Isn't it a little unfair to criticize a Casio for not conforming to Yamaha's proprietary XG format? I thought the Roland VA-7 was supposed to be the best sounding arranger keyboard at the high end, and it does not conform to XG. I think the same is true of the Solton X1 and will be true of the upcoming Korg PA-80. The Roland VA-7 does conform to GM Level 2, to which none of the low end arrangers conform.

Jeff, in my mind, the MAIN reason to prefer the Yamaha is that if your SO ever wants to upgrade, Casio gives her nowhere to go. If she gets the 540 and later buys a high-end Yamaha, chances are her investment in learning the features and developing any styles will carry forward. Of course, this would apply to you as well if you play her synth. Likewise, if she ever wants to expand the sounds using an external midi module, Casio (I believe) does not output the autoaccompaniment in midi form, while the Yamaha does. So if there is an upgrade in the future, Yamaha should be strongly favored.

[This message has been edited by Clif Anderson (edited 09-10-2000).]