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|  Kawai RH3 vs Roland PHA4 action questions #3205252 03/30/22 01:53 PM | Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 624NY M moshuajusic  OP 500 Post Club Member | | OP 500 Post Club Member M Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 624NY | I know this has been done before. And I did poke around. My specific questions:Which feels heavier?Which feels softer at the bottom of the key stroke?Which feels faster (or less sluggish)?In-person Kawai digitals are almost nonexistent right now. Got to play an RD-88 the other day. I thought the PHA4 action felt heavy, which is fine by me. But it also felt sluggish. Fast repetitions were difficult despite the 3 sensors. My debut film, orchestral score, piano étude | | | | Copy Link to Clipboard | | Share Post on Facebook | | Share Post on Twitter | | Share Post on Reddit | | Re: Kawai RH3 vs Roland PHA4 action questions moshuajusic #3205367 03/31/22 02:47 AM | | Joined: Feb 2021 Posts: 2,005The Netherlands H HZPiano 2000 Post Club Member | | 2000 Post Club Member H Joined: Feb 2021 Posts: 2,005The Netherlands | Hello,@moshuajusic, I play PHA-4 and am perfectly fine with it.To answer your specific questions:- The PHA-4 will feel heavier than the Kawai action you mention;- The PHA-4 is said to bottom out harder, and I also sometimes think of modifying it a bit in that respect. But I have little time and it isn't a priority;- Most people would say the mentioned Kawai action feels faster. Others have no issue with PHA-4 in this respect.Choosing an action that satisfies generally is a highly personal thing!Hope this helps,HZ | | | | Copy Link to Clipboard | | Share Post on Facebook | | Share Post on Twitter | | Share Post on Reddit | | Re: Kawai RH3 vs Roland PHA4 action questions moshuajusic #3205453 03/31/22 11:39 AM | Joined: Jun 2016 Posts: 1,166Pennsylvania  drewr 1000 Post Club Member | | 1000 Post Club Member Joined: Jun 2016 Posts: 1,166Pennsylvania | I own both RHII ( a precursor of RHIII) and a variant of PHAIV.I believe the former either is OR at least feels lighter, softer at bottom and easier for me to play faster. But, from having done a wide variety of reading/poking around here for years, i have seen enough people who relate/report on this one area of action playability to realize - not everyone equates the feel of heavier action weight to sluggish. There seems to be many pianists who prefer heavier feel because it allows THEM to “really dig in “ …. to play faster.If you have not already poked across it, you may want to read this link - http://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2455407/Kawai_RHII_vs_RHIII_actions.html Last edited by drewr; 03/31/22 11:41 AM. - Kawai MP7 and LSR308 monitors - Roland HP-508- DT770 Pro-80 and MDR-7506 phones | | | | Copy Link to Clipboard | | Share Post on Facebook | | Share Post on Twitter | | Share Post on Reddit | | Re: Kawai RH3 vs Roland PHA4 action questions moshuajusic #3205457 03/31/22 12:00 PM | | Joined: Aug 2016 Posts: 9,910USA G Gombessa 9000 Post Club Member | | 9000 Post Club Member G Joined: Aug 2016 Posts: 9,910USA | PH4 actions have always felt a bit "damped" or "resistive" on the way down, I hesitate to use the word "sluggish" because of the negative connotation, but every PHA action I've tried seems to have this characteristic. Kawai is a bit on the lighter/smoother/faster side.That said, the differences aren't really that much at all. I would expect more of a difference moving between two acoustic pianos than the difference between PHA actions and RH... | | | | Copy Link to Clipboard | | Share Post on Facebook | | Share Post on Twitter | | Share Post on Reddit | | Re: Kawai RH3 vs Roland PHA4 action questions moshuajusic #3205467 03/31/22 12:40 PM | | Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 624NY M moshuajusic OP 500 Post Club Member | | OP 500 Post Club Member M Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 624NY | I don't mind a heavy action, it's just the keys on RD-88 didn't seem to have a fast enough rebound from bottom to play fast repeats. Think Billy Joel's Prelude/Angry Young Man. Even my old, broken-in RD700NX struggles with that speed of repetition. On acoustics I've played it's much easier.I'm guessing it's friction. In most dp actions you got multiple points of plastic rubbing on plastic, albeit with grease. My debut film, orchestral score, piano étude | | | | Copy Link to Clipboard | | Share Post on Facebook | | Share Post on Twitter | | Share Post on Reddit | | Re: Kawai RH3 vs Roland PHA4 action questions moshuajusic #3205471 03/31/22 01:02 PM | | Joined: Apr 2019 Posts: 2,286Canada A Abdol 2000 Post Club Member | | 2000 Post Club Member A Joined: Apr 2019 Posts: 2,286Canada | Originally Posted by moshuajusicI know this has been done before. And I did poke around. My specific questions:Which feels heavier?Which feels softer at the bottom of the key stroke?Which feels faster (or less sluggish)?In-person Kawai digitals are almost nonexistent right now. Got to play an RD-88 the other day. I thought the PHA4 action felt heavy, which is fine by me. But it also felt sluggish. Fast repetitions were difficult despite the 3 sensors.I highly doubt that PHA-4 has counterweights like RH-III. I'm not even sure if PHA-50 has counterweights as Roland is always hiding information behind curtains. 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