Quieten Grand keyboard?

[Beemer2]

I have posted before about my disliking the key clatter both up and down on my Grand. This annoying sound has been there since I bought it new last year. I do have a high quality acoustic but I like playing my grand quietly in the late evening. With or without headphones I clearly hear the keys as they hit the bottom and there is also a noise when any key is released. In comparison my Blüthner acoustic has silent keys.
Last week I visited a store who had just taken delivery of a Grand 2. When I played it I immediately noticed that its keys are silent. I would like to understand what Nord (or Kawai) did to make the keys silent.
On viewing the Grand action I see that there are plastic strips which the key hits on bottoming. Perhaps these have been changed for a softer material in which case I would be happy to make a similar change since warranty has expired. if anyone has any knowledge that might assist me I would be grateful for a post.

[maxpiano]

In comparison my Blüthner acoustic has silent keys.

Just out of curiosity: how did you compare the two?

On the general question, I think applying some thin felt where part of the keys hit the metal may help.

[Beemer2]

I do have a dB sound meter but don't carry it around with me! When a sound is long term annoying, it is easy to do a comparison when, on another instrument, the sound is absent.

[maxpiano]

I do have a dB sound meter but don't carry it around with me! When a sound is long term annoying, it is easy to do a comparison when, on another instrument, the sound is absent.

Yes but on the acoutsic piano you cannot disengage the rest of the sound (can you)? So how can you isolate the mere keyboard mechanism noise in the 2 cases to make a 1:! comparison? On my vertical acoustic Kawai, for example, when I engage the practice dampener felt (sic.) I can hear more the mechanical noise, it is not 0 or negligible on acoustic pianos too (which is why some Virtual Pianos like Pianoteq even try to emulate it...).

[Beemer2]

I tune and regulate my acoustic so am very familiar where sounds emanate. As I said when I depress a key on my acoustic the key presses on a thick felt pad which has thin paper shims under it to adjust the key height. There is no discernible noise. When I depressed the Grand 2 keys they were similarly quiet.
You might well be correct that I'm hearing the combined hammer action and key sound on the Grand 1 and so if I didn't hear it on the Grand 2 then this has been a significant change in design. Another way for me to describe it is that the key presses down with more cushioning and its rebound is similarly cushioned.
Maybe others will chime in.

[jbolazzi]

Hi Beemer, beside the key bed noise, did you notice any difference regarding the mechanics (lighter, heavier, faster response ? Thx for your feedback.