Kurzweil MP10 Reviews

“I look forward to many years of happy playing”

After having a real problem with a Suzuki 275e digital piano, I began a search for a new piano.
I read the book 7 Things You Need To Know before buying a digital piano, from the ukpianos website .
I found the information very helpful. I tested several pianos using the information I received in
this booklet, and picked the Kurzweil MP10.

I found the sound of the MP10 was incredable. The touch was solid and the keys did not move side to side.
It also had some voices and rythems which was something I enjoy. Even the additional voices
seemed to be right on the mark. I have only had it a short time, but I enjoy every minute of it.

I found the piano gave me the options I wanted, at a price within my reach. I was fortunate however,
to have found this particular piano. It had been rented to a local church for 2 weeks while their
organ was being repaired. For this reason, it was sold as a used piano. The warranty was given to
me in full which covers a period of three years in home repair (parts and labor). Having been
rented out, dropped the price into my price range.

I look forward to many years of happy playing. I hope this review will be helpful to others.

Review by Sherry Collar, Gloversville, New York, USA

 

“The sound is natural and very brilliant”

The final decision was for the Kurzweil Mark-Pro 3i, based on the following considerations:

The final choice for me was between the YDP-161 and a Kurzweil in a similar price range (around equivalent £900), with as significant criteria sound and touch.

1. I first tried a few Yamahas, which were good overall. Then I tried the Kurzweil MP-10 and 2i (3i not available), and was very impressed with the sound, which is quite natural and very brilliant. The YDP-161 sounds a bit dull by comparison. I also tried the CLP-430 (equiv.£1200 after discount here), which is better than the 161 on all fronts (sound, touch and features) but I liked the sound of the Kurzweil much better.
2. the touch of the 161 is more robust and clean than of the 2i/3i. The “thud” sound of the key release of the 2i/3i and MP-10 is apparent when playing without sound.
3. the touch of both DP compared to a real piano is that the resistance feels more friction/spring based, where a real piano feels inertia based. This difference is more pronounced on the Kurzweil than on the Yamaha
4. The features on the Kurzweils in the same price range as the YDP-161 (which goes for equiv.£750 here in China) are much richer in terms of recording possibilities, data I/O and different sounds. The user interfaces of MP-10 and YDP-161 are not so clear, because they lack a dedicated control panel (i.e. LCD display and more-than-rudimentary selection buttons)
5. In China (Tianjin), Kurzweil is relatively good priced, because its headquarters is now based in Korea with manufacturing facilities in China. (Based on experience, this may impact the mechanical quality of the equipment though.)
6. For me, a digital piano still is a substitute to a real piano favoured mainly for practical reasons  under the current conditions. I.e., I am still planning to buy a real piano if me and my family can keep up with playing and move back to Europe. With this in mind, when the digital one is relegated to be the 2nd piano, extra non-piano features (data I/O, drums, recording etc.) for amateur studio use are a big plus.
7. Point (6) is one of the reasons to go for the 3i instead of the 2i, which is significantly cheaper here (online price equiv.£600 for 2i vs.£900 for the 3i). The other reason was the alleged slightly better keyboard (which I couldn’t try out though before buying). I have to say the difference is not very significant. The 3i feels slightly more robust, but that might have to do with it being new. I could even feel a noticeable difference between two 2i’s in the same shop!

The verdict after 1 night of trying the 3i: the sound is truly brilliant (even more so through a pair of Grado 60i headphones). The build quality leaves nothing to be desired. The touch is good (though not as good as the YDP-161 or CLP-430), though point (3) above remains a fact, probably for all DP which cannot afford a lot of mechanical parts. The number and accessibility of features (sounds, tempos etc.) is very good.

One word on the “inferior piano for kids” thing: For me, there is a very clear difference between “the real thing” and the other. (I tried a few acoustic pianos as I wrote before, which can have a huge sound difference. The depth and colour of the better acoustic sounds can in my experience never be matched by electronics.) A child develops its senses through interaction with the outside world, and therefore I believe it is of utmost importance to first start with as much natural impressions as possible, because it is the only way to develop senses fine enough to actually distinguish the quality of things. In that respect I must say I even feel a bit guilty to be buying a digital piano instead of a real one, but I have to consider practical aspects too (movability, playing at night (headphones), etc.). For this reason sound and touch are absolutely top-criteria in choosing, which really would leave the lowest price range out.

Review by Jeroen V, Tianjin, China

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107