Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Any Yamaha NU1 hybrid owners ?

I'm shopping for a high end digital piano. I tried a CLP-785 recently. But I thought the sound from the speaker configuration sounded "boxed in" for lack of a better word.

So, the local Yamaha showroom called and said they're going to get a Yamaha NU1 in the store. I'm planning to drive out and "test drive" it when it comes in. According to my Google search, the NU1 is discontinued. That doesn't really concern me. I'm interested in a piano that sounds authentic to my ears. And a reasonable key action of course. But, I'm wondering about the simulated hammer mechanism. I'm retired from the daily grind, so I typically spend 3-5 hours daily at the piano. I'm wondering how it will hold up.

Has anyone owned a Yamaha NU1 for several years ? How has it held up. I read about the repeated note issue that was reportedly fixed in a 2019 firmware update. I'll be asking about that issue.

Any insights ? Thanks.

The current Model is the NU1X. I don't think the Dealer will get the discontinued Model.

Maybe try the CLP785 again, perhaps the store didn't have it in optimal conditions? I tried various Yamahas and whilst each had their own merits for me the CLP785 had a nicer sound reproduction than the NU1X I tried (or the CA99).

I'm an NU1 owner coming up for 7 years, I think, maybe 8? No problems at all. It has been serviced once by Yamaha at 5 years under warranty, and I tinkered under the hood in lockdown last year to tighten up the action. At my level I never encountered the loud note problem but also applied the firmware update last year. I spend 1 or 2 hours daily on it.

I tried an NU1X in a store a couple of years back and was not impressed at the time. The CFX sounded off and the Bosendorfer hopeless. In retrospect I think the settings had been changed, as I've since been back and tried again after a reset, and it was better. However I occasionally use an iPad to access additional sounds so the upgrade piano GAS, NU1 to NU1X is not there; although I did buy a small synth last year that I drive from the NU1.

I drove out to the Yamaha showroom and played an NU1X yesterday. I liked it and will be purchasing it. The action felt like an authentic piano and the sound was satisfying to my ears. The salesman (here in Orlando) worked Harrod's in London for about 20 years some time back, and had some interesting stories to tell.

I did not notice any loud note issue.

Spanish Buddha - I am curious about how you were able to "tighten up the action".

I have an NU1 too and I second almost everything that SB said.

I do experience the "loud note" issue and I was about to install the firmware update (which I have) but decided not to discussing with my teacher. The NU1 has an upright action and the "loud note" indicates an incorrect technique for playing the instrument (not fully releasing a key before repetitions). See further discussion about it which I wrote in the relevant thread.

Congratulations on your new instrument, and please include it in the "price paid" conversation/spreadsheet.

I have a NU1X and the few times before the software update that I did experience the loud note issue it was not due to repetitions. My thoughts on this based on my experience alone is that in my case the action needed to be broken in as the loud note issue became less frequent as time went on. The software update eliminated the loud note issue though my skill level is not to the point where it would come up from repetitions.

All piano actions settle or wear, the felts compress and leathers/hide wear too. Comparing the middle C area to the extreme bass and treble the discerning eye and hand could detect some changes on my NU1 after 7/8 years of regular use, including unimpeded 'playing' by grandchildren. The technical terms for the work I dared attempt are I believe, remove lost motion by adjusting the capstans, and adjust the hammer blow distance. For the latter I had to purchase a special tool. I was also going to remedy the slight side to side play on some keys, now apparent more in the middle section than that at the hardly used ends, but decided against it as it does not affect playing and I have found a piano tech who has offered to service (regulate) the action when needed.

I’ve never heard of a ‘loud note’ on any acoustic upright that I’ve played on like I did on the NU1X. It’s most likely not a technique issue.

The underlying root cause has been long-discussed, but whether it's a "technique" issue is almost irrelevant. Yes, if you play the instrument "perfectly" you can avoid the loud note from happening. But who, even concert pianists, play perfectly? The problem is that ultimately, in this fairly narrow respect the DP doesn't behave like a real piano. In a real piano, you'd have a dropped note, which may be noticed in its omission, but is widely acknowledged to be less obtrusive than what happens on the NU1/X, which is a very unexpected loud note. Same cause, different effect.

Some people may find it beneficial to use as a tool to practice technique against an acoustic action, others look at it and ask if it's worth having an instrument that only behaves like an acoustic (again in this narrow respect) if played perfectly/a certain way.

I've owned the N3 for probably ten years or so. I have posted my comments here a while back regarding the NU1.

I tried one in a piano store in Amsterdam. I encountered that loud note issue and initially thought it was my playing and not the piano. I believe this was a known issue with that model and knowing Yamaha, I'm sure it was corrected.

I have given thought in the past of buying the NU1, either to replace my N3 or to complement it. For me, I find it much more difficult to play/control an upright action. My thinking - if I can nail something on an upright action, it will be easier to play on a grand action.

I personally find my N3 action quite easy to play and the action itself doesn't pose any additional hurdles for me to cross. (Does that make sense?)

I've worked jobs on uprights that were just a bear to play. I would have loved to own those uprights for practicing purposes, again with my thoughts that if I can nail the piece on a difficult piano, it should be a breeze on a more agreeable piano. I like to have my practice time feel like a work out.

I also agree that upright actions tend to be more difficult to control and is not as straightforward as grand actions. That's the beauty in an upright action. I may not have traded in the NU1X for the N1X if it wasn't for the loud note.