Both sound amazing. I think the Steinway sounds like that beautiful classic sound we have all heard from the past. The Baldwin however for my money would be the one coming home with me. I can't get over the superior richness that piano has. Very balanced and full! Thank you Robert!!
A biased Baldwin owner here, but a Baldwin owner for a reason. Well-maintained Steinways are wonderful, but can be a bit on the bright side to my ears and perhaps that's why many prefer them. I like the warmer, richer and fuller Baldwin sound overall. Voicing matters of course no matter the piano.
I actually like the sound of the Baldwin. The sound just sounds more richer especially the bass notes but the Stienway's higher pitch notes have more punch and nuance to them.
This particular Baldwin sounds better than this particular Steinway, but each individual unit is unique. That’s part of what’s so fascinating and beautiful about pianos. To me, this particular 1967 Baldwin SF-10 is one of the best sounding pianos on this entire channel.
You saved the better (more sentimental) bit from the Chopin piece for the Baldwin! 😅❤ I agree with the sentiments of others…Baldwin pianos are GREAT pianos!
Baldwin felt more deeper and grand like a Halloween type of low note. Steinway felt more classical, more eccentric, like I am at a wedding. Cited source: I listened to this on Corsair VOID PRO wireless headphones.
Baldwin is my favorite of the two. Being a Baldwin owner, I'm biased. However, listening to Baldwin artists, such as Marian McPartland and Dave Brubeck, even Karl Haas years ago, there is a distinctive warm, clear tone in the American Baldwin's. I, too, remember going to the Symphony and wondering if a Baldwin or Steinway would be played. I really miss those days.
I prefer the Baldwin in this listening test. It has more internal harmonics coming through that make for what we hear to be a fuller sound. The Steinway is known for its bell-like tone, and I believe this example well demonstrates that quality. There are certainly pieces that would favor one over the other and you would have opposite results.
As I said on another recent post, my opinions on the Baldwin are not so much in the sound... though full and rich, but in terms of its play-ability. Steinway pianos had a very full sound but required more effort. Yamaha pianos were quick, nimble.. like handling a scalpel but the sound they produced sometimes seemed hollow and when you really tried to make them sing it seemed like you were over driving them. The Baldwin pianos seemed a great middle ground. From the perspective of the performer, the action was much lighter. For fast pieces like rock or jazz, this is a GREAT middle ground. To see how far this goes, however, one should play a Bosendorfer. The slightest touch fills the room. Lightning fast but with the full rich sound one gets from nearly half again the effort on a Steinway. So from a purely performance standpoint, Baldwin would be my go to piano. It's just a joy to play.
@@michaelw6554 That's an interesting way to put it. But man.. what an action. But to your point.. it's kind of like being in the best handling car in the world... powered by an inline 4. It's nearly there... but lacking in substance. Ever played a Bosendorfer? Holy crap. I wish I could afford one.
Hmmm… Either one would be well worth owning, but, it seems that the overwhelming preference is for the Baldwin. And, it well may be deserved… especially considering the number of artists who played Baldwins from Dave Brubeck to Leonard Bernstein.
They both sound great, and the excerpt you chose certainly brings that out. I'm breaking in new headphones, but I think their frequency response is good enough to hear nuances. Having said that, the two pianos sounded remarkably alike to me. I think I'd be hard pressed to identify them by brand name in a blind "Brand X/Brand Y" comparison. I miss the days when pianists didn't automatically brand identify with Steinway over other brands.
Eh? They sound very different to me. But I grew up with a Baldwin and then would be shocked when I went to everyone else’s house with a piano and hear it ping.
I've watched a number of comparison videos such as this, many of them between Steinway and Yamaha. As you know, there are so many variables that go into creating the sound coming from an individual piano - the stringing scale, strike point, soundboard, front and back duplexing, and condition of the felts to name but a few. I'm not sure that placement of the mics accomplished all that was intended. I don't find the sound of either instrument particularly flattering, and I'm still hearing acoustic affects from different positions and orientation in the room. Both instruments would sound better if given a bit of space to allow the sound to blend. Given the closeness of the mics to the strings, I'm hearing more ringing from the Steinway duplexing. Overall the Baldwin is producing a more mellow -- or "less ringing" -- tone. So my candid response is that, as the two instruments are prepared and recorded, the Steinway is producing an overall brighter sound than the Baldwin, which to me is more of an indication of the condition of the hammer felts and duplexing than anything else. And both are subject to the subjective preferences of each listener. Either instrument could be set up differently to sound more like the other. So -- as in so many piano comparisons -- there's no solid basis to say one "is better than" the other. One can only identify the differences between the instruments as they are currently set up and state their preferences. Interesting comparison though - thanks for sharing it. Tiffany Poon has a couple of videos in which she is choosing among several instruments for upcoming performances, and it's interesting to hear the instruments and her comments regarding the differences, and see if you can hear the same differences as well. Perhaps the most interesting -- informative -- thing is that all the instruments being compared are the same model Steinway, so it's interesting to hear how subtly different each instrument is even from the same manufacturer and factory (there are notable differences between Steinway builds from different manufacturing sites as well as time periods).
While I am sure you are a proponent of all Baldwin pianos, and the newer ones are still great even though being made overseas, would you say the older ones made in the US have a distinctly different sound that a newer one post Gibson?
The Baldwin seems to have a more full, balanced sound, much warmer than the Steinway. I've come to change my opinion on the early Baldwins. I'd be interested in knowing what the value difference between the two and why. Everything I read about Steinways suggests a superior manufacturing quality, but I don't know if that is just for today. Many people in the business seem to have a lot of respect for the early or earlier Baldwins.
Depending upon the era of production, Steinway or Baldwin may be the superior build quality. It mostly comes down to the specific piano and its history. Although the new price of these pianos was about the same, in the used market, Steinways often sell for twice as much as Baldwins!
No comparison. Hands down, Baldwin all the way. And if that were a little newer Baldwin, say 1971 - 1977 with the Accu Just hitch pins, it would even sound better. And my opinion is, that the 1974 and 1975 Baldwin's were superior to the other years. I don't know exactly why, but the factory turned out some amazing grands (all artist models) those two years.
The Baldwin, hands down. I've had an couple of opportunities in my life to play Steinways and I have detested them every time. There's something about the tinniness that irritates me. The Baldwin here has a much fuller, more balanced sound.
Pianos are not in same position relative to mic or room... not to mention they are voicing in the opposite directions ;) plus this is youtube lol. (also there's another piano sympathetically resonating to the Baldwin ) Still thinks for the vid! Great playing and great instruments. I'll take the model B regardless...
If you read the recording notes, both pianos were recorded exactly the same way with identical microphones inside the pianos in the same positions in both pianos. So room acoustics have little to do with the recording since the microphones were so close to the sources of sound. Only the microphone in the particular piano being played was active at any one time.
What's the difference in construction? Where do they get their strings from? What kind of wood is used? What about the weight? How long does it take to make? etc etc etc .
I feel like I never like the Steinway in these types of comparisons. Something about their sound just doesn't do it for me. The Baldwin in this case sounds clearly superior.
The Baldwin sounded a little deeper and full, but mikes maybe not matched. Love that Baldwin richness though and may in future will have a choice to make.
The Steinway listens to me have more room for dynamic and control. And in turn, it gives you more freedom to say or sing. Steinway is also projected but not punching.
The Steinway has that typical "Twang" sound that I always hear as they start to get older. I think this is the reason so many Steinway's have their soundboards replaced. That Baldwin is a Tank. Love that strong percussion sound throughout the range. I always preferred Baldwins and Mason & Hamlin over Steinway. It’s hard to believe what happened to Baldwin. Sad. Great video!
If compare length of sound ,so: Steinway have enigmatic ,aristocratic sound .Baldwin -more uncomplicated sound . Baldwin-‘’kinsman ‘’of Bechstein (if compare Baldwin with Bechstein),but sound of Steinway -unique,and no have ‘’kinsman s’’
I'm not a fan of Baldwin, because the concert grands I've played in the past didn't have a singing rounded tone specially in the treble. However, this Baldwin is beautiful. Hands down better than the Steinway. I used to prefer nothing but Steinways until I played the other European brands which had a more appealing clarity and roundness to me. The Steinway struggled to even squeak out a note in 1:13, the range which has always bother me about Steinway starting one octave middle C. That and a muddy bass.
Honestly anyone would be lucky to have either one but I would say I prefer the Steinway a bit more. Feels like splitting hairs though like what’s the difference between a 64th note and a grace note lol. (Yes I know the 64th note actually has a musical value where a grace note does not)
From my ears, the Baldwin sounds better. Steinway, in my opinion is highly overrated. Yes, the old Steinways were better the old cases. I chose a fazioli 278 over a Steinway since then I have moved on to a bosendorfer 280 vc and I love that piano. I will tell you if you try any Steinway, they all sound different when I was trying Steinway D they sounded crappy compared to even my Fazioli when I had it. Right out of the box fazioli and bosendorfer does not need a lot of work they sound great. I had a Steinway B for many years that sounded terrific. Of course I had to rework the soundboard and do many technical things to it to make it prepared properly.
The Baldwin had the richer sound to my ears.However, the mike placement and the acoustics of an iPhone make it hard to tell. I’m not sure this is a fair comparison.
The audio on this video was produced using 3 microphones: - Rode Go 2 Wireless Lavalier Microphone for my speaking - (2) Audix SCX25APS Piano Microphone System Mics - one inside each piano in exactly the same position in both pianos Only one microphone was active at any given time in the video to provide an accurate representation of the pianos.
You didn’t mention that whoever ran Baldwin in later years made 2 lines of pianos, the good expensive ones and the cheap for parents ones and the cheap ones aren’t good. And ruined their reputation
Brandwise Steinway. Soundwise Baldwin. I don't know if the mic was farther away from the Steinway because it sounded a lot softer eddit ok just read the discription it's just the Steinway🎹🎶
this is a good example of what im referring to in my other comment, these are extremely superb pianos with excellent sustain and great body, yet, they do not have that that elusive and specific style of voicing that I referenced in my other comment, not saying these are bad in any way as they are litterly some of the pianos ever made , but they are seemingly just a different color of voice. . i am really eager to hear from your thoughts on the and extremely uniquie sound of Tigran Hamasians pianos . for others, who may be reading this, who are curious is the particular voicing i am referring to : here is a video that demonstrates it. ua-cam.com/video/PSgPYBn4yyE/v-deo.html
The Baldwin has such beautiful overtones and resonates so nice.
Both sound amazing. I think the Steinway sounds like that beautiful classic sound we have all heard from the past. The Baldwin however for my money would be the one coming home with me.
I can't get over the superior richness that piano has. Very balanced and full! Thank you Robert!!
Hands down, I love the sound of the Baldwin.
A biased Baldwin owner here, but a Baldwin owner for a reason. Well-maintained Steinways are wonderful, but can be a bit on the bright side to my ears and perhaps that's why many prefer them. I like the warmer, richer and fuller Baldwin sound overall. Voicing matters of course no matter the piano.
I actually like the sound of the Baldwin. The sound just sounds more richer especially the bass notes but the Stienway's higher pitch notes have more punch and nuance to them.
This particular Baldwin sounds better than this particular Steinway, but each individual unit is unique. That’s part of what’s so fascinating and beautiful about pianos. To me, this particular 1967 Baldwin SF-10 is one of the best sounding pianos on this entire channel.
You saved the better (more sentimental) bit from the Chopin piece for the Baldwin! 😅❤
I agree with the sentiments of others…Baldwin pianos are GREAT pianos!
Baldwin felt more deeper and grand like a Halloween type of low note. Steinway felt more classical, more eccentric, like I am at a wedding. Cited source: I listened to this on Corsair VOID PRO wireless headphones.
Steinway is mellower and tinnier. The Baldwin is brighter and cleaner without sounding harsh and also has more sustain.
I like the sound of the Baldwin the best.
I own a Baldwin piano and it is the best instrument i could ever wish for
Baldwin is my favorite of the two. Being a Baldwin owner, I'm biased. However, listening to Baldwin artists, such as Marian McPartland and Dave Brubeck, even Karl Haas years ago, there is a distinctive warm, clear tone in the American Baldwin's. I, too, remember going to the Symphony and wondering if a Baldwin or Steinway would be played. I really miss those days.
I prefer the Baldwin in this listening test. It has more internal harmonics coming through that make for what we hear to be a fuller sound. The Steinway is known for its bell-like tone, and I believe this example well demonstrates that quality. There are certainly pieces that would favor one over the other and you would have opposite results.
Off topic but congrats on the 360-degree camera setup! It doesn't look like a fish-eye lens and it's like the cameraman is doing an excellent job!
As I said on another recent post, my opinions on the Baldwin are not so much in the sound... though full and rich, but in terms of its play-ability.
Steinway pianos had a very full sound but required more effort. Yamaha pianos were quick, nimble.. like handling a scalpel but the sound they produced sometimes seemed hollow and when you really tried to make them sing it seemed like you were over driving them.
The Baldwin pianos seemed a great middle ground.
From the perspective of the performer, the action was much lighter. For fast pieces like rock or jazz, this is a GREAT middle ground.
To see how far this goes, however, one should play a Bosendorfer. The slightest touch fills the room. Lightning fast but with the full rich sound one gets from nearly half again the effort on a Steinway.
So from a purely performance standpoint, Baldwin would be my go to piano. It's just a joy to play.
Baldwins were such great pianos! They struck a balance between the thick, warm American sound, and the clear, focused European sound.
Yamahas have a certain "banjo" quality to them for my ears.
@@michaelw6554 That's an interesting way to put it. But man.. what an action.
But to your point.. it's kind of like being in the best handling car in the world... powered by an inline 4.
It's nearly there... but lacking in substance.
Ever played a Bosendorfer?
Holy crap. I wish I could afford one.
Hmmm… Either one would be well worth owning, but, it seems that the overwhelming preference is for the Baldwin. And, it well may be deserved… especially considering the number of artists who played Baldwins from Dave Brubeck to Leonard Bernstein.
I too like the Baldwin piano better. Although I’m a Baldwin piano owner and some bias. And I definitely like how much easier they are to play.
The Baldwin as well, but as a Baldwin grand owner guess I’m biased!
😮. You play them both well.
In fact very well
They both sound great, and the excerpt you chose certainly brings that out. I'm breaking in new headphones, but I think their frequency response is good enough to hear nuances. Having said that, the two pianos sounded remarkably alike to me. I think I'd be hard pressed to identify them by brand name in a blind "Brand X/Brand Y" comparison. I miss the days when pianists didn't automatically brand identify with Steinway over other brands.
Eh? They sound very different to me. But I grew up with a Baldwin and then would be shocked when I went to everyone else’s house with a piano and hear it ping.
Baldwin wins it for me. The clarity of each note is unmatched and the passage does not get “muddled” in the middle register.
baldwin sounds so much richer 🤗 what a great piano!
Yes, the Baldwin has the more rounded full sound you expect from a grand piano.
I've watched a number of comparison videos such as this, many of them between Steinway and Yamaha. As you know, there are so many variables that go into creating the sound coming from an individual piano - the stringing scale, strike point, soundboard, front and back duplexing, and condition of the felts to name but a few. I'm not sure that placement of the mics accomplished all that was intended. I don't find the sound of either instrument particularly flattering, and I'm still hearing acoustic affects from different positions and orientation in the room. Both instruments would sound better if given a bit of space to allow the sound to blend. Given the closeness of the mics to the strings, I'm hearing more ringing from the Steinway duplexing. Overall the Baldwin is producing a more mellow -- or "less ringing" -- tone.
So my candid response is that, as the two instruments are prepared and recorded, the Steinway is producing an overall brighter sound than the Baldwin, which to me is more of an indication of the condition of the hammer felts and duplexing than anything else. And both are subject to the subjective preferences of each listener. Either instrument could be set up differently to sound more like the other. So -- as in so many piano comparisons -- there's no solid basis to say one "is better than" the other. One can only identify the differences between the instruments as they are currently set up and state their preferences. Interesting comparison though - thanks for sharing it.
Tiffany Poon has a couple of videos in which she is choosing among several instruments for upcoming performances, and it's interesting to hear the instruments and her comments regarding the differences, and see if you can hear the same differences as well. Perhaps the most interesting -- informative -- thing is that all the instruments being compared are the same model Steinway, so it's interesting to hear how subtly different each instrument is even from the same manufacturer and factory (there are notable differences between Steinway builds from different manufacturing sites as well as time periods).
There's no contest at all, imo.. Hands down, it's the Baldwin as the winner!! The sound is much better!!
While I am sure you are a proponent of all Baldwin pianos, and the newer ones are still great even though being made overseas, would you say the older ones made in the US have a distinctly different sound that a newer one post Gibson?
The Baldwin seems to have a more full, balanced sound, much warmer than the Steinway. I've come to change my opinion on the early Baldwins. I'd be interested in knowing what the value difference between the two and why. Everything I read about Steinways suggests a superior manufacturing quality, but I don't know if that is just for today. Many people in the business seem to have a lot of respect for the early or earlier Baldwins.
Depending upon the era of production, Steinway or Baldwin may be the superior build quality. It mostly comes down to the specific piano and its history. Although the new price of these pianos was about the same, in the used market, Steinways often sell for twice as much as Baldwins!
John Boyle
They both sound very good but to my ears the Baldwin had somewhat more clarity and would be my choice.
No comparison. Hands down, Baldwin all the way. And if that were a little newer Baldwin, say 1971 - 1977 with the Accu Just hitch pins, it would even sound better. And my opinion is, that the 1974 and 1975 Baldwin's were superior to the other years. I don't know exactly why, but the factory turned out some amazing grands (all artist models) those two years.
I like the Baldwin with this excerpt.
Baldwin wins hands down. The tone can't be beat. Many say the German action found in quality Baldwin pianos is superior as well.
The Baldwin, hands down. I've had an couple of opportunities in my life to play Steinways and I have detested them every time. There's something about the tinniness that irritates me. The Baldwin here has a much fuller, more balanced sound.
Pianos are not in same position relative to mic or room... not to mention they are voicing in the opposite directions ;) plus this is youtube lol. (also there's another piano sympathetically resonating to the Baldwin ) Still thinks for the vid! Great playing and great instruments. I'll take the model B regardless...
If you read the recording notes, both pianos were recorded exactly the same way with identical microphones inside the pianos in the same positions in both pianos. So room acoustics have little to do with the recording since the microphones were so close to the sources of sound. Only the microphone in the particular piano being played was active at any one time.
What's the difference in construction? Where do they get their strings from? What kind of wood is used? What about the weight? How long does it take to make? etc etc etc .
I think I prefer the Baldwin. It's a fatter sound. Wish I lived upstairs and could listen to you practice all day long.
I feel like I never like the Steinway in these types of comparisons. Something about their sound just doesn't do it for me. The Baldwin in this case sounds clearly superior.
The Baldwin sounded a little deeper and full, but mikes maybe not matched. Love that Baldwin richness though and may in future will have a choice to make.
You can read the recording notes in the description. Both pianos were recorded exactly the same way.
The Steinway listens to me have more room for dynamic and control. And in turn, it gives you more freedom to say or sing. Steinway is also projected but not punching.
is it me, or is the Baldwin just a little warmer, and a little darker?
Baldwin bass notes is great
The Steinway has that typical "Twang" sound that I always hear as they start to get older. I think this is the reason so many Steinway's have their soundboards replaced. That Baldwin is a Tank. Love that strong percussion sound throughout the range. I always preferred Baldwins and Mason & Hamlin over Steinway. It’s hard to believe what happened to Baldwin. Sad. Great video!
Ha! My Yamaha Spinet must have a Steinway inside it because my Spinet twangs too! 😊😊
If compare length of sound ,so: Steinway have enigmatic ,aristocratic sound .Baldwin -more uncomplicated sound . Baldwin-‘’kinsman ‘’of Bechstein (if compare Baldwin with Bechstein),but sound of Steinway -unique,and no have ‘’kinsman s’’
One word, Baldwin!
I'm not a fan of Baldwin, because the concert grands I've played in the past didn't have a singing rounded tone specially in the treble. However, this Baldwin is beautiful. Hands down better than the Steinway. I used to prefer nothing but Steinways until I played the other European brands which had a more appealing clarity and roundness to me. The Steinway struggled to even squeak out a note in 1:13, the range which has always bother me about Steinway starting one octave middle C. That and a muddy bass.
I would take the Baldwin over the Steinway as it has such a rich warm sound.
Honestly anyone would be lucky to have either one but I would say I prefer the Steinway a bit more. Feels like splitting hairs though like what’s the difference between a 64th note and a grace note lol. (Yes I know the 64th note actually has a musical value where a grace note does not)
From my ears, the Baldwin sounds better. Steinway, in my opinion is highly overrated. Yes, the old Steinways were better the old cases. I chose a fazioli 278 over a Steinway since then I have moved on to a bosendorfer 280 vc and I love that piano. I will tell you if you try any Steinway, they all sound different when I was trying Steinway D they sounded crappy compared to even my Fazioli when I had it. Right out of the box fazioli and bosendorfer does not need a lot of work they sound great. I had a Steinway B for many years that sounded terrific. Of course I had to rework the soundboard and do many technical things to it to make it prepared properly.
The Baldwin had the richer sound to my ears.However, the mike placement and the acoustics of an iPhone make it hard to tell. I’m not sure this is a fair comparison.
Both pianos were recorded exactly the same way. You can listen on headphones to get a better idea of the sound,
I preferred the Baldwin. In fact I don't like Steinway. I prefer Bosendorfer and Kawai to Steinway.
Baldwin!
nice comparison, but where was the microphone relative to pianos? it shouldn't be any difference just because the Baldwin was closer
The audio on this video was produced using 3 microphones:
- Rode Go 2 Wireless Lavalier Microphone for my speaking
- (2) Audix SCX25APS Piano Microphone System Mics - one inside each piano in exactly the same position in both pianos
Only one microphone was active at any given time in the video to provide an accurate representation of the pianos.
In my opinion, I think that daldwin is better and sounds also better.
Definitely Baldwin.
Baldwin Always❤
You didn’t mention that whoever ran Baldwin in later years made 2 lines of pianos, the good expensive ones and the cheap for parents ones and the cheap ones aren’t good. And ruined their reputation
Man, that Baldwin certainly sounds like it has a touch of reverb added...🤔
Both pianos were recorded exactly the same way.
Brandwise Steinway. Soundwise Baldwin. I don't know if the mic was farther away from the Steinway because it sounded a lot softer eddit ok just read the discription it's just the Steinway🎹🎶
Baldwin! 🙏✌️
I prefer the Baldwin.
In the hands of a skilled musician such asyourself, a much cheaper piano could sound fantastic!
Baldwin is closer to the mike!
Please see the recording notes in the description of the video.
His name is Robert not Mike.
Even before this video I have preferred Baldwins over Steinways. Bechsteins are even better than Baldwins, I think. 🤣
Baldwin sounds better
this is a good example of what im referring to in my other comment, these are extremely superb pianos with excellent sustain and great body, yet, they do not have that that elusive and specific style of voicing that I referenced in my other comment, not saying these are bad in any way as they are litterly some of the pianos ever made , but they are seemingly just a different color of voice. . i am really eager to hear from your thoughts on the and extremely uniquie sound of Tigran Hamasians pianos . for others, who may be reading this, who are curious is the particular voicing i am referring to : here is a video that demonstrates it.
ua-cam.com/video/PSgPYBn4yyE/v-deo.html
I learned on a Steinway. Nothing can compare. Baldwin has a fat sound.
they sound both kind of meh
Baldwin!
Steinway wins hands down