Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Gear Poll

I thought I'd do a quick and short poll of people's gear. The format is fill in the blank below.

--------------------------

Piano:
Speakers:
Headphones:
Amps/Receivers:

Comments:

--------------------------

In the comments you might put how satisfied you are with your current setup, and any extra equipment you consider essential to the above. If you want to include your favorite VST, or preset of your digital piano go for that too.

Piano: Roland FP-90
Speakers: JBL Arena 170-WH
Headphones: Sennheiser HD600
Amps/Receivers: Denon AVR-S710

Comments: I'm happy with this setup in a 9 out of 10 way. So very happy. The action for the FP-90 is great, if it were just a little lighter I'd be 10 on the action instead of 9. Sounds I don't use with it. Headphones are great, a little curious about the HD650 upgrade, but 9/10 happy and it might be a 10 if I tried other headphones to compare. Receiver have no complaints, 9/10 satisfied, someday I'll get a really powerful amp perhaps but no complaints it serves its purpose and has a remote. Speakers suit me very well, 9/10 too. Really I should rate it all a 10 because I am satisfied and set for some time to come.

Fun!

Piano: Casio PX-160 (also a CDP-130 as a vacation / travel instrument)
Speakers: N/A (I just use what's built in)
Headphones: Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones II
Amps/Receivers: Roland KC-80

I'm reasonably satisfied with my setup. I enjoy my PX-160 quite a bit, and it definitely suits me at my current level (I'm kinda all over the place, but I'm focusing on RCM level 3 stuff right now, though I do have a few things down that are at level 4 or so). The CDP is at my Dad's place, for when I visit him one week a year, and it's fine for that. I mostly bought the Bose headphones for noise cancellation (my neighbor has a really, really, really loud truck ... ), but I use them when I practice very early or late; they sound good, but I think they compress the signal a bit much, which makes dynamics harder. I just recently got the Roland amp, and I love it so far, but it hasn't seen any serious use outside the home; it's mostly there for when I get a bit better at blues, and I'm ready to start jamming with other folks ...

In a couple of years, I'll be 50, will have paid off the house, and aiming to be playing confidently at level 5, and then I'll be ready for a serious upgrade in the form of a hybrid piano (probably the Yamaha N1X), and maybe a different slab (leaning toward a Roland FP-30 at the moment), but for now, I'm pretty happy.

Piano: Kawai Novus NV-10
Speakers: N/A
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 598 SE
Amps/Receivers: N/A
VST: Garritan CFX Full

I've found this to be the closest reproduction of playing on an acoustic grand, in terms of key action and sound, using the expensive hybrid digital solely as a controller for the Garritan CFX VST. The Novus' action is good enough that I've been able to learn from scratch advanced classical pieces and then translate them to a real grand piano without any major technical adjustments. The Garritan VST is also a fairly realistic reproduction of a grand piano sound with a nice and even tone. What's nice is that I can also record with minimal hassle.

Piano: Yamaha CLP-645 digital piano
Speakers: None right now, though I hope I'll get to connect a pair of Park Audio DELTA 3212's when we'll finish your home studio
Headphones: Superlux HD 681
Amps/Receivers: None

Comments: I'm totally satisfied with my current setup, though I'm lazily searching for better headphones (I've also tried HD508 and ATH-M40x with my piano, and I didn't like their sound, so just buying random expensive headphones isn't really an option unless I could somehow try them with piano first, otherwise it's a gambling ). Can't wait to connect those big speakers, piano does sound plain amazing through them.
For the piano itself - I've chose it after a pretty long search, I really like it's main sound (CFX concert grand) and NWX keyboard. Tried a lot of other models in this price range, and I'm totally sure it's the right piano for me currently. As for the settings - I'm using default ones, only altering reverb depth depending on the piece and still can't decide what touch sensitivity to use - Soft1, Medium or Hard1.

Piano: Korg Havian 30
Speakers: z??? 2.1 Logitech
Headphones: V-Moda
Amps/Receivers: None

Love the arranger features of the Korg -- not the action so much but I can live with it. I wish it had midi in/out.
For speakers, I had KRK Rokit 5 and sub but sound was too flat for my ears (I don't record or anything). I had the Logitech system sitting around so I'm using it temporarily until I figure out what I want.
I love my headphones. They're probably not meant for digital pianos but I don't care. I love the sound and they're comfortable. I don't really use them much with the piano anyway because I'm in a duplex and the room is on the far side so the neighbors don't hear it. And my husband is usually down in his cellar workshop with planers and saws buzzing so he rarely hears it either.
I have a ton of sheet music and I use ForScore to digitize the music and I project it onto a monitor. I can't bring myself to get rid of the music books even though I've scanned at least half of my books in (all popular music/little classical) but the monitor is working really well. It rests on a collapsible music stand and I have it madly velcro-ed so it stays put.

Piano: Kawai es100
Speakers:
Headphones: Sony MA900 & JVC fx850
Amps/Receivers: RME Baby Face Pro
VST: Garritan CFX Full

Comments:
- Garritan & my laptop took a lot of effort to get low latency without crackling sounds. Sounds and plays fine now.

- Looking to upgrade from 2 sensor keyboard.

- Looking to move away from VST towards digital piano with good on-board sounds. One button start reduces barriers to starting practice. And maybe on-board systems provide better playability. Maybe hybrid.

Piano: Yamaha N1X
Speakers: on-board
Headphones: Sennheiser HD650
Amps/Receivers: none

Comments: Do we need this thread?

Piano: CA98 soon to be CLP-685
Speakers: None
Headphones: Philips Fidelio X2
Amps/receivers: None

Piano: Yamaha P-515
Speakers: KEF LS 50 (don’t use for piano)
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 6XX
Amp: NAD D7050, Dragonfly Red

I am very happy with all this equipment. I might upgrade to the Yamaha N2X when it is released if I like it. The thought of a true grand action interests me.

Piano: Kurzweil SP6
Speakers: Roland CM-220 (3 way) builtin amp
Headphones Shure SRH-840

I also have:

Piano: FA-08
Speakers: JBL LSR308

VST: Pianoteq, Lounge Lizard, Addictive Keys Studio Grand, Omnisphere 2 & Mainstage. And many, many more!

I also have a VR-06, Deepmind 12 and hardware modules (Korg Radius, Roland Bk7m & D-05)

I like electric pianos & synths as much as acoustic piano. Totally happy with what I have.

Are you going to compile these data and produce a summary?

Nope, feel free to if you wish. I was just curious.

Piano: KAWAI CS 10
Speakers: n/a
Headphones Sennheiser HD 600

I also have (probably) over 200 piano vst’s I’ve collected over the last 20 years, the Gariton CFX being my favorite. Very happy with what I have.

Piano: Kawai CA67
Speakers: Stock
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 280 Pro
Amps/Receivers: None

Comments: Bought used. Very satisfied. Latest keyboard. Great feel. Sounds great with the expanded 'box' for the speakers etc. No intention to ugrade.

Piano: Yamaha N2
Speakers: N2 Speakers
Headphones: Sennheiser HD650, and HD598cs
Amps/Receivers: None

Piano: Yamaha N1X
Speakers: n/a
Headphones: Sony MDR7506
Amps/Receivers: n/a

Comments: I no longer lust after an acoustic grand. The N1X is exactly what I've been wanting. To my ears and fingers it plays as good, if not better, than any acoustic I can afford. And then, given that I need to practice late at night, I'd have to get silent system making it cost more and not sound any better. I'll caveat that I don't give performances on my N1X, it is just for practicing.

Piano: VPC-1
Speakers: Ancient JBL-MX1000 Floorstanders (only used when I play for others)
Headphones: Focal Clear Professional
Amps/Receivers: Yamaha RX-V377 (Speakers) / Creative X-Fi Titanium HD (Headphones)
VST: Pianoteq 6.4 / Garritan CFX Lite

Comments: Very satisfied with the setup, not so satisfied with my beginner skills. Focus is on learning stuff not on upgrading hard or software.

Piano: Roland RD 2000
Speakers: B&W 805S
Headphones: Grado RA1 AC headphone amp (I soldered in new, upgraded caps), Focal Clear (when not in my home stereo rig), and super cheap, old, but nice Grado SR80
Amps/Receivers: Adcom 545 mk II (I upgraded the internal power supply with a DIY kit) Sure SCM262 mixer (super cheap on eBay..)

Comments: Really nice..... The keyboard's modeled sounds are really great when you have a nice audio system to play them through. The B&W speakers sound like B&W... you either like it or you don;t... I am OK with it... they have a frequency bump/thickness in the lower mid-range that I will try and take out with the keyboard's equalizer.. but that then messes up the headphone sound... gotta tinker a bit. Overall I am extremely satisfied with this system. IMO, you need good amps/speakers to fully appreciate the quality sounds that are in our boards today.

So, Mr/MS puremusic......

1) How do you like playing your keyboard through those big JBLs? Why such a sound system and not little cheap powered monitors?
2) What are you plugging your headphones into? Denon? Keyboard? You may like the sound of your headphones more if you buy a little dedicated headphone amp

BTW, you can buy, on eBay, completed headphone amps (circuit boards with jacks, volume knobs, RCA sockets) from China for super cheap.... or in kits..... all say "based on Grado RA1". I looked at these boards and some that say they mimic the Grado are clearly not duplicates.... but cripes, they are so cheap! I am thinking of buying one of these kits just to see how it sounds.... I see some use discreet transistors and not an op amp chip like my real Grado... hmmm... tempting... and so darn cheap! BTW, the Grado headphone amp is both loved and hated by audio nerds... true, it is overpriced for the inexpensive components in it, but it not all that expensive and it sounds good enough that it is still famous after all these years and used units are still bringing high prices on eBay.

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Piano: Roland RD 2000
Speakers: N/A
Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro
Amps/Receivers: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4, JDS LABS O2 ODAC

Comments:

Lighting: K&M 12249 Orchestra Light Eos
Music Score Stand: Manhasset 51 Fourscore
Pedal: Roland RPU-3
Stand: Modded K&M 18810 with caster wheels.

I thought of using two iPhone pro 12.9 inch and an AirTurn Pedal, but theres a study that clarifies, looking at paper is less of a mental load.
Also, it doesn't need electricity and is way less expensive.
Even the iPhone pro doesn't support as much as much ppi as Din A4 paper does.