Thomann DP-40 Review

Reviewed by Graham Howard on 16/08/2008.
For piano advice, send your email to grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk, or call 020 8367 2080.

First impressions

The key touch is too shallow. The piano has a strong sound, but the notes die away far too quickly.

Touch

Playing softly

It’s fairly easy to play softly, although sometimes, notes are missed due to the over-strong initial down stroke of the key. Note: When the volume is turned up high, playing softly is a little more tricky.

Score:  7 out of 10

Repetition

All keys react well. Not brilliant, but better than average.

Score:  7 out of 10

Touch sensitivity

Variations in volume are quite good. This piano has 4 levels of touch sensitivity: p (piano), mp (mezzo piano), mf (mezzo forte) and f (forte). Lacks power when keys are struck hard.

Score:  6.5 out of 10

Key weight

On the light side. Overall quite good.

Score:  7 out of 10

Touch response

Three options of touch response are offered: light, medium, heavy. The default is set to medium and is the most realistic setting by far. The light and heavy settings feel completely unnatural.

Score:  3 out of 10

Progressive Hammer Action

Doesn’t have a progressive hammer action. The keys in the bass are the same weight as the keys in the treble. It is an advantage to have this feature. Shame this piano does not offer it.

Score:  0 out of 10

Key noise

The key noise (action) is quite low on this piano. It is not noticeable until the volume knob is turned down to around 1/4.

Score:  7 out of 10

Authenticity of touch

Feels similar to an upright piano. Difficult to play softly when the volume is set to above ½ way.

Score:  7 out of 10

Sound

Sound Quality

Pleasant sound that is a little on the bright side. The top two octaves sound more like bells than a piano. The bass has a false sound.

Score:  5.5 out of 10

Power/Volume

The volume range is large. A very powerful piano.

Score:  8 out of 10

Sound Decay

This is the most disappointing bit about the piano. The sound dies away far too quickly. This is with our without the sustain pedal depressed. The harmonics disappear almost instantly, which takes away the depth of tone. The result is a lifeless sound.

Score:  2 out of 10

Tuning

The middle section (which is the most important) sounds OK. The top two octaves are flat.

Score:  5 out of 10

Playing With Headphones

No sound improvement was noticed when playing with headphones.

Score:  3 out of 10

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Features

Record

Easy to use. Has 2 track recording capability.

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Build Quality

The backboard is flimsy, otherwise, overall it’s pretty good. All screw holes are pre-drilled.

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Assembly

Easy to put together. Not many screws. Simple assembly job.

Assembly time: 30 to 45 minutes.

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Looks/Design/Style

Looks a bit tacky, dull and old fashioned.

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Packaging

Extremely well packed. Thick cardboard box. Plenty of polystyrene, bubble wrap and other packaging to secure the piano whilst in transit. Handles on both ends of the box. Moving parts such as pedals and keys are doubly protected. There is very little chance of the piano being damaged during delivery.

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Owner’s Manual

Clearly laid out in English and in German.

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Annoying Things

Sound dies away far too quickly. Not B near the top of the piano hardly works. The display panel lights that show you which features are on are hard to see unless you are looking directly over them.

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Piano Grades

This piano will get you up to around grade 5

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Thomann DP-40 Score Sheet

Features:

Touch (in order of importance - scores out of 10)

Key weight: 7/10

Touch sensitivity: 6.5/10

Key control: 6.5/10

Repetition: 7/10

Key depth: 3.5/10

Graded hammer effect: 0/10

Sound (in order of importance - scores out of 10)

Realistic/authentic:

Bass: 5/10
Middle: 6/10
Treble: 3/10
Top: 2/10

Key noise: 7/10

Sound decay: 2/10

Interval tuning: 5/10

Octave tuning: 5/10

With headphones plugged in:3/10

Pedals

Effectiveness of soft, sostenuto and sustain: 8/10

Cabinet (scores out of 10)

Style/shape: 4/10

Wood grain or finish: 3/10

Music desk: Too small, could be longer and taller also. 3/10

Dimensions: Length 139cm ( 54.5 inches), Depth 53cm (21 inches), Height 84cm ( 33 inches)

Weight: 62kg

Portability: You need to undo 4 bolts and unplug a few cables. 3.5/10

Strength of structure: Strong if the piano is left in one place. Best not to move it around too much. 3/10

Choice of colours: Dark rosewood only.

Ease of assembly: Fairly straightforward. 6/10

Build quality: 4/10

Features

Key cover: Yes

Headphone socket(s): Yes x 2

Speakers: 2 underneath the keyboard and 2 on the control panel. Total of 50 watts.

Headphone hanger: No

Basic Functions

Record: Yes. 2 tracks. Easy to use.

CD, DVD, Floppy, Smart Media: No

Metronome: Yes

Polyphony: 32 note.

Reverb: No

Control Panel

How easy to use: Easy. 6/10

Instrumental voices

Most popular:

Electric piano: OK
Harpsichord: Not good
Vibes: Funny sound
Strings: Not good
Organ: Good

Demo songs: Yes x 19. Popular classical music.

Transpose: Yes

Ease and speed of assembling: 30-45 minutes. Easy to moderate.

Manual:

How easy to follow: Easy 6.5/10

How many languages offered: 2. English and German

Warranty: 3 years

Which grade it will take you to: Grade 5

Re-sale value: Sell within 3 years of purchase for around 35-40% of purchase price. 2/10.

Value for money: 6/10

Total score (out of 100): 35

Overall Comments

I quite liked the Thomann DP-40, it's nice to play. With its firm, crisp action, bright sound, and responsive keys, the DP-40 suits most types of music. The main problem I found was the sound decay. As soon as you strike the note, the upper harmonics die away; the sustain is terrible. This is a shame. The key touch is also quite shallow. If you're used to playing an upright piano this will feel a bit strange to you. Also the top two octaves are cringingly flat.

Reviewed by Graham Howard on 16/08/2008.
For piano advice, send your email to grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk, or call 020 8367 2080.

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