Yamaha YPG-235
- Amazon Reviews:
- Customer Reviews: 360
- Number Of Keys: 76
- Demensions: 53 x 11 x 23 in
- Weight: 29 lb
- Real Weight Keys:
- Touch Sensitive
- Sound Quality
- Product Quality
- Free Shipping
- Discount
- Returns Accepted:
- Warranty
Yamaha P105B
- Amazon Reviews:
- Customer Reviews: 75
- Number Of Keys: 88
- 58.1 x 15.1 x 11.1 in
- Weight: 62.9 lb
- Real Weight Keys:
- Touch Sensitive
- Sound Quality
- Product Quality
- Free Shipping
- Discount
- Returns Accepted:
- Warranty
Casio PX850
- Amazon Reviews:
- Customer Reviews: 58
- Number Of Keys: 88
- Demensions: 59 x 15 x 16 in
- Weight: 70 lb
- Real Weight Keys:
- Touch Sensitive
- Sound Quality
- Product Quality
- Free Shipping
- Discount
- Returns Accepted:
- Warranty
Casio PX150
- Amazon Reviews:
- Customer Reviews: 68
- Number Of Keys: 88
- Demensions: 40 x 10 x 20 in
- Weight: 20 lb
- Real Weight Keys:
- Touch Sensitive
- Sound Quality
- Product Quality
- Free Shipping
- Discount
- Returns Accepted:
- Warranty
Yamaha YDP-181
- Amazon Reviews:
- Customer Reviews: 11
- Number Of Keys: 88
- Demensions: 59 x 24.9 x 20.1 in
- Weight: 149 lb
- Real Weight Keys:
- Touch Sensitive
- Sound Quality
- Product Quality
- Free Shipping
- Discount
- Returns Accepted:
- Warranty
Digital Pianos are Becoming More Popular
There are plenty of reasons behind the rising demand for digital pianos. They have some significant advantages over conventional acoustic models. When you are searching for the right digital piano for you, there are several factors that you want to consider.
Pricing Matters
A conventional piano often comes with a hefty price tag. You can easily spend thousands of dollars on a mid-grade instrument. When you are looking at digital pianos, however, you can often find entry-level models under $500. Maintenance and upkeep won’t require a major investment either. Unlike a traditional piano, you won’t need regular tuning. Environmental factors such as heat and humidity won’t be a huge concern, either.
Why Go Digital?
Lightweight and compact, they are much more mobile than a traditional piano. While still not portable, most models can be broken down for storage or moving. Digitally recorded tones eliminate the need for expert tuning, even after a move.
Versatility
Acoustic and conventional pianos have pedals that provide some sound dampening. When playing a digital machine, however, the sound is easy to control. If you need to practice without disturbing others, you can take advantage of headphones. You can even make recordings as you play to listen to later.
More Sound Choices
Many people have a deep love for the piano, and it is certainly an instrument that has stood the test of time. With digital pianos, however, you can move beyond the traditional piano tones. It can be set to play drum beats, flute tones, and many other types of sounds. Pianists looking for a small starter unit can opt for a four or six octave instrument. If you have the space, an eight octave piano provides a wider range of tones.
Connectivity
Every digital piano includes a MIDI functionality, which enables users to connect a computer. You can add new music, different types of tones, and a variety of applications like ambient sounds and special effects. Some also include a USB slot, making it even easier to store and share music.
The rise in popularity of digital pianos has made it an instrument that is finally within the reach of nearly anyone. It no longer requires a huge investment, a room of its own, and frequent upkeep. Would-be musicians can experiment and learn without breaking the bank or their back.
Best Digital Pianos in 2014
With so many digital piano reviews found online, locating the most effective digital piano becomes confusing. There are so many different features, and as a new piano buyer you might not even know what you will really want. These are five of the most popular digital pianos available right now. These models were picked based on sound quality, touch sensitivity, total product quality, customer feedback, and cost considerations.
The reviews below are from individuals who actually owned the product.
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Yamaha YPG-235
I recently bought the 235 and I can hardly notice I’m missing 12 keys. It is a wonderful keyboard with great sound and incredibly user friendly functionality. This is the first digital piano I’ve owned, and in my opinion, the Yamaha 235 is perfect for a first-time piano owner or a new player.
What exactly is the difference between the Yamaha 535 and the 235? I was looking both when I was shopping, and I found a few key differences. To start with the most obvious, the 535 has a full set of 88 keys, like a traditional piano, and the 235 only has 76. Personally, I haven’t needed them. Someone with a lot more skill might miss them, though. The 535 also comes with a power adapter, sustain pedal, and a stand. You can get those for the 235 as well, but they have to be bought separately. I don’t know the exact numbers, but the 535 has more storage capacity and includes some more types of sound to choose from. Overall, the 535 is just a higher quality instrument. It looks a little bit nicer and feels more polished.
If I liked the 535 so much, why did I buy the 235? In the end, for me the difference in quality wasn’t really worth the difference in price. The smaller size was appealing as well. Also, if you’re used to smaller synthesizer keyboards, the 235 might be better than the larger model. I generally liked the 535 better, but in my opinion, the YPG 235 offers the buyer more bang for the buck.
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Casio PX850 – #1 Best Digital Piano
Our six year-old started taking piano lessons a little while ago, and we have been surprised at how willing he is to practice. We started out with a keyboard that connects to the computer because it sounded like a really good deal. The sound and feel were nothing like a real piano, though. When he was playing the real piano at his teacher’s house, his touch was too light because he was used to the keyboard, which is very sensitive. It was definitely time to either buy or rent a real piano if he was going to keep playing.
We looked at two alternatives. We could buy a brand new, low end piano for around $3000, or spend $5000 or more for one that was used but much higher in quality. We didn’t want to waste money on a cheap piano, and even if we could get a good deal on a used one, the cost to move it and then get it tuned could have added another $1000 to the price. While we were trying to decide what to buy, someone mentioned digital pianos. I did a lot of research and narrowed my choices down to the Yamaha YDP-161 and Casio PX-850.
I took my son to our local piano store to try the Yamaha They didn’t have the PX 850 that I’d been looking at online, but they had the PX 830, which is very similar. We both liked the Casio much better. It was sleek and streamlined, and the sound was great. Most importantly, for us, was that the keys actually felt like a real piano.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it has a three year warranty, as a lot of the models in that price range only offer one year. Overall, I’ve been really happy with this piano.
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Yamaha P Series P105B
I haven’t made a purchase yet, but recently I played on both the Yamaha P-105 and the Casio PX150, side by side, with the same pair of headphones, so I consider I have advice that is valuable.
I have been playing the piano for 35 years, on digital piano as well as on acoustic grands. I need real piano sound, 88 keys, and realistic weight in the keys. I have a high-end CP33 that I use most of the time, but it’s heavy and I’m looking for something a little more portable. This led me to my encounter with the Casio PX150 and the Yamaha P-105.
They both look and feel good. The biggest thing that stuck out for me was the speakers. The built-in speakers on the Casio were very low quality. The Yamaha’s, while not great, were a lot better. I might even play on it in public without eternal speakers if I was in a small enough space. The Casio’s were bad enough that I wouldn’t even want to use them at home. However, most serious pianists use external speakers anyway, so it isn’t a huge problem.
More important than the speakers and sound volume is the sound quality. When you listen through the same headphones, both pianos sound nearly the same. The only thing that really bothered me was that, when I played fast chromatic runs between G5 and C4, in the midrange, the Casio had an odd sound that I can only call “rubbery”. I don’t know how else to describe it. You couldn’t notice it over the onboard speakers, but I trust the headphones more.
One things that I liked about the Casio was the textured controls. Sometimes when you’re playing, perspiration makes your fingers slippery on smooth plastic. Overall, though, it was more of a novelty to me than an important feature.
Both are fairly lightweight, making them great when you need portability. The Casio is 24 pounds, and the Yamaha is 26. With a 4-pound case I’d be taking 30 pounds, which is much better than the 54 pounds I’m hauling with my old piano.
I would probably call it a tie between the two machines, maybe leaning a little towards the Yamaha. I don’t use onboard speakers much, so the poor speakers on the Casio wouldn’t cause much of a problem.
Update July 2014: Because a Yamaha P-105 is 14 pounds lighter than my CP33, I bought it.
Right away I could tell that the sound of the P105 isn’t at the level of the CP33. I think that most experienced players would prefer the CP33, but the P105 is good enough for most people. I tried it onstage, and the sound was good. My old CP33 has a cleaner tone, but when I compare it to the new piano I hear a harshness in the top-central range, at least on my JBLs.
The CP33 has some more tone choices, though. The P105 has 14 different voices, and the CP has 28, though a few of them are really variants rather than entirely distinct voices.
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Casio PX150 BK 88-Key
This is a fairy basic digital piano. There are some features that you might see on more expensive models that you won’t find here. It doesn’t have an LED display. It just has 18 voices. It doesn’t have line ins, line outs, or a USB port. The speakers aren’t very high-quality, so if you really care about the sound quality you might want to hook up to external speakers or headphones. But if you don’t need perfect onboard speakers then the PX150 is an awesome buy.
The keys feel like a high-end piano. They don’t feel plastic, and the weight and tension id great. A typical MIDI keyboard will carry 127 distinct degrees of speed, determined by the way that it is played. The Casio produces 16,256 degrees!
I hooked this piano through my $130 200W Logitech loudspeakers which have two satellites and a subwoofer (I kept the satellites resting on the very top of the PX150 loudspeakers) and the sound was amazing. The piano has great versatility, and I am able to get nearly silent pianissimos as well as thunderous fortes. There’s equilibrium throughout the range of the keyboard. Some older Casios had a rapid decay in the midrange. They have solved that problem with this model.
Part of me wishes I’d spent the additional $200 for the PX350 so I could use the USB flash memory input signal as well as the lines in. The PX150 does have a USB to host, so some iPad programs might work with it. Unfortunately, I was on a budget, although if you can I’d suggest buying the PX 350. But I think my PX150 through these Logitechs sounds better than the PX350 through its onboard loudspeakers.
All I can say is that I am really pleased with this piano. Both the feel and sound are great, and more than worth the price. The sound is great through my $130 loudspeakers. I can’t imagine what it’d sound like through an expensive sound system.
5. Yamaha ARIUS YDP-181
I don’t think that digital pianos will ever completely replace the real thing, but they seem to be getting closer and closer. The YDP-181 is a huge leap forward for digital instruments. Cheap plastic keys and metallic tones are a thing of the past. This piano is as close as you can get to a real acoustic instrument.
I was surprised at the size of the package. Unless you have a truck or SUV, you might have to take it apart to be able to fit it in your car. This isn’t one of the light-weight, portable keyboards covered in knobs and lights that you see at big box stores. This beast weighs 110 pounds, with the shape and styling of a conventional piano.
Putting it together wasn’t as much of a problem as I expected. I needed a second pair of hands, but only because of the weight. I needed help bearing some of the weight and keeping it steady, but it’s mainly an issue of tightening a few screws, connecting the pedal wires, and plugging it in.
The seat that came with it feels small. It is narrow enough that I doubt you could sit two for a duet, but one person is okay unless you’re very large.
The console itself feels pretty strong and sturdy. It’s a lot lighter than a conventional upright piano, so you can move it freely around the room if you need to. I can move it across carpet by myself without a problem, but on wood floors it might cause scratches.
The pedals need a good bit of force to make them work. The tension is closer to a conventional instrument than most digital pedals I’ve used. The keys had a very authentic feel, as well. They need a little bit heavier touch than my upright, but if you’re used to a high-end grand the touch is similar. Unlike some digital keyboards I’ve used, this one is very responsive to touch and it’s easy to get accurate dynamics, even at a high tempo.
The high end of the register sounds a bit tinny, especially when using the damper pedal, but I don’t hear it in chords that include lower notes. Compared to my upright, the sound is sharper and the tone is more consistent. The sustain pedal brings a less muddled and clearer sound than on my conventional piano, but you lose a little amplitude with that.
It is always fun to get a couple more voices, like harpsichord and electric organ. Also, one of my favorite features of a digital piano is the capacity to immediately record and play. It’s possible for you to transfer tunes between the USB drive as well as the user memory. During playback, you can adjust the tempo so that in practice you can gradually increase your speed. You can even play a duet with yourself, recording one part and playing along, or recording both and mixing them.
There is a lot of different software out there that you can use to get the most out of your digital piano. You can get programs that compare your playing against a benchmark, programs that give you practice exercises to improve your playing, and many different options for recording and editing what you play. It comes with 50 different tunes along with sheet music, so you can learn to play them. They range from very simple for beginners to some that are pretty complex.
I like that, when I use the sustain pedal while recording music, it remembers that. Later, if I am playing along, I can use the pedals for what I’m playing and it won’t affect the recorded playback. The damper resonance, however, applies to all sound.
This piano has a 3 year limited warranty for parts and labor. Some stores might offer an extended warranty, which might over transportation. If moving it would be a problem, it might be worth buying the extended warranty. The warranty is important to me, because this model is pretty new to the market. Yamaha usually makes good products, however, and I wouldn’t have a problem trusting them.
Using the MIDI capabilities, I had some issues with a Roland UM-One. Some of the notes jumped, but I’m not sure if it’s an issue with Yamaha’s setup, the Roland, or MIDI specifications. Generally Roland’s are higher priced but reliable enough to be worth it. Overall, I’m giving it an extremely favorable review. Before you buy a digital piano, you need to try it out and play with the different features to see what’s important to you.
Tips on Choosing the Best Digital Piano
When you’re getting ready to buy your first digital piano, it’s easy to get excited and want to rush out and purchase the first one that you like. Before making your choice, however, there are certain things that you want to consider. Taking your time to shop before making a selection will help to ensure that you don’t find yourself regretting your purchase in the coming weeks and months. A good digital piano might last you for years to come. You want to make sure that you choose an instrument that you are satisfied with and meets all of your needs. Here are a few tips that will assist you in selecting the top digital piano.
Evaluate your ability and experience levels. Before anything else, run an objective self-evaluation of your abilities. Be honest with yourself. How good are you at playing with the piano? This will provide you a better idea of what digital pianos to consider. You don’t want to waste money on a piano that is far more advanced than you need. At the same time, you don’t want to end up with one so basic that you find yourself wishing for a lot of features that are included on other models.
Know your limits, as far as both space and money. It’s easy to get excited over something new, and find yourself falling in love with a piano that is far too costly. Know before you shop how much you can really afford.
In the same way, consider your space before you start looking. If you have a very small room, you might have to look at four or six octave pianos instead of one that can play a full range. Measure your space, and then measure the pianos you are looking at. Don’t forget to consider the keyboard height and, if it’s included, bench height. Children need to be able to reach the pedals, and if you’re very tall you want to make sure your knees aren’t banging on the keyboard.
Consider what accessories you need. Do you need a carrying case for a portable piano? Are you interested in external speakers or additional software? Are you going to be buying an amplifier, headphones, or a stand? These factors will affect what pianos you consider as well as the final price.
Assess the sound quality of the piano. This is actually the most essential factor when deciding on a digital piano. Be sure to run a private sound test when shopping. Press one key and see the length of time the sound carries. To compare the sound of different pianos, listen to the same notes using the same pair of headphones.
Pay attention to the feel of the keys and pedals. Some are responsive to a very light touch. Others are more similar to a conventional acoustic piano. The materials and surface texture can be important, too.
Make sure you examine the warranty. Does it cover transporting the piano to a repair center or in-home service? Does it cover parts, labor, defects, or accidental damage? Look at how long the warranty lasts, and keep in mind that there might be additional coverage available if you purchase an extended warranty.
If you don’t know, ask. Talk to your piano teacher and store sales staff. Look up reviews and information online and see what other people have to say about them. There is plenty of information available if you just know where to look.