CLP 800 series

kotlos

Since in the other forum heavy moderation makes any interaction there quite hard, lets start one discussion on the new clp line here.

Here is a sum up with improvements from the 700 series:

New speaker system with optimized placement, orientation, and volume balance of the speakers for low, mid, and high frequencies, based on how sounds radiate from a grand piano. Additionally, they used diffusers, waveguides, and Bidirectional Horns to reflect sound off walls, enhancing reverberation.
New GrandTouchTM and GrandTouch-STM keyboards, alongside GrandTouchTM pedals. Other than the improved sensors the GrandTouch-S are even more responsive due to adjustments in hammer weights.
New tone generator chip for Virtual Resonance Modeling
Improvements of spatial sound with Grand Acoustic Imaging
Improvements on Grand Expression Modeling with more varied and textured musical expressions

Videos:

https://www.maene.be/media/akeneo_connector/media_files/Y/a/Yamaha_Clavinova_CLP_800_series___Product_folder_ENG_1c1f.pdf

kotlos

All in all, I personally find these enough to call it an upgrade. For me the sound without headphones was the major limitation of the 700 series so an improvement on that end is good (especially on lower end models). Also the GrandTouch-S might be more usable now. The weight of 875 keys might still be on the very heavy side though...

I would appreciate a soundboard as the CA901 but it remains to be heard how the new system compares. I will wait for some more reviews before I commit to any of these, but since the quality control of the Kawai CA line is problematic, the CLP800 Yamaha series is for me the way forward.

navindra

kotlos Out of curiosity, what would you be upgrading from?

If the prices between the CA901 and the CLP885 are comparable, it could be a tough choice!

kotlos

Well it won't be really an upgrade as we don't have a similar digital piano. We have a harpsichord and my wife wanted to get a piano as well but to tell you the truth, the ability to wear headphones or turn the volume down are almost necessities when our children would like to learn to play or my wife wants to play after hours.

I want something that has a deal very close to the acoustic as well as produce a somewhat immersive experience. I tried the clp 745 but wasn't impressed by the sound.

The CA901 would be a great choice (about 600 less than the 885) but the quality control seems quite problematic with often reported clicking keys and there is no local person for easy repairs. So I am heavily leaning towards the 875/885.