It's a fact: the Steinway D is the concert grand piano to which all other concert grands are compared. Companies like Bösendorfer, Bechstein, Petrof, Kawai, Baldwin, Mason & Hamlin, Yamaha, and Bluthner all try to match or transcend the standard that is the Steinway D. The list of virtuoso pianists, composers, ensembles and orchestras that prefer and even demand a Steinway D for concert performance is indeed, very long. Certainly some classic names stand out: Berlin, Rachmaninov, Horowitz, Rubinstein, Porter, Prokofiev, and Gershwin, to name a few. But also the contemporary scene knows and loves this piano as well. In fact, the official Steinway web site lists upwards of 1500 contemporary artists and groups who consider this piano the essential concert grand.

Reviews of the Steinway D often speak of the "deep, raw power" of the base register, the "perfect tone color" of the middle register, and the "crystal clarity" of the high register. Unique to Steinway, too, is that each Steinway D has a chance of becoming a part of Steinway's famous "Concert Piano Bank" where pianos are held in reserve for the world's best performing artists. After its tenure as a performance piano, it is then repaired or rebuilt, then sold to a private concern. Such pianos will often become the centerpiece of some lucky concert venue.

Production standards for all Steinway pianos are as high or higher than any other piano manufacturer in the world. Thus, appreciation and resale values remain extremely high, even after professional restoration.