I've just played for a while in local GC on a new RD700GX and I must say the key's touch and action are outstanding, almost like real thing. It maybe worthy to buy it just for that.

Unfortunately though grand piano and EPs sounds didn't change much from previous model and I still prefer S90ES piano way more. That's disappointing.

I did a careful side by side headphone comparison with the S90-ES and the RD-700GX. The action and the pianos on the RD-700GX blew away the S90-ES.

The RD-700GX newly improved "Superior Grand" sounds and behaves more like a real piano, every note was individually sampled. The ivory key feel of the RD-700GX alone made it superior to the S90ES with its slick plastic keys.

I've just played for a while in local GC on a new RD700GX and I must say the key's touch and action are outstanding, almost like real thing. It maybe worthy to buy it just for that.

Every note of the "Superior Grand" was individually sampled. Two years ago when the "Superior Grand" debuted it was widely publicized that every note was individually sampled. The "Superior Grand" samples are in the RD-700GX, RD-700SX, FP7, FP4 and SRX-11 card. The SRX-12 card features a Rhodes that has had every note individually sampled. It is only on the SRX-12 and not in any GM set. Where have you been the last couple of years?

I did a careful side by side headphone comparison with the S90-ES and the RD-700GX. The action and the pianos on the RD-700GX blew away the S90-ES. The S90ES piano sounded and felt like old digital technology (single samples transposed across groups of keys). The RD-700GX newly improved "Superior Grand" sounds and behaves more like a real piano, every note was individually sampled. The ivory key feel of the RD-700GX alone made it superior to the S90ES with its slick plastic keys. Plugging a Roland SRX-12 Rhodes card into a RD-700GX will trump the Rhodes in any Yamaha, Nord, Kurzweil, or anything else in hardware.

BTW, S90ES has no longer the best piano sound for me anyway. New PCX3 it's the one, but again the action... Why can't be the one instrument with great action, great piano and great rhodes ?

I'll end up probably replacing S90ES with GX just for the action for which I care a lot. It should make good combo with my motif XS6 (which has great piano and EPs)

Interesting... I haven't really been into Roland since 1990s.. so I'm catching up here... I tried the 700SX out in 2005/06 or something and thought it was horrible... but it must have been setup wrong in the shop...

I take it you mean the PC3X, not PCX3. The PC3X piano samples are the PC2X piano samples. I sold played a PC2X for about two years then sold it 5 years ago. Then I played a P250 for two years, then a Kawai, and then with relief switched to Roland digital pianos. The "Superior Grand" has been the biggest advance since I began playing digital pianos 20 years ago, I started with Kurzweil's and Roland's first models.

as for the action I agree, probably the best on the market today.

I go even another step further and say that the "Superior Grand" in the RD-700GX is the best piano sound in hardware today. And that the Rhodes in the add on SRX-12 Expansion Board is the best Rhodes simulation in hardware.

The Rhodes in the Roland SRX-12 Expansion Board is the best Rhodes simulation in hardware.

Some nice contributions in this thread. As tempting as it is to get a PC3X or 700GX, I'm holding off on any major DP purchase/upgrade until those new samples become available for the Nord Stage.

Hey D,

I'd hold off on that purchase. The S90XS may be right around the corner.