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My first impression of the Casio Celviano AP-700


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Ok, just got home after a long trip. AP-700 was delivered and assembled by sales staff. Just plunked a few notes since i can't play piano. In case you wonder this piano is a present to my aspiring son who just started taking lessons.

 

First impression is stellar. Sound quality in my living room (piano standing against a concrete wall) is top notch. Much better than the GP300 i tested in the shop, showing the importance of placement since the GP300 probably has a better sound system. But piano shops tend to just place their pianos in a matrix layout for maximum space efficiency.  

 

At roughly 2/3 volume this piano is LOUD. Six speakers and 2x30 Watts is just what is needed. I tried the AP-270 but wasn't too happy about the volume. This piano is CNY10800/USD1580 here in shanghai instead of CNY4895/USD720 for the AP-270. Almost double the money  but then I want to state that in my opinion it is double the piano. Seriously. Anyone asking about the sound system - it's all you need and some more.

 

Keys strangely feel much better than on lesser Casios, probably imagination, but there feels to be more of a pivot when you press the keys down. Kawai CA48 has a wooden action but this one feels equally good to my untrained fingers. Key tops feel better than on the AP-270 even though the material is supposed to be the same synthetic ivory. No noise from the action as far as I can tell.

 

Samples are top class. Before my purchase, I listened to A LOT of pianos, also in higher price ranges (Casio GP300, Kawai CA48, Roland HP603, HP605, FP90), and these three grand pianos samples in the AP-700 are great. Strict, taut with a beautiful long decay, just like I like a piano. In case you wonder, i strongly dislike mellow pianos, i prefer a firmer sound. Not necessarily rock piano but i really don't like some low end pianos that sound as if the designers tried to cover up bad quality by applying a low pass filter.

 

Unfortunately there are relatively few videos on YT and some of them are not well recorded. This thing sounds great in real life. Also very clear resonance and reverb effects. Only drawback is that even with original Casio bench adjusted to lowest height, my modest 196 centimeters don't really fit well under the keybed so I have to angle my feet to reach the pedals. Adjustable feet would be welcome. I will probably cure this by building a frame for the piano. People of smaller frame than me will not have any issues.

 

Lastly, the impressiveness of the instrument. This piano will make anyone proud as it stands in your room, unless perhaps if You are of aristocratic descent. The whole thing looks very classy, formal, but not boring as there are still plenty of lines and curves in the styling to enjoy.

 

 I understand that this piano costs a lot of money and that the price in the U.S.A. can be even higher according so some reviews, but if you have the money you will not be disappointed.

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