Casio CDP-S110 vs Casio CDP-S100 – A Worthy Upgrade?
So you like the Casio CDP-S100, but you know that the newer Casio CDP-S110 is now on the market. Now you’re a bit stuck—is the newer model really worth the extra money, or should I just purchase the cheaper (but older model)? Well, in this Casio CDP-S110 vs Casio CDP-S100 comparison, I’ll help answer all of your excellent questions. So let’s get started!
Casio CDP-S100 vs CDP-S110: First Impressions
Now this section will be all about my initial impressions upon seeing both of these instruments up close and in person. And, honestly, my first impression was that there was not much of a difference at all between these two instruments. In fact, both have the same buttons on the front—and in the exact same place.
The only real difference that I see is that the S110’s keys are more nicely textured than those of the S100, particularly the black keys. That will help out when it comes to the touch and feel of the instrument. But more on that later.
First Glance Differences: The S110 has a nicer key texture than the S100—but that’s about it.
Below, check out how the Casio CDP-S100 and Casio CDP-S110 stack up against some of the most popular digital pianos on the market:
| Photo | Model |
|---|---|
 | Casio PX-S1100 |
 | Yamaha P-125 |
 | Roland FP-30X |
 | Casio CDP-S360 |
- You can also read my full Casio CDP-S110 review here, as well.
The Sound
The sound of your instrument is very important. If you make an investment in a piano, then you need to love the sound. Hearing your piano should inspire you to play more, practice more, and — hopefully — have your friends and family begging for a sample every time there’s an opportunity!
So, that being said, the S110 does have some advances made to its sound. Admittedly, when I played both of these pianos, it took me a few moments to realize that there was even a difference in their sound at all. From what I can hear, the extra bit of processing punch that the S110 has gives its notes a little bit of a more natural sound to them.
The decay (length of time a note takes to fade away) is more natural, as is the velocity (level of volume of a key, depending on how hard it was played). Other than that, there is not much difference in the sound of these two pianos. Both pianos are also packing two 8W speakers on either side of the back of the instrument, so equal in sound producing capabilities too.
In fact, the difference between them is so nuanced, if you are a beginner to intermediate musician, you might not hear a difference at all.
Sound Differences: Not much at all. The S110 has a bit of a more natural decay and velocity, giving it a tiny edge over its predecessor.
The Touch
A good digital piano will do its best to mimic the way an acoustic piano’s keys feel. They should be weighted to allow you to develop the dexterity and technique that you need, and they should respond to how soft or hard you push down a key.
That being said, both instruments are equipped with Casio’s Scaled Hammer Action II key action system, which means both pianos have weighted and touch-sensitive keys. If you want to learn more, check out our article on the best key action for digital pianos.
Now, with that said, I didn’t feel much of a difference in the action of the keys. The action is a bit light for my taste, but considering these instruments are aimed at beginners, that isn’t an issue at all. Most beginners even prefer lighter action on their keyboards.
The only real difference I felt was mentioned earlier, and that was the key texture of these two instruments.
As you can see, the S110 has a nice texture to its keys while the S100 seems to only have a little texture on its white keys. Because of this, the keys of the S100 have a more slippery and plasticky feel to them which, after a long practicing session, might have your fingers slipping right off and definitely not be as comfortable as better textured keys.
Touch Differences: Not too much. The only difference I noted was that the S110’s keys are more textured than those of the S100.
Portability
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I couldn’t see much of a difference here that would give the S110 an edge over the S100. If you really want a portable digital piano for gigging (or if you just really like traveling with your new friend), then you’ll be pleased to know that both of these instruments are quite easy to transport!
Both instruments weigh in at just a little over 23 pounds, making them easy to lug around and capable of sticking in your backseat or the trunk of your car. Both come with a removable music stand and a digital pedal pictured below.
Get yourself a keyboard case and that will make it even easier to carry around your piano with all of its accessories.
And if you like to play outside or you do small gigs, then you’ll be also be pleased to know that both pianos can operate with 6 AA batteries.
No extension cords needed, you lucky pianist, you.
Portability Differences: None.
Features
If there was an area to improve to really set the S110 apart from the S100, it would be its features. And it doesn’t appear that Casio has made any improvements whatsoever in this regard.
Not that the S100 didn’t have plenty of features, because that couldn’t be further from the truth! For an entry-level instrument, the S100 has plenty of features that a beginning pianist would be thrilled to have.
It has connections for that sustain pedal we discussed earlier (labeled damper pedal) as well as for USB, headphones, and a jack for your amp. And while I do wish the headphone jack was on the front, that’s just small potatoes in the long run.
While the S100 does not have Bluetooth connectivity, the USB port allows you to connect to a DAW (digital audio workstation) on your computer, which is a nice workaround to the issue of not being able to record music with your piano. So, if you’re into recording and mixing, you’ll find this feature very useful.
It also can connect to a supporting app that lets you adjust volume, voices, functions, and more from your phone via aux cable.
Like most digital pianos, the S100 can play in split-layer, which allows for two voices at the same time when a key is played for more effective duets and accompaniment.
In addition to that, it’s got 10 different voices, including three piano variations and others, such as harpsichord, jazz organ, pipe organ, and strings, as well as a nice reverb effect that mimics the echo you’d hear in a concert hall, and a chorus effect for a fuller and wider sound.
Its user interface is also pretty simple too, considering there aren’t many buttons.
See the small white text above the notes in this image? By holding down the Function button on the left and pressing one of the clearly marked keys, you can change to whatever voice or function you want. So, even without the Casio Chordana Play app, you shouldn’t have too much trouble navigating.
The S110 comes with every single feature mentioned and nothing more. In fact, the only feature the S110 has over the S100 isn’t really a feature—it’s a different color. Unlike the S100, the S110 is also available in white. Pretty sweet if you’re looking for a simpler visual aesthetic.
Features Differences: None, really. The S110 is available in black and white, while the S100 is only available in black.
Casio CDP-S100 or Casio CDP-S110?
When it comes to the Casio CDP-S110 vs Casio CDP-S100, the S110 doesn’t really do a whole lot better than the S100 was already doing. If it isn’t broke, then why fix it, right? The S100 is a solid beginner instrument with plenty of features and if you want to save $50 by going with it over the S110, then you probably wouldn’t miss much.
Honestly, if you have a choice, then the only reason to go with the S110 would be its textured keys and if you’d prefer having a white piano. Other than that, the sound, touch, and features are not different enough to warrant paying the extra money, at least to me.
However, if you’re someone that always wants to hottest new thing in tech and music, then go for the Casio CDP-S110 if you have the extra money (and don’t prefer to spend that extra money on additional accessories for your new piano, like a piano bench or a stand).
You May Also Like:
