Grand piano sound in s100 vs s360

[Talen256]

I'm new to playing piano and I have been playing on a CDP-s100 for the last 2 years. I really enjoy this piano but I recently decided to take advantage of a sale price and picked up a CDP-s360 so I could play around with some of the additional sounds. I expected the 2 units to feel and sound nearly identical. The keys certainly feel the same, but the piano sounds in the s360 don't seem to be nearly as good as the s100. To my ears, the s100 sounds like a proper digital sample (ie a 'real piano') whereas the s360 sounds like a computer trying to sound like a piano, if that makes any sense. Has anyone else compared the two back-to-back and experienced the same thing? Or maybe I've just gotten emotionally attached to my s100 and am hearing things. Basically, I'm wondering if I keep the s360, will I start to appreciate and enjoy its sound more? I have 30 days to return it, so I've got a bit of time to decide. 

[Brad Saucier]

They are different.  It's not just you.  The 100 has a piano tone which is more like the (Hamburg) concert grand tones found in most Privia and Celviano models.  The 360 has a piano tone more like the Stage Piano tone found in CTX, CTS and some Privia models.  Each type of tone has a unique character.  You'll find people who prefer one over the other, or people who like both.  I personally like both because they each work well for different purposes.  One is more mellow, less dynamic and blends in easily.  The other has more power, more dynamic and can cut through a mix or noisy room.  Hope this helps you make a decision.  

[Mike Martin]

To clarify, they're both using recordings of the same instrument. The CDP-S360 actually has a LOT more memory and additional velocity layers dedicated towards the piano sound over the CDP-S100. I suggest you might experiment with some of the other tone variations, as the default "Stage Piano" tone is a bright version.