Today I had the opportunity to play the SX900 for over an hour. My dealer had just received it, I was in the area and could not resist the temptation to test it out.Everything I write below is my personal impression, everyone must decide for themselves whether he / she wants to drop the choice on the SX900.
I'm not technical, but I whish to share my first impression:
The TOUCHSCREEN: mmm .. smaller than the Genos, well readable for me (no glasses yet). It is adjustable, but do not expect much from it. The sun shone on the display and the same problems with regard to readability as with the Genos. It did seem that the glass was a little more matted. The adjustment did not help. Yamaha make a liftable screen in the next model !!!
The KEYBED: noticeably better than the S models. It is now between the S models and the Genos. So without a doubt an improvement and less noisy/clappering. If you press your fingers between the black keys, it feels more comfortable than with the S-series.
The SPEAKERS: although I never use the speakers at home and play through my own speakers (Logitech Z2300 speaker set), the speakers from the SX900 just sound good. Whether it is sufficient for the gigger in a larger room, I doubt very much. Your own PA will certainly be preferred.
The SOUND: from the box ... mmm .. not really impressive. By default both the EQ and the Compression are set to 'Flat'. As soon as you change this, SX really comes to life. A world of difference with regard to the sound experience. That was / is the same with the Genos. Tweaking and Twirling are the keys to success …
The PACKS: four are pre-installed: African (10 styles), Europe (ca.25 styles), Latin America (15 styles), Oriental (5 styles). A selection that you should not expect too much. I don't know if the free downloads at Yamaha have more styles?
THE USER MEMORY: The user memory turned out to be just 4 GB. So the installed packs do not seem to have any influence on that.
The FIRMWARE: On this demo copy was vs, 1.01. So upgrading is necessary. Whether that is irreversible (as with the Genos) I do not know.
In summary (Personal opinion!): I am impressed by the possibilities of the SX900. The touchscreen in particular is of crucial importance to me. A larger expansion memory also counts nicely. I am happy that the keybed is better (less noisy) than the previous S models and I have 61 keys as a home player. For the rest features are bonusses
A personal remark:
My previous KB were: the Tyros5 (76) and the Genos (76). I sold both again because they were too big for my home studio. I'm not a pianist, so I don't need 76 keys. That is why I then bought (and sold) the S770 and S975. The S770 had too little Expansion memory for me. Hence the choice for the S975.
Now about the SX900. A feeling of 'coming home' compared to the Genos. I particularly liked the touchscreen. Much more intuitive: my mobile and tablet are also touchscreens. That feels familiar and can be operated quickly. For me that is actually the most important thing to switch to the SX900.For me, the SX900 is a logical purchase compared to the Genos, which is without a doubt a top keyboard.
That is why I have choosen for the SX900. I deliberately omit the financial assessment. I can't look into anyone's wallet, that's a personal consideration. What matters most is the pleasure that you derive from what you want and you can or want to afford, but most of all ... enjoy making music!
