Test pianos Steinway Forster Pfeiffer Fazioli Grotrian Bluthner Bechstein Bosendorfer Steingraeber

[@timelwell7002]

As a piano tuner/technician myself, I am in broad agreement with Mr Hinsley, in that there are four main variables here. These are: 1. TUNING - each piano needs to be accurately tuned. 2. HAMMER VOICING - the hammers need to be voiced so as: (a) To bring out the subtleties of tone of each piano, and: (b) To suit the acoustics of the room in which the piano is situated. Voicing the hammers makes an ENORMOUS difference to the tone of any decent acoustic piano and this factor cannot be overstated. 3. The ACOUSTICS of the ROOM in which the piano is placed can also make an huge difference to the tone of any piano. 4. RECORDING QUALITY - not only do these pianos need to be placed in a room with good acoustic characteristics, they also need to be recorded by a highly skilled SOUND ENGINEER using top quality PROFESSIONAL EQUIPMENT. Therefore, in order to be able to make an informed comparison, all these pianos need to be VOICED (an expensive and highly skilled procedure) and TUNED by the same tuner/technician, and then placed in the SAME ROOM for recording, using the same microphones and the same sound engineer. This sort of thing needs to be done by professionals only, with no expense spared. Sadly, attempts by well meaning amateurs (such as this one) to make meaningful comparisons don't do any of the pianos justice, and falls somewhat short of the mark. I apologise if I cause offence to Pleyel204 - certainly none is intended, but I as both a pianist and as a piano tuner/technician, do have some some relevant expertise and experience in these matters. Brave attempt, though.

[@kreutzo1]

What a nice surprise was to hear the Steingraber's sound,so clear and pure.

[@Pleyel204]

It is even more impressive when you play them! Once I tried a Steingraeber I could not forget it...

[@Geopholus]

The Steingraebers were a surprise for me as well. I love the sonorous quality, and the very long tail. I've never had a chance to play one. Loved the Fazioli, and the Bosendorfer.

[@lionhijmans5431]

Oh, those Grotrians steal my heart! I have sought long time for comparisons like this. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@Pleyel204]

You're welcome

[@fr.jamesjohnson1567]

I know what you mean. The Grotrians have me too :)

[@Alix777.]

Pfeiffer sounds gorgeous

[@Pleyel204]

Yes I agree. I did like it very much. The only problem was that they are building them on order only. It seems that sometime they have reconditioned second hand grand. This could be a very good choice.

[@Pleyel204]

Yes I agree. I did like it very much. The only problem was that they are building them on order only. It seems that sometime they have reconditioned second hand grand. This could be a very good choice.

[@titob.yotokojr.9337]

From these pianos and if price is not a consideration, I would personally choose the FAZIOLI without a doubt.

[@kosmosyche]

That Fazioli does indeed sound amazing.

[@Pleyel204]

Yes it was one of my favourites especially among the grands larger than 2m.

[@flipode]

Steingraeber B192, sounds the best...profound tone and clarity...true German

[@Pleyel204]

I would not say "best" because there are many good grands and it depends on each person taste, but I agree with the "profound tone and clarity". These are the qualities I really like and are the reasons of my choice.

[@pantomimoistrionic05]

my fav is the bosendorfer because it's elegant, balanced and dreamy. Bechstein is great as well... As you make your bed, so you must lie in it !!

[@NelsonYum]

oops, I heard some pianos were not well tuned, and the voicing of the rooms seem quite different. i wonder if some of the german pianos are really prepared well.

[@Pleyel204]

Yes you are right but when I put together this video I tried to limit uncontrolled parameters. These recording where done in only 5 different shops in order to limit the influence of shop acoustics. For many pianos I have other recordings but in different shops with different acoustics.... Quite difficult to make choices. I do not think that it is a problem of piano preparation but new pianos go out of tune quite quickly (mine did need 3 years to stabilise) so shops simply struggle to keep all of them well tuned. This video is simply the best comparison that I could do with as few uncontrolled parameters as possible. Of course it is not perfect and it can not replace real tests.

[@NelsonYum]

Yes I agree! honestly I appreciate your effort very much! this is a very important video for reference in future!

[@fr.jamesjohnson1567]

What fun! All of them beautiful but to choose: Grotrian 192/208, ever so slight edge to the 192; Bosendorfer 200; Fazioli 212; Pfeiffer 191; Steinway B. Wouldn't pick it but have to mention that I love the fundamental on the Bluthner 210! DItto, thank you for sharing!

[@Pleyel204]

You're welcome. Yes surprisingly I was also more convinced by the Grotrian 192 than by the 208. Yes Bluthner sound is very interesting...

[@silviocorrea5271]

Fazioli the best, Second Bosendorfer!

[@davidbee8178]

It is hard to tell for sure but the Bosendorfer 200 MIGHT not have been in perfect tune but nevertheless had good sustain and resonance. The Steingraeber A170 seemed to have the best resonance and sustain of the bunch; even slightly more so than even the Fazioli. Happy listening and playing to all : )

[@Pleyel204]

Yes you'r right in general Steingraeber and Fazioli had the best sustain. It was an important parameter for my final choice

[@davidbee8178]

Pleyel204 thank you for your comment . . . if I understand correctly, it appears as though you went ahead and actually purchased the Steingraeber - is this correct? It is a wonderful instrument - congratulations and happy playing!

[@Pleyel204]

Yes you are correct and thank you! Best wishes.

[@irinaprimakova448]

Fazioli all the way!!!

[@Pleyel204]

It is also one of my favourites.

[@bas_eisenga]

Thank you very much !!! I have been looking for a comparison like this but could not find it. Eventually I found it. Very, very helpful to make a first selection. Are there more initiatives like this ? Bas

[@Pleyel204]

+Bas Eisenga You're welcome Bas. I was also looking for such comparison before choosing my piano and unluckily I did not find many. That is why after all those tests I though it might be useful to upload some recordings. I am glad to see that it seems that I was right. The only problem is that recordings can not reproduce how you feel while playing. The role of the action is not negligible from this point of view. By the way which one do you prefer?

[@Pleyel204]

+Bas Eisenga Your remarks are interesting and show that choosing an instrument is essentially a matter of taste.However maybe you should not focus so much on the recordings, playing is another dimension! I do not like the bell like sound of Steinway I was rather thinking of Boesendorfer. After testing I loved Steingraeber and Fazioli. By the way you can also find recording in the youtube channel of Bol Piano. It is in Netherlands and probably a great place to test pianos. Christian.

[@d0ntbeevil]

A noticeable difference when you play the Bechsteins, as well the Bose, although to my ear the Bechsteins are more musical for this piece. Maybe you instinctively felt more at ease with the action, but I also prefer the resonance during the pedal work. Despite the volume, the theme stands out. Now I'll go and see which piano you selected... Thank you for this, a very interesting selection.

[@Pleyel204]

Interesting comment. Actually Bose was always high in my wish list, but I must say that even though the touch of the new ones is great I do prefer the sound character of the Bosendorfer from the 80's. To be honest Bechsteins never reached the top apart for the 212 one but I did not want to go up to this size. You probably know it by now, in the 1m90 to 2m size range that was really the size range that I was interested in, the Steingraeber 192 did definitively reached the top of my list. It does compare really well with much longer grands. Sound character sustain and action did really match my ears and fingers! Of course this is my personal judgement...

[@lynch8067]

No doubt that the Steinway always has the highest quality and standard of sound, it's bass is amazing. But i personally like the the Fazioli the most. In my opinion, Fazioli has the most beautiful sound and very unique which most of other piano doesn't have. The pfeiffer is amazing btw.

[@amirtaghinia7873]

The bluthner 4 sounds amazing. What did you think about it when playing? How would you rank the pianos from top to bottom? thx.

[@Pleyel204]

Yes Bluthner pianos have a very interesting sound, very round. It did stand high in my selection but finally I decided that the sound was to specific for me. Action is very specific as well, with a lighter feeling than the other grants. Ranking has no real meaning it depends what you are looking for. For instance Bechstein A189 has a less rich sound than the C. Bechstein MP192 but on the other hand A189 price is about half the MP192 so in term of sound/price ratio A189 will stand higher! Personally I was looking for the cheapest piano I would really like to buy. The problem was that my reference was my old Pleyel 2m04 with a rich and long sound that could only be matched by expensive grands. When I played the first few keys of the Steingraeber 192 I just immediately though "here is THE one". But that is just my own feeling with my own background. It might be completely different for someone else. Cheers.

[@catalinciobanu9004]

Bösedorfer becouse it is the only one piano with a dark ; brillant and warm sound. A piano is not a percusion instrument it must sing and you must chose it like a violin... Everyone has his voice. But when I play BÖSENDORFER this sound goes direkt into my hard. And this piano really uderstend what you want to play from ppp to fff. And the mechanic is a good to.

[@maxrey4055]

I really want a Steinway D but no room. I love the lower bass resonance the D has & can't seem to get that from a B. Seems like smaller Steingraebers have that similar resonance in the bass and the 232 really does .

[@Pleyel204]

+Max REY Yes the bass of even the smallest Steingraeber is really nice. However when I did choose my piano I rather focused on the middle range, where you play most of the time.

[@carvalca]

Bluthner and Bosendorfer, Does anybody know the name of the piece?, all of them are beatiful, a matter of taste.

[@Pleyel204]

It is an extract of Rachmaninov suite in D minor part IV: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rV6WmH5tf6ujgLc. Actually this is written in the video description (press the "more" button to expand it). I agree that it is mostly a matter of taste.

[@TheMontanus777]

A friend challenged me to listen and rate (imho) my preferences without knowing the make or model number. The Steinway was my favorite. However, the Pfeiffer was, to my surprise, a close second. I can only imagine how varied the recording environmental factors must have been and let's be honest ... we all have our biases! Best regards, and please don't use silicone based furniture polish on your new piano! (Smiling wryly!)

[@Pleyel204]

Yes I did like Pfeiffer grand also. Unluckily they did only build them on order without having the possibility to choose at least between 2. The one I played was the one in their concert room. I am more surprised that you also like the Steinway because it is rather at the other end of the sound spectrum. Yes the acoustic was different but the mic was close to the piano and all rooms were big without much reflection of the walls (what is the case in my home room) as a consequence I think that the recordings reflect not too badly the sound of the pianos. Thanks for the advice! Best wishes.

[@dr.brianjudedelimaphd743]

Was that a Hamburg Steinway ? ... sounds like a New York

[@Pleyel204]

Sorry I do not know but most likely since I tested it in Germany

[@dr.brianjudedelimaphd743]

Pleyel204 thanks, I guess it was likely a Hamburg since it was in Germany

[@joelweber3462]

Like the other poster Elwell, I am a 20 year professional tuner, and a pianist for 43 - thus I echo his comments. My preferred order here: Grotrian 192 - very clean tone with nice coloring and sustain Sauter 185 - clean tone, nice sustain Bechstein 192 - Clean tone, quite nice Steingraeber 170 - very nicely balanced registers and clean singing tone The Bosey was too muted, the Fazioli way out of tune though it displayed very round enjoyable colors. Others were too badly out of tune or uninteresting (I own a Grotrian 225, Walter 190 and 1847 Pleyel 7')

[@TheAndpush]

I liked the most: Fazioli and Big Grotrian Steinweg. Then goes Bosendorfer.

[@Erainia]

That first steinweg is my preference haha

[@benjaminsmith2287]

Mine too, 192 Cabinet.

[@umegghju]

It would be interesting the price of every instrument (more or less); could you add this information in the description? Did the price influence your choice?

[@Pleyel204]

Of course price can not be ignored. My goal was to find the cheapest grand I would really want to buy. I did not want a steinway because you hear steinways everywhere and I find uniformity boring. I can hardly give prices because they change quite quickly. Steinways did increase a lot since this test and now the price difference between the steinway and the steingraeber is almost twice the price difference when I made these tests. So I think you should better make a web search to find prices in your country. In europe all of them should be between 45 to 90 Keuros.

[@umegghju]

Merci beacoup

[@banjocracy]

Very nice. Though I missed Sauter.

[@Pleyel204]

+banjocracy Thank you. Actually I played Sauter 185 during the first round of tests and I think that its sound was at the opposite scale of my taste (very brilliant) so I did not consider it further. All recordings were done during my 2nd and 3rd series of tests. In addition from my test 1m90 seems to be the critical size to have a balanced sound. So 1.85 is a little bit too small and 2.20 is too big! This comment applies also to the Bosendorfer 185 I did not find that the bass register is significantly better compared to their 170. I also tested Seiler but all their different brands were confusing. The new Schimmel have a very good action but the sound lack a little richness. I never get the opportunity to play any Schulze Pollmann but their 197 looked interesting.

[@banjocracy]

+Pleyel204 All to do with personal taste! You also missed out Foerster 190 (their best model?) and Steingraeber 212. Still it's a fascinating comparison and most edifying.

[@Pleyel204]

+banjocracy I tested the Forster 190 but the environment was too bad for a recording. It is a very nice model indeed. I was very lucky to be able to test the full range of Steingraeber grands. All of them have really the same sound character. The 192 and the 212 were surprisingly close. The 212 is more powerful but the balance is very similar for both models. I think the 192 will be a very successful model. I did like very much the 232... Anyway you're right it is all about personal taste when comparing instrument of such level!

[@banjocracy]

+Pleyel204 Which piano is that in the photo? It looks like the Steingraeber workshop.

[@Pleyel204]

+banjocracy You are right it is my Steingraeber B192 when tested at the factory. I could choose between 2 (second one is in the back ground). A short description is given here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kJqtloqmhNamorc

[@XUMbxl]

Fazioli !

[@Pleyel204]

+Xavier Flament Parmi les >2m10 certainement

[@paxwallacejazz]

MASON & HAMLIN BB CC for those truly in the know.

[@death2pc]

Truly..............................

[@Hitsmithandmusic]

FAZIOLI. Anytime. Thanks bty 🙏🏿

[@Pleyel204]

You're welcome :-)

[@henrih3080]

The Duplex Scale is broken on the Stainway B211 Or its because of old strings another reason is wrong intonation !

[@Pleyel204]

I cannot tell about the duplex scale (actually I do not know how this can be broken...). I can agree about the intonation, but this was a general remark about Steinways some were really well prepared some were really badly prepared, most were average like this one...

[@robwalsh3841]

Grotrian, Forster, Fazioli 123 for me. Fantastic video thanks!

[@Pleyel204]

Thank you! Very interesting to see how taste is different from one person to another.

[@TheSwissScouser]

it would be very interesting to have the same video for different kind of extracts! one with some Bach's toccata, Beethoven's sonata, Chopin's polonaise for a mor explosiv sound etc... :)

[@Pleyel204]

I understand your point. But this is where the limits of such test are reached. In most chops there is a lot of echo and if you play fast and/or loud most of the instruments sound very similar. That is why I did choose did specific extract : differences can be clearly noticed.

[@Pleyel204]

Thank you very much for your kind comments.

[@TheSwissScouser]

+Pleyel204 I want to notice that you made me discover one of the most beautiful melodies that I ever heard, thank you!

[@Pleyel204]

Yes I agree with you! especially if we remember that Rachmaninoff was 18 when he composed the suite. If you like unknown music you can try these 2 pieces by Christian Sinding kzbin.info/www/bejne/bnSTfZhrrt5jfLs Or these sonatas by the French composer E.N. Méhul written few years before the revolution. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2HRg52HgJKhia8

[@ScaramouchedaVinci]

Schlechte Aufnahmequalität. Deshalb schwer zu hören. Where did you put the zoom?

[@Pleyel204]

Sorry I missed the English part of your comment. The zoom was placed the same way for all the recordings : on the right side of the score holder pointing towards the centre of the piano. 90° mics were used in order to ovoid too much effect of the room and get as much as possible the sound of the piano only.

[@eorlandopalmieri]

All of them are really really great, but I think "Bosendorfer 200" and the Steinway are the best. Bosendorfer's sound (for me) is really sweeter and more beautiful. That's why I prefer it. ===> (from this list, I would rank like this: 1st: the excellent "Bosendorfer 200" and also the excellent "Steinway and Sons B211"; 2nd: the excellent "Bechstein B212" , the "Bluthner 4 210" and the "Steingraeber B192" ; 3rd: "Fazioli 212", "Gotrian 192" and the great Foster 170 ; PS: I wish I talked about the recording of Steingraeber 170. I think its sound is "metallic" . I've never heard a sound like this so metallic in a piano.

[@Pleyel204]

Thanks for your comment. I would not say that Steingraeber 170 sounds metallic. It has more harmonics than many, it is also probably not perfectly tuned, and when I recorded this piano it was close to a wall and this did produce unpleasant sound interferences between the open lid and the wall . This shows the limits of such kind of recordings.

[@eorlandopalmieri]

Hi Pleyel204. You could put in this recording "Petrof - model 4 - grand piano". I would like to hear its sound next to the other pianos.

[@Pleyel204]

I do not think it is relevant to compare piano recordings from different sources. Music is different, player is different, mic is different... Even in this recording there are different rooms (3 or 4 if I remember well), and it already influences the result even if music, player, et mic, are all the same.

[@eorlandopalmieri]

Pleyel204 it s true.

[@Salzburgerstiegl]

Very nice sound-video, thanks!! Like mentioned in other comments the Steinway is more then disappointing, Pfeiffer interesting and warm, both Blüthners don't really match the top standard of Bös and Faz. Bechstein 189 warm and clear - maybe my favorite. Grotrian 208, Blüthner 166 and Steingräber 170 out of tune (or just a bad recording?) I am specialised in restoring old pianos and grands - it would be nice to know the age of the pianos in question.

[@Pleyel204]

Thank you. Actually all of them are new. Some of them did already stay some time in the shops like the Bluthner 166 that was built 5 or 6 years before I played it. Best.

[@amakrid]

The Bluthners which happen to be my favourite pianos, are clearly substandard here and I think that the larger one is in need of revoicing. I also wonder who or which is to blame. I'd choose Grotrian 192 or the Steingraeber B192...

[@nancypham1912]

Hey folks, does anyone know the name of this masterpiece? Highly appreciate

[@Pleyel204]

Oups it seems that I suppressed by accident the English description of the video. It is the fourth part of the suite in d minor of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Here is the link to the full 4th part :kzbin.info/www/bejne/rV6WmH5tf6ujgLc. The extract I used for the test corresponds to the middle of the piece. You will find all the parts of the suite in my youtube channel. This suite is a youth work of Rachmaninoff (17 years old) and was only published for the first time about 10 years ago. I hope you will enjoy it.

[@SnelSan]

The Grotrian Cabinet really sings. I am so happy to own a Grotrian! The sound is gentle but clear.... The large Grotrian sounds off....

[@benjaminsmith2287]

I loved the sound of the Grotrian Cabinet. It sings, it's emotional. Yes, it could use some work, but its imperfection rally worked with the music excerpt. You can tell it has a load of character. The next one was good too, but I like the Cabinet more.

[@irrational3]

I would say Fazioli, Bosendorfer, Steingraeber, Bechstein 212. I find the Steinway disappointing in this recording. I own a Bosendorfer so I know its sound and I can say that it does not translate well in this recording, but I "know" what it would sound like playing it. Makes me wonder about the others. The Steingraebers sing, as does the Bosendorfer. The Faz has beautiful clarity and control it seems.

[@irrational3]

+Pleyel204 After reading your comments below I think we had a similar ear to the pianos. In lots of research I would definitely look at Steingraeber when I am looking at a good grand in the future and Bosendorfer 200, Steingraeber 192 is already at the top of my list.

[@Pleyel204]

Indeed as you say we probably have "a similar ear to the pianos". Yes control of Faz was amazing... About Bos. I always dreamed about the Bos. 200. The second hand ones from the 80 90's had really nice sound by really heavy action. I was not so much convinced by the sound of the new ones (with very nice action...). And once I played the new Steingraeber 192 I could not go back to another one. As you say it sings! Actually even the 170 is amazing. But as mentioned already in another comment at this quality level it is mainly a matter of taste (or ear).

[@robertrodes1546]

The Steinway had the muted sound of an instrument that has just come out on the floor and has not yet been voiced. To properly voice a Steinway, a technician has to first "juice the hammers" by soaking them in a solution containing lacquer. This hardens the hammers, consequently brightening the voice. (How much "juice" to use is very much an art form in its own right; see www.steinwaypianos.com/news/AnInterviewwithSteinway%E2%80%99sChiefConcertTechnician-464 for an interesting interview on the subject.) Then the technician adjusts the voice back down as necessary by softening the hammers back down by poking them with a sharp tool (a "needle"). Typically in a store, there are always several Steinways that haven't had this done yet. Funny how that dull sound still sounds so familiar 25 years after working in a Steinway dealership. :) If you subtract that fuzzy overlay, there's a beautiful singing tone to this particular one. I'd love to hear it after it had been properly prepped.

[@lindaalbin4451]

C bechstein

[@paxwallacejazz]

Ookami Senpai bla bla bla

[@kerder8660]

Thank you very much super. For me Steinway for Chopin others not bad but...

[@Pleyel204]

You're welcome. Actually I don't think that I would choose Steinway for Chopin. A matter of taste.

[@turidemarcodeeustachijs3926]

Bösendorfer et Grotrian Steinweg!

[@lydericmaes6278]

I'm surprised the Steinway sounds so bad ! It should be an old piano from 1915 ? The 1st grotrian is awesome

[@Pleyel204]

No the Steinway was not an old one and I have to say quite representative of all the Steinways (about 10 O,A or B) I did play. I think that old ones are often more interesting than new ones but it does depend how they were refitted of course. Grotrians have a soft and consistent sound that is very different from the one of Steinways and indeed the 1st Grotrian seems to be quite popular!

[@richarddunkley467]

PIANO Channel .

[@runejrgensen7048]

I love the Bösendorfer...but the large Grotian is pretty alright too :) The Fazioli however, is a little disappointing.

[@Pleyel204]

A matter of taste

[@jjwang2314]

Steinway,Pfeiffer,both Steingraeber.

[@godriczimmerman]

Were all the models you played new pianos?

[@Pleyel204]

godriczimmerman yes all of them were new and tested in 4 different shops (and acoustic...). I also tested second hand pianos. Differences were much bigger and depending on age and refitting level.

[@PRO-e8n]

инструменты расстроены и без интонировки трудно сказать о возможности инструментов... непонятно как оценивать

[@artakmarukyan8520]

Grotrian 192 ! Bluthner 210 ! Staingraeber 192 !

[@juaninverno9101]

Though such a comparition seem useful, I dout about it. Who ever made records of his own play knows that microphone positioning, acustic of the room and the vibrations of other pianos nearby in a piano shop changes the sound of the recording considerably. Beside, which piano is playing in this clip is only to guess. After the 8 pianos are thru, it starts again or what does this repetition mean? Also, since the piano brand is not shown (just the name typed into the foto would be enough), there is no way to compare two pianos directly, jumping forward or back. In this, to me the Grotrian sounds the best, but the Boesendorfer has the far worst recording sound, because in reality sounds much, much better, considering that the piano-typs were all about the same, and not from 180 cm Student-Home up to Royal-Concert., information which also is missing. So, thanks for the effort, basically a good idea. But some more information would be helpful to really know whats about and to be useful.

[@Pleyel204]

I agree with you that it is not perfect and mentioned this in one of the other comments. However it is always the same microphone that is used. It is always at the same place. I used the 90 degrees mic towards the centre of the piano to avoid as much as possible the effect of the room. And I can tell you that the differences in sound do reflect the differences I noticed when playing. Actually that is why I did these recordings : to remember the sound. I do not understand why you can not jump from one piano to another the name and type of each piano and corresponding time in the video is given in the description so you can jump from one piano to another by simply clicking on the corresponding time. Please try again.

[@Pleyel204]

One additional info in case you are not used to youtube: you have to expend the description of the video (press "plus" below the description) to see the brand, model, and time in the video of each piano. Time can be pressed to listen to corresponding piano.

[@juaninverno9101]

Thanks for your info. I really had no idea what was hidden in "more". However, writing this into the clip by using any gratis movie-editor, e.g. MS-MovieMaker, would make it much easier, because you jump to the desired position just by scrolling the timeline. Probably also easier and faster than writing the list.

[@Pleyel204]

If you click on the time in blue in the description you automatically jump to the right place in the video. Can not be easier...

[@TheSason666]

And what abut YAMAHA?????!!!

[@Pleyel204]

During my first round of tests (without recordings) I did test Yamaha S4 and Shigeru Kawai, but I did not like them (it does not mean they are not good) and I did not further consider these instruments when I made the next rounds of tests. That is why they are not included in this video.

[@brosephjames]

Steingraeber A170 sounds out of tune but there's something about it, would like to play it.... The Fazioli seems to have the best mic placement...whereas the Steinway the bass is totally not picked up by the mic at all...

[@Pleyel204]

For the first part of your comment I agree with you. Actually all Steingraebers have "something"'. For the second part, Mic and mic position have been the same for all the recordings. I used a Zoom H2 (the old version not the new H2n) with the 90° mic configuration. The mic was place on the right hand side plateau of the score holder and oriented at 45° towards the centre of the piano. This means that one of the mic was oriented parallel to the keyboard and the other one along the length of the piano. Initially when I performed these recordings it was to remember the feeling I had when playing (I did not intend to upload it), and I have to say that in term of sound characters, the recordings were surprisingly close to what I heard when playing.

[@brosephjames]

duuuuude when they record classical piano they spend almost as much on the mics as the piano. I think your H2 is fine for sketches but it's only giving us a vague impression. Your memory is filling in for you what we never heard. Anyway I think the Steingraeber is the best here or at least most interesting. With the Steinway you can hear why it always ends up on the concert stage - at the crescendo around 0:53 it has the most drama in the chords, a real pleasing sympathetic response from the harmony, though the Bechstein and Steinweg seem good there too. Your best bet is to get an old barn, insulate and sound treat it, and then buy all the top pianos.

[@Pleyel204]

Of course the H2 gives only a sketch but if you take the steinway as reference a softer piano will sound softer even with this small H2 a sharper one will sound sharper. Also as mentioned previously the one with the longer sustain with have the longer sustain whatever the recording set up. Of course the sound should not be considered "absolute". In this test the influence of the recording set up has been reduced as much as possible to allow a comparison. Yes I know that when recording classical piano the importance of the mics is huge but honestly sometime the result is very disappointing and artificial. Sometimes I find the quality of my H2 recordings better. But that's an other story.

[@brosephjames]

Actually I know what you mean. When I listen to something like the chopin b flat nocturne on a professional recording it's too perfect sometimes. For a piece like that I like the organic saloon type sound you get with an amateur recording (and even playing). But in general i appreciate a good professional sound (like on perahia's brahms cd)

[@Pleyel204]

I do not have Perahia Brahms cd but usually I like Perahia recordings so I can guess. What I regret in nowadays recordings is that mics are placed to close to the hammers, and you loose the saloon type sound. In addition the dynamic is often very small, as if classical music should be heard in cars only!

[@shaneduyvenedewit5197]

Steinway, Bösendorfer, Grotrian 192 - in that order.

[@hkustmiki]

Did you try other American pianos? :) Mason & Hamlin, Charles Walter, the older Baldwins, etc. Oddly enough while I haven't tried Fazioli yet it sounds similar to American pianos. I'm curious as to if you agree. Thanks for sharing!

[@Pleyel204]

Living in France close to the German border it was easier to test German pianos and European pianos in general. I tested once Mason and Hamlin pianos simultaneously with Bosendorfer and Steingraeber and Steingraeber won the day . I know that Jorge Bolet (one of my favourite pianists) did like Baldwins but unluckily I did never have the opportunity to try any. There are probably very few Baldwins in Europe.

[@fr.jamesjohnson1567]

A good Baldwin D is amazing!

[@brosephjames]

The Steinway is an American piano...well American designed since in Europe they would be built at their Hamburg factory.

[@peregrinespianos6475]

This is not quite a level playing field: August Förster make a 215cm which would have showed the magnificence of this company (the 170cm instrument recorded here is a domestic piano). August Förster have long and very strong traditions, they are instruments for musicians and well known for their precision and focus. Prokofiev couldn't praise his instrument highly enough and the 215cm we have in our studio here in London is very highly respected.

[@Pleyel204]

Of course it is not a level playing field for the simple reason that I never intended to grade or order them from bad to good. All of them are great brands and the choice will mostly depend on taste. These recordings were initially done in order to remind me the sound characteristics of the pianos I tested while looking for my next grand. Listening to the recordings I was rather surprised to recognise the character of these grands in a similar way as when I played them. That is why I decided to compile this video thinking that it could be interesting for other people. I did not expect this video to become so popular, nor to collect so many like and dislike, nor that some of the listeners would try to classify them. The purpose of this video is only to give a flavour of the great variety of sounds that can be discovered when playing different high quality piano brands. It will never replace real testing.

[@aallpprr8998]

Fazioli

[@deniandri5959]

I like it

[@alessandropelizzoli6613]

Il ragionamento fatto sull' unicità del pianoforte in esame, pur all' interno della stessa marca, è correttissimo... quindi va da se che è ancora più inutile proporre un test via KZbin... completamente assurdo perché si tratta di una registrazione, che per quanto fedele non è il suono originale

[@Pleyel204]

[@arnon-jaya]

cool

[@johnbailey662]

Show me the pianos lined up same pianist same piano tech in the same room. That’s the real comparison

[@Pleyel204]

But that's not possible (maybe if your name is Bill Gates), here you have same pianist, same music , same recording technique and the same room from 10:07 to the end. Better can not be achieved by common people.

[@Teremin23]

I like Fazioli more

[@karlportland3280]

Almost all of these were very disappointing. Some pianos were clearly very poorly prepared. There were clearly audible differences in the acoustics and/or microphone technique, too. That's obviously a given since you were dealing with multiple shops, but it's an issue even within the same showroom, because the acoustics vary so much from spot to spot. Additionally, you can't simply use the same mics on different pianos and expect to get good results with all of them, not even if the pianos were located in the exact same acoustical space when recorded, and all prepared beautifully. There were a lot of fine pianos here that sounded awful. It's hard to know the exact reasons in every case, but I think your approach to the pianos played at least some role. As near as I can tell, you needed to use more restraint with the Fazioli, whereas you didn't "manhandle" the Steinway sufficiently. At the end of the day, the recording of the Grotrian 192 was the best, IMO. The preparation, the acoustic space, the mic technique, and your approach the instrument created the most balanced and musically satisfying result (although it could still have benefited from some voicing work). Then again, Grotrians are easier to play than Faziolis. The latter have some quirks-such as the hugely powerful treble-that make adjusting to them less easy than most other European instruments (and frankly unpleasantly painful, at least if you have sensitive ears). It's sort of odd, as most piano makers try and fail to get a bunch of power and sustain into the upper octaves, and yet Faziolis have it in spades, to the point where it's actually a problem, as I see it. Anyway, as interesting as videos like these are, they really are ultimately useless in the end because of the various factors discussed above. Moreover, it's impossible to get any sense of a something like a Steinway B, as they vary so much. I've played a lot of them, and many of them are absolutely ghastly, while others are sublime. If you're lucky, they just need a lot of prep work to bring them up to their potential. If you're unlucky, there are defects that were baked into them during the manufacturing process, some of which can be costly to fix (and then you have to have the right tech, too).

[@Pleyel204]

Dear Karl, I hesitated answering because some time ago I decided to stop answering to the comments posted on this video because most of the time people expect much more from this video than I ever considered. However your comments are interesting. Actually the reasons why I think people expect too much from this video are exactly the one you list in your comments! including the fact that playing should be modulated depending on the piano. But that is too much for my amateur skills, at least at the time scale of a piano test in a shop. For me this video was only intended to give a flavour of these piano sounds for people that do not have the opportunity to test them. There is no intention to grade them from first to last. All are good! Of course sound quality is bad however I think that comparison still gives some clue. More roundness more brightness more length...And finally I have to say that I also fully agree with your last comments, indeed Faziolis treble is amazing (too maybe) and yes Grortrians are the easiest to play because of their evenness all over the keyboard range. Actually when I listen to this video it does remind me of these caracteristics but that is probably because i played these instruments myself! Cheers, Christian.

[@Pleyel204]

@@skrutten_ Thank you for your comment. Yes it is difficult to do much better. Indeed too much can not be expected from such video. This was obvious for me, but is not the case for everyone. By the way you have the same first name as my favourite pianist: Jorge Bolet. Unluckily I did not have the chance to listen to him live!

[@winstonvkoot]

you prob have one already but if you can buy a damm fazioli you buy the dam fazioli xD its a way better build steinway anyway that being said i love grotians but even i know fazioli would eat any piano you throw at it up xD only piano i wouldt throw money at are bosen and sauter

[@cezaryolszewski]

well, the Bechstein sounds good, the rest sound like cheap exotic makes.

[@richardanderson7986]

Completely out of tune - most of them.....so the whole exercise is a complete waste of time. The pedalling is woeful too.