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Many of you know that my retirement has been looming. My wife has been itching to return "home" to the north suburbs of Pittsburgh.
So we visited her sister over the holiday weekend and went home shopping.

We expected to look mainly at new homes, which would have to be built over a period of months.
And then we'd move in somewhere around my planned retirement date in May next year.
If not new construction, we'd have to return another time ... because when you buy used, the seller wants to close the deal with a few months.

Well, we found an ideal existing home (much cheaper than new construction) and we bought it.
So retirement will come a few months early. We'll likely move in December.

That generates a long list of things to do ... including a piano shopping exercise.

A few people here have bought various pianos at Modern Piano in Wexford PA.
It's the only Yamaha dealer around, so I spent time there last Saturday.
I wanted to see the N1X, but the salesman there (Mark) had already sold his last pair of those, and one on order is already sold.

He did have an NU1X, which I gladly tried. It immediately brought to mind the feel of my old Kawai upright.

But I really want the grand action. So I had to "suffer" a trial of the N3X.
It was already sold and was awaiting delivery. But it was on the floor, ready for a try.

Yow! Me likes! Totally amazing.

The grand feel is there. Is it possible for fingers to smile?

That, of course, was expected. What I didn't expect was the effect of the binaural sound.

I've always been skeptical of binaural. The demos always seem to have someone walking on a hard floor in a somewhat echo-y room.
The footsteps walk behind you. They walk off to the side. Then in front of you, and so on.
Impressive? No! Until shoes-on-hardwood become a musical instrument fad I have to say "who cares?"

But if you do a good job of putting the binaural effect into a piano the result in quite striking.
No more piano-in-your-head feeling. It's a piano-in-front-of-you feeling. Very nice.

Not so nice was the price. List was around $23,000 IIRC.
The dealer said he sell one for $20,000. But that's still way too steep for me.
I'll have to wait for an N1X.

I still haven't ruled out the NV10. (By the time I get around to that it might be an NV11!)
The nearest dealer is 100 miles away near Cleveland. So maybe I'll make that a day trip after we move.

Woo-hoo, so it's getting serious! Keep us posted, will you?

Yes, keep us in the loop, Mac.

I’m surprised that someone would pay $20,000 for the N3X. 12\13K would be the maximum I’d be willing to pay. Also, the N3X was released back in 2016, so it’s possible that a new model could show up soonish. It took Yamaha a very long time between the N3 and the N3X, but at that point there was no competition (now we have Novus), so perhaps there’s a chance within the next year or so?

$20,000 for the N3X is WAY too steep. We have them at $16,000 where I'm from.

Guys, don't forget that Mac is not only the informal steward of the Prices Paid thread and distributor of the spreadsheet version, he's also one of the board's most ardent promotes of strong buyer negotiation. I'm sure he knows the going rate versus the dealer list price

What may affect things is COVID. Supply may simply not be there to support a buyer's market.

Supply definitely seems to be a problem. Others here have already noted that.

Someone said that the new action on the clp 745 reminds the n1x.
Worth trying....haha 😂

Wow, big changes in the near future. New house, new community, and new piano. This is exciting!

Welcome back. You were missed.

God Bless,
David

Used supply ebbs and flows. New school year seems to dry up supply but that may change in a few weeks. Used N3 models come to market from time to time but I have only seen a handful of N3x used.

Can't speak for supply of new hybrids.

@newer player: I see you've moved to Takako Mamiya. Or rather, you're looking for it.

Google maps couldn't find it, either. Then ... oops ... I discovered that Takako Mamiya is a singer. So we're still left wondering where you live these days.

Welcome back. Yes, unless there are some other features only on the AGs that are a must have, then you should use the NV10 as a comparison in your quest.

Where Takako Mamiya lives is just as much of a mystery.

Wow great news on the earlier retirement MacMacMac.

Welcome back.

Now we expect a full report in the prices paid thread when you finally purchase your piano

I got to play the NV10 and it is very nice. Worth the few hours drive to Cleveland area to try it out.

We just found out my wife's cousin is leaving Pittsburgh area and relocating to Wisconsin.

Welcome back. My N2 will be available soon on the west coast, although you probably don't want that

I heard she moved to Singapore for fiscal reasons.

Happy retirement 🎉 !
I am personally waiting for Kawai to make their NV20 move against the N3X 😇, but I do recommend checking out the NV10 if you can.
On my first try I did prefer the N1X because it felt more sturdy, but then I came back and after an hour I was completely in love with the NV10 action - and its sound which I like way more than the N1X. The kawai action feels more like a real grand piano than the N1X.

It sucks that shops around you are Yamaha or Kawai exclusive, I find it very useful to be able to quickly go from one to the other to compare.

Whats your thought about a Kawai K500 ATX3/Aures Mac? I was really set on a N1X a while ago but after trying a K300 Aures im really sold on beeing able to play acoustic when i can and digital when i have to.

I hear that the K500's action is not that far from a grand action but off course not the same thing. The sound is suppsoed to be very good and have the same sound angine as the NV10.

Would be nice to hear your thought even though i know you might be very set for a N1X/NV10.

I'm sorry to say, MacMacMac... I expect nothing but first prize (i.e. the very best deal) from you – whatever you're going for in the end, whenever you're closing the deal. No excuses accepted. :-)

I've tried the NV10 twice before. And ... yes, it's VERY nice. After playing an upright for 12 years, followed by this Clav for 12 years, the Novus was a dream.But it's been a year since the last time. I want to try both the NV10 and the N1X at nearly the same time. So that'll be my mission early next year.

That's something I want to discover as soon as I get the chance.

The Kawai shop here in Raleigh (Maus Piano) carries a variety of acoustics, but only Kawai grands. There's a Yamaha shop here (Ruggero Piano) ... with an N1X to show ... but procrastination early in the year, followed by virus jail later on, has kept me away all year.

If not for the current health situation it would be easy enough to shuttle between the two shops in a single afternoon. They're only 8 miles apart.

But in western Pennsylvania ... I scoured the interwebs for both Kawai and Yamaha shops within many miles of Pittsburgh.
Their only Yamaha shop suits me just fine. Modern Piano is very nearby in Wexford.

But of the two Kawai shops, one is around sixty miles away to the southeast, and it's a small shop.
The other is 100 miles west. But it's a big shop. In a nice neighborhood. So it's a more attractive place to pay a visit.
Wifey would be more likely to tag along on that trip ... assuming there's the prospect of fine dining in the area.

Welcome back mac. PW is not the same without you. Pianoteq sales went up for the last few days... 😀