Very Helpful video Akira!! Thank you for making!

Thank you very much for doing these informative and fun videos

A wonderful review. I never heard of this keyboard. Thx!! Very insightful!

I recently upgraded from a CLP-645 to the NU1XA. I have no regrets. The NU1XA has really nice bass.

I've been searching for months and yours is the first review of the NU1XA that I've found that *isn't* from a piano dealership! A fantastic review, and very realistic in terms of both the benefits and the compromises. I was originally certain that I wanted an NU1XA but after trying it in store I wasn't so sure anymore. It feels fantastic to play, but it sounds too pristine (like you mention in the video!) and something about it still feels too digital. For me, I've shifted back towards searching for a true accoustic piano, possibly with a silent system installed, but you really nailed the overview, and I know a few people who would love this piano. Thanks for the great objective review!

Wow, what an amazing and helpful video! (And funny, also)

Holy shit, I started watching with very low expectations (not even thinking about buying a hybrid piano), but I ended up watching the video entirely, learned about imperfect octave in acoustic piano, differences of pedaling in real piano vs not, sound of natural piano keys, etc. Nice work! I’m a new subscriber!

Wow, a real, unbiased review! Great job!

I have a Yamaha CLP 645 which I love. However I had to buy a new adjustable bench. I got a nice Roland that matched the finish of the piano and I like it a lot. I agree that a non-adjustable bench was a cheap move for pianos that cost thousands! My piano needs serviced, probably cleaned. Sometimes I'll be playing along and a note will suddenly sound way too loud. I swear it's not me! I got rid of my acoustic piano because the constant tuning bills were too much. I'm an amateur so I only need "pretty decent" which my Yamaha fulfills perfectly. Your new piano is very beautiful, plus you gave it a great review. Thank you!

I do agree a perfectly tuned sounds weird, I do hear a difference!

This is my first video of Akira’s. I’m 2:53 in and he’s my favourite piano KZfaqr.

I think they could add a 'detune' feature. Thing's like ... a timer that gradully detune all the key in different rate over time, and a button to tune up all to standard 440. Combining those two, it'd be more close to a real piano futher. Oh and to make it even more close to a real piano, the owner should not be able to turn it off, and the button would require certified piano technocian authorization. On a serious note, I think some of the VST have this kind of detune built-in to it, especially the sampler-based one (because it's recorded from a real piano). Maybe there're softwares that samples each string on each key separately, and make them go out of tune in a different rate (but very close to each other). Again the sound espect is just a part of the instrument, I think :).

Love your review. I have the NU1XA too and love it. Btw you look abit like Bruce Lee! =D

Very helpful review - thank you. I would be very interested to know what you think of the Yamaha N3X Avantgrand.

I love your sense of humor!

I just subscribed. I am 59 years old; I just retired and decided to learn how to play the piano.

It’s amazing…I bought it today and it Feels superb! 👌🏻

I remember seeing instruments from this series around music stores before, but dismissing them as rather gimmicky keyboards. Glad to know that these are more than a regular digital keyboard instrument. I ultimately arrived to the same conclusion as you. I think that while the MSRP of the NU1XA makes it a tough sell against similarly priced upright pianos (or better if there's a good second hand market), specific use cases might mean that this instrument is a decent buy. Being able to practice with headphones on during odd hours might be worth that price for someone on a tight schedule who can justify the price to themselves.

The moments where you just stop and put reverb on your voice is so funny and weird. Good job.

I have a U1-TA2 which shares the synthesizer with the silent piano and I believe the NU1XA as well. The TA2 does support custom tuning of the digital sounds so you could basically de-tune the digital sounds.

I bought a Kawaii CA79 which came with a proper adjustable piano bench and a professional headset/headphones. The piano itself seems identical to your Yamaha. Cost me €3500 (~$3800). I couldn't be happier. I get the advantages of an acoustic piano and a digital one together. Best of all, no one hears all the mistakes I make when playing!

Good and helpful review for people. Had one myself and then bought an acoustic. Especially the pedaling on any electric piano is pretty far off. The thing is: you can play great on any digital piano if you practice on an acoustic but not the other way round. For beginners I recommend an acoustic (doesn’t have to be a grand) and then a lNord Grand to practice in the evenings if you have neighbors.

Anyone wondering, the soundless playing at 3:26 was Fantaisie Impromptu op/66 by Chopin 😅

I have the N1X with the grand action and i am very happy with it. The sound reproduction while using headphones is unreal compared to using the onboard speakers.

hola akira...id like to know your opinon about the pha 50 action (roland fp90x & lx series, RD 2000)

this is so endearingly wholesome. internet, we have to protect this man at all costs.

My Kawai MP10 (now quite old) has all sorts of selectable tunings and adjustable stretch settings. Presumably using midi with a vst with those settings you can get the same effect

Have you ever tried the Kawai keybeds? I think something like the Nord Grand should be easy to try out.

I appreciated the valuable insight into how close this hybrid can get. Maybe in following they can add a super knob to adjust the action weight or resistance as well as simulated string resonance feedback. Something tells me yamaha had reasons to leave a little bit off of the table.

Does it only have one sound? Does it have a more worn-out preset? Parts wear out, so what are the maintenance and repair services like?

Looking for a replacement/upgrade from my Kawai CA97 I tried an NU1XA (and the N1XBT - based on grand action) and ended up going for the Yamaha U1SH3PEQ Silent Upright Piano - to me there was still no comparison - these hybrids still feeling too much like digitals. Is it just me... both the NU1XA and N1XBT felt even less close to a real piano than my CA97, to me still the most realistic digital/hybrid I've ever played.

Greav video! Can you recall the previous model, the NU1X? I am not yet able to afford the 1XA but have seen the 1X for around £2,500 (about £2,000 less than the 1XA). Do you think this is a good deal? I am fairly advanced (Fantasy Impromptu level) and action is the most important thing to me. I know there is a 'loud note' issue but I never came across it playing the NU1X in stores. So I guess my question is - is the action about the same on the two instruments?

I'm currently playing a Yamaha Clavinova CLP-220 but when I have piano lessons on a real piano, I always have to adjust. I can't buy a real piano since it would probably be too loud in my apartment. If it is possible to adjust the volume of this piano, it may be the perfect solution to have the same expressiveness of a real piano with the benefits of an electronic piano!

I have tried «them all». It certainly can’t replace an acoustic, but some are pretty good. I have to say Kawai’s best digital models outperforms Yamaha’s best models because of the key action.

I enjoy tuning my acoustic piano. It's a feature to me.

Yamaha NU1XA or Kawai NV5S? I have to decide between them

I definitely agree with your conclusion -- a standard acoustic Yamaha U1 is far preferable to any digital instrument and can be had for even less than the cist of the NU1XA. I' actually a bit surprised that you even considered the digital instrument -- the only advantage I can see is the tuning, which you pointed out. I'm even wondering at that -- is the tuning authentically stretched as it would be for an acoustic instrument, and if so, to what model? To what extent would that be noticeable to a violinist. You make a valid point about having it as a second instrument for some situations -- especially like a beach house, etc. Those who need to practice quietly could also consider the Yamaha SH2 Silent piano series which are an actual acoustic instrument with action and strings, but which can be switched to a digital silent mode.

Does it do sympathetic vibration? Hold down a note until it decays to silence, keep holding it, play the note an octave higher and let go. On a real piano, the string one octave below that you are still holding should vibrate at the 1st harmonic so you are still hearing the second higher note you played. Most electronic pianos I've tested fail this test. This is one of the reasons that playing a note with the pedal down sounds different to playing it with the pedal up, because it isn't just that string that responds to you playing the note.

18:55 The infamous "Loud note" issue from Nu1x. It's surprising that Yamaha hasn't fixed it in the latest model.

I love "Yamaha didn't sponsor this video. But they could have!"

A person filled with humor and it shows. A fart is NOT a mistake! Haahahha

It still sounds very electronic to my ears, mostly because you're not recording with the piano connected directly to the sound mixer, so, it may sound excellent when you play, but from here, from this side, it's like we are listening to a loudspeaker playing a recording. But the touch, mechanism should have be outstanding. I would love to purchase one of these. I'm a pianist also, but I don't like heavy mechanisms. My touch is very light, and I don't like to employ much effort in fast passages. I like pianos that helps the pianist. Currently, I own an upright acoustic, which is very good, and a Roland RD2000 with several VSTi pianos. 🎉❤

I watched the video. Unfortunately I don't speak English. I enabled Russian subtitles in the settings. Of course I would like to compare the NU1XA with my Yamaha CLP-785 instrument. I studied the technical characteristics of both instruments. In general they are similar. Except that the CLP-785 has a significantly more powerful speaker system. Indeed, my CLP-785 produces such powerful bass that I turned the bass to minimum in the equalizer settings. I am also sure that the semles of both instruments are the same. With closed listening, no one will be able to determine what the CLP-785 or NU1XA is playing. Interesting question, does the NU1XA cam mechanism have the same problems as an acoustic piano keyboard? It also requires maintenance and repair. Although those who are interested can read it - the CLP-785 keyboard is also not easy. Engineers worked a lot on it to bring the tactile sensations closer to those of a piano keyboard (the length of the key lever, different weights of the keys....) Again, close the pianist’s eyes to see if he can feel which keyboard he is playing on - NU1XA or CLP-785. In general, I consider these tools to be equivalent. Although NU1XA is much more expensive. I am an amateur and rarely have the opportunity to play an acoustic piano. If in life you have the opportunity to seriously play the acoustic piano, it doesn’t matter. A few weeks of practice and your hands adapt to the acoustic instrument. This will also be necessary after playing on NU1XA. After all, even after moving from one acoustic piano to another acoustic piano, it takes time to adapt in order to learn the character of the instrument. It's like changing from a familiar car to another - it also takes time to adapt. Even two acoustic instruments sound different. I take lessons at a music school. And in my office there are two acoustic pianos, their sound is more different than in this video kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ldeRnJWYseCWdZc.html I apologize for the inaccuracies in the text, I am writing through a translator Посмотрел видео. К сожалению я не владею английским языком. В настройках включил русские субтитры. Конечно хотелось бы сравнить NU1XA с моим инструментом Yamaha CLP-785. Изучил технические характеристики обоих инструментов. В общем они аналогичны. За исключением того, что у CLP-785 существенно мощнее акустическая система. И действительно, моя CLP-785 издает такой мощный бас, что в настройках эквалайзера бас я убрал на минимум. Так же я верен, что семлы обоих инструментов одинаковы. При закрытом прослушивании, никто не сможет определить, что играет CLP-785 или NU1XA. Интересный вопрос, а кулачковая механика NU1XA имеет те же болезни, что и клавиатура акустического пианино? Так же требует обслуживания и ремонта. Хотя, кому интересно, могут почитать - клавиатура CLP-785 тоже непростая. Над ней очень много поработали инженеры, что бы приблизить тактильные ощущения к клавиатуры рояля ( длина рычага клавиши, разный вес клавиш .... ) Опять таки - закрыть пианисту глаза, почувствует ли он, на какой клавиатуре играет - NU1XA или CLP-785 . В общем я считаю эти инструменты равнозначными. Хотя NU1XA значительно дороже. Я любитель , мне редко когда выпадет случай играть на акустическом фортепиано. Если в жизни представиться возможность серьезно поиграть на акустическом фортепиано, не беда. Несколько недель занятий и руки адаптируются к акустическому инструменту. Это так же будет необходимо и после игры на NU1XA. Ведь даже пересев от одного акустического пианино, за другое акустическое пианино, нужно время для адаптации, чтобы изучить характер инструмента. Это как пересесть с привычного автомобиля, на другой - тоже нужно время для адаптации. Даже два акустических инструмента звучат по разному. Я беру уроки в музыкальной школе. А моём кабинете два акустических пианино, их звучание отличатся больше, чем в этом видео kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ldeRnJWYseCWdZc.html

Thats why I always think what if digital piano manufacturers came with tuning setting feature? We could actually mimics the natural tuning imperfection of a real acoustic piano!

Considering to buy a N1X, that's CFX grand real action. For now I have an old Clavinova CLP-230 and the action is worn out, makes me feel uncomfortable cause the touch response is not even (octave 5 only plays mf and f, for example). I know that digital piano sound is too perfect for feeling real; there are alternatives; for example Pianoteq uses full synthesis based on mathematical model of the real instrument, so you can simulate a real Steinway (or most of great brands) and adjust the tuning unison width, soundboard age and all you want about; it sounds more realistic but it's resource hungry and it seems it's tricky to get rid of the sound latency in order to play in real time.

9:49 Maybe you can mess with the tuning in the configurations? I know Pianoteq has an option to "wear out" the sound, from brand new to a piano thrown in the dumpster. You can even pick different random seeds so the piano wears out differently each time. Maybe the NU1XA has that too, even if not as complex. At least different temperaments and stretching out, I'm sure it does that.

Sometimes it seems to me that the music starts from the correct height of the pianist's bench))) (Apparently Gould knew a little more about this than the others)

I had a U3 later replaced with a NU1 (before X) for noise problems in the building. There is no way any hybrid replaces a true acoustic piano. It’s a nice remedy but never as close. Plus the NU1 first release had tech issues with a couple of keys playing randomly louder than others. Sold it. Still undecided on the next choice.

5:14 - nice vid! But when playing consecutive notes, I don't think we can actually use 'arm weight'. Eg. for scale runs, arpeggios etc. Arm weight only works when you're like pushing down multiple notes at the beginning of a piece -- eg. to start a note softly, or start a chord softly. And also - once again - digital pianos are REAL pianos. Just as acoustic pianos are real pianos. Both are pianos. Acoustic pianos are 'acoustic pianos'. Essence of piano is 'piano forte' - soft loud control of independent notes on harpsi keyboard layout. Piano forte - shortened to piano.

Hi, does that have headphone jacks. I looking for an alternative to my grand piano when we move to a retirement village.

Yamaha makes a lot of good products, some great some bad. When it comes to pianos, they are truly hit or miss for me. The NU1X is pretty nice! though for me personally, I prefer the Kawai Novus better. the NV5s has a spruce soundboard just like an acoustic piano, and it has Kawai's Millennium III Action.

The NU1XA PIANO IS VERY GOOD

While I think those high-end actions are worth the money, I do not find value in anything that tries to replicate the acoustic sound with fancy transducers. Digital pianos are now fantastic practice tools but they do not cut it as performance tools. I only play my Kawai with the headphones, and switch to the acoustic piano when I feel I have practiced enough to not be a nuisance. Nothing comes close to the real thing.

Different strokes for different folks. If you are a concert level pianist, you’ll never be happy with any digital piano. The NU1XA is for the advanced pianist, the ones who play Fantasie Impromptu or Hungarian Rhapsody 2 for fun. The model proves to be very popular and I am very sad I’ll never reach playing at advanced level (for example, I can play Maple Leaf Rag at a moderate tempo, the speed it is actually meant to be played). It is also good for composers/players who want to record their music. Hit a button and off you go. Try to record from an acoustic, you’d rather rent a studio for that, whereas with the NU1XA you can do it conveniently at your home. It is also great if you live in an apartment building and do not want to perform free concerts for your neighbours every time you start practicing. Years ago, I had the chance to play one of the predecessors, the NU1 or whatever it was called. It felt like I was playing a piano keyboard and the hammers hit some metal plates. Have no idea how the NU1XA feels in that regard because it is not available here in Bulgaria. (The local store does not cater high end because playing the piano, or any other acoustic instrument for that matter, is not popular here but this is a topic for another conversation) I’d like to thank you for sharing your point of view. I play digital pianos from Yamaha, too, but I have got accustomed to their shortcomings to the extent they don’t bother me. Rather play a digital than acoustic whose keyboard is not regulated, needs tuning, is loud and etc. Unless you are a concert-level pianist or purist, the digitals offer a 99% good alternative. Finally, remember, it’s just a computer that produces sound. I would not call it a proper musical instrument. In 10 years’ time there will be newer technology, whereas an acoustic Petroff will stay the same for decades, especially if you take care of it.

My roland rd-700nx is not a hybrid, and this piano would probably be better for feel. But for feel it's about 95 percent there, and the sound is as good as any piano, at least this one's equal. I think there is a niche market for this piano, but it's not for everyone, and other, less expensive, and more portable stage pianos are plenty good for most purposes.

I prefer the Steinway.

Perhaps it is my device but it sounds a little on the 'tinny' side, and lacking in the deep sonority of a quality acoustic. However you still have two grand pianos.

There will never be an electric piano that replicates a real piano to a satisfying degree. The nuances available on a real piano go beyond what an algorithm can reproduce, unless we manage to create completely accurate physical models of pianos down to the air they vibrate in and the physical mechanism behind the pedals. I have no doubt that this piano feels like a real one, but they will never sound like a real one. For one thing, the strings in a piano are essentially a bespoke dynamic speaker designed to create exactly the tone required of a piano, and an electric speaker just doesn't have the capability to produce the same sound. It makes me wonder, if you are going to replicate every element of a piano except for the strings then what's the point? The only advantage I can see is being able to practice on a real feeling instrument without making a sound, but then if you are practicing the subtleties of touch you won't get an accurate response from the instrument compared to a real one, so not even that seems like a valid reason.

Here's a question, why don't you learn to do piano tuning yourself? It seems that that would be a very profitable investment of time for you since you have so many pianos to tune! :-)

I ordered a Yamaha YUS5-TA3 to be delivered before Christmas 2023. It is now end May 2024 and I still don’t have the piano. Yamaha have failed 4 delivery dates so far. If you want a Yamaha piano don’t buy one unless it is in the store. I gave my spinet piano away in readiness for the Christmas delivery. I now don’t have a piano for 6 months! Thank you Yamaha for stabbing earth in the back. Don’t trust ANY promises Yamaha make. In my opinion thet are not trust worthy.

Never!!!!!!!

Saying a digital piano is a keyboard and isn’t a real piano is just wrong. It is a piano it just has a different way of producing the sound. The keyboard is just the key set you depress. It’s like saying a flat screen tv isn’t a real TV because it lacks a cathode ray tube. An acoustic piano is a technological tool just as a digital piano is. Great video though.

The purchase price is the stumbling block , that margin where its all or nothing from $2k

Will YAMAHA ever stop copying KAWAI?

'Its a real piano with a proper hammer action but without strings or soundboard ' ??????? How can it be a real piano without any strings or soundboard ? Its just a fancy keyboard, nothing else.

It's capitalism. Yamaha want you to pay extra to get a better piano bench. lol Btw the perfect tuning from NU1XA and keyboards is gonna bother me so much now. 😅

"This is basically a real acoustic piano minus strings and soundboard.” Sorry, but then it's nothing like a real acoustic piano.

Hogwash. Let us know when concert pianists start requesting these Yamaha toys over a 9ft. Steinway, Bosendorfer, etc. Yeah, they're great to move, great to practice on, but you'll never find one at a recital or concert, and I mean never ... that's how good they sound.

no, sorry, I don't excuse you for poor technique.

최고다 👍