Sauter Alpha 160 vs Bechstein Academy A.175

[kachunknorge]

Hi,
I'm looking to purchase a grand piano & have been trying out various grands for the past 5 months. I've narrowed down my choice to either one of these two.

Price-wise, they're about the same from the 2 dealers. When I played on the Bechstein Academy grand, it felt as if I was able to pull a "larger" grand sound quality compared to the Sauter, probably by virtue of its slightly longer size. I played the A.175 and a fully restored 1941 Steinway model S (with new Renner action parts) side-by-side & prefered the A.175. The Bechstein dealer has offered to fly me to Berlin to choose an instrument that is able to provide me with the action I'm feeling for.

The Sauter Alpha 160's bass register didn't sound as full as the A.175 though it was a good rich tone, and I prefered the action of the Sauter. Perhaps it's the showroom (size & grand placement) that affected what I was hearing (?). This dealer is suggesting that I consider Sauter's 185, but I'm afraid it will be too large for my room. Even the A.175 is a stretch, which is why I've been looking at 160-sized grands. I tried Petrof Bora 159 next to the Sauter and surprisingly prefer its bass compared to the Sauter, but the higher registers didn't quite yell my name. This dealer also suggested flying to Sauter in Germany to pick an instrument.

I would appreciate any insights anyone can share with me.

Thank you.