Welcome to the forum.

I don't play keyboards and am not the one to answer your question, but I wanted you to know I understand the question perfectly. I've used East West (last time was about 15 years ago), Garritan, and some other less expensive VSTis (virtual instruments). I've also used many of the dedicated notation programs. You are correct about product demos. Interestingly, since you are on a PG Music forum, you might be interested that this company does not doctor the demos. They record straight out of the program.

Several fellow users here do know a lot about getting good piano sounds. Give it some time for them to find this thread. I don't know either how much 'tweaking' they have to do.

As a composer, I don't have time to adjust much more than select a piano, set the reverb (low), set the tone, and play it. But I can understand how a pianist would be more sensitive. Several times here we have discovered that musicians care deeply about how their own instrument sounds when reproduced electronically, but care less so for other instruments. For example, all electronic brass and woodwinds irritate me, but I can accept some piano, drums, and bass "out of the box".

BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.