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Digital Pianos – Which Brand Should You Buy? (Last updated 23/01/2010)

Article by Graham Howard - Piano Advisor.

"Are You Drowning In The Sea Of Digital Pianos?"...

So you've decided you want to buy a digital piano. You've visited lots of piano shops, and seen lots of digital pianos. You've been given lots of conflicting advice and don’t know what to do! Help!

Have you experienced something along these lines?

Go Shopping for digital pianos...

You enter your local piano shop and you're confronted with lots of digital pianos: different styles, colours, shapes. Some digital pianos have a few buttons (gadgets), and some hundreds of buttons and flashing lights – HELP!!!

You visit your first piano shop and they recommend the Roland digital pianos...

“Roland are the best digital pianos around by far", they say... 

"They have the best piano sound, and you get a lot more useful features”, they say.

You say “What about the Yamaha, or the Kawai? I've been told that they're very good pianos? What do you think?"

They say “No, no, no, the Roland digital piano is better than the Yamaha, and far better than the Kawai”. They then sit down and play the Yamaha, and then the Roland, and convince you that the Roland digital piano would be far better for you than the Yamaha and the Kawai.

You trot off to another piano shop to get some more advice and to compare prices. Again you walk in and you're confronted by a similar set up. The salesman, like before, shows you the different digital pianos and advises you that the Kawai is the best and most popular digital piano and not the Yamaha, and certainly NOT the Roland. "The Roland digital piano is way over priced!", they say. (Actually there may be some truth in that ;-))

You explain that you've just been to another piano shop and were told that the Roland digital piano is better than the Yamaha, and the Kawai is nowhere near as good...

“They don’t know what they're talking about”, the salesman says.
“Kawai have the best digital pianos... I'll show you"...

Now you're totaly confused and walk out of the shop 'just a little angry'.

If you've experienced any, or all of the above and are at the end of your tether I'm here to offer you unbiased advice on which digital piano you should consider. 

In this report you're going to find out the merits, pitfulls and popularity of each brand. You'll read about each brand's strengths and weaknesses. And you'll also discover exactly what I think of them.

I've also done a score sheet for each brand so you know how each compares. The overall rating is just an average of each score.

Tip/ The most important scores are the touch, sound and value for money.

 Call UK Pianos for advice on: 020 8367 2080.

Ask me a question online...

"Graham Howard,
Piano Advisor"

Read on…

1) Yamaha digital pianos

Yamaha produce some of the most popular digital pianos today. Their most popular lines are the home piano range (CLP), the entry level (YDP), and their portable pianos (P Series). Yamaha's best sellers are: CLP320, YDP140, and P85. More Yamahas are sold than any other digital piano.

Yamaha have got where they are today by superior branding, advertising and product development. They put so much effort in to making their digital and stage pianos sound and feel as close to a real piano as possible. The sound sample they use for their digital pianos is taken from their own concert grand piano.

Graham Howard's Score Sheet
(Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: P85, YDP140, CLP320, CVP401, CLP380)

Touch: 8.5

Sound: 8.5
Design: 8.5
Build Quality: 8
Reliability: 8.5
Resell Value: 8.5
Recent popularity: 9
Value for money: 8
Overall rating: 84.4 out of 100 (Click here to find out Yamaha's most popular piano)

Advice: Buy any piano from the CLP range, (if your budget allows). Second best choice is the YDP range. For gigging, choose a P series stage piano.

Price: Basic models start from around £700 retail price, (£550 web price). You should be able to buy a Yamaha digital piano on the web for around 20-25% off the recommended retail price.

Link: www.ukpianos.co.uk/yamaha-digital-pianos.html

 Find out how Yamaha digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk for questions about Yamaha digital pianos.

2) Roland digital pianos

Roland digital pianos have a warm, mellow, and rounded piano tone, especially around the centre of the keyboard. The sound is a little thin and false around the middle to high treble though.The Roland piano sound is taken from a Steinway concert grand piano. It's not exactly the same as a Steinway piano because it's been digitally sampled.

The Roland HP and KR pianos have a light to medium touch... The keys feel nice under the fingers, buy they react a little too much when you're playing fast passages. Roland stage pianos are some of the best you can find (RD and FP range. RD in particular) -- The realistic key touch and sound is just what's required for travelling professionals that perform for a living. If I were to buy a new stage piano then the Roland RD700GX would be my first choice.

Graham Howard's Score Sheet
(Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: FP5, DP990, RP101, HP203, HP207)

Touch: 7
Sound: 8
Design: 8
Build Quality: 8.5
Reliability: 9
Resell Value: 7
Recent popularity: 6
Value for money: 6
Overall rating: 74.4 out of 100 (Click here to find out Roland's most popular piano)

Advice: Go ahead and buy any Roland digital piano from the HP, F, RD or KR range (If you can afford the high price tag).

Price: Basic models start from RRP £899. Prices seem to be very high on the internet and you won’t be able to get much more than 10% off RRP. You will probably get a better deal on a Roland digital piano from your local music shop.

Link: www.ukpianos.co.uk/roland-digital-pianos.html

 Find out how Roland digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk for questions about Roland digital pianos.

3) Kawai digital pianos

I have tried and tested these digital pianos and discovered the keys have a nice weighting, but perhaps a little soft on the downstroke. The sound is very good, but slightly on the bright side (the same as their upright pianos!). Kawai have improved their pianos quite a bit over the last 2-3 years. Watch out for Kawai in the future!

Graham Howard's Score Sheet
(Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: ES6, CL25, CN22, CN42, CA91)

Touch: 7.5

Sound: 7.5
Design: 8
Build Quality: 7.5
Reliability: 7
Resell Value: 6
Recent popularity: 7
Value for money: 7.5
Overall rating: 72.5 out of 100 (Click here to find out Kawai's most popular piano)

Advice: A good alternative to Yamaha, Roland, and Classenti. Some players love the Kawai sound and swear by the realistic touch -- ultimately it all comes down to individual taste.

Price: Basic model starts from RRP £999. You should be able to buy a basic Kawai digital piano on the web at around 10-20% off RRP.

Link: www.ukpianos.co.uk/kawai-digital-pianos.html

 Find out how Kawai digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

If you need any advice just send me an email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk

4) Classenti digital pianos

I particularly like these pianos. I've seen many raving reviews from delighted customers. Classenti pianos offer a resonant, mellow and realistic piano sound. The touch is heavy-weighted, and authentic... with near perfect weighting (slightly heavier than most of Yamaha's digital pianos). Having only discovered Classenti just over 3 years ago, I'm not sure how reliable these pianos will be over the long term... Classenti's 5 year warranty and 60 day money back guarantee certainly adds confidence!

Graham Howard's Score Sheet
(Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: CDP1, CDP2, CDP3, GR1, Vienna)

Touch: 8

Sound: 7.5
Design: 8
Build Quality: 7
Reliability: 7
Resell Value: 5.5
Recent popularity: 6.5
Value for money: 8.5
Overall rating: 72.5 out of 100 (Click here to find out Classenti's most popular piano)

Advice: If you're buying your first piano and you want a decent sound, a realistic touch at an affordable price, the Classenti CDP1 is for you.

Price: The first model in the series starts at just under £600. These pianos are sold exclusively online. With no retail mark-up you get a lot more for you money.

Link: www.ukpianos.co.uk/classenti-digital-pianos.html

 Find out how Classenti digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk for questions about Classenti digital pianos.

 Call UK Pianos for advice on: 020 8367 2080.

Ask me a question online...

"Graham Howard,
Piano Advisor"

5) Kurzweil digital pianos

Kurzweil are well known for their stage pianos, keyboards and pro audio products but not so much for their digital pianos. Kurzweil digital pianos have been around for a long time, they have been mainly distributed in America up until recently. The Kurzweil digital piano is very robust and produces a good sound.

Graham Howard's Score Sheet
(Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: SP2, PC3X)

Touch: 8

Sound: 7
Design: 7
Build Quality: 8
Reliability: 7.5
Resell Value: 4.5

Recent popularity: 2.5
Value for money: 5.5
Overall rating: 62.5 out of 100 (Click here to find out Kurzweil's most popular piano)

Advice: Might be worth trying one out if you can find a Kurzweil digital piano stockist. I've seen these pianos on Ebay.

Price: Check Ebay, as this is probably one of the few places you can find them on the web.
Link: www.ukpianos.co.uk/kurzweil-digital-pianos.html

 Find out how Kurzweil digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

Remember, if you need any advice just send me an email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk

[Do you want to use this article on your website? ukpianos.co.uk gives you permission to copy this article and use it, providing you include this author's biog box.]

6) Casio digital pianos

Casio offer two ranges: The Celviano models and the Privia.

Celviano

The key weight is nice, but a little springy, and the sound is really good considering the price you pay.

Privia

The privia pianos are not as good as the Celviano range. The sound is a little thin and the touch feels akward. On the first Privia models (PX100 etc.), the keys were quite rattly and had too much side to side movement. Casio appear to be improving this now. Every new model they bring out performs a little better.  I know Casio are quite a bit cheaper than most digital pianos, but it's far better to spend a little bit more on a Celviano (one of the AP range). A couple of years on you'll be glad you did.

The Casio digital piano has improved vastly over the previous few years. They were considered mediocre a few years ago, unable to shake off their 'calculator' image. But we've seen some signs of improvement lately, albeit slow. The Casio digital pianos are not as good as the Roland, or the Yamaha but they're generally cheap digital pianos designed for beginners - between half and two thirds the price of the Yamaha and Roland equivalent models.

Graham Howard's Score Sheet
(Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: CDP100, PX120, PX130, PX800, AP500)

Touch: 4

Sound: 4.5
Design: 7
Build Quality: 5.5
Reliability: 5.5
Resell Value: 5.5

Recent popularity: 6.5
Value for money: 6
Overall rating: 55.6 out of 100 (Click here to find out Casio's most popular piano)

Advice: If you need a basic piano with loads of versatility (gadgets), then go ahead and buy a Casio digital piano from the Celviano range (Casio AP). You may want to consider the Casio Privia digital piano range if you're short of space, and/or your budget is tight.

Price: Basic models start from RRP £799.99. You should be able to find some great deals on the web.
Casio digital pianos generally sell online for around 25-30% off RRP.

Link: www.ukpianos.co.uk/casio-digital-pianos.html

 Find out how Casio digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

Remember, if you need any advice just send me an email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk.

7) Korg digital pianos

Korg are perhaps better known for their high end keyboards and stage pianos. They do produce a limited range of digital pianos that offer functions similar to the Casio digital piano.

Korg digital pianos are quite reasonably priced but their performance falls short of the Yamaha, Roland, Kawai and Classenti digital pianos.

Graham Howard's Score Sheet
(Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: SP250, LP350, C340)

Touch: 4.5

Sound: 4.5
Design: 5.5
Build Quality: 6
Reliability: 6
Resell Value: 4

Recent popularity: 4.5
Value for money: 4.5
Overall rating: 49.4 out of 100 (Click here to find out Korg's most popular piano)

Advice: Wouldn’t really consider a Korg digital piano, but some people like their sound.

Price: Basic models start from RRP £999. You should be able to buy a Korg digital piano on the web at around 30-35% off.

Link: www.ukpianos.co.uk/korg-digital-pianos.html

 Find out how Korg digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk for questions about Korg digital pianos.

8) Mantova digital pianos

Mantova offer some of the best value for money digital pianos around the £500 mark. Their only real rival is Casio. Their entry level model (CDP10) has a really nice piano sound. Other sounds such as: organ, strings, and harpsichord are all good as well. The key touch, although weighted, is a little lighter than the big four brands (Yamaha, Roland, Kawai, and Classenti), but the touch sensitivity is quite responsive. The CDP20 has more power and resonance.

Graham Howard's Score Sheet
(Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: CDP10, CDP20)

Touch: 4

Sound: 5.5
Design: 5.5
Build Quality: 6
Reliability: 6
Resell Value: 3

Recent popularity: 3.5
Value for money: 5.5
Overall rating: 48.8 out of 100

Advice: Mantova pianos are definitely worth considering if your budget is tight.

Price: Around £450 - £500 starting point.

Link: www.ukpianos.co.uk/mantova-digital-pianos.html

 Find out how Mantova digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk for questions about Mantova digital pianos.

9) Thomann digital pianos

Review coming soon...

Overall rating:  out of 100

Advice:

Price:

Link:

 Find out how Thomann digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk for questions about Winchester digital pianos.

10) Winchester digital pianos

 Find out how Winchester digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

Or email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk if you have any questions.

11) Galileo digital pianos

Overall rating:  out of 100

 Find out how Galileo digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

Or email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk if you have any questions.

12) Suzuki digital pianos

Suzuki make fantastic motorbikes, but digital pianos??
Yes Suzuki is very famous for their motorbikes but also Suzuki is hugely famous in the world of musical instruments. They are famous for the ‘Suzuki teaching method, they make great violins and bows, recorders, harmonicas, guitars and reasonable acoustic pianos.

Suzuki digital pianos, however, unfortunately don’t quite make the grade.

Graham Howard's Score Sheet
(Average taken from the following pianos reviewed: SS100, HP97, HP275)

Touch: 2

Sound: 3.5
Design: 3.5
Build Quality: 3.5
Reliability: 4
Resell Value: 4.5

Recent popularity: 1
Value for money: 2.5
Overall rating: 30.63 out of 10

Advice: Buy the Suzuki digital piano only if you are on a really tight budget.

Price: Basic model starts from RRP £799. You can pick up generous discounts online for Suzuki digital pianos (20-25%).

Link: ukpianos.co.uk/suzuki-digital-pianos.html

 Find out how Suzuki digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk for questions about Suzuki digital pianos

13) Diginova digital pianos

 Find out how Diginova digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

Or email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk if you have any questions.

14) Gear4Music digital pianos

 Find out how Gear4Music digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

Or email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk if you have any questions.

15) Hemingway digital pianos

Review coming soon...

Overall rating:  out of 100

Advice:

Price:

Link:

 Find out how Hemingway digital pianos compare against all other makes in my
 latest report: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".
 Click here to claim your free copy!

email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk for questions about Winchester digital pianos.

Reviews coming soon: Thomann, Gear4Music, Hemingway, and Diginova

More digital pianos...

Gem digital pianos (No longer being produced from June 2009)

Gem digital pianos looked nice and had a good name behind them. They did lack in quality though. The sound was poor and they offered a limited range of digital pianos. The sliding key cover had been known to make a squeaking sound and the keys were quite noisy. They proclaimed to use ‘Drake Technology’ in their pianos. Personally I didn't think this improved the sound quality at all.

Graham Howard's Score Sheet

Touch: 4.5

Sound: 5.5
Design: 6.5
Build Quality: 5.5
Reliability: 5.5
Resell Value: 2.5
Value for money: 3
Overall rating: 4.7 out of 10

Advice: Gem pianos ceased production in 2009. There were less than a handful of Gem sellers in the UK when they were at their prime. You may be able to find the odd one, or two for sale in the secondhand market, but be careful. Finding spare parts for them might be difficult now and even more so in the future.

Price: Basic models used to go for around £700-£800.

Link: ukpianos.co.uk/gem-digital-pianos.html

email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk for questions about Gem digital pianos.

The digital pianos listed below vary in quality and have not been reviewed yet.

Alesis, Amason, Baldwin, Behringer, Bentley, Bohemia (no longer in production), Bohm (no longer in production), Chase, Cranes, Daewoo (no longer in production), Delson, Digiano, Diginova, Digitech, Dynatone, Ensoniq, Farfisa, Galileo, Gear4Music, Gem (no longer in production), Hammond, Hemingway, Ketron, Kobrat, M-Audio, Minueta, Orla, Pianonova, Rikter, Ringway, Robertson, Samick, Sejung, Solton (no longer in production), Sulinda, Technics (no longer in production), Thomann, Viscount, Wersi (no longer in production), Williams, Winchester, Worlde.

Click here to find out how the above pianos rate in my latest book: "7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano".

Now you're armed with the right information you can go out and buy a digital piano with confidence. Don’t take too much notice if you feel you're being pushed towards any particular digital piano.

Ask the piano salesman to demonstrate a few different piano brands and then make the decision yourself based on the above information and what you feel is right for your needs.

If you're thinking of buying a digital piano or an upright piano you can find most makes and models here: ukpianos.co.uk. If you can't find what you're looking for, or you want to shop around then I also recommend The Thomann Cyberstore. They are a 100% trustworthy company. And you can be sure of getting some of the best deals on the internet.

Best of luck and I hope you enjoy your new digital piano!

Remember, if you need any advice just send me an email: grahamhowardukpianos.co.uk

Please note. This article is copyright and protected by: . You may publish this article on your website or ezine providing you leave the article "as is" and retain the author's biography box. All contents Copyright © 2008-2010 Graham Howard. All rights reserved.

Further Reading:

7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano
Should I Buy a Digital Piano or an Upright Piano?
Rocket Piano – The Best Online Piano Method By Far

About The Author

[Do as you please with this article but keep my links in tact]

Do you want to use this article on your website? ukpianos.co.uk gives you permission to copy this article and use it, providing you include this author's biography box.

Questions, reviews and comments on this article

Dear Graham,
 
I went through your article on "which brand should I buy". Indeed I want to buy a digial piano to learn the piano (I have never practised so far), so I'm far from a specialist in pianos sounds...
I went into a first shop & listened to Yamaha clavinovas & Casios and I definitely preferred the Yamahas. Then I went into  another shop & listened to the Kawai digital pianos and I then preferred the Yamahas. The salesmen in both shops were very nice & didn't try to influence me, they just let me listened.. I'm hesitating between the Clavinova CLP230 & the Kawai CN31 both on the same prices... I listened to both of them and I preferred the Kawai sounds... however since I don't know pianos I was confused by your ratings with Clavinova ranging firsts... Have you any advice on the new kawai CN31 ?

What do you think I should choose?
Many thanks in advance for your help !
Stéphanie

Reply/ Hi Stephanie
I have heard a lot of good comments lately about Kawai digital pianos.
I did this comparison and review a while ago and having played
the latest Kawai models - I have to say they are definitely improving!
Still I would go for the Yamaha though. The touch is superb (close
your eyes and you are playing an acoustic piano). The sound on
the Yamaha has the edge over every digital piano on the market.

How long this will continue... who knows?

Regards,
Graham Howard
UK Pianos

Further comments/

Hi graham,
 
Many thanks for your answer; I bought the Yamaha CLP 230 mostly based on your recommandations & on the fact they were at the same price. If the Kawai had been cheaper, I would have gone for it because it has more piano sounds & more features... however I had the opportunity to listen to both in the same shop this morning and I finally went for the yamaha..
There's no pb for publishing my answer & your question since your site has been of much help to me &I would be pleased if it could help someone else.. (sorry for my english, I am a french expatriate living in Australia, so...)
Kind regards,

Stéphanie

Dear Sir,
 
Many thanks for your article 'digital pianos - which brand should I buy?'. I have carefully read the article and it was really useful to get an insight of the quality and prices of different brand of digital pianos.
 
I do have a Casio PS3000 digital piano and I can say I am satisfied with the quality of the sound produced and it was really good value for money, although I do not have it with me right now and I do really miss playing the piano as I am an international student at the University of Birmingham and finding a piano to play is not an easy job at all.

I bought my Casio it for $1000 and it has a really good sound similar to the yamaha which is more expensive but with no additional features compared to casio, almost the same sound quality. I even found casio better than yamaha. Hope to get more articles related to digital pianos. Wish you good luck in you work.

Regards,

Rami Al Ashi

Question/

Thank you for this very informative article. Roland sounds good. Is the feel of the keys like that of a piano, or is it as light as the keyboard? Since I am a beginner, I have been asking every one for advice. I would value yours.

Thanks, Indira

Answer/

The key weight on digital pianos is lighter than most upright pianos and much heavier than keyboards, as a general rule.

You need to make sure that the digital piano has a weighted action because there are some digitals out there that have keys weighted the same as a keyboard - for example the Roland EP760.

The exception to the rule tends to be modern uprights, especially the cheaper end of Yamaha, Kemble and Kawai pianos where the key weight is almost identical to a digital piano.

So, it really depends on which type of piano you are comparing with.

As far as the Roland goes, the touch is on the light side, but much heavier than a keyboard. I would say that the Roland's key touch is not far away from a brand new Yamaha upright piano with the exception of their Chinese model C110A which has a heavy touch.

Here is a list of the best digital pianos in order of key weight. I have listed the heaviest touch first:

1) Classenti
2) Kurzweil
3) Yamaha
4) Kawai
5) Ketron
6) Korg
7) Casio
8) Gem
9) Roland
10) Suzuki

My recommendation is to go for either the Roland or the Yamaha.

Graham Howard

What our customers say...

 Call UK Pianos for advice on: 020 8367 2080.

Ask me a question online...

"Graham Howard,
Piano Advisor"

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