(Goes hmm.....)
I really like Yamaha U1s for their brightness! There's a percussive sound which goes along with the note which makes certain music types really come alive. (Play some Bartok on one, for eg.)
So - I'm interested to hear that yours has a rounder sound. Probably newer felts on the hammer, rather than anything to do with the wood. Don't have him harden the felts for you - just play them in.
They're pretty solid pianos, on the whole - so my only concern is how good the recon job was. Tell me more about this top octave. "bad" can mean a number of things. I'm starting to worry that you are buying a piano that has been fitted with pretty poor quality strings. This is so much more exposed by the higher registers. This brings problems down the line, as the whole board relies on the correct stresses being held at each point along the range of strings. So if your upper register strings are crap, it will have a bearing on the rest of the strings later on. Replacing the entire set is expensive, time consuming, and frankly a pain in the arse.
If you're happy that the strings are ok, then I think I'd say you are buying a good piano for your level, which will stay good enough for you for a long time. (As with any recon, though, don't leave ANY problems to fester - get them sorted as you go along.)
The price is about right, too - not a bargain, but if you are pleased with the quality of the instrument, then its probably about right.
Well done on being careful and getting to the right instrument!
Tom