by Stephen N. Reed
Spirio, the first self-playing piano that measured up to Steinway’s exacting standards, rolled out in 2016. The Wall Street Journal captured some of its essence well:
“An uncannily accurate method of recording key strikes (with more than 1,000 velocity gradations) and the nuances of pedaling render the flat, soulless quality of playing pianos obsolete.”
But could the 21st Century Spirio itself become obsolete in time?
Patrick Elisha, with the M. Steinert & Sons’ Education Department, notes that Steinway has included key, sophisticated features which indicate that they built the Spirio to last:
This nuance and sensitivity in action dynamics, combined with 256 levels of pedal positioning, form the backbone of the Steinway Spirio performance library. There is widespread agreement that going beyond these specifications would yield no perceptible difference.
For on-board recording with Spirio|R, the same principle prevails: the extraordinary capacity to capture over 1,020 levels of dynamic range and 256 pedal movements, sampled 100 times per second. Other tech factors that should forestall Spirio becoming obsolete include:
However, because the Spirio’s hardware features all separate components, they can be repaired or replaced as necessary. Thus, if a single component of the hardware fails, the piano is not obsolete. Just as with other Steinway parts, individual components can be replaced if they wear out.
Patrick notes that Steinway & Sons has always been at the forefront of piano engineering and technology; these are areas that they have been comfortable working in for many years.
“Steinway is the catalyst and champion of modern piano technology,” explains Patrick. “The Spirio was engineered for the long haul, not for a price point.”
Steinway’s mission remains “Build the best piano possible.” Steinway Spirio is a continuation of this nearly 170-year mission.
For more information about the Steinway Spirio, see our article Is the Spirio Worth It?
by Stephen N. Reed, updated for 2023 pricing on January 24, 2023
Since its release in 2016, Steinway & Sons’ Spirio pianos have captured the imagination of those who want the high performance of a Steinway Model D, B, or M grand piano paired with the highest resolution self-playing technology.
Spirio Models start around $122,000 and reach over $400,000 (depending upon size, features, and finish). The Spirio Play model adds an additional $29,000 to the price of a Steinway Model M or Model B grand piano.
The newer Spirio | r, with its added recording and high definition editing technology, adds a total of $48,000 to the new Steinway Grand Model M, B, or D (the Model D Spirio is only available in the Spirio | r version).
Let’s look into four key areas, related to the cost of the only self-playing piano to meet the high standards set by Steinway & Sons.
Steinway wants nothing to go out under its name without an exhaustive testing process. This is true for any Steinway product but especially Spirio, with the complexities involved in integrating new audio technology with a Steinway grand.
As the world’s oldest dealer of Steinway pianos, M. Steinert & Sons has an extensive understanding of all Steinway products, especially the Spirio, which we have been carrying since its launch in 2016.
The state-of-the-art technology and engineering innovations created by the engineers at Steinway & Sons account for a significant amount of the value present in each Steinway Spirio piano.
What kind of engineering innovations?
As one example, in order to achieve the high resolution now available in every Spirio grand, Steinway engineers had to place over 1,000 levels of sensitivity per key.
This is not your grandfather’s player piano. This is extraordinarily advanced audio technology, software development, and electronic engineering, all designed to produce the high resolution, nuanced sound any audiophile seeks.
Such innovation is necessary to achieve the experience of having Irving Berlin or Vladimir Horowitz interpret a piano piece. That performance is played out on the Spirio keyboard in the same, precise manner as when these piano masters were recorded years ago.
High resolution technology is needed to offer the same, precise, subtle soft and loud key strikes that a Steinway immortal played in their prime.
It is important to note, that Spirio technology must be installed during the manufacturing process. It cannot be added on after the fact. Just as developing the latest technology takes a highly qualified team, so does the craftsmanship involved in creating a Steinway Spirio. Interfacing the exceptional materials and design inherent in any new Steinway grand with the new Spirio technology being installed is a complex process.
Every new Steinway Spirio is outfitted by Steinway craftspeople to ensure that both the integrity of the original Steinway design and the functioning of the new technology blend in a seamless way to create the Spirio experience.
A key part of this process is installing a solenoid (electromechanical actuator) rail into the piano keybed (a shelf-like part of the piano that supports the keys and action). On the solenoid rail, there is one solenoid for each key.
There is also a solenoid for all three pedals, soft, sostenuto, and sustain pedals, Steinway created over 250 levels of sensitivity per pedal and a solenoid for the on/off function of the sostenuto pedal, as well.
Each solenoid contains a mechanical device that, when activated by an electronic signal, pushes against a key or against the pedal trap work, causing the appropriate keys and pedals to move up and down. All of this is put into place without compromising the integrity of the instrument.
Perfecting this player-piano technology to achieve Steinway standards adds to the value of any Spirio piano.
Unlike pay-per-song technologies, Spirio owners enjoy a huge high resolution library at no extra charge. The Spirio music library consists of over 4,300 pieces from classical and jazz legends, as well as today’s pop artists. Some pieces come from Steinway’s proprietary archival recordings of famed Steinway Artists like Sergei Rachmaninoff, George Gershwin, and Vladimir Horowitz, unavailable elsewhere. Imagine what such exclusive performance recordings would cost if each piece was bought separately.
Steinway continues to pay for new recordings of modern Steinway Artists, whose works are among the 40-50 pieces added monthly in high resolution, recorded exclusively for Spirio. These pieces are added at no additional charge, thus growing and diversifying the Spirio owner’s musical library.
In addition to these factors, one other cost factor remains: does the Spirio buyer want the original Spirio Play version or the Spirio | r version to record from their keyboard? Spirio Play costs approximately $29,000 and is added to the regular cost of a new Steinway Model B or M grand piano.
The Spirio | r adds an additional charge due to the added technology components involved, such as editing capacities and linking up with other musicians remotely. The Spirio | r, with its recording technology, costs $48,000 and is added to the cost of a new Steinway Model M, B, and D.
Both Spirio models come with the highest levels of quality and durability expected of any Steinway.
For more information about the Spirio experience, contact M. Steinert & Sons by filling out the form below.
Or – directly schedule a time to try a Spirio in Boston or Newton.
Other Spirio Related Content:
by Stephen N. Reed
After five years on the market, Steinway’s Spirio high performance audio technology is gaining popularity. Indeed, one out of every three new Steinways sold today is a Spirio.
After reading this article, you will be familiar with what we feel are the best reasons to step up to a Spirio for your Steinway Model B, M, or D. M. Steinert & Sons has been a Steinway distributor for New England since 1869 and has seen various models of player pianos over the years.
“The Spirio includes a high resolution musical library, live performance capability, and recording,” said Chuck Johnson, Marketing Manager for M. Steinert & Sons.
“We’ve seen different attempts at player pianos, having served the New England piano market for over 160 years. Spirio is the most well-designed, easy to use, self-playing piano we’ve ever sold.”
First and foremost, a Spirio still has the broad palette, warmth and depth of tone, powerful resonance, and unmatched touch response—just like any other new Steinway.
The artisans at Steinway & Sons install Spirio technology at the time of manufacture, ensuring no alterations in the musical performance, nor compromise in the instrument’s beauty. The benefit to the buyer is that they have both a new Steinway grand but also Spirio technology with all of its functions.
While Spirio is state-of-the-art technology, Steinway has made it simple for anyone to use. An Apple iPad is included, and the varying Spirio functions are easily controlled with the corresponding app. Training is offered, but rarely required – it’s that easy to operate.
After working with every after-market player system in the piano business for over 30 years, we are continually impressed by the simplicity of the Spirio’s access to the genres, performers and songs we wanted to hear. When something is easy to use, it tends to get used, and is worth owning.
The exclusive, high-resolution library features over 4300 pieces and is updated with 40-50 new pieces every month at no additional charge.
This includes a growing number of classical virtuosos, jazz legends, today’s latest pop artist hits, and historical performances by Steinway immortals like Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, and Duke Ellington.
Much like the megapixel revolution of the digital camera, Spirio offers the high-tech benefit of exclusive, high-resolution recordings, preserving all the music. Every nuanced, dynamic level from infinitesimal gradation of hammer velocity as well as every shade of resonance from proportional pedaling.
The result? Experiencing performances captured by great pianists of today and yesteryear that are indistinguishable from their live performances. We’re not talking about mere recordings from your CD collection.
This is like having the ghost of George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, or Sergei Rachmaninoff playing the keys on your Steinway Model M, B, or D grand–exactly the way they performed them decades ago
Spirio provides additional, high-resolution audio entertainment long after children who play the piano are out of the nest. Moreover, the different functions Spirio provides can re-ignite an interest in music and piano playing.
For example, one M. Steinert & Sons customer decided to step up to a Spirio because her daughter, who was taking lessons, was beginning to lose interest in the piano.
Spirio has done exactly what her mother had hoped: rekindle her daughter’s interest in the piano. Exposure to all of the different musical genres and soon live recordings in real time has made music fun for her again. Indeed, their Spirio has brought the whole family together through music.
Spirio provides a Steinway grand piano that has increased value for music lovers who do not play or who do so seldom. For these customers, a Steinway grand with the Spirio feature-set makes for a more valuable, easy to use, frequently-enjoyed instrument.
The value for them is two-fold: they have both a traditional Steinway grand for the occasions when they need it, while also enjoying a high-performance Spirio system for regular use.
The Spirio is also excellent for teaching and collaboration, allowing players in different locations to share their own recordings with one another. Today’s Rodgers and Hammerstein can brainstorm from their own homes, if needed. Remote learning possibilities abound for musical educators with the Spirio, as well.
The years of testing Spirio’s capacities by Steinway craftspeople, engineers, and technicians yields tremendous value to the Spirio experience. One out of every three new Steinways purchased today is a Spirio, an indication of their growing popularity with Steinway owners.
M. Steinert & Sons has been serving New England with Steinway’s range of pianos since 1869. We were part of the 2016 rollout of the Steinway Spirio because we were impressed with the carefully-researched interfacing of the latest high resolution, audio technology and the classic Steinway craftsmanship.
We encourage you to come see and play a Spirio for yourself at either of our two locations. For more information, please contact M. Steinert & Sons by filling out the form below.
Schedule a visit to one of our showrooms in Boston and Newton to try a Spirio for yourself. Until then, learn more about the Spirio models.
