Product Overview

Roland’s LX series is synonymous with elegance, class, and quality. All of Roland’s new technology is unveiled first and exclusively available with each new incarnation of the LX series, before gradually trickling down to other models. With high-grade cabinets, cutting-edge sound engines, and piano actions, not to mention premium speaker arrays, Roland’s LX series are among the top home digital pianos currently available.

Being the second model in a three-model lineup, the LX706 presents excellent value and is the first LX model to offer the ‘Hybrid Grand Keyboard’ from Roland. This is a really big deal, and professional musicians with a discerning touch will certainly pick up on the advantages of this action, specifically the longer key lengths.

To go along with Roland’s best action, the LX706 model also has a premium 3-way/6-speaker audio system which impresses by all accounts. The speakers are strategically designed and positioned to optimally recreate the resonance and ambiance of an acoustic piano; Roland calls this technology: PureAcoustic Ambience

The cabinetry on the LX706 is at first glance quite similar to the Roland LX705 but on closer inspection a little taller to accommodate for the extra speakers. The piano is also packed to the top with Roland’s best feature set and connectivity options to give musicians playing the LX706 the exact same functionality as their most expensive grand pianos.

This piano punches way above its price tag in every regard, and will likely wind up on the ‘shortlist’ for anyone looking for a high-end/high-value digital piano.

Piano Action

The Roland LX706 digital piano is the most affordable Roland model to feature their best action – the ‘Hybrid Grand Keyboard’. For those familiar with Roland’s PHA-50 action, it’s actually a very similar design but with a longer key length. This is actually the same action that’s found in Roland’s grand pianos as well as their LX708

The ‘Hybrid Grand Keyboard’ action is made of both plastic and wood and is really well weighted/graded. It’s very responsive and sensitive to the touch and has all of the staples of a high-quality digital piano action, such as: escapement and triple sensors.

Also worth pointing out is that Roland actions are particularly renowned for their longevity and durability, which is not something to take for granted, especially on an instrument of this calibre.

The action on the LX706 is certainly one of the highlights of the model, and it’s quite exciting to be able to ‘get your hands on it’ in this price range

Sound Engine

Roland equips the LX706 with their PureAcoustic Piano Modeling tone engine. The piano is an instrument with beautiful complexity and expressiveness to its tone, and Roland’s sound modeling technology has been and is on the cutting edge of replicating it digitally (with no sound samples), to exacting standards. It’s extremely difficult to engineer a tone engine of this calibre and detail without the use of sound samples, but the advantage to the musician is that they have full control over the sound of their instrument – just like on an acoustic piano

The speaker system delivering this tone is also top-notch and uses a technology Roland calls Acoustic Projection. The LX706 receives a 3-way/6 speaker audio system and is specifically engineered/balanced/positioned to create tone like an acoustic piano. There are two cabinet speakers, two near-field speakers and two spatial speakers, all of which are responsible for specific frequency ranges. They produce an impressive 74W of output power, and when not playing piano, double as a high-quality stereo/entertainment system for streaming audio via the wireless Bluetooth connection.

The main piano tone engine features both an American and a European grand piano tone with limitless polyphony, as well as over 300 other instrument sounds with 256 note polyphony

Connectivity

As would be expected from an LX series instrument, there’s no shortage of connectivity options with the LX706. Bluetooth Audio and MIDI for starters, both which have become standard on Roland’s higher-end models as wireless connectivity becomes more common.

In terms of more traditional ports, there are dual headphone jacks, a DC in, stereo mini line in, twin audio line outs, as well as USB type A and B.

Notable Features

There are many features on the Roland LX706 that can be pointed towards as notable, but for pianists, the biggest takeaway is certainly the Hybrid Grand Keyboard Action. It features a similar design and quality as their professional PHA-50 action, but with a longer key stick for better control and a more authentic feel. The LX706 is the first model from Roland to feature this action, and for someone looking for the best Roland has to offer on a budget, this will make this model a front-runner for sure.

Conclusion

Roland’s LX706 is the second model in their three models LX Series of high-end, upright digital pianos and presents incredible value for discerning pianists on a budget. Packed with literally the best Roland has to offer, with a premium 6 speaker audio system in an upright cabinet, this piano looks as good as it performs, and is a ‘must consider’ for anyone looking at a digital alternative to an acoustic

Owner's Manual

• [English] LX706 Owner’s Manual