Yamaha CFX vs. Yamaha CF3 (In Depth Review) 

After hearing you on that CFX, I think you are now on my bucket list of Musicians to hear live . . .

I play on a CF3 every morning at church, and I was really glad to see this comparison. The new CFX seems like a true improvement. It would be a dream to own one someday!

You passion is showing James. This is a truly quality comparison and shows no personal bias or negativity. Wish we could have a lot more of this type of video analyzing products. Life would be a lot more pleasant. But, thank you James. There is a lot to think about after watching this. Agree with your critique completely. My how piano technology has changed.

DUDE you were ON FIRE!!!! WOWWWWWW. CF3 is a buttery sound but CFX is gold. CFX is paradise.

I am so happy I found you on the internet. You are amazing. I can listen to you all day long and still be amazed. Keep the videos coming.

it sounds incredible in the computer, I can't imagine the strong and amazing sound of that CFX piano in live. Your face said everything, you really enjoyed that.

Hearing you play Pirates on the CFX gave me goosebumps. Such a wonderful talent, thanks for sharing your passion.

I love the sound of the CFX. The clarity and depth of the Bösendorfer influence is evident across the board. Yamaha now owns Bösendorfer. The CFX is clearly superior even to the Hamburg Steinway which by comparison now has dull sounding upper octaves and muddy sounding bass. Don't get me wrong, my first love was a 1930's era Steinway model D, until I played on the August Fõrster 275 and later a 1980's Bösendorfer Imperial which took my breath away and couldn't stop playing. It literally gave back the passion I put into it.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR RU-vid CHANNEL. I enjoy and impressed by your talent, and your honesty and passion shine through.

Bro, usually I come for your thoughts and super well informed opinion & passion. TBH tho this time your performance on the CFX was nothing short of on fire dude. You are RAD. And a have a great YT channel. Keep up the great work. Thanks

Excellent review! We own a Yamaha upright, and it’s a very fine piano. Would love to own a CFX one day!

Came to your channel as a newbie piano player looking for reviews on sub-$500 digital pianos. Now I want a $200K acoustic piano, thanks a lot!!

OMG bro... your playing is unbelievable .. wow

Unreal playing, sir. Absolutely phenomenal performance on "Pirates". I'm still a Steinway fan, but, dang, that CFX is absolutely sublime! Thanks for your great reviews, education, and for your passion for piano.

YESSS! Great job man! I had asked about this :)

To me, the difference seems as thought the CF3 hammer felt is ever so slightly less dense which can make a difference in what might be perceived as clarity in tone. Not that it is muffled, or inferior -- just a clean, yet more controlled sound. Also - keep in mind two identical CFX's next to each other will offer a difference in touch and sound, as would any two brand-new pianos that are built exactly the same. That's what makes quality acoustic pianos so wonderfully unpredictable and scrumptious!

Thanks for sharing your videos,I always remember a friend telling me years ago he loved the Bechstein pianos.

As someone who can’t afford a concert grand, at least I can say that after this video, I’m thrilled that my little Yamaha DGX 660 takes its piano sampling from the Yamaha CFX! 😁

Wow.........I really like the piece that you have written yourself........feel like I could listen to it forever..............your playing skills are also top notch

Nice to see this comparison!

I am a Yamaha fan and have an electric that I play regularly I think the newer piano is noticeably better for my taste. When the Steinway store in Culver City California started carrying Yamaha's years ago it wasn't long before a couple of the salespeople told me they preferred the Yamaha. I have played concert grand, baby grand, upright, and electric and have always loved their sound.

the pieces sounded absolutely incredible. And I agree with you that the CFX has more of a indescribable presence to it.

Very nice. The age and overall usage of the CFIII May be impacting the tone too. The CFX is newer and who knows what its usage has been, if any. But . . . The new "aged" woods and technical advances of the CFX make for a show stopper. I remember the Chopin Competition when Yulianna Avdeeva used the CFX for the first time. Amazing. I really enjoyed the last Chopin Competition when they used "Period" instruments too. Thanks for sharing your love and enthusiasm for pianos with us.

The CF3 and the CFX both produce a beautiful sound. The difference to me is extremely subtle. The CF3 seems a bit "brighter" in some way where the CFX has a depth that I do not hear on the CF3. The CF3 is an excellent instrument. The CFX is a stunning instrument. James, as always, very nicely done. Thanks.

Very interesting comparison. Thanks for sharing it.

I wasn't really a fan of Yamaha, even after watching Stefan Mendl's vid, but after watching your vid my opinion changed. I thought the CFX was too vocal in the 1khz range, and threw off unwanted harmonics in the high register, but there are resonances building up in the low and midrange that I can only describe as "champagne bubbles". Its that "something" that is absent in the CF3, not to mention that this tone character supplants the piano's already powerful voice. Excellent video and excellent playing!

That was even more in-depth than the Bosendorfer 214/214VC comparison. And I think the differences in these two pianos are more pronounced. I agree, the CFIIIS is a nice piano but the CFX is a level or two higher. The sound blooms more also on the CFX. I've never seen you breathless after playing the Pirates piece, but I was kind of breathless after hearing you play it. Looks like fun. Fine presentation.

The pedal adjusters on the CFX are there because it is a Disklavier. Both inner rims are mahogany.

yamaha had bought bosendoffer and in the process uses some of the designs in their newer pianos. So pianos pre merge tend to be bright where piabos afterward range from balanced to dark

Definitely love that CFX. Were you more impressed with the CFX or the bosie 280VC (my current favorite)!?

The CF III is a real Yamaha, according to my prejudice of it being a (too) cool and fuzzy, not my type of grand. But holy glory what a sound comes out of the CFX! It is awake, vivid, warm, not fuzzy: brillant (in more than one meaning)! I especially liked the sound of the very short fast loud chords in the caribbean-piece: they come out so grippy, well defined and with a beautiful envelope (synth-language-wise). In the short time they are there they really develop such clarity, yet warm and pushing. Nice short release also, they disappear nicely, and don't sit in the way of the next chord. I'm really stunned. Blown out of my chair. Thank you for correcting my prejudice! Must hear someone play the Op. 106 of Beethoven on one of those.

The sound of the CFX as compared to the CF III can for me be described as in a word: more intentional. Greater clarity, depth, presence, and warmth.

Rare chance to have them side by side James. Nice catch !! Wow the CFX has so much more body and color in the sound than the previous CF3 . I know its personal taste, but i always found the CF3 kind of bland compared to the other big name grands it competed with .at the time. And also in comparison to the CFX Which seems to come alive when played. I dont hear that on the CF3. So many recording studios still have their CF3, pianos for reason that they are very consistent .You can play one in Hamburg or in Toronto and it will sound about the same. Great for major artists recording in several venues at the time. But that CFX wow ! . nice Achievement . !

The CFX is amazingly articulate. I could hear every note played, particularly in those big chords and runs in Pirates. Every other piano I’ve heard the notes will smear together, especially when the pedal is down. I will be listening more intensely now to see if any other piano can match it. Thanks for the eye-opening video.

"He is a pirate" wait a minute, he is a pianist! :D

Killed it with Jarrod radnich arrangement there...huge respect and love from india❤️🔥

Amazing comparison of the classic CF3 and CFX! They are like Ferrari F40 vs Ferraio LaFerrari!

How do you compare the action and sound to that of the p-515? I wonder how close/realistic is the p-515 to the real thing.

James, Every time I watch your videos, I am in awe of you. You are an amazing pianist and really get so into your performances. Your knowledge of the piano brands and models past and present is growing day by day and is so interesting. I wish that I could see you perform live and hope that some day you get to do a tour. Keep working hard and sharing your videos with all of us in You Tube Land. I wish you a brilliant and most successful career in music, you are a natural my friend. Thank you so much for sharing your dynamite talent, your parents must be so proud of you!!!! Brad Maier Long Island, NY

What difference,cf3 still sound beautiful but cfx is just amazing rich on any situation.

Pls compare dgx670 ( cfx) vs p515 ( cfx) samples. Thanks

Wish i had room to put one of those great pianos in,Just a pity my Yamaha CP88 doesn't have the true CFX piano sample of the Real CFX Grand.

I like better the CFX. It si really clear. What’s the name of the second piece you play ed in both piano? Thanks for your reviews! Bravo

Damn, JPS, are you able to stop smiling long enough to tell us how much you really like the Yamaha CFX? ☺ This is another great piano review. Someday you should do just a performance video of you performing a mixture of your own compositions and compositions of others.

I really love the sound of the CFX but I’ve never been played that fancy grand piano

Man, you can play. Actually, I guess the cfx has some crunch and crispness rather different than the other one. Keep up the good work

I'm no expert at all but to answer your question I prefer the sound of the CFX. My ex has a Steinway so that's all I have to compare with, but the CFX sounds great to me.

which one you prefer? the cfx or the shigeru?

I was lucky enough to try both of these next to each other years ago. By far the best pianos I've ever played. I actually preffered the 3, I prefer a slightly warmer sound. Now is that frustrating search of finding the closest digital piano to it.

I am pretty sure you wouldn't have turned the gain up on the mic, but it sure seems like the CFX is definitely much louder. And for sure it does sound better than the CF3. Makes me wonder if there is that much of a difference between the YDP 143 and YDP 144 which sample the CF3 and the CFX respectively.

You've reviewed some great pianos, even including that old upright. I've been hoping, though that you might also review a Mason & Hamlin. Any plans for that, Mr. Shawcross?

CFX is a bucket list item for me.

I grew up on playing Yamaha Pianos, and I still seek for the touch and sound. Light but deep action. Bright, crisp, and full tone. Another Western brand that would probably compare to it is Fazioli to me.

Can you play Rachmaninoff 3?

Yamaha own Bösendorfer now - is that an influence? Do they use any parts from them or do they have a completely different identity and heritage?

Hey mom, can you buy me a Yamaha CFX for next christmas, pleeeeeeeeeeeease?!! :D

10:42 name of the song?

whats that song ?? bro

I've always loved the Yamaha company. I like their musical instruments and I like their motorcycles. I always feel that when I buy anything Yamaha that I'm getting a good price. They make excellent products and their prices are always very fair. That's the only thing I know about pianos. That if I were ever to get one it would be a Yamaha.

What piece is at 17:38?

does the cfx come in a 7 '6" disklavier model???

What’s that beautiful piece at 10.30?

11:39 Casually plays the most epic piano cover of Pirates theme

I prefer the lyre and the legs from the CF3.

Very good

What was that first piece

Maybe it's the mic placement in the room, but the CFX sounds both louder and clearer than the CF3.

Sorry I don't like the new Yamaha acute angle curve. Moreover, the legs design is also more like Bosendorfer's. If I get to choose the design between C3X and C3XA, I definitely choose C3XA.

How much

The belly looks almost exactly like a Steinway. Even has the soundboard molding on the left side.

Que piano lindo Sonho de consumo

you played he' s a pirate from jarrod radnich... you' are f***** amazing!!!

CFX sounds nicer and louder. Thank you.

If you like music, you might want to check out my second channel "Milan Recording Studios". Feel free to subscribe and hit the bell icon if you want to! ru-vid.com/show-UCu1LrpmWwK1ztTvIayRar9w

11:42 crook 11:56 boss

I'm doing my DipLcm and I'm just watching piano videos because I'm poor and can't afford one (PS I practise on an old upright piano with a really sticky action)

👍🏼🤠

Borromini would have loved the design of this piano.

no bach hymn and your original piece sounds nice

Yamaha Pianos are Great!

I wish I had the money and space to buy either of these 😂

Wish i can afford it😢

the cfx has a definite twang to the sound. not to my liking. James continues to impress.

피아노 관심있어서 보러왔는데 한국인이 없네...

Play FREE BIRD!!!!

I'm here in a 3rd world country trying to play hammerklavier sonata on upright pianos, never touched a concert grand, while this dude gets to play fucking pirates on a CFX... fml