after the grand piano action. It's not the same, but that's what it tries to be. If this is acceptable to you and you prefer the acoustics of its soundboard, try the Kawai.

I sold a 1990 Steinway K upright after I decided to buy a N2. IMO, the action is everything. I loved the sound of the K but I just had enough of upright action after I got enticed by the N2 hybrid. Years ago I almost bought a Grand Touch but I didn't think it was a perfected hybrid. The action was great but the sound wasn't there yet.

I've never looked back since. Having real grand action, when I can't fit an acoustic grand in my house is just much better as a study instrument. I'm mentioning this cause I'm against using the "hybrid" label except for pianos with real (almost of course,) action. You can buy a hybrid with a soundboard but why not just buy a digital piano then?

If you play for fun buy anything you can afford, but if you're more serious about your playing buy a real grand, an Avantgrand or NU1. I can't comment on CS11 or Casio since I've never played them.

Thanks

Whoa, I never noticed the Casio Cleviano GP-300! I am thinking about replacing my Roland FP-7F with (or just straight up buying) a Yamaha N1, but the price tag is very very steep, and I would have to run Pianoteq because the stock sound engine is frankly horrible. I tried one in a store and the action was very good though.

The greatest concern I have with the Yamaha is that they have a wooden action, which is humidity sensitive. The Casio is sparking my interest because it uses plastic parts which should take at least some of that out of the equation, depending on how much felt they use. The pictures of the action aren't great so I am having some trouble telling.

The action on the Casio looks like it's missing the jack and hammer back check, which is a little worrying. Action performance is extremely important to me. I may need to find one of these in a store somewhere to try.

The GP-300 has very poor sound resonance compared to the GP-400/500 however its the same action. Just don't be shocked !

Yep - the Casio-Bechstein action has no escapement/let-off, saying the sensation of it in acoustics is actually a design flaw/drawback.

As for the material of the keys influencing your decision - it did with us, but on retrospect it perhaps should not have..

We should have just been conscious of it and dealt with the environment instead. There are many humidity control methods. Our house goes from hot and bone dry to hot and humid to cold and dry through the seasons - anything made of wood in this house adds charm and noise to an otherwise cement and stone structure ^^

Out of all the pianos sold, the ones with issues arising are the ones talked about - and while they are susceptible to the environment, plastic/metal actions are not immune to issues either. And from what I have read anyone experiencing issues with wooden actions in digital pianos are heard and helped by their manufacturer's service.

I've not read on here people talking about problems with their wooden key DP's resulting from the environment, hot, cold, humidity. Maybe you can point to some? There are however plenty of posts of problems with plastic actions from new, so maybe new build or shipping problems, and plenty with problems developing over time with use. Sadly IMHO us discussing this non-issue suggests it's an issue. It's not.

I found people with said issues here and elsewhere on the internet - I think google may be of help spanishbuddha. Keys badly aligned either due to the bushings or the wood having swelled up from moisture. One that stuck out was a dealer on the forum here in the USA I think who mentioned having to send his technician out to tend to Kawai actions with some regularity. His tech mentioned the wood of the keys used in the digital kawais was denser than the wood used in the acoustics and as such under the right conditions would swell more and cause issues with the bushings, and the bushings themselves often needed tending to from moisture induced problems - but those are not defects. Its just a matter of the materials used, which are used in hundreds of thousands of pianos and yes, some pianos develop problems due to moisture - is why there are so many humidity control devices sold ^^ but of course in acoustics there is a lot more of it that can suffer much more than just the keys and their bushings..
With regards to the Kawais from the stories read (which indeed are not many but they are there) the problems presented themselves upon delivery and were solved. Have not found any where user's kawais developed such problems during use.

So, not related to humidity, then?

James
x

Humidity yes - but probably from having been delivered from a very cold truck into a warm ( more humid ) house so that condensation occurred and such, or from badly sealed packaging which allowed the various environments to influence things along the way to the customer..
The piano technician I talked with for a bit here in our local community center said he'd seen this often enough - but unless the piano was drenched in rain then put next to a fireplace, nothing that cannot be tended to.