Yeah, I've heard it. I like Ivory better. That's why I bought it.

Somewhere, I found a side-by-side comparison of each of the major piano samplers playing the exact same midi file. You could try a google search.

I found this (a couple of years old, though). These guys seemed to like Akoustik Piano. It's certainly cheaper.

http://emusician.com/sftinstruments/emusic_software_eightyeights/