I sort of agree with Chuck's position about all this as a business transaction based on individual preferences. I'm a long time Technics owner, presently with the 6500 and sitting on the fence. I've not heard nor played the 7000 as yet, but saw and played the Tyros this past weekend. I really liked the styles but thought the keys had a plastic/cheap feel compared to KN boards. Like someone said, I'm going to wait and see what NAMM offers first; then, hope to play a 7000 before making the plunge into a new board. One thing that did impress me about the Tyros was the quick tracking ability of the bass line. My Technics seems to glitch or hiccup on the bass part during fast chord changes. The Tyros seemed to be right on the money.