Yamaha CLP-785 speaker sound

[Strays Dave]

Regarding a living room piano...

 

I'm seriously considering buying a Yamaha CLP785. For a little over 5 years I've played a Yamaha F01 Modus - a digital that's approximately 12 model years old.

 

My question is regarding the sound that hits my ears. My older F01 piano sounds much more realistic to my ears. When I listen to a demo of the CLP-785 on YouTube, is sounds great. Maybe the demo piano was going thru a soundboard. But in the local Yamaha showroom store the CLP-785 sounds like the sound is boxed in - the best way I can think to describe it.

 

So, how much of this disappointing sound could be the room. Will the piano sitting in a living room against a wall, improve it ? Would a supplemental sound bar sitting on top help.

 

Opinions or insights please. Thanks.

 

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/pianos/clavinova/clp-785/index.html

[Doerfler]

I'm not familiar with this model. I can tell you, in the same price range, that I watched Rachel Flowers playing this at NAMM 2020 and then jumping up and down with joy when she was finished.

 

https://www.kraftmusic.com/casio-celviano-grand-hybrid-gp-510-digital-piano-black-polish.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=merchant&utm_campaign=cas-gp510bp&gclid=CjwKCAiAmrOBBhA0EiwArn3mfE81RAQ0D65TDENIF-fhSwkdLTn9nAI6wRY9VDtUzQbcmA7meEBAShoCFScQAvD_BwE

 

 

[video:youtube]

[Reezekeys]

Speakers near a wall will accentuate low end. If the piano was not against a wall in the showroom, that might account for your impression of the sound. The youtube demo is most likely recorded directly from the line outputs of the piano - not from microphones recording the sound of the piano's speakers in the room.

 

What gets me is that Yamaha describes the CLP785 as their "flagship" model with the "finest sound system in the series", yet you're claiming their 12-year old F01 sounds "more realistic." Something is wrong with this picture. If you truly think your current piano sounds better, why replace it? Those CLP785s start at $6500. I would be very sure I'm getting an upgrade if I was gonna drop that kind of coin!

[Mike Martin]

I'm not familiar with this model. I can tell you, in the same price range, that I watched Rachel Flowers playing this at NAMM 2020 and then jumping up and down with joy when she was finished.

 

That was something wasn't it....I may have video of that moment.

 

To Reezekeys point, many digital pianos have speaker systems that are designed with the assumption that you'll place it against a wall.

[Strays Dave]

Speakers near a wall will accentuate low end. If the piano was not against a wall in the showroom, that might account for your impression of the sound. The youtube demo is most likely recorded directly from the line outputs of the piano - not from microphones recording the sound of the piano's speakers in the room.

 

What gets me is that Yamaha describes the CLP785 as their "flagship" model with the "finest sound system in the series", yet you're claiming their 12-year old F01 sounds "more realistic." Something is wrong with this picture. If you truly think your current piano sounds better, why replace it? Those CLP785s start at $6500. I would be very sure I'm getting an upgrade if I was gonna drop that kind of coin!

 

You ask a good question. The F01 key mechanisms are showing their age - some clunky knocking noise. The sustain pedal also sometimes doesn't stop sustaining when my food raises back up. I've had this (purchased new) for 5 years and the thought occurred to me to inquire with a technician how much it might be to replace some things to make it more up to snuff again. I'm puzzled why Yamaha had such great design with the sound in the F01 - and didn't continue with with the speaker design (whatever that was). Reminds me of Apple - coming up with something great and then partially dropping the ball with a new design.

[Reezekeys]

Sounds like your F01 needs a lube job! I'm not qualified to guess as to what's causing the key noise but I'll allow myself one stab - maybe a felt strip or stoppers that dampen the action noise? I can see a part like that wearing with age and use. Might be worth a piano tech visit, or if you're adventurous you can open the case, work the keys and see what might be causing the noise. As far as the pedal sticking, that could easily be a switch that needs a blast of contact cleaner.

 

If you wind up wanting to replace this, I would also advise looking at some other brands, as has been suggested in this thread. I'm pretty confident saying piano sample playback tech has improved in the past 12 years. The weakest points in the chain are probably the amp & speakers in these guys â though the specs for the 785 say "(50 W + 50 W + 50 W) x 2" which implies a total of 300 watts of tri-amped audio output power. That should fill a living room pretty nicely, I would think.

[Strays Dave]

The plot has thickened a bit. The piano store called and said they're going to get a Yamaha NU1 - a hybrid digital piano with actual hammer mechanisms for the key "feel" - into the store for me to try. I googled and it says the NU1 is discontinued. Interestingly, I bought my F01 around the end of it active model life. I never cared about the actual hammer mechanism, but I'll try the piano out. A quick google search indicated the both the NU1 and F01 have 40W X 2 speakers. I've never had a problem with volume in my living room.

 

I know it may seem silly, but I've been a Yamaha convert for decades. Played a P80, a P90. Now I have a P515 (played only once on a gig before the pandemic hit) and a P121 (nice light 73 keys).

[Reezekeys]

Yamahas make great acoustic pianos and fine DPs too. These Clavinovas have CFX samples â that is one killer instrument. I played a C7X and thought it was the best piano I ever played. Of course the reproduction system plays a major part in how you'll appreciate one of these guys. For the kind of money they cost, I certainly hope you're very happy with whatever you wind up with. It does sound like you've managed without an "actual hammer mechanism" in a DP up to now â but I bet that dealer is gonna try and change your mind! Good luck with whatever you wind up with.

[Strays Dave]

The Yamaha piano store got an NU1X in stock. The model with the hammer mechanism (no actual strings or soundboard) - a hybrid piano. It felt and sounded authentic enough and I'm going to buy it. The key action was stiffer than I'm accustomed to, so my fingers were a bit lazy for this action. I'll have to adjust.

 

The guy working the store here in Orlando, is originally from London. He worked for about 20 years at Harrod's in London in the keyboard department. Originally the organ department. He had some interesting stories to tell.

 

 

Thanks for the feedback.

[Reezekeys]

Detouring here because your last message triggered a memory. I was playing a month-long gig in London in the early 1980s and remember going into Harrods where I saw a keyboard that blew my mind - it was a Yamaha GS synth. This was the precursor to the DX7. I remember a small booklet with pages containing sleeves that held plastic strips a few inches long. These were the patches - you fed them into a slot on the GS and they got sucked in and you had a new sound. It all seemed futuristic back then and it sounded futuristic too, although today we'd all consider the sounds dated. I wonder if your salesman was working there at that time? BTW for any FM synth geeks out there, I do not recall if this was a GS1 or GS2 - but knowing Harrods it could have been the GS1 - a fairly rare and expensive FM synth.

 

Enjoy your new axe! I'm sure it sounds great.

[Strays Dave]

Detouring here because your last message triggered a memory. I was playing a month-long gig in London in the early 1980s and remember going into Harrods where I saw a keyboard that blew my mind - it was a Yamaha GS synth. This was the precursor to the DX7. I remember a small booklet with pages containing sleeves that held plastic strips a few inches long. These were the patches - you fed them into a slot on the GS and they got sucked in and you had a new sound. It all seemed futuristic back then and it sounded futuristic too, although today we'd all consider the sounds dated. I wonder if your salesman was working there at that time? BTW for any FM synth geeks out there, I do not recall if this was a GS1 or GS2 - but knowing Harrods it could have been the GS1 - a fairly rare and expensive FM synth.

 

Enjoy your new axe! I'm sure it sounds great.

 

It's possible that you spoke with Anthony the Londoner at Harrod's. He said he's 56, so he was born sometime around 1965. He said he started working at Harrod's at 18. His specialty was organs. He was an organ player (the pedals too I think he said). He mentioned that they had a roped of section with harpsichords. He also said they sometimes would open after hours specifically for the rich and famous.

 

He told me a little story about the store opening after hours for the Sultan of Brunei. He said the sultan had body guards. I think he said they were given some sort of special permission to carry firearms (like AK's ). One of the body guards had a satchel with millions of pounds (UK currency). They followed the sultan thru the store. In the keyboard department, the sultan would point out keyboards (especially Clavinovas) and specify how many he wanted to buy. Anthony (the salesman) said he was buying them to put in palaces.

[Reezekeys]

The Sultan of Brunei? That sounds like something that could have happened at Harrod's for sure. I don't remember speaking to anybody, but it does sound like 18-year-old Anthony might have been working there at the time. A quick google has told me that the show I played was in May of 1983. Going to Harrod's was a sightseeing excursion for me, I was not there to shop!

[jazzpiano88]

Detouring here because your last message triggered a memory. I was playing a month-long gig in London in the early 1980s and remember going into Harrods where I saw a keyboard that blew my mind - it was a Yamaha GS synth. This was the precursor to the DX7. I remember a small booklet with pages containing sleeves that held plastic strips a few inches long. These were the patches - you fed them into a slot on the GS and they got sucked in and you had a new sound. It all seemed futuristic back then and it sounded futuristic too, although today we'd all consider the sounds dated. I wonder if your salesman was working there at that time? BTW for any FM synth geeks out there, I do not recall if this was a GS1 or GS2 - but knowing Harrods it could have been the GS1 - a fairly rare and expensive FM synth.

 

Enjoy your new axe! I'm sure it sounds great.

 

If it looked like a home instrument with ornamental wood it was the GS1

If it looked more like a gigging instrument it was the GS2 (half the GS1 operators)