To a degree I agree. The expansion cards really make this synthe. Also, the vast amount of editing capabilities help. I have created a piano sound that I'm happy with, to the point where I almost never use any of the preset pianos. I made it of stock waves, using no expansion board waves. I wouldn't say all the basic sounds are poor, but they are less than awe inspiring. My XP is fully expanded. That's what adds the professionalism to the synthe. I've played extensively on the Korg Trinity and o1W, and I'd say they have better basic sounds, but they don't compare to an expanded XP-80.