Fantom Xa - Price Is Everything

[2TIM316]

Okay, the street price on the Fantom-Xa is going to come in around $1300 US. At the same time you can purchase a Fantom-X for $1700, a Motif ES for $1700, or the Triton EX for between $1750 and $1800.

So where is the value here? Someone please explain. Is the elimination of 64 megs of wave ROM (including the premier acoustic piano, new strings, guitars and basses, and various other waves in the Fantom-X B bank), along with 3 SRX slots, the color display, the pad bank (sort of), and the internal power supply worth only $400 to the user? I think not.

I agree with buzzbro in the previous post - what is Roland thinking? The ONLY reason to consider this model over the Fantom-X (or even the "old" S), is PRICE. It's certainly not features - those have been stripped away. (Okay, I realize there are a couple of extra button and numeric features, but those are relatively insignificant).

So regarding PRICE, once again Roland is off the mark. True, all new synths sell for a premium when they're first released. But those new synths almost always have new features unobtainable on older gear. In this case, the only draw is PRICE, so Roland should have set up the price structure to match the current prices offered by dealers for their existing products. Only then would the Xa be attractive.

For example, at $1700, that puts the Fantom-X at around 71% of retail. The same factor applied to the Xa puts it at $1136. Now we've got a spread of $564. That starts to make the Xa somewhat attractive based solely on PRICE. But for $400, again, what's the big deal? Are you telling me that a significant number of buyers could afford $1300, but NOT $1700. And then the salesman shows them that for the extra $400 they can now choose between Fantom, Motif, and even almost Triton.

Good luck, Roland. To quote the political buzzword of the time, Roland Fantom-Xa - great synth, WRONG price!

[savante]

I got a quote on the Motif ES6 of $1620 including shipping from Rik's music. They might have the Fantom Xa at a pretty good price too.

However, I agree with your overall analysis that the new Xa isn't really a good value compared to other 61-key workstations.

[Artemiy]

... We here have to pay almost full retail prices, and despite low life level, never actually count how much for the LCD, how much for the pads, etc. I paid USD 1920 (dealer's price - God bless Roland Ukraine! ) for my Fantom-S in Dec 2003, at the time you could get it for $1300-1400 in US.

You Americans are cheap (no offence here of course, just jealous)

[pianodick]

I think it is more a case of, there is a music store on every other corner and including the online dealers, the dealers are having to compete a lot harder for business here in America. Supply and Demand & Caveat Emptor.

"It is not the anticipated and perfectly performed musical note that singles out for recognition any particular musical performance." ©2004 Pianodick

[TIK777]

I was thinking 999.95 (usd) not stinkin 1399.95 WTF??
Geez Roland you took off the 600.00 screen the 10 dollar pads (lol) half the sounds, this is not the same as fantom x6-8 but its not much cheaper at all...its way too high!!! If I was still shoppin for a keyboard right now I would buy my Fantom X again over the Xa with ease...this is not even a hard decision to an educated gear user.
~TiK

Life is What you Pay for

[2TIM316]

Well put. Obviously I completely agree. Your prices are a little off, however. "Street" price (in US $) is currently around $1300. For comparison, X6 "street" price is around $1700. For my money $400 isn't nearly enough to give up all of the features. When the Xa hits $1200 street, it'll start being interesting.

BTW demoed the Xs tonight (X7 and XR). Still not at all impressed with the new 700 sample quadruple strike piano. Makes the Xa a little more interesting. Whatever the acoustic piano patch in the S was called, that patch really isn't half bad. And that's the main thing you give up in sound when going from the X to the Xa, along with some strings and a few miscellaneous other samples.

But really giving this more thought, you're right - $1000 "street" is the right price for the Xa. I don't think "budget conscious" buyers are looking to spend $1300 for such an instrument. At that price they'll be looking to up to the X.

[mucsusn]

Considering that you can pick up a used or like new S for around 800.................This one is strictly for newbs, not pros.

BTW, the screen isn't worth 6 bills. In bulk the actual cost to Roland is about 80 dollars. Add in a little higher manufacturing costs due to complexity. Probably costs a little over a 100 out the door, as opposed to about 40 for the old gray screen. The little one on the Xa is peanuts.

[swandiver]

Roland will do what they've done with the Fantom and Fantom-S: they will wait about 6 months or so at the current price point, and then drop the price by a couple/few hundred dollars if it doesn't have high initial sales.