Response from Yamaha:

I thought it was nice of them to respond. As expected, substantial answers are not forthcoming. ;-}

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[Hi Real],

The fact is that the YPG625 will have a USB interface only. Does that mean that this instrument is not suitable for your application? From your letter, it would seem so, but maybe not. The sound set that's available in the YPG625 is, in most respects, superior to that of the MU15. I would never recommend that a YPG625 customer might benefit from buying a MU15. I don't know what a Roland E-09 sounds like, but if it is similar to the MU15, you probably don't need it. Before you write off the YPG625, you should probably try it. "Serious synth guys" probably need MIDI connections, but the YPG625 is not the right choice for a serious synth guy for many reasons. Regarding why the engineers designed it without MIDI jacks, I'm afraid we will have to live without the answer to that question. I am not privvy to the whys of their decisions, nor will an answer be forthcoming if I should ask.

Regards,

[His Name]

Yamaha Customer Support