đčW. Hoffmann T122 Tradition Upright Piano Review & Demođč
VloĆŸit
- Äas pĆidĂĄn 27. 08. 2020
- đ See More W. Hoffmann Upright Pianosâžwww.merriammusic.com/product-...
đ Subscribe to Merriam Pianos HERE âž bit.ly/SubscribeMerriam
đ Click the đ bell to be notified of all videos! âž bit.ly/SubscribeMerriam
#T122 #WHoffmann #UprightPiano
Hi everyone and welcome to another piano review video here at the Merriam Pianos CZcams channel. Weâre exploring one heck of an upright piano here today - the W. Hoffmann T122.
This piano is made by C. Bechstein in their Czech Republic factory. This is a handmade instrument built with exclusively European components.
If this is the first time to the Merriam Pianos channel, please subscribe, weâd really appreciate the support!
Piano Overview:
The T122 is a 48â, professionally sized upright piano. The Czech factory where Bechstein produces the W. Hoffmann series is actually the former Bohemia factory, which Bechstein actually purchased and dramatically remade in the early 2000âs. They invested a huge amount of capital into new CNC machinery, and actually kept most of the experienced staff.
The W. Hoffmann Tradition series are essentially the continuation of the Bohemia designs, whereas the Vision series is based on a different design, and the Professional series are based on the C. Bechstein Academy. The Tradition series has a very different character from the Vision and Professional series, both in terms of the sound and touch. While the Professional series instruments are more expensive, I donât think itâs fair to say theyâre superior since theyâre so different musically from the Tradition, and many folks might actually prefer the Tradition series.
Sound:
Right off the hop, itâs clear that the T122 has that distinctive âBell Likeâ tone so commonly associated with European pianos. With Bechsteinâs in general, thereâs a strong mix of cabinet resonance and clarity, whereas the Tradition series seems to have less cabinet resonance and a clearer attack, along with a lovely bloom.
It compares quite well to the Bechstein A124, though with a slightly less complex tone but clearer attack. Some folks may actually prefer the more direct tone of the T122, so if you have a chance to compare them side by side, weâd strongly recommend it. The bass is also not as warm and strong as the A124, but considering that the T122 costs about $10,000 less, what youâre getting here compared to other pianos in the price range is incredible.
Bechstein makes their own hammers specifically for every piano they build, so thatâs a big part of the sound, along with a robust cabinet, and the presence of Agraffes.
Overall, this is the type of tone thatâs going to record very well, so if youâre looking for a nice upright for a recording studio, you should absolutely consider this instrument. In my opinio, itâs one of the absolute best 48â uprights on the market available for under $20,000.
Action:
The action reminds me of what you find in a Grotrian or a Schimmel upright. The Bechstein uprights are regulated to feel more like a grand piano, whereas this T122 feels more like a traditional European upright action, with a slightly lighter touch and great responsiveness, especially in the lower dynamic ranges. The repetition speed is slightly slower than what youâll get in a Bechstein Academy, but still very good.
Conclusions:
The T122 ultimately serves as a European alternative to a high end Japanese upright, such as a Yamaha YU5 or Kawai K800 for looking for a clearer more bell like tone. As far as 48â uprights go, as mentioned above, I think this is one of the absolute top on the market in the $20,000 CAD price range.
Thanks for watching! Long live the piano!
Connect with Merriam Music:
â Website âž www.merriammusic.com/
â Contact Us âž www.merriammusic.com/contact/
â Instagram âž / merriammusic
â Facebook âž / merriammusic
â Twitter âž / merriammusicinc - Hudba
Yeeeeah more upright reviews! Couldâve used your expertise a year ago before I made a purchase. Having all these videos out here is super helpful and ridiculously informative.. we need more people like you in showrooms
Again great review and beautiful playingđđč.
Not an expert. Got this piano 3 years ago because of the price point. I love it but never could verbalize why. This video does an amazing job doing so. Thank you for that.
Thanks for the video, enjoyed your demonstration here!!!!
this guy could sell me any piano he wanted to
Me too. Iâd even buy a car from him. đ
I would love to see a review on the Hoffmann T128!
Love the tone
Useful information, one of my favorites!
We're so happy to hear that you found the video useful! Thank you for tuning in! :)
Sounds Beautiful .
That's my piano now :-))))))) It really does have a lovely sound (especially with the lid open). Loved the action - very sensitive and yet easy to control.
Where and how much did it cost if you don't mind my asking?
@@DextahPC I bought it (the very same piano you see in this video) at Merriam Music in Oakville the day after this video was filmed. The staff there were great !!! Very helpful but not pushy at all. They listened to what I was looking for, pointed out and described the features of various alternatives, let me try out several pianos at my leisure with no pressure at all and wrapped it all up with various purchasing and financing options. I highly recommend those folks. As far as price goes, I can't recall exactly off hand but it was in the 20k Canadian dollar range (including tax) as he states in the video.
stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu your playing is so motivating.
Lovely and sweet instrument
Absolutely! The Hoffmann T122 and T128 models are gorgeous instruments in every respect. :)
I do have this piano and as a beginner it was a very good choice. The warmth of the sound is just incredible. What I have recognized is that it is not that forgiving. I am thinking about a Bechstein A116. I enjoyed it very much because the pedals are much easier to handle and what the T122 also has is, it is quite hard to play dynamics. Dynamics are beautiful in sound but quite hard to achive esp. for beginners. But overall a wonderful warm and full and romantic sound.
Thanks Stu, great review! Could you make another one on the Hoffmann P126?
Just tried few hours ago and compared with a Bechstein A124 (not side by side because they were kept in two different rooms). Taking into the due account this bias, I would say that Hoffmann P126 sounds as good as the A124 on all ranges if not even clearer on bass. Treble is crystal clear as well as resonance: rich and "endless".
Bechstein A124 though, would cost some extra âŹ7.000 and, to be honest, I returned home keeeping asking myself if that large price gap would be somehow justified. I personally feel that definitely it is not, where switching from Bechstein to Hoffmann, in this case, would not represent a downgrade, at all, in terms of quality, but a consistent benefit to your pocket, indeed!
Last not least: note that Hoffmann is using agraffes throughout for its P126 while Bechstein is instead adopting for its A124 the traditional solution of a pressure bar. Whereas this might not necessarily be a relevant element, however the result, on the whole, sounded fairly sublime!
Hi! I watched this video half million times already. Thank you for your reviews.
A question came to me. You say the professional series is sort of Czech made academy. Does that apply to the action as well when you say the Academy series action feels more like a grand?
Stuuuuuu!!!
Just used my Steingraeber 138 as a fuel for heating my house and ordered this !!
đđđ
I donât recall if it was this exact model or not but I remember test playing a Hoffman that looked exactly like this. My impression was that it was beyond an upright Kawai or Yamaha of similar size. In my mind a Yamaha is similar to a Toyota; popular, well-built and gets good reviews. The Hoffman felt like a top model Buick sedan: refined, upscale and posh.
I mean Toyota and Kawai and Yamaha are all Japanese...
Hi does this model have duplex scaling? I also find it hard to find any technical details anywhere on the internet to compare to the professional series which is a shame.
wow, what a great review, Mr, should I buy this one or schimmel c 121???
Thank you kindly! It comes own to a matter of personal preference of course. But, in my opinion, the Schimmel C121 is a more refined piano with a superior musical experience. Something like the Bechstein A124 or A6 would be a more appropriate point of comparison to the C121 in my opinion. :)
@@MerriamPianos
hi Mr merriam
I am nearly going to buy the R118 contur for my daughter , she is 6 years old, learned piano for one year now, I am willing to put her in a music school and learn knowledge and piano, do you think, the r118 will suit her, do you think the c.bechstein r118 is my best choice, or schimmel k122 is better?
thank you so much for your reply.
I would like to know how it compares to Bostonâs UP-120s or UP-118e
Thanks for the video. What do you think of the V120 of Hoffman? What is the meaning of a T or V version?
122 vs 120? Thanks!
V is the vision line and t is their traditional line. The number is the height in centimeters
It would be amazing if you could review the C.Bechstain Vario system. It seems very nice and with USB-C so actually a bit more modern than most silent systems đ
The primary use of USB on a silent system is for low latency MIDI out. USB-C brings no advantages in this respect compared to older USB versions and you may even need to buy an adapter because most MIDI devices do not use USB-C. The Vario has Bluetooth for app connectivity, like other silent systems. What matters is the internal sound. The only two silent systems in acoustic pianos that feature the same sound engine as the most recent top-tier digital pianos are the SH2 from Yamaha and the ATX-3 from Kawai. Silent systems such as QuietTime and AdSilent provide the same sound quality as a digital piano from the 90s. I doubt Vario is able to match the current Yamaha or Kawai sound. In any case, you can always use MIDI to control a good external software VST running on a computer.
@@ampac well I was particularly curious if the vario had a inbuilt usb audio interface like Yamaha has but Kawai is missing but I have learned that vario does not have it.
@@Bobo Several digital pianos support USB Audio, but as far as I know, the only silent system that has USB Audio interface is the SH2 from Yamaha. The older SH and the SC2 in some uprights has not. The Kawai ATX3 also does not have it. The same applies to other silent systems I am aware of, including the Vario. These systems often have MIDI over USB but not digital audio over USB. So, the only way to get audio out is through an analogue line out interface.
@@ampac yes that is correct. But SC2 also has a usb audio interface so all upright including Babyb grand GB1 with SC2 has it. I know about this very well but there wasnât any documentation about the vario system so I asked c.Bechstein and they replied to me. :)
In the consumer digital piano market Yamaha has been alone on their clavinova (CLP-635 and up and also on 700-series ) with it and in the P-series (p-121 and up) this years Korg released a couple of new models with it to. But up until now Yamaha with their Steinberg brand has been pretty much alone.
I think itâs a shame that this feature is not in more models. Itâs great to have at least for my use case. âșïž
@@Bobo Thanks for the info. Did not know the SC2 also supported USB Audio. Note that Roland, Decibel and other brands, include digital audio over USB on their keyboards. However, this feature is often limited to synthesizers and stage pianos and is often not available in console/cabinet digital pianos. The Yamaha CLP DPs are one of the exceptions. USB Audio is indeed great because it avoids the infamous "ground loop" noise in analogue audio connections.
It would be very interesting to have a comparison between this piano and, for example, one of Kawai's K series (or another high-end Japanese piano) to see the strengths of each.
That is a fantastic idea! I will certainly add that to the list of potential video comparisons for the future! Thanks for the suggestion! :)
@@MerriamPianos That's the comparison I'm trying to make after seeing this review to see which piano would be more suitable. :)
Anyway great review, I love your videos.
How would you compare W. Hoffmann pianos to Kawai or Petrof? I am considering W. Hoffmann T 128, Kawai k 600 and Petrof 131M.
Hi Wojciech, which did you end up getting? I am basically considering this vs. the Kawai K800.
@@zaheedhasib Hi, I finally bought a brand new C. Bechstein 124 Imposant and I am very satisfied with this piano.
Can you please do a review on the V120?
there is no comparison: V120 is not worth consideration
Why do not see the model T128?
Hello Merriam Music - I'm looking for an upgrade to a 1978 Yamah U3, as I'm starting to play piano more seriously, and these Hoffman pianos look really interesting, because the quality of the sound and build for the money just seems to be incredible (and a Bechstein is out of my budget range). What do you think are the main Touch and Tone differences between the T and P ranges? Many thanks - Andy.
I love the tone of this piano. Itâs largely subjective of course but this piano would be so good for contemporary and jazz. Have you played a Feurich Vienna as a comparison?
Also really nice for melodious expressive classical pieces by the likes of Debussy, Chopin, Liszt, Satie etc. because of its lovely tone and sustain.
I just bought the t128. I bought it brand new out of the box and the touch is heavier than the one ive tried at the showroom. will it get lighter overtime?
Hi there! Congrats on your new T128! They're wonderful pianos! Over time, piano actions typically get a little lighter (pending they are being played regularly). With that said, an experienced technician could do some work on the instrument to help lighten the action. Thanks and all the best! :)
Could you make a video where you confront the Schimmel w123 against the Hoffmann t122? I think it will be very interesting...Greetings from Italy Stu!
Thanks so much for the suggestion! That would be a very excellent and exciting comparison! I will pass the suggestion along to our production team. :)
Sounds great! I'm considering picking up my first acoustic piano. For ~48" pianos, do you think the T122 is worth the higher price over something like the K300 or U1?
The value will only be obvious to you once the piano is 20 years old. Go for the Hoffmann.
If you can comfortably afford the Hoffman then the choice is obvious.
@@KeepingOnTheWatch And what about Kawai k600? I am considering Kawai and W. Hoffmann T128 and simply can't decide.
@@wojciechzysnarski2667 I've never tried a K600.
@@wojciechzysnarski2667 The Kawai and the Yamaha upright piano sound is very clinical and direct, with few nuances in tone between between dynamics. European pianos have a richer tonality and color, which you might like or not. If you can afford the difference, go for a Hoffman Professional 126 or step up to a C. Bechstein, Schimmel or other German upright. No Yamaha or Kawai upright is on their league in terms of sound or action.
Is there a significant difference between T122 vs T128? Trying to figure out if it justifies the price difference of 2k in my local dealer. Thank you.
Hi there! The taller size of the T128 provides wider tonal/dynamic range, more power, and a far clearer bass register due to the longer strings. I would recommend testing both out in person to see if you notice a significant difference between the musical experiences that each instrument offers. If you can hear a big difference/improvement in the T128's sound, that might help justify the additional spend of course. :)
I am considering between T128 and P126 , any suggestion on it ?
Purely personal preference but i'd say the P126, the higher grade soundboard and hammers really gives the piano an extra resonance and slightly richer tone, the lever ratio's in the action are also optimised in the Professional range for better repetition and pianissimo playing :)
Comparing Petrof 135, which is better as they are at similar price point
It is a matter of subjectivity and personal preference of course. The W. Hoffmann and Petrof pianos are both excellent instruments, but they offer something very different musically.
how is the w hoffmann t128 piano?
The T128 is a marvellous piano! While it possesses a lot of similar tonal nuances to its little brother the T122, the extended bass strings and soundboard give it tremendous warmth and power. I would definitely recommend test driving one at a showroom if you have the opportunity to do so. :)
@@MerriamPianos Thanks for the reply. Really appreciate it.
It's nice ...but the sound is thin .Not much hammer noise.
It's as if it was partially plucked.
I recently played the T 128..
Bell like sound I think it's on the C Bechstein 167 grand..
The T128 and L167 models are both incredible instruments. Naturally, by virtue of its size, the T128 will have a more robust tone than the T122. But, the T122 is a heckuva great instrument that competes against most pianos in its size category. :)
Sounds like a jazz piano
I wish you would have played a different style of music like Elton or Billy Joel to see how it handled that type of music .
This piano is designed for classical music mostly so there would be no point
I wanna get the T-128 but it's never to be found in the middle east đđđ
The W. Hoffmann T128 is a wonderful piano! I know they're tougher to find in some markets though. My fingers are crossed that you cross paths with one that is available soon! :)
@@MerriamPianos Thanks, I hope so too
@@MerriamPianos do you find a big difference in the sound Quality between the T-128 and A.124 ?
@@bandar7891 â @Ban Dar I do indeed. The A124 has an extra depth of warmth and body resonance that I don't quite get from the T128. Very similar treble and action quality, but the mid-range and low end just have more dynamic range and colour to it. Between the two I'd tip A124 every time. HOWEVER, we're not talking about a gigantic difference, so I do think the pricing gap is appropriate, and the bass CLARITY that you get from the T128 makes it a better choice for smaller spaces where you don't want to compromise that range tonally. So in short, A124 = more colourful and louder, T128 = clearer and nicely controlled. -stu
Hi Stu! Could you please offer me a similar comparison between T122 and P120? Many thanks!
Too digitalish and dull.
Not sure what you mean by "digitalish". I am guessing that you like very bright sounding pianos ? Is that what you mean by "dull" ?
mediocre sound and tone