Exactly the word I thought when hearing the first 5 notes. Warm. Like a blanket. I'll be looking to upgrade from my Kawai CA-99 and it will almost certainly be a GX-2 ATX. The warmness fits my preference and the smaller GL series have to small a harp to consider for anyone really, perhaps (big perhaps) with the exklusion of GL-40 & 50. ATX=soundless option, ie can play with headphones.
They're brighter in some ways. The thing is a Yamaha grand is a different piano experience altogether and more like a Bosendorfer in some ways in that it plays on levels and is more about articulation. The depth comes in when playing the bass to baritone to tenor to alto to mezzo treble to treble to upper treble so you get a lot of the same tinged notes but just going higher up. So playing with the different ranges and levels creates its intensity and depth rather than the sonority of its strings. I think the big difference is separation vs. blending and saturation. But the Yamaha has a lot of clear voices and especially when you get to the bass, since it has less body it has great clarity. I think people get too hung up on "bright" vs. "warm" where there are aspects of brightness to darkness, which I think are direct contrast. So what I mean by Kawais are brighter is listening to the treble in most Kawais there is a bit more sparkle and bell rather than just being high notes yet Yamahas offer less bass in the tenor/baritone region so that makes them "brighter." But the lower bass is very deep especially 7 foott plus. But there may even be more brightness in the alto and lower treble as well. Kawai is more of a somewhat-Steinway like blending instrument but even deeper in its bass and that deepness starts earlier down in the tenor. It is a fairly full bodied tone as well. The mallets are soft as well, or moderately soft and the piano is good at shifting from a mellowish sound to a brightening up sound but it's not so intense as a Steinway or Yamaha. The Yamaha has a lot of softness and expression in its soft dynamics that I think is not explored enough by people demonstrating them (except thepianoforever channel) and even on this channel, underplayed. The mid dynamics to loud don't offer the same contrast as Kawai however you can go beyond loud to some sort of other twang and after ring at least in the CX, SX and CF series. For me, the Yamaha is a somewhat unconventional sounding piano in some respects, but those series vs. the GC or U or older C or S or CF pianos. I don't think the Yamaha is the most thunderous piano due to its clarity and separation and modest saturation. But its articulation makes it great for articulated music If there is a weakness in Kawai, they are somewhat muffled compared to others. For Yamaha, somewhat thin in texture so they aren't as big a piano sound as other makes. So they're both great but quite different instruments by Japanese makers.
I would have loved to hear more about the ATX4 and the new stop rail that makes it possible for to regulated the action just like a normal non-silent piano ☺️
when did the gx 2 appear in the market?
Not the best recording, but I love the warm sound of these Kawai baby grand pianos. Not as bright as in the Yamaha baby grands. Greater depth.
Exactly the word I thought when hearing the first 5 notes. Warm. Like a blanket.
I'll be looking to upgrade from my Kawai CA-99 and it will almost certainly be a GX-2 ATX. The warmness fits my preference and the smaller GL series have to small a harp to consider for anyone really, perhaps (big perhaps) with the exklusion of GL-40 & 50.
ATX=soundless option, ie can play with headphones.
Not sure I'd describe a 5'11 piano as a baby grand...
They're brighter in some ways. The thing is a Yamaha grand is a different piano experience altogether and more like a Bosendorfer in some ways in that it plays on levels and is more about articulation. The depth comes in when playing the bass to baritone to tenor to alto to mezzo treble to treble to upper treble so you get a lot of the same tinged notes but just going higher up. So playing with the different ranges and levels creates its intensity and depth rather than the sonority of its strings. I think the big difference is separation vs. blending and saturation. But the Yamaha has a lot of clear voices and especially when you get to the bass, since it has less body it has great clarity.
I think people get too hung up on "bright" vs. "warm" where there are aspects of brightness to darkness, which I think are direct contrast.
So what I mean by Kawais are brighter is listening to the treble in most Kawais there is a bit more sparkle and bell rather than just being high notes yet Yamahas offer less bass in the tenor/baritone region so that makes them "brighter." But the lower bass is very deep especially 7 foott plus. But there may even be more brightness in the alto and lower treble as well.
Kawai is more of a somewhat-Steinway like blending instrument but even deeper in its bass and that deepness starts earlier down in the tenor. It is a fairly full bodied tone as well. The mallets are soft as well, or moderately soft and the piano is good at shifting from a mellowish sound to a brightening up sound but it's not so intense as a Steinway or Yamaha.
The Yamaha has a lot of softness and expression in its soft dynamics that I think is not explored enough by people demonstrating them (except thepianoforever channel) and even on this channel, underplayed. The mid dynamics to loud don't offer the same contrast as Kawai however you can go beyond loud to some sort of other twang and after ring at least in the CX, SX and CF series. For me, the Yamaha is a somewhat unconventional sounding piano in some respects, but those series vs. the GC or U or older C or S or CF pianos. I don't think the Yamaha is the most thunderous piano due to its clarity and separation and modest saturation. But its articulation makes it great for articulated music
If there is a weakness in Kawai, they are somewhat muffled compared to others. For Yamaha, somewhat thin in texture so they aren't as big a piano sound as other makes.
So they're both great but quite different instruments by Japanese makers.
I would have loved to hear more about the ATX4 and the new stop rail that makes it possible for to regulated the action just like a normal non-silent piano ☺️