Yamaha AvantGrand Comparison - N1, Nu1X, N2, and N3
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 เม.ย. 2019
- If you like music, you might want to check out my second channel "Milan Recording Studios". Feel free to subscribe and hit the bell icon if you want to!
/ @milanrecordingstudios...
Someone asked me to do a video on the Yamaha AvantGrand N3, so I went one step further and reviewed ALL of the AvantGrands! There's not a huge sound difference on the recordings, but in person the higher end models sound much better than the lower-end ones. I found all of these at Solich Pianos in Cleveland, Ohio. - เพลง
![[TH] 2024 PMSL SEA GF D1 | Summer | แข่งที่ไทย ต้องใส่ให้สุด](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Jkuf7nCS7jI/mqdefault.jpg)
If you like music, you might want to check out my second channel "Milan Recording Studios". Feel free to subscribe and hit the bell icon if you want to!
th-cam.com/channels/u1LrpmWwK1ztTvIayRar9w.html
1 hour, how-
I thought I was the only one even watching this video now
I have never been to England, but it was planned before this covid thing. I was going to visit many of Europe's top piano builders including Germany and many other places, but things changed. I was also going to visit a few places in England as well. I was thinking about visiting Robert's Pianos as he seems like a really knowledgeable laid back sort of guy.
WHAT SONG DID YOU KEEP PLAYING ON ALL THE PIANOS ... SO BEAUTIFUL
I mentioned the new electronic Yamaha thanks for your review😊 is this option of adjusting on the larger Yamaha too? Thinking of n3 eg make recordings.
Not just a young child would be too distracted by watching the action . . . I love the patterns it makes
I was going to say that! haha :D
Relateble
The see through panel on the NU1X is only for display models in the show room.
Too bad, I loved the idea.
No, they sold them like that at costco
@@helloworld8752 what melody is he playing everytime
@@machinelover2 I think he made it himself.
When I'm old and rich, I might just get a second front panel handmade for my piano which is seethrough. This is super cool. I love watching the action but I often don't dare to take off the front because I don't want to break anything + then you can't put sheet music on it.
I went to a piano house last Friday and tried 5 different e-pianos in different price ranges. I have to say the Nu1x got me at the first moment. It just feels soooo real! (I used to play real piano at my parents place). So instead of buying a YDP-S54 I got myself a NU1x 🙈
I have the N2. Unbelievable quality of sound and feel. I love it almost as much as my wife. Yamaha fanboy for life.
I bought the NU1X. I have played many digital pianos and have never found a convincing piano sound that I could learn classical music with. I had a play with this model and fell in love with the sound the look and the size of the piano. I closed my eyes to see if I could ber fooled with the sound, and I was sold. Yes it is quite expensive, but worth the spend. Never needs tuning, easy to move and great to look at. Can't wait to have it delivered.
The N2 and N3 are higher-end models... but the Nu1x is the most recent. The x is just there because it's like their second version of the N1. There's also an N3x. That's why the Nu1x has more sound options.
I've played that exact same N3 piano (in that store) and what really blew me away was the sound from the headphones. When combined with the real keyboard action and the subtle added vibration in the keys, it was astonishing how much it felt and sounded like I was playing a real grand piano, while being completely silent to anyone around. This is the way I would normally practice... by choice! The binaural recording (recorded from the pianist's perspective) seems to do the trick, and I'm so glad they finally figured that out. Anything else just doesn't cut it. I have a 6 foot grand, but it is very loud at my home, so the N3 (or now N3X) with headphones is a perfectly good substitute if you need to avoid the sound level of a real piano. If the cheaper N1X with headphones can match that realistic feeling, then all the better.
headphones will always sound better than speakers (of the equivalent quality).
Thanks for the great review. Just a little detail to note here. Though the N1/N1X has the appearance of an upright, it actually is meant to simulate the sound and action of a grand piano.
Thanks for this video. It was fun to watch and was super helpful too
Great video, nice demo. Cool jacket. Love it bro
The N1X sounds as rich and sweet as any upright grand I've ever played. Thanks for sharing. (it never needing to be tuned is a def plus!)
It’s actually an NU1X - can you guess what the “U” stands for? 😎
@@therealborischang upright impossible to guess...
So much fun with the 2nd piano!
This was a very thorough treatment of the Yamaha AvantGrands (at least it was for me). You attend to the important elements and features which a person wanting to buy a piano of this caliber is looking at. And, you don't waste our time with the esoteric minutiae so many emphasize (usually because the instrument being featured doesn't measure up to others). Honest, informative and with a level of humility that personalizes it so well. Thank you James. Oh, and thank you for the bonus material at 14:45. Really got me moving.
James, you do a great job with these reviews. I really enjoy watching them. I am lucky enough to have room for a 9 foot piano now, but someday I will have to downsize and something like the N3 would be a great choice. I have played them myself and they are pretty amazing for their size. By the way, your recording quality is quite good. If you don't mind sharing, what kind of recorder do you use? I have a cheap Zoom and can't seem to get anything that sounds as nice.
I honestly find that it's not the type of equipment, but knowing the best way to use that equipment you have. We have been using the same type of recorders for about 10 years.
They put the buttons and switches underneath to give it an authentic acoustic piano appearance. Other manufacturers do this or have a door that closes over buttons so you don’t feel like you’re playing a digital.
James, rockin' out at the end there! Love it! I guess I have a tin ear, but I actually liked the sound of the N2 (the middle one) the best. In any case, they all put my Roland FP10 to shame.
Thanks for Your great work
*All of them are nice.* The digital pianos got very good.
Different people will have different need. Most of us will go for the smaller format that fits into the house :-)
Very informative, thank you. I'd like to request that you do a video on the Roland RD2000 and let us know what you think of it. Thank you.
The N1 also has a long speaker box below the main unit, not only the three speakers on the top!
That correct , I now own a N1 and a CLP685 . I traded in a N3. for both.
@@tedcapellos9304 how's the N3 compared to N1?
I would like to see some reviews of the CVP Clavinova Range of digital pianos.
James, thanks for the presentation. Is the N3 an older N3 or a newer N3X? As far as the NU1X goes, that clear model is for display only. The actual model has a black panel and the action isn't visible. I believe brightness is controllable. Yamaha has an ipad app for it that controls a lot of the piano's characteristics. I like the AGs, mostly due to their action and at least the N2 and N3X have very nice speakers.
Hi James,
It's been a long time since I've watched your videos. (Long story.) I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed them.
Casio makes a line of digital pianos, called the Celviano, that were designed in collaboration with Bechstein. These pianos also have a grand-piano action. Have you had a chance to play them? If so, what did you think of them?
Hey James, thanks for your videos! I really wonder about the value of the NU1X when compared to Yamaha's SC2 Silent System upright acoustic... they're about the same price, but wouldn't it be preferable to have a "real" acoustic over a digital hybrid then? Weight and maintenance (tuning etc) aside, what would be preferable about a Hybrid one? Thanks :)
nu1x has to be my favorite just from the number of sounds it has. Anything after that point I would just get an acoustic.
Great review of avantgrand pianos! Can anybody tell me what's the title of the piano he's playing at 12:22? Would love to learn it.. Thank you so much!
Thx, that's a nice review and very informative 😘
I owned the NU1X for awhile and it's an incredible instrument. It has exactly the same touch as you'd expect in a well-regulated acoustic upright. The speakers are amazing as well and it truly envelops you.
May I ask what do you now own? Another digital/hybrid piano, acoustic, or none? Thanks!
@@KevinLearnsMusic I have the N1X now :)
Surely the touch does not 'reward' like a real piano? Pianists have long criticized electric actions for ruining their techniques in the absence of a proper acoustic. I find electric pianos are hard work because the sound is not nuanced enough. Good for practice but not a replacement for a true acoustic.
@@user-nd1lx8co2g The touch of the AvantGrand is that of a real acoustic piano. The N3X will make you realize just how great digital sound can get.
Hi! Great and very informative videos! I appreciate them. Have you evaluated the Yamaha Clavinova CLP line of digital pianos? Would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations as to that line of digital pianos. Thanks!
About the N1: there are also speakers at the bottom of the piano. So there is a great bass as well. You only mentioned the three top speakers, that's not correct.
3:52 Just for info: one can adjust the voice of the piano with the SmartPianist app from Yamaha. But from the panel on the piano this is not doable.
The NU1X doesn’t come with the acrylic front to see the action. That’s for in store display only.
So your point about it being a distraction isn’t actually a problem because there’s no way to see the action on a bought one
Oh..
Love the music box sound on the Nu1X. N2 seems to have a key cover that falls over the keys in slow motion, but it has a very nice grand-like sound quality and you play so well. I don’t know if it is the placement of your recording device on the N3 but it sounds so much better than the other AvantGrands. Thanks.
Hey James: I would really like to see you, experiment with virtual pianos (VST) , which essentially is utilizing the piano as a controller and the sound is generated from a good reputable software piano like or Ravenscroft 275, Garritian CFX on a laptop/computer and running through sound through the pianos' speakers like on the pianos you have here line in , and what your feeling is in a VST piano to the onboard piano sounds from A PLAYERS perspective?
I have found that the onboard sounds while don't sound as good, feel the best for playing because they are mapped so well, when I compare back and forth, but at the same time, spending so much money on a piano if I got a N series, I would want sound options later, to really make worth the investment.
Great video thanks
May I know what is the name of the song you played at 3:42 ? thank you .
I subscribed just because I like your TH-cam channel name “ThePianoforever”. Which upright piano is your favorite?
Hi James ! Yamaha nu1x or yamaha b1 ? I play since one year on a roland rd-88 and I want to change for something more realistic .. but a want a good quality sound and a good bass thanks you !
Great review! The AvantGrand pianos look fantastic. I can’t wait to try one. Does anyone know when the N2X will be released?
OK, you can adjust quite a bit of the sound on the AvantGrand but only the NU1X and NU3X, not the N2 or N3. The Smart App can control or simulate lid closed or open, brightness; touch curve; damper, body, aliquot, and string resonance, key off sampling, as well as actually tuning the notes up or down if you wish. So hopefully, that will tame some of the brightness in the treble and add a bit more body in the bass.
And you can do even more than that with instruments coming in at half the cost- and they’re portable (not pretending to be a piano).
Nu1x vs clp785?? Similar price but nu1x has real upright action and clp785 simulating grand action...I would go with Kawai ca99 but I've read SO MANY problems with buzzing sounds that I'm actually leaning more towards Yamaha due to better quality control. Thanks!
I liked that, very interesting, James.
Did any of them sound like an accordion?
has the "loud note issue" been solved on the NU1X ?
Brawo ! Greetings from Poland ! MIREK
Welcome to my channel, feel free to come back often and comment anywhere you would like.
James,
It sounds really good and must be quite a bit more reasonable to buy than a "real" piano. The 10 "Keyboards" are an added bonus.
Thanks for a great demo.
Cheers,
Rik Spector
The AvantGrand pianos are surprisingly expensive! There's a lot of lovely used pianos that you can buy for the same amount of money, or even less, and there are even some surprisingly nice new pianos that fit into this price range as well, which I would personally prefer over a digital piano.
Correct. These are WAY overpriced, and quickly outperformed by instruments costing significantly less- but I’m sure Yamaha loves to sell them (to those who don’t know any better). Again- definitely not going to sound “like a CFX concert grand”.
@@ThePianoforever there are few advantages of having a good digital piano instead of a usual one. I personally own the N3 model because: a) I travel often and the room in wich the piano stands isn't always well heated or doesn't have a good humidity level. I really didn't want to have the piano tuned every time I come back. b) I often play at night, at 1-2-5 a.m., and the possibility to plug in the headphones and keep practicing or writing music is a must. This way I don't disturb my family members and my neighbours. I've tried many digital pianos before, and at the moment of buying (2012) the N-series had the best keybed on the market, in my opinion. I always find it hard to play on keybeds with little weight on them. And the N3 just feels like a real one. Of course, it doesn't sound absolutely natural, but for my use it comes close enough.
@@ThePianoforever Well yes. I don't think Yamaha are saying the N1x, N2 and N3x are replacements for an acoustic grand piano.
But, the actions going to be better than most, if not all uprights. Similarly sound quality is likely to better most uprights with their tendency to have a somewhat muffled and 'boxy' sound.
If space was permitting, yes I'd definitely prefer a good acoustic grand over an Avantgrand.
But in the average domestic environment, high density living, noise considerations with neighbours etc, I think the Avantgrands are a 21st century step up from an acoustic upright solution to making a grand piano more compact, whilst avoiding many of the issues (action and sound) that have been a legacy of upright acoustic pianos for a hundred years and more.
what's the song you played on the celesta sound 5:06 ? It was so pretty and now it's driving me insane to not know where it comes from and what the complete version sounds like!
Davy Jones' Theme from Pirates of the Caribbean.
nu1x is the newer model, before with nu1 just came with 5 sounds if i remember correctly. now theres a n3x i think
James i like that NU1X,do you know if it ships as a complete unit or in like 2 or 3 sections as it would have to go upstairs.
I would guess that it ships in one piece, but should be a lot lighter than a real piano.
ThePianoforever I believe it’s about 230 lbs. Acoustic uprights go from 4-500 to 900 lbs.
The AvantGrands appear to be very good instruments. I like the clean tone. Are they too bright? Well, a matter of taste; and also of the music to be played. They can have celesta-like quality. My headphones are not adequate to allow evaluation of the bass, but for some things you simply need bigger speakers. I would suppose that were the issue important, one could plug in an auxiliary speaker.
thanks James. I finally bought a Yamaha YUS3 instead.
How much does the yus3 run for ... I would like a good upright but under 6 grand
Hi James, would it be possible to review the Stuart and Sons Beleura- 108 key concert grand piano??
Never been able to find a Stuart and Sons.
great job my friend, you can play too....
Sounds great.
Would love to hear that sound at 5:25 in a composition. What is that sound called? Its the setting #11
thats the music box song from pirates of the caribbean
So are these a step above the yamaha clavinova CLP line?
Do any (or all) of these Yamaha models have a record and playback device?
the N3 definitely does. It can only record and play back one song at a time.
I dream of owning a full grand piano, as well as a full size upright, something iconic and expensive. That being said, even if I owned a 100k+ dollar piano, I would still have to have one of these. It’s like someone took a real piano and mixed it with a Wurlitzer or Rhodes piano and added sounds to it that players of those keyboards would’ve killed for.
hello, I've been thinking could you review the Yamaha MX series especially the MX88. Would be really great if you could do that.
As far I know the product line consists of a baby grand piano (the N3, replaced by the N3X in 2016), two "vertical" grand pianos (the N2 - and N2X possible release in the near future for those who've been waiting for; and the N1 - replaced by N1X), and an upright piano (the NU1, replaced by the NU1X in 2017 that's why you have more sounds I guess).
@5:10 what instrument or sound is this? Sounds like a music box
That Nu1X would be very good for a visual musician that could then develop sound from light or how they may draw music without being able to hear or being tone def.
The clear panel is only on display models.
What interests me is the following? In the new samples (X series), has the known bug been fixed that the piano gets louder in the bass range when the sustain pedal is pressed?
Is it really a bug? I just tried it and it seems like the sound is changing (more higher frequencies). When playing a octave and then pressing the sutain pedal, the effect seems almost gone.
Does the sound change on an acoustic piano when pressing the pedal while, of course, holding the key?
I wonder how long those piano parts last.
NU1X or Kawai nv5?
What are the dimensions of the n3? How long is it?
Do they have pipe organ sound? It would be great.
Thank you
Could you do ones a review of Yamaha u1 transacoustic ?
How much are these hybrid pianos? Where would I order one?
@@agaveboy The NU1X is only about USD5,000 while the N1X is less than 9,000.
@@Tidus3960 the n3x costs about 16.000 to 17.000 euros
It’s such a shame that’s these pianos are so thin, bright, and tinny at the top end, because they are so nice in the middle and lower register. I wonder if that can be adjusted?
stlee74 the only way to change the sounds is to use a laptop with external midi VST sounds. You could also use some studio monitors because the speakers inside the piano might not be the best.
Apart from the authentic action, great sound and (imo) nice design, I find it a little bit absurd - for this high pricerange - that the actual digital aspects of these instruments are so rudimentary and poor...
Edit: There's also a dynamic issue regarding the NU-models: if you play trills in any dynamic range lower than mf/mp, there is a high chance that one tone will randomly pop up in forte, irrespective of your fingertechnique (sry for bad english btw :D)
Tyler Durden I’ve personally experienced that problem on the NU1X. All of a sudden one note will sound ff when you’re playing pp. It’s unbelievable that Yamaha stubbornly refuses to admit the problem and solve it. If this issue wasn’t there I would’ve purchased it.
@@KeepingOnTheWatch oops.
Walter B. Same here. Have they addressed this issue yet?
S Kopa Yes, a new firmware was released to fix the issue ;) th-cam.com/video/I7rK1L4Lhew/w-d-xo.html
some one tell me song's name
Interesting line. Personalty i like a traditional grand, just my preference. But i think these look sweet man
Those see through hammers would be a massive distraction. You're right. Not only to kids.
Actually when you played it , guess what I was looking at?
mimoocho dom I own one, it doesn’t come with the see-through front. It’s only for shop display
That is only on the display piano at dealerships. The actual piano that people will buy has a black panel. You do not see the action on an actual NU1X or NU1.
Awesome
Do a comparison for the U series.
That celesta though.
Can you try nv5 vs nu1x for us? Thx James 😊
Do these piano need to be tuned? I would like to buy a hybrid piano that requires no tuning ever.
Of course not. That's the entire point of a hybrid piano: To be able to get as much acoustic feeling as we can without having to tune/maintenance it. It has all the acoustic action & feeling but a digital soundboard inside.
Das High-End Produkt kommt erst ganz zum Schluss :-)
I’ve played most of these instruments in the Yamaha shop in London. They are very good, but actually I bought a top-end CLP Clavinova: not as expensive, and has a much better range of sounds, better connectivity, and at least as good amplification and speakers. OK the touch doesn’t feel much like a real piano, but I have a real grand piano, so don’t need to replicate that. I’m quite happy for an electric piano to be an actually different instrument, with its own distinct feel, not trying to imitate (always inadequately) a real piano. If you want to have a real piano that you can practice quietly, you can get one with a traditional practice pedal felt mute. ‘Silent systems’ are expensive and always interfere slightly with the correct setup of an acoustic piano action.
Hi hello. Do you think the key touch of nu1x satisfied for a professional play ? My ideal model is Kawai
K300silent or GL30 babygrand eventually, but none of them are fordable in the moment, so do you think the nu1x can be a replacement for a few years? Thanks
what is the song he played at 1:42 and 3:15 ... ?
Have you found out the song at 3:15?
Where is the music rest on the Nu1X ?
There is no music rest on the showroom model .. The NU1X has a music rest incorporated into the fallboard when its open .
Блестящий!
N3x costs 17k in Germany including tax and transportation. Whats the price tag on that one in the U.S. since digital pianos tend to be more expensive in the states. Anybody have a "real" price from a dealer?
Maybe I missed this in previous videos but WHO is your camera person?
Family member.
Whats the song he plays atbabout 3:40
I think he wrote it
How sad, i d really like to have it
It still has the digital sound. Nowhere near an acoustic piano
Other features like transpose, recording etc might be an advantage
I have an N3 and until very recently a Steinway model O. There is no substitute for a 'real' piano but the N3 is about as close as it gets. You can change pitch and use the record and playback features on the Yamaha however the action is definitely not as smooth and responsive as the Steinway.
If you ever run across a Nord Stage or Nord Piano, it would be great to get your opinion on action and sound. It seems to be the go to keyboard for a great many groups and musicians who could buy anything they wanted and settled on Nord. There must be a reason, I assume.
The Nord is also an enormously more capable instrument, with samples that will blow anything in the AvantGard line out of the water. These instruments literally make no sense, except to the naive consumer who hasn’t actually played other options on the market.
@@nonyabusiness8274 if you're looking for sound options, you're right Avantgrand is definitely the wrong choice. These pianos are for people looking for something close to a an acoustic piano. Stage pianos are for a different audience
The “U” in the model designation indicates “upright”. The “X” at the end of the model designation indicates it is a newer version of the model without the “X” and has more processor power/memory/voices.
Good to know!
And also the n2 and n3 has less sounds than the nu1x is because it's is an older generation of pianos
That came I'm 2011 (I think) and the pianos with x at the end are a newer generation
Can someone please tell me what melody he is playing everytime
written by him.
Actually.......the nu1x (upright) is the bottom of the line piano,
And the n1x has a grand piano action (not upright) lol😸
SONG AT 3:17??
His treble test piece that he wrote himself, he hasn't published it though
We have an electronic piano at church and I don't know the brand offhand but it does sound respectable. However, every now and then, electronic artifacts come through (especially on the decay) and it's very disconcerting to a real pianist who prefers a real piano! :-)
pirates of the caribbean :)
Davy jones was beautiful
At the price being 5k+, you might as well get a real grand piano.
Josh Josh Fair comment! In some cases though, it’s not practical. Even baby grands can cost several times over that $5,000 price point. Many people also don’t have the necessary space to house a baby grand, let alone a full concert grand. And lastly, most relevant to me as I live by the ocean, digitals are not affected by humidity as acoustics are. Throw in the cost saving of running humidity and temperature control, annual tuning (or even bi-annual,) and the tremendous costs of repair should anything go wrong, and it’s an easy choice for many to go with digital. That said, some pianists are very committed to having as near to the real thing as possible, and they are the target market of these pianos. If I move to Latin America in the next few years, I will be taking a digital with me. Acoustic pianos wouldn’t last a month in that humidity!!! 😂
if Yamaha team up with LG they can put their new transparent(when not powered) lcd, and serve as sheet music display or learning video display!!
That sounds like something Yamaha would do.