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Welcome to Digital Piano Review Guide, where digital piano beginners and longtime enthusiasts can find in-depth reviews of piano models, helpful tips, industry news, and even learn how to play the piano itself.

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review-guide

Below, please take a look at our interactive guide. The guide connects you to our full page reviews of some the most popular (and some that are less well-known) digital pianos on the market today:

$ = $500 or less | $$ = $500 – $1,000 | $$$ = $1,000 and up

Model	Keys	Price	Features	Rating
Akai Advance 49	49	$	Semi-Weighted. Velocity-Sensitive Keybed	★★
Akai APC40 MKII	40 Pads	$	RGB Pad Feedback	★★★★
Akai MPK249	49	$	Semi-Weighted Keys	★★★★
Akai MPK88	88	$$	16 Pads w/Pressure & Velocity Sensitivity	★★★
Akai MPK Mini MKII	25	$	Velocity-Sensitive Rubber Drum Pads	★★★
Akai Timbre Wolf	25	$	4-Voice Polyphonic Synthesizer	★★★★
Alesis Cadenza	88	$$	Built-in Speakers	★★★
Alesis Coda	88	$	Semi-Weighted Keys	★★★★
Alesis Recital	88	$	Semi-Weighted Keys	★★★★
Alesis V49	49	$	USB-Powered w/ Sustain-Pedal Input	★★★
Alesis VI49	49	$	USB-Powered w/ Sustain-Pedal Input	★★★
Arturia KeyLab 49	49	$	More than 200 Multi Patches	★★★
Arturia KeyStep	32	$	USB, MIDI, DIN and CV/GATE	★★★★
Arturia MatrixBrute	49	$$$	3 Brute oscillators
Arturia Microbrute	25	$	Step Sequencer w/8 Memory Locations	★★★★
Arturia MiniLab	25	$	Slim-Key Controller	★★★★
Casio AP-250	88	$$	128 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Casio AP-420	88	$$$	Speakers: 2 x 4.7" + 2 x 1"	★★★
Casio AP-460	88	$$$	256 Notes of Polyphony
Casio CDP-120	88	$	48 Notes of Polyphony	★★★★
Casio CDP-130	88	$	48 Notes of Polyphony	★★★★
Casio CDP-220	88	$$	700 Built-In Tones	★★★★
Casio CDP-230	88	$$	152 Built-In Songs	★★★★
Casio CTK-2300	61	$	400 Tones	★★★★
Casio CTK-2400	61	$	400 AHL Keyboard Voices	★★★★
Casio CTK-4200	61	$	48 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Casio CTK-4400	61	$	Touch-Sensitive Keys	★★★★
Casio CGP-700	88	$$	5.3in Color Touch Interface Display	★★★★
Casio LK-165	61	$	110 Built-In Songs	★★★★
Casio LK-280	61	$	48-Note Polyphony	★★★★
Casio PX-130	88	$	128 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Casio PX-150	88	$	18 Built-In Tones	★★★★
Casio PX-160 vs Casio PX-150	88	$	New String Ensemble & Electric Piano tones	★★★★
Casio PX-160	88	$	Dual Headphone Outputs on Front	★★★★
Casio PX-160 vs Yamaha P-45	88	$	128 vs 64 Polyphony	★★★★
Casio PX-160 vs Yamaha P-115	88	$ - $$	128 vs 192 Polyphony
Casio PX-350	88	$$	Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II	★★★★
Casio PX-360	88	$$	550 Tones	★★★★★
Casio PX-560	88	$$$	5.3” Color Display	★★★★
Casio PX-750	88	$$	128 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Casio PX-760	88	$$	3 Sensitivity Levels	★★★★
Casio PX-780	88	$$	250 Built-In Tones	★★★★
Casio PX-850	88	$$$	256 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Casio PX-860	88	$$$	256 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Casio PX-860 vs Casio PX-850	88	$$$	256 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Casio PX5S	88	$$	Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II Keyboard	★★★★
Casio SA-76	44	$	100 Sounds & 50 Rhythm Patterns	★★★★
Casio WK-225	76	$	600 Built-In Tones	★★★★
Casio WK-6500	76	$	670 Tones	★★★
Casio WK-7500	76	$	800 Tones	★★★
Dave Smith Mopho x4	44	$$$	16 x 4 Step Sequencer	★★★★★
Dave Smith OB-6	44	$$$	6-voice Poly Synth	★★★★★
Dave Smith Prophet 6	49	$$$	Two Discrete VCOs Per Voice	★★★★★
Hammond SK1-88	88	$$$	12 Hammond Macro Profiles w/17 Tweakable Parameters	★★★★★
Hammond XK-3c	73	$$$	Portable Drawbar Keyboard w/Digital Tone-Wheels	★★★★
Hammond XK5	73	$$$	61 playing keys,12 Preset Keys
Huntington KB61	61	$	8 Stereo Demo Songs	★★★
Kawai CE220	88	$$$	AWA PROII w/Counterbalancing	★★★★
Kawai CN27	88	$$$	192 Note Polyphony
Kawai CN37	88	$$$	256 Note Polyphony
Kawai ES100	88	$$	192-Note Polyphony	★★★★
Kawai ES110	88	$$	Bluetooth MIDI	★★★★★
Kawai ES100 vs Yamaha P-115	88	$$	Both 192-Note Polyphony	★★★★
Kawai KDP90	88	$$$	AHAIV-F Graded-Hammer Action	★★★★★
Kawai ES7	88	$$$	Responsive Hammer II Graded-Hammer Action	★★★★★
Kawai ES8	88	$$$	RHIII Graded-Hammer Action	★★★★★
Kawai MP7	88	$$$	256 Harmonic Imaging XL Sounds	★★★★
Korg ARP Odyssey	37	$$	USB MIDI and CV/Gate I/O	★★★★
Korg B1	88	$	Onboard Reverb and Chorus effects	★★★★
Korg Krome	88	$$$	800 x 480 pixel TouchView Color Display	★★★
Korg Kronos	88	$$$	16 Audio & 16 MIDI Tracks	★★★★★
Korg Kronos vs Yamaha Montage 8	88	$$$	N/A	★★★★
Korg Kross	88	$$	Step Sequencer (from the Electribe)	★★★★★
Korg LP-180	88	$$	Natural Weighted Hammer Action	★★
Korg LP-380	88	$$	RH3 (Real Weighted Hammer Action 3) Keyboard	★★★
Korg MicroKorg	37	$	4-Voice Analog Modeling Synth Engine	★★★★
Korg Minilogue	37	$$	16-Step Polyphonic Step & Motion Sequencer	★★★★
Korg Monologue	25	$	2 VCO (Square Wave, Triangle Wave, Sawtooth Wave)	★★★★
Korg SP-170s	88	$	Natural Weighted Hammer Action (NH) Keyboard	★★★★
Korg SP250	88	$$$	RH3 Graded Hammer Action Keyboard	★★★
Korg SP280	88	$$	Natural Weighted Hammer Action (NH) Keyboard	★★★★
Korg SV1	88	$$$	RH3 Graded Hammer Action	★★★★
Kurzweil SP4-8	88	$$	KVA Powered Synth Programs from the PC3 Series Sonic Library	★★★
Moog MiniMoog Model D	44	$$$	3 Vintage Moog Oscillators	★★★★★
Moog Sub 37	37	$$$	Polyphony: Selectable Monophonic or Paraphonic	★★★★
Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S49	49	$	Light Guide Key Illumination	★★★★
Nord Electro 5D	73	$$$	Discrete Reverb & Delay FX Paths	★★★★★
Nord HA-76	76	$$$	9 Digitally Controlled Drawbars	★★★★★
Nord HA-88	88	$$$	Fully Weighted Keys	★★★★
Nord Lead 4	49	$$$	2-Oscillator Virtual Analog Subtractive Synthesis	★★★★★
Nord Piano 3	88	$$$	1 GB Memory for Nord Piano Library	★★★★★
Novation Impulse 49	49	$	Semi-Weighted w/Aftertouch	★★★★
Novation MiniNova	37	$	256 Onboard Sounds	★★★★
Novation UltraNova	37	$$	Full-sized Keys & a Vocoder	★★★★
ONE Light Keyboard	61	$	128+ Instrument Sounds	★★★★
ONE Smart Piano	88	$$$	Learn to Play via a Free iOS or Android app	★★★★
Roland F-120	88	$$$	Ivory Feel-G Keyboard	★★★★
Roland F-130	88	$$$	128 Voices
Roland FA-08	88	$$$	16-Track Sequencer w/Non-Stop Loop Recording	★★★
Roland FP-30	88	$$	Built-in Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity	★★★★
Roland FP-50	88	$$$	Built-In Speaker System	★★★★
Roland Gaia SH-01	37	$$	64-Voice Polyphony	★★★★
Roland JD-XA	49	$$	Discrete Analog Synth Engine	N/A
Roland JD-XI	37	$	Gooseneck mic w/built-in Vocoder & AutoPitch	★★★★
Roland JUNO DS61	61	$$	8-Track Pattern Sequencer w/Non-Stop Recording	★★★★★
Roland JUNO DS88	88	$$$	128 Note Polyphony	★★★★★
Roland RD-300NX	88	$$$	One Touch Piano Feature & Graphic LCD	★★★★
Roland RD-800	88	$$$	PHA-4 Concert Keyboard
Roland RD-2000	88	$$$	SuperNATURAL Sound Engine: 128 voices	★★★★★
Roland System 8	49	$$$	Advanced ACB technology	★★★★★
Roland V-Combo VR-09	88	$$	Battery or AC Power	★★★★
Suzuki MDG-200	88	$$$	Micro Digital Grand
Williams Allegro	88	$	8 Voices	★★★
Williams Allegro 2	88	$	64 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Williams Legato	88	$	Semi-Weighted Keys w/Built-In Speakers	★★★★
Williams Overture	88	$$	147 Total Voices	★★★★
Williams Overture 2	88	$$	147 Total Voices	★★★★
Williams Rhapsody	88	$	Elegant PVC Wood-Like Finish	★★★★
Williams Rhapsody 2	88	$	Elegant PVC Wood-Like Finish	★★★★
Williams Symphony Grand	88	$$$	Elegant Ebony Gloss Finish	★★★
Yamaha CLP-440	88	$$$	GH3 (Graded Hammer 3) Keyboard	★★★
Yamaha CLP-525	88	$$$	GH3 (Graded Hammer 3) Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha CLP-535	88	$$$	GH3X (Graded Hammer 3X) Keyboard
Yamaha CLP-545	88	$$$	GH3 (Graded Hammer 3) Keyboard
Yamaha CLP-635	88	$$$	Yamaha’s NWX (Natural Wood X)
Yamaha CP33	88	$$	AWM Dynamic Stereo Sampling	★★★★
Yamaha CP4	88	$$$	128 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha CP40	88	$$$	128 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha DGX-530	88	$	Graded Soft Touch Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha DGX-640	88	$$	Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha DGX-650	88	$$	Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha DGX-660	88	$$	Graded Hammer Standard(GHS) Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha DGX-660 vs Yamaha P-115	88	$$	Both 192-Note Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha MM8	88	$$$	GHS Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha Montage 8	88	$$$	Balanced Hammer Effect Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha MOXF8	88	$$$	GHS Keyboard (Initial Touch)	★★★★
Yamaha NP-11	61	$	Advanced Wave Memory (AWM) Stereo Sampling	★★★★
Yamaha NP-12	61	$	Uses Six AA Batteries	★★★★
Yamaha NP-31	76	$	Graded Soft Touch keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha NP-32	76	$	Graded Soft Touch (GST) Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha NP-V60	76	$	489 Voices	★★★★
Yamaha NP-V80	76	$	32 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha P-35	88	$	10 Voices	★★★★
Yamaha P-45	88	$	64 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha P-71	88	$	Amazon Exclusive	★★★★
Yamaha P-45 vs Yamaha P-115	88	$	64 vs 192 Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha P-105	88	$$	Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha P-115	88	$$	GHS Weighted Key Action	★★★★
Yamaha P-115 vs Yamaha P-255	88	$$	192 vs 256 Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha P-155	88	$$	Graded Hammer (GH) Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha P-255	88	$$$	256 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha PSR-E253	61	$	Use Batteries or Power Adapter	★★★★
Yamaha PSR-E353	61	$	Touch-Sensitive Keys	★★★★
Yamaha PSR-E443	61	$	755 Voices	★★★★
Yamaha PSR-E453	61	$	48 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha S70XS	76	$$$	4 Knobs, 16 Backlit LEDs	★★★★
Yamaha PSR-S750	61	$$$	128 Voices	★★★★
Yamaha PSR-S770	61	$$$	Features Mic/Guitar Input	★★★
Yamaha PSR-S970	61	$$$	989 Voices	★★★
Yamaha YDP-103	88	$$$	GHS Weighted Action	★★★★
Yamaha YDP-141	88	$$$	64 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha YDP-142	88	$$$	Graded Hammer Standard (GHS)	★★★★
Yamaha YDP-143	88	$$$	GHS Weighted Action	★★★★
Yamaha YDP-143 vs Yamaha YDP-163	88	$$$	Both Arius Pianos	★★★★
Yamaha YDP-162	88	$$$	GH(Graded Hammer) Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha YDP-162 vs Yamaha YDP V240	88	$$$	Both Arius Pianos	★★★★
Yamaha YDP-163	88	$$$	GH3 Weighted action	★★★★
Yamaha YDP-181	88	$$$	128 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha YDP-S51	88	$$$	Graded Hammer (GH) Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha YDP-S52	88	$$$	Graded Hammer (GH) Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha YDP-V240	88	$$$	6-Track Recorder w/Hands-Separate Practicing	★★★★
Yamaha YPG-235	76	$	Graded Soft Touch Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha YPG-535	88	$	Graded Soft Touch Keyboard	★★★★
Yamaha YPT-230	61	$	32 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha YPT-240	61	$	32 Note Polyphony	★★★★
Yamaha YPT-340	61	$	32 Note Polyphony	★★★★

The evolution of the piano as an instrument has taken a wide variety of developments throughout its history. It is certainly one of the most interesting instruments ever to be created, if not the most popular. The piano is widely credited as having been created and developed by Italian instrument maker, Bartolomeo Cristofori in the 18^th century, and ever since it has gone on to delight the homes, playing halls, and concert venues of people all across the world.

There are many different types of pianos, and they are mostly divided into a few categories, being: vertical pianos, horizontal pianos, digital pianos, and keyboards. Vertical pianos consist of the traditional constructs of the instrument, with vibrating wires that can be tuned. There are spinets, consoles, studios, and upright pianos. Horizontal pianos contain all grand pianos, and have a larger range of keys. Within this category are petite, baby, medium, and parlor grand pianos, with ballroom and concert grand pianos following behind them as the largest.

Digital pianos and keyboards contain many of the same elements, except they are electrical and contain a bevy of predetermined sounds, which are stored inside the instrument. Digital pianos are constructed similarly to upright pianos, but are lighter and don’t have vibrating wires. Keyboards have no legs attached at all, and are great for their portability. For the sake of this discourse, we will include keyboards in the category of digital pianos.

Why Digital Piano Reviews?

Digital pianos have become some of the most popular and desired of all pianos because of their affordability, their ability to produce a wide range of sounds, and their ability to be incorporated in a wide range of musical production. Traditional pianos have their purpose, but they fail in many areas for a number of reasons. Traditional pianos look great in a person’s living room, but many times that’s all they are, a piece of furniture. They can be difficult to move. A person can’t turn the volume down or plug in a set of headphones to accommodate others in a living space. Or they can flat out be way too expensive.

With most digital pianos you don’t run into these problems. Add on the number of desirable features you may find in a digital piano or workstation keyboard, and it usually seals the deal for most buyers. Digital pianos are sought after mostly because of the precision with which they can resemble traditional pianos. They can have perfectly weighted keys identical to that of a piano, along with identical pedals. Workstation keyboards many times come with fancy LCD screens, multiple gigabytes of memory and compatibility with any computer system.

Of course, the more one gets into the different specifics of digital pianos, the more it becomes evident that every piano is not suitable for everyone. The most important factors in deciding on what digital piano is right for you come from the key features you desire.

If you are an acoustic pianist that is looking to further his or her craft, or someone that wants to practice on an instrument that simulates certain environments (like Casio’s “Hall Simulator” feature, for instance), then maybe a digital piano is right for you. Digital pianos, as stated before, can be designed to the exact specifications of a traditional piano, from the number of keys to the weight of the keys.

If you’re music producer or DJ that’s looking for more of a studio feel, and needs the capabilities to record, store, and perform music, then workstation keyboards might be better for you.

And of course, if you’re a complete “newbie” to the world of piano, or even someone that knows how to play quite well, then anything from a 61-key keyboard to a feature-rich 88-key digital piano is likely most ideal.

The Right Piano for You

When looking into a digital piano, you must pay close attention to the type of sound that comes out of the instrument. As a pianist, you’re looking for the most realistic adaptation you can get, so you can actually set yourself back by practicing on a machine that doesn’t give you the same sound as a traditional piano. Digital pianos contain a large number of sounds, which are recorded from actual instruments in every single note, and at different velocities. There certainly will be a piano out there that has the sound you’re looking for.

As with the keys of the keyboard, always look to test out how it feels to you as a player. Following the construction of a traditional piano, the keys towards the bass area should get heavier and heavier, while those towards the treble area should get lighter and lighter. If you test the piano out and your hands get tired and sore quickly, it may be a sign that this particular piano is not suitable for you.

As stated before, it’s important to decide just where exactly this piano will be played, or if you are looking for a piano that will be portable. Pianos that need to be in an open venue or in a performance type of situation will need in-built amplifiers. Digital pianos to be played at home won’t need this, but may need the ability to incorporate headphones and volume control.

Digital pianos can come in a variety of styles, and you should do your research to find out just which one you need. Most pianos can be constructed to accommodate 61, 76, or 88 keys, as is the same with any workstation keyboard. Some of the important features to look out for can be MIDI sequencing ports, USB ports or adapters, SmartCard, and Wi-Fi capability.

Piano Prices and Brands

The price range for digital pianos is pretty wide, and depends on what the buyer is looking for. You can find dependable digital pianos for as low as $500, and keyboards for as low as $100. High-end digital pianos range out at about $5,000, with most workstations clipping out around $4,000. However, at the end of the day, these prices are no comparison with the hefty costs of traditional pianos which can be anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000.

Someone who is new to purchasing digital pianos may have to depend on the popular brand names that most people know, but even then, they shouldn’t be far off from finding a dependable machine. Some of the most notable brand names for digital pianos and workstation keyboards are Clavinova, Yamaha, Casio, Roland, and Korg.

Yamaha keyboards are some of the most trusted and well known, while Casios are known for their affordability. Roland and Korg have produced some of the most coveted lines of digital pianos, with the Fantom series for Roland and the Triton for Korg series being the most sought after.

One of the most wonderful things about digital pianos is that just about everyone can use them. Sometimes with traditional pianos, people can be held back by having to be in a certain location, not being able to afford them, or not having the strength to handle the keys or the expertise to operate some of the more advanced functions. With digital pianos, mostly none of these restrictions apply, and anyone can find a machine that is suitable to their desire.

I personally have experienced this many times throughout my interactions with pianos. I first fell in love with the piano at an early age through my elementary school. I was amazed by the instrument and the level of dedication it took for people to learn and play it with skill.

However, I was always disappointed when I couldn’t experiment with that hallway piano, and I longed to have one of my own. My prayers were answered when my parents gifted me with my first Casio keyboard. It was a beauty to me, and had a simple memory bank of sounds, with a 6-track song arranger and modulation wheel. It was that machine that taught me to play, produce, and arrange tracks, and has served me to this day. It was perfect for my situation.

But I, like many other keyboardists, piano players, songwriters, and composers alike have desired to advance to some of the more coveted digital pianos made famous by producers and artists around the world.

There were the P-Funk All Stars who popularized keyboards and synthesizers with their captivating performances of the 70’s. There was Stevie Wonder, who made famous the Clavinet and possibly keyboard playing more than any other artist in recent history. Names like Herbie Hancock, Jon Lord, and Keith Emerson roll off the tongue as artists who have led the way in their respective genres, all while using many of the digital pianos we have come to know and love.

As technology continues to move forward, and innovation continues to expand possibilities, so the wide expanse of digital pianos will continue to improve. We have already seen much advancement in just the past 30 years, and have enjoyed its benefits and the fruits of its production from many different sources. Digital pianos will continue to be a big mainstay in homes, studios, and performance halls of musicians for years to come. With the right direction and guidance, anyone can choose the right digital piano to help take them to whatever level they desire to progress.

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