Donny I agree with you. This is the most amazing KB I've heard in a long time. And, of course, Peter Baartmans is an incredibly accomplished musician. This is the best of the best. For me at this point in my life, it's too heavy and takes up too much real estate to use on the road. However, there is my studio............... Just saying.

Joe

Joe I agree the T5 sound & style wise is hard to beat....
I also ditto your size remarks & would be better suited in studio or home use,..especially for us who are gigging every day in and out. The S950 & hopefully it's NEW successor is more then enough to cover all the bases on a gig.

Joe and Donny,
I had 2 S950s and eventually went back to my Tyros 4 and bought a 2nd one.
Why? Because EVERY time I play my Tyros 4 on gigs I have gotten outstanding reactions and comments about how wonderful the keyboard sounds. That never happened with the S950. Yes, it is heavier and yes I often wonder "what was I thinking?". But it sure does sound great. By the way, I tried the T5 too and did not care for it any more than my Tyros 4s.

Deane

I dont really think the difference in sound quallity is huge in a live situation..

But in my home on my studio monitots the difference is huge, guitars sound so much better, double the number of sa2 sounds, .ensemble voices that can make you sound just wicked, the organ sounds...

But then in a live situations, will people hear that?, i guess they mostly base their opinion on your singalong voice quallity...

I own the T5 and I would like to see a couple of things

as a Guitar player I would like 1 extra mic / line input so I can tap into the great guitar effects and still use the mic setting I would like to see the Demo button go away better Piano sounds on board EQ buttons for real time edit on the fly cubase intration like motief

256 poly , and a case that fit it. that is not 50 lbs

Ron

I've spent a lot of time on a friend's Tyros5-76, and it does sound pretty damn good, but the extra features weren't anything I'd use very much, so I stayed with the equally great sounding Tyros4 and couldn't be happier.

I also found a significant distinction between the S950 and my Tyros4, especially with the latter's SA2 sounds and its ability to use SA/SA2 voices in the styles ( a marked difference for sure).

I don't sing on gigs, and since sound quality of the instrument is even more important when doing all instrumental music, I feel the Tyros4 is well worth the extra weight and cost...not to mention the higher quality FSX keyboard, better feeling pitch/modulation wheels and an extra pedal input.

If I was to go back to gigging steadily, I'd probably pick up another Tyros4 as a backup, so I could have one set at home, and one in the gig bag ready to go.

Ian

I agree with those who gig with the S950 and leave the Tyros 5 at home. That’s exactly what I do. Why can’t the T5, 6, 7, or whatever the name, weigh about like a PSR model? Maybe Yamaha feels like we’re getting more for the money with weight and larger dimensions. What exactly is in the electronics and sound components of the T5 over and above the S950 that adds to the weight and size? Maybe that’s a ploy of Yamaha to encourage players to purchase one of each.

Both these boards arent meant for gigging... they are meant to be home players toys, and with that in mind, Yamaha develops them..

For Yamaha gigging is an aftertought..

That's not how they advertise it!
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical-instruments/keyboards/accessories/cases/yctyros/?mode=model

My Tyros4 weighs about 38 lbs with the case, so I'm not too concerned with weight, and, like Deane (Hammer), I much prefer it over an S950 for gigging.

The overall sound is beefier, not to mention those wicked and very expressive SA2 voices.

It's an instrument that can be used equally at home, on stage and in the studio. I would put the S950 as more of a "home" instrument than the Tyros, mainly because of the former's built in speakers, although it does manage to find its way on many stages, at least for several SZ'ers.

Part of the Tyros4's (and T5's) heavier weight can be traced to the FSX semi-weighted keybed, and, I for one, don't mind the extra pounds when I can have such a fine action under my fingers.

Tactile response is important to me, equally as much as expressive sounds, and the Tyros4 (and T5) excel at both.

Ian

PS...my buddy with the Tyros5-76, Johnny Coy, does solo gigs at least three times a week, and he just turned 76 years old...the weight is no problem for him either.