Yamaha AvantGrand advice please

[coolpianoman]

I am lucky enough to own a nearly new Steinway model B which makes even my moderate pianistic talents sound wonderful.  However I also have a relatively old Yamaha digital stage piano in my den which is ideal for scales and exercises and the painful sound of me working up new pieces so my long suffering wife can get some peace.

The digital is going to another home and I have an opportunity to buy a new one.  Yes before anyone points it out I am very aware that no digital piano can ever come near the sound and experience of playing an acoustic but it has to be digital as my den has lots of windows so is very hot in the summer and there is a wood burning stove in the winter so I would be forever  having an acoustic tuned and there is not the space for a grand in any case.

The Yamaha AvantGrand (probably the N3) seems the ideal solution as I can have a grand action which I am used to with the Steinway and certainly as good a sound and hopefully better as I get from my existing digital although I will clearly play one thoroughly before purchase! 

Anyone out there got one or got an opinion?

[pianist1976]

Hi! In my humble opinion, the Avantgrand, especially the N3, is the most realistic digital piano experience one can have today (taking apart the Roland V-Piano Grand as I still hadn't a chance to try one).

Anyway you may have into account that usually Steinway B pianos, specially if the are new, have a lighter action than Yamaha and that the N3 has no dampers so it feels a bit heavier than an acoustic grand. This doesn't bother me at all as I prefer to practice in a little heavier actions (just a little, I don't like unplayable pianos). On the same day at a store I could try and play an acoustic Yamaha C6, a Steinway D, a Kawai CA 95 with wooden action, a Roland HP 506 with full plastic keys (but imitating Ivory tops) and finally... an Avantgrand N3. None of them could replicate the feeling, touch, sound, etc. of the Steinway D (I think that was quite expected, LOL) nor the C6. But comparing only between the digitals, the only one that got close regarding touch feel was the N3. The second one, but at a far distance, was the CA 95. And in an honorable position, was placed the Roland, which has a very lightweight action  although comfortable to play and a quite expressive sound engine. Its lightness was closer to the Steinway D's. But the N3, with its real modified wooden grand action, won in terms of realism. If I could afford one, that's the one I would chose (or the N1 if I'd had a limited space).

[coolpianoman]

Thank you very much for your comments. I have also been advised that the Yamaha is very bright compared to say a Steinway which I have noticed whenever I have played an acoustic Yamaha.  However, I quite like that for the play rock music I occasionally play although not so good for classical.