My last purchase was a PA3x at the beginning of it's run. It's gone but I still have my Tyros 2, Korg Micro arranger and an MZ2000. The T5 was great w/ lots of new sounds, but still vs the T2, I don't know that it's worth the upgrade ( for me ). The 975 is a great value, but the keys still feel like my old PSR2k. It came down to the Genos and PA4x.

I've always been a "Korg" arranger guy, but today I just was more inspired by the Genos. Except for Korg's great synth sounds, in some groups I liked the Genos a lot better. I like to do a lot of guitar emulations. I always liked Korg's better before. Not any more. The PA4x OS and sounds are a bit different from the PA3x, but I didn't feel that it was enough that I'd change ( if I still had a PA3x ) Korg styles still feel a bit more live sounding, but the Genos has closed that gap and the transitions felt a lot smoother. The Genos has the most realistic sounding "acoustic" instruments I have played outside of some of the VSTi's I have. It's so easy though to plug and play vs setting up VST's. I was always a "synth first" guy who liked to play with the knobs while mashing a sound, but I remarked to the KB guy that today when I saw ( and sampled ) the modern hardware analogs / emulations, I was a bit stuck because I had forgotten about or simply didn't recognize some of the controllers.

The only thing is the price of the Genos. OK if I was working as a OMB, but I transitioned long ago into DJ work and I'm pretty much retired now. For a pleasure instrument where I only use the styles occasionally to jam to, probably more than I need to spend on a board. That said, it's really the first time since the transition from PSR 9k to Tyros that I see a vast difference from one flagship ( T 5 ) to the next and I was surprised that I liked it better than Korg's flagship. They're both great though, and in fairness I know the 3x so well that perhaps it's just the desire to hear something that sounds much different fro m what I once had. Well played Yamaha. I'd probably give them one more spin, but if I DO decide to spend on arranger, the Genos is the favorite to come home with me, even though I can get a refurbed 4x for about half. I will admit... THAT makes it a bit tougher. Of course I may take a ride and try out a Ketron. Loved the last one I tried, but.. it's a whole new OS since I've never owned one before. Having always preferred the PA series, I myself am surprised to say that.