Roland HP605 VS LX7: What’s The Difference?

If you want to know the differences between the Roland HP605 and the Roland LX7, then you’ve come to the right place! Both are premium digital pianos, fitted with a lot of Roland’s flagship features. If you look at the spec, you might notice that there are more similarities than differences between the two instruments, however, both do provide slightly different playing experiences.

	Roland HP605	Roland LX7
Key Action	PHA-50	PHA-50
Piano Sound	SuperNATURAL Piano Modeling	SuperNATURAL Piano Modeling
Voices	307	307
Polyphony	Limitless (on piano setting) 384	Limitless (on piano setting) 384
Bluetooth	Bluetooth Audio & MIDI	Bluetooth Audio & MIDI
Dimensions (rest down in mm)	Width: 1379 Height: 959 Depth: 456	Width: 1391 Height: 1039 Depth: 446
Speaker System	30W x 2, 7W x 2 amplifiers 12cm x 2, 5cm x 2, 5cm x 2 speakers	30W x 2, 7W x 2 amplifiers 25cm x 2 (with speaker box), 5cm x 2, (12cm x 8cm) x 2 (with speaker box) speakers

HP vs LX

HP stands for home piano, and LX means luxury. That, in a nutshell is the main difference between the HP605 and the LX7. The HP605 offers players Roland’s flagship keyboard action – PHA-50, alongside their incredible SuperNATURAL piano modelling sound engine (more on those later) and houses it all in a traditional looking piano cabinet. It’s available in four finishes – black, white, rosewood and polished ebony so you can match it to the decor of your room.

The LX7 houses the same amazing technology in a more luxurious cabinet. With the music rest of the HP605 down, the LX7 stands taller so it makes more of a visual impact. The cabinet of the LX7 has also been designed in a way that makes it look more like an acoustic piano. This, along with the authentic piano action and sound can make you forget you’re playing a digital instrument at all. The design of the LX7 cabinet also contributes to its sound. The back piece that houses the speakers is bigger than it is one the HP605; the sound travels all the way through it, like it would on an acoustic piano. More resonance within the actual instrument means a slightly richer sound and a more authentic playing experience.

HP605 vs LX7 – Speakers

Along with the more acoustic piano-like cabinet design, the Roland LX7 also has an improved speaker system. The main two speakers housed towards the bottom of the cabinet are much bigger than those of the HP605. They’re also housed in a speaker box that help wield a more impressive bass responsive, so when you’re playing those lower notes, you’ll get a richer and more powerful sound. You also get bigger spatial speakers, housed in a speaker box, again giving you a richer, and slightly clearer tone. Bigger speakers will also mean that even at quieter volumes, you get a better quality sound, with a better dynamic range – that is, more detailed shades of quiet and loiud. How the speakers are placed in the cabinet of the LX7 also improves the acoustic projection, so the sound is emitted from the same part as it would be on an acoustic piano.

Many people now take advantage of the bluetooth audio feature on these two digital pianos – both the HP605 and LX7 allow you to stream music from your phone or tablet through them, essentially using the piano as a sound system. The improved speaker setup on the LX7 means that you’ll get a better sound when playing music through it too.

Key Action & Piano Sound

Both pianos have Roland’s best key action to date – PHA-50. The keys have a good weight to them and respond very similarly to those of an acoustic. They’re also made from a combination of wood and plastic so the feel is right, but won’t require any maintenance. The piano sound comes courtesy of Roland’s truly impressive SuperNATURAL modelling technology – unlike a lot of other digital pianos, the sound that you hear through the speakers is calculated in real time, depending on hard or softly you press the key, and what other keys you’re playing. The result is a rich, full and warm tone, with all the subtle overtones and cabinet noise that you’d hear when playing an acoustic piano.

Conclusion

The Roland HP605 and LX7 are premium digital pianos from different series, with a very similar specification. They share the same key action, piano sound and features, so is the LX7 really worth the extra money? If you don’t think you’d benefit from the improved speakers, then probably not. However, the speakers in the LX7 does give the piano a slightly richer sound, which, when combined with the more piano-like cabinet design does make for a more authentic and immersive playing experience. It also emits a more luxurious vibe – as suggested by its name, so if you’re after a piano that will impress visually as well as aurally, it’s certainly one to consider.

Remember that both of these piano comes with free home delivery and ground-floor installation, done by our own in-house piano team. If you need any more information on any of the pianos, just get in touch with us.