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This is very good advice. I bought my K300 unseen. There was a 500 euro price difference if I wanted a floor model from a different store which I thought was too much.

Having said that, when delivered my K300 played well, light, no problems, but after a few weeks some keys became slow. The reason was that it became more humid in my home. Not too much by normal standards, 60-65% RH, but too much for my piano. It needed some repinning, which the dealer did for free, but sometimes I still think some keys are a bit slow around 65% RH, so at some point I may have it regulated by a good technician. So all I am saying is that even if it play fantastic on the dealers floor, results may still be different in your home. A piano should be able to accommodate RH up to 70% or so, but how to test this beforehand?

JerryFan2000 says his K300 keys were very heavy. It may well be that he had similar problems as I had (whippen pins too tight in more humid conditions).

If you want to be certain of good regulation you may need to budget in an additional 500 euro/USD when buying the piano in case problems arise later.

At that humidity you'll run into another problem (mold).

I bought my k300 aures fresh out of the box sight unseen. The action played well but I did have a problem with a few hammers coming loose and buzzing after a couple months. Took a couple visits from dealers technician to solve the issue.

I believe the hammers become heavy because the felt absorbs
moisture in the air.I suppose everything will become slower.
Also not good for the instrument in the long run.

@APianistHasNoName, your signature lists the K300 Aures as an "old flame". If you don't mind me asking, what was the reason for letting it go so quickly?

K400 has a way better music desk anyway. 👍🙂

I got the k300 aures because I got back into piano and wanted a silent instrument. However I quickly realized that I missed the action and sound of a grand piano. And once I started playing again, I quickly got much more serious than I anticipated, practicing about 10 hours per week. I liked the K300 for what it is but just wanted something more inspiring for my studies.

Well that C. Bechstein sure looks like a fantastic instrument (never played one myself).

Too bad about the steep depreciation on the K300 though (read in another of your posts that you sold it to your neighbor).

Finally tried the Kawai K300. Richer and smoother than the K200 next to it. However the K200 would probably suffice for my beginner level of playing. Also smaller and cheaper. I did find it hard to control the action on both, probably because I've only ever played a digital. Don't know whether I'd adjust enough to bring out the qualities of an acoustic or whether I should just get the entry level K15 which may be less imposing and perhaps easier to play? Other than that I sometimes find myself looking at a less maintenance/headphone/ Ca99 or NV5s
If I save for another year I would also look at a k200/300Atx silent system. Would give me more freedom to play with neighbours.
Feel free to comment on any of the above.

I would vote for the K300. You will probably never need to upgrade. Keep the digital as well, for playing silently at night or for taking it with you for a gig or whatever. Makes sense for any pianist to also have a portable digital.

The details of the neighbour situation may be important. Since you are a relative beginner but obviously serious about playing piano, you will need to practice a reasonable amount on most days. And a non-negligible part of that will be repetitive and in developmental state. At the same time you don't want to feel hesitant about practicing. Having a headphone option is really nice. So you could go for the K300 and keep the digital for scales etc, late-night playing. Or go for the K200 ATX3.

I faced the same choice under similar conditions 1.5 years ago. I didn't want to dedicate space for two pianos (house is relatively small), and even more importantly, I need to practice a lot. Most of my playing time really, and I wanted to do that on an acoustic action, not the digital I had (that was causing serious joint problems). So I went for a silent K300.

There is an advanced player here on the forum, Gamma1734, who has a K200 ATX3, and is happy with it. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJlYsz0wNkoaOhPKVnscKXQ

I had access to a piano inferior to a K15 for my first 7 years of lessons (after which I switched to organ study). It was a Cable-Nelson spinet. At the time the piano was made, the Cable-Nelson brand was owned by Everett, and used for their less expensive product line. It was not fabulous, but it is what my family owned. I did not perceive it as a limitation as a youngster at the time. My older sister had 12 years of lessons using the same piano.

I think a K15, K200, or K300 all will meet the needs of a beginning piano student.

Thanks Sweelinck. I think you're right re your last paragraph. Unfortunately as stated , at my age this will be my first and last Acoustic, hence the procrastination.
Still tempted by the K15 but never heard anyone on the forum who has had one. Would love to know if they outgrew it as they progressed.

If you can swing the cost of a K200 I'd encourage you to go that route instead. Sturdier more substantial case, higher quality action and hammers, tapered soundboard, etc. You'd be less likely to outgrow the K200 than the K15.

https://kawaius.com/product/k-200/

https://kawaius.com/product/k-15/

I agree-- if this will be your first and last piano, I would recommend the K200 or K300 or K500.

I don't know if the shorter stature of the K-15 also translates to a lower keyboard position as measured from the floor - it looks like it but this is not part of the specs. At any rate, apparently there is no such thing as a standard keyboard height:

https://livingpianos.com/are-piano-keyboards-all-the-same-height/

I tried stacking the diagrams for K-500, K-300, K-200, and K-15 from the brochures (the K-15 resized accounting for the 110 cm height vs 114 cm in K-200). Assuming that the diagrams are drawn to scale, it looks like the keyboard for the K-15 may be at least 9 cm lower than the others. Depending on your leg measurements this may work to your detriment or benefit.