We sell both. We love both. And we have clear opinions about which one belongs in your home — opinions that depend entirely on who you are as a musician and what music you play.
Two Instruments, Two Philosophies
Steinway & Sons was founded in 1853 by Henry Steinway in New York. From the beginning, the instrument was designed for the concert hall — for projection, clarity, and athletic responsiveness. Steinway's innovations (the duplex scale, the overstrung bass, the one-piece bent rim) were engineering solutions to the problem of filling large spaces with a focused, powerful sound.
Bösendorfer was founded in Vienna in 1828 — twenty-five years earlier — by Ignaz Bösendorfer, who built his first instrument for Franz Liszt. The Viennese tradition from which Bösendorfer emerges is different: more intimate, more harmonically complex, designed for salons and small concert halls rather than the opera-house acoustics of American venues. Where Steinway projects, Bösendorfer resonates.
These founding philosophies have never fully left either instrument. When you play them side by side, you are hearing a century and a half of engineering tradition made audible.
Tone Character
Steinway
- +Focused, brilliant top register
- +Powerful, authoritative bass
- +Fast, responsive attack
- +Clear projection across large spaces
- +Tone that cuts through an orchestra
- +Consistent voice throughout the range
Bösendorfer
- +Warm, complex, orchestral depth
- +Rich harmonic overtones throughout
- +Bass with extraordinary resonance
- +Nuanced, singing midrange
- +Tone that blooms in smaller spaces
- +Imperial: extra bass notes below A0
The tonal difference is immediately audible to any sensitive ear. Play a Brahms intermezzo on a Steinway Model B, then on a Bösendorfer 200 of comparable quality. The Steinway version is cleaner, more precise, more projected. The Bösendorfer version has more harmonic complexity — each note seems to radiate more overtones, creating a sound that is richer and, in the right space, extraordinarily beautiful.
In a large concert hall, the Steinway's clarity and projection advantage matters enormously. In a medium-sized room or recording studio, the Bösendorfer's harmonic richness can be the more compelling instrument.
"The Steinway wants to be heard across a room. The Bösendorfer wants you to lean in and listen."
Touch and Action
The Steinway action is arguably the most widely copied action in the world. It is fast, consistent, and athletic — designed for the technical demands of 19th and 20th century concert repertoire. The repetition is crisp, the key weight is carefully regulated, and the resistance curve is predictable. Pianists who learn on Steinways develop their technique against this standard.
The Bösendorfer action is heavier and more nuanced. Key weight is typically 5–10 grams heavier in the bass register than a comparable Steinway, with a touch depth that is slightly shallower. The repetition mechanism requires more deliberate articulation — you can't play it as athletically as a Steinway without some adjustment. In return, the action rewards sensitivity and gradation of touch in ways that the Steinway, with its faster response, sometimes compresses.
Most pianists who regularly play both instruments find the Steinway easier to perform on initially, and the Bösendorfer more rewarding musically once they've spent time with it. The adjustment period is real — expect 2–3 weeks before a Bösendorfer action feels natural to a Steinway-trained hand.
For practice and technique development, the Steinway's consistency is an advantage. For expressive playing where touch-weight gradation matters above all else, the Bösendorfer rewards patience.
Repertoire Suitability
This is where we can be most specific. If you know what you play, you can know which instrument serves you better:
The Viennese piano tradition for which this music was written. Schubert's song-like lines benefit from the warm midrange; Beethoven's harmonic explorations gain complexity.
The German Romantic repertoire where harmonic weight and overtone richness matter most. The extra bass resonance on the Imperial is extraordinary for late Brahms.
Liszt played a Bösendorfer. Many modern pianists prefer the Steinway for its clarity in complex textures. Both are entirely appropriate.
The French impressionist palette — clarity of color, rapid attack, distinct voices in complex textures — is served by Steinway's focused tone.
Percussive, athletic playing that demands fast repetition and a bright, cutting attack. The Bösendorfer can manage this repertoire but the Steinway was made for it.
The contrapuntal clarity of Bach benefits from both instruments differently. The Steinway clarifies lines; the Bösendorfer enriches them. Room size is the deciding factor.
The jazz tradition was built on Steinways. The consistent touch, bright tone, and fast response are what jazz pianists expect and need.
Value and Resale
On this dimension, Steinway wins unambiguously, and it's not close.
Steinway is the most liquid pre-owned piano in the world. There are more buyers, more dealers, more technicians who specialize in the instrument, and more price transparency than for any other piano brand. A Model B in excellent condition sells within weeks at a known market rate. This liquidity matters enormously if your circumstances change.
Bösendorfer resale is more complex. The buyer pool is smaller; the circle of technicians qualified to evaluate them is narrower; the market is less transparent. A well-priced Bösendorfer 200 in excellent condition will sell — but it may take months rather than weeks, and pricing requires more judgment. Certain models (the Imperial, the 225) hold value better than smaller models.
New Bösendorfer pricing has also lagged Steinway's increases. A new Bösendorfer 200 costs approximately $90,000–$105,000; a new Steinway B is $115,000. The pre-owned spread is similar. Neither brand is a poor investment, but Steinway is meaningfully safer if resale matters to you.
"Buy a Bösendorfer because you love the instrument, not as an investment. Buy a Steinway if financial liquidity matters to you even a little."
— Roger
Comparable Models
Sizing the instruments against each other by approximate length:
| Steinway | Length | Bösendorfer Equivalent | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model M | 5'7" | 170 | 5'7" |
| Model A | 6'2" | 185 | 6'1" |
| Model B | 6'10" | 200 | 6'7" |
| Model C | 7'5" | 214 | 7' |
| Model D | 8'11¾" | Imperial 290 | 9'6" |
Note: The Imperial 290 is the only 9-foot-plus piano in regular production with additional bass notes (97 keys vs standard 88). There is no direct Steinway equivalent.
Our Honest Recommendation
Buy a Steinway if: you play a broad repertoire, you share the instrument with students or other players, resale matters to you, you play in larger spaces, or you are uncertain. The Steinway is the safer and more versatile choice in the vast majority of situations.
Buy a Bösendorfer if: you play primarily German Romantic repertoire, you have a dedicated music room with good acoustics, you are willing to take the time to adapt to the instrument, and the tonal difference genuinely moves you. If you've played both seriously and keep finding yourself reaching for the Bösendorfer's sound, trust that instinct — it's the right instrument for you.
We have clients who own both — a Steinway B for teaching and general use, a Bösendorfer 200 for personal practice. For most buyers, that is not the choice. The question is simply: which one would make you practice more?
We're happy to arrange for you to play both instruments side by side. That comparison, in our experience, usually resolves the question more convincingly than any amount of written analysis.