🎹Digital Pianos - The Ultimate Digital Piano Buying Guide - Yamaha, Roland, Kawai, Casio & More🎹

Pianos, both digital and acoustic, come in many shapes, sizes, prices, and brands, while also being extremely versatile instruments. They can be played solo, as a part of a band, or in front of an orchestra. With a piano, you can create rhythm, harmony, and melody all at once. It’s one of the reasons it often has the nickname King of instruments.

It’s fair to say that the crop of Digital Pianos currently available on the market is consistently achieving levels that would have been totally unthinkable a mere decade ago. Never before has the consumer had so many excellent, highly realistic options available at a variety of price points.

While no one would argue this isn’t a great thing for those well-versed in digital pianos and those simply looking to get in for the first, knowing where to start can be quite intimidating and even off-putting.

In today’s video and article, we’re going to be serving you with a general digital piano keyboard buying guide, providing you with the lay of the land in terms of what’s available, and what kind of price ranges we’re looking at.

For the purposes of this article and video, we’ll be focusing on 88-key weighted action digital pianos.

Overview

When it comes to shopping for a piano, shoppers are going to encounter a large industry that is high on romance, but when it comes to actually drilling down and understanding what certain specs actually mean and what the focus should be on, confusion can ensue.

To help in filling in that gap, we’ve laid out a number of various categories and price ranges that you are likely to encounter once you’ve started your shopping. This should help in narrowing down your search, and help you zero in on a particular area.

Let’s jump right into our first category.

Portable Digital Pianos & Beginner Digital Pianos

Portable Digital Pianos & Beginner Digital Pianos
Portable Digital Pianos & Beginner Digital Pianos

This is by far one of the most popular parts of the digital piano market, with really high volumes of these instruments being sold worldwide every year. And it makes sense – for folks who are just starting out, or for parents looking for a practice instrument for their child who just started piano lessons, this category represents a relatively low financial risk for a potentially big reward.

Price Range

The pianos available in this category will generally run from about $500-$1,500 USD. These entry-level 88-key portable keyboards are affordable and a heck of a lot better than they used to be only several years ago, especially with regards to the authenticity of the weighted keys.

For families that don’t have a lot of experience with musical instruments, particularly within homes, entry-level digital pianos serve a great purpose. Now, you’ll often hear from pianists who have learned on acoustic pianos that a digital piano and certainly a basic digital piano just simply can’t compare to a traditional one.

And while in the long-term this is still the case and most people studying classical music would agree with this, for the vast majority, entry-level digitals are a perfectly fine way to test somebody’s appetite for piano lessons and begin to develop basic technique and musical understanding.

Why Buy a Piano From this Category?

All of the major manufacturers offer products in this category, including Kawai, Yamaha, Casio, Roland, Korg, and Alesis. Manufacturing quality has dramatically increased in this category over the last several years, largely driven by the Casio Privia PX series and Casio CDP series along with Yamaha’s success with their Yamaha P-45 and Yamaha P-125. Both Roland and Kawai have followed suit with strong contenders of their own, namely the Roland FP-10 and Roland FP-30 digital piano, as well as Kawai’s ES110 and ES520.

All in all, pianos in this category are designed for normal household use or very light professional use the most obvious limitations are the power and quality of the onboard speakers, tone quality, lighter construction, and lack of connectivity beyond basics like MIDI and headphone jacks. As such, these instruments have a shorter lifespan than more expensive options.

How Long Will a Piano From this Category Last?

Expect a piano from this category to serve a starter player through their first two to three years’ worth of instruction before most teachers are probably going to recommend an upgrade to a more advanced digital piano or an acoustic piano to ensure the player can keep progressing.

Arranger Keyboard Options

There are also some great value arranger keyboards available at this price point such as the Yamaha DGX-660, which offers tons of onboard features with otherwise entry-level tone and touch. Some even allow you to forgo the power adapter and use battery power instead., such as the Casio PX-S1000 digital keyboard.

Summary

To summarize; on the positive side, the instruments in this category are relatively low cost, lightweight, portable, and make for a really great way to test the waters for whoever in your household is thinking about piano. On the negative side, these pianos are not suitable for advanced instruction or classical repertoire, they have a slightly shorter lifespan as well as limited resale value in most markets.

Home Digital Pianos

Home Digital Pianos
Home Digital Pianos

Our next category of digital pianos is referred to as home digital pianos or console digital pianos. The typical buyer for a piano from this category tends to be an adult or newer piano student with parents looking for more of a three to five-year solution as opposed to a shorter-term entry-level option.

Price Range

Prices in this category tend to range from about $1,500-$3,000 USD, which is still less expensive than a new Japanese acoustic upright piano.

If the decision has been made that piano lessons are going to be a fixture in your family’s life and the parents are mostly driving the bus on this one, a home digital piano probably makes more sense to jump into than a portable digital piano. This is enough time to get through the basics of instruction, and will let you evaluate whether your child needs a quality longer-term instrument, all while still managing to save several thousands of dollars off the top.

These also make excellent instruments for adult learners who are looking for a hobbyist instrument that strikes the right balance between quality and price.

Why Buy a Piano From this Category?

The advantage of these pianos is that they have a longer shelf life and are more musically capable compared with the portable digitals from the first category. We typically recommend families that go down this path to upgrade to an upright or grand piano at the point that they sense piano lessons will probably be a 10-year thing to maximize on trade-in value.

Many dealers offer high trade-in values of digital pianos towards an acoustic piano within the first few years of ownership, to the point that owning a piano in this category ends up costing very little if an upgrade is in the cards.

These instruments don’t focus on high-quality cabinetry, but they can still sit in a living room and look pretty stylish. At the upper end of this category, can also access some of the better key sensors, hammer action keyboards, and tone generators in the industry. In other words, some of the best internal core features, but without the bells and whistles or high-end cabinetry of the premium tier models.

Examples of the lower end of this category would be the Yamaha Arius YDP and Clavinova series or Roland RP102, while some examples of the top of this class would include the Roland DP603 or Kawai CA79.

How Long Will a Piano From this Category Last?

Pianos from this category tend to be solid options for the average student for about 3 to 5 years or so. This means the average beginner will be able to progress through about 3 to 5 years of piano lessons with an instrument from this category.

Summary

To summarize; the pros of this category include the fact that these instruments still cost less than an acoustic piano, have great onboard sound, have lots of connectivity options (such as Bluetooth), and actually look like a proper piece of furniture. The cons include the fact that they still have a shorter lifespan than an acoustic piano, are still going to be musically limiting to an advanced player, and you lose out on the portability of the first category.

High-End & Hybrid Digital Pianos

High-End & Hybrid Digital Pianos
High-End & Hybrid Digital Pianos

The third digital category we’re going to look at is the high-end digital piano or hybrid digital piano category. Typical buyers in this category tend to be experienced players who perhaps have space constraints, want certain modern technological features, or simply somebody who wants a fantastic instrument with maximum sound management and minimal maintenance requirements.

Price Range

The price range for this category starts at around $3,000 and can run north of $20,000. Acoustic pianos are not always the ultimate solution for every player, even when the budget is not an issue. Sometimes the appeal of zero maintenance, playing with headphones, or just a smaller physical footprint are all more important than the purity of the tone or touch that you get with a real piano. Everything has to be balanced out.

Why Buy a Piano From this Category?

The top digital pianos are getting close to authentically mimicking both the piano sound with sophisticated sound engines and the touch of an acoustic instrument with very satisfying results. To serve this growing segment of buyers, a quickly evolving class of digital pianos known as hybrid pianos is emerging.

Hybrid pianos fuse both acoustic and digital piano elements, resulting in instruments that can offer certain consumers the best of both worlds. Price-wise, these instruments aren’t actually going to cost any less than an entry-level or mid-range acoustic piano and can be seen rather as an alternative option as opposed to a compromise.

Here are some reasons why more and more buyers are considering this direction. First of all, wooden keys. Even though springs and good geometric design can simulate the static weight of a piano key, plastic-based actions can’t fully simulate the dynamic weight of a key.

Most premium digitals and hybrids use some type of wood key technology to increase that authentic dynamic touch of the piano to make it feel more like a real piano.

Another big reason is the presence of high-end speakers and amplifiers. Digital pianos have very limited volume ranges. Even at maximum volume, most digital pianos can’t compete with the full volume of an acoustic piano, which is one of the reasons it’s difficult to learn on a digital and then perform on an acoustic.

Premium digital and hybrid pianos are starting to close this gap and now deliver a similar volume range to that of a smaller upright piano.

Of course, we can’t discount the appeal that a premium cabinet will have to some folks. The majority of the instruments in this category are available in the same high polished polyester finishes that you’ll find with acoustic pianos.

Lastly, the extensive selection of high-quality onboard sounds, from electric pianos to organs to strings and beyond, plus the ability to stream music wirelessly through the instrument’s premium features are all compelling reasons for some people to go with a high-end digital piano instead of an acoustic piano.

How Long Will a Piano From this Category Last?

Pianos in this category are built as a legitimate alternative to an acoustic piano, so one, in theory, could probably do the bulk of their studies on a piano from this category.

Summary

To summarize; on the plus side, we’ve got a wide range of cabinet options, high-quality construction that should last 10 to 15 years (not to mention great warranty coverage), plus the most authentic tone and touch currently available. On the negative side, the price is very similar to an acoustic piano without the same resale potential, and given the nature of technology, currently advanced technological features will one day be obsolete.

Professional Portable Digital Pianos

Professional Portable Digital Pianos
Professional Portable Digital Pianos

Next up we have a bit of a niche category – professional portable digital pianos. It’s typically semi-professional players who need an instrument for performance, rehearsal or recording situations who shop within this category. College university students will typically explore options here if they require portability and accessibility without compromising quality, as well as families that need a second instrument if they have multiple pianists in the household.

Price Range

Pianos in this category will generally range from $1,000 to $2,500 USD. Professional portable digital pianos offer a more compact, flexible approach as opposed to home digitals, while generally occupying about the same price range.

Why Buy a Piano From this Category?

We don’t see as many first-time family buyers going down this road for several reasons. For example, these instruments are less physically sturdy, and they don’t look as nice in a living room.

The typical features for this category include the option to add a furniture-type wooden stand and pedals (as opposed to a single damper or sustain pedal) if there will be periods where your piano is remaining stationary, but of course, you have the option of going with a collapsible keyboard stand if you are on the go.

You’ll typically find more connectivity options here and many of these pianos also include basic rhythm accompaniments, basic recording capability, and built-in music stands. Dollar for dollar, this category will usually deliver a slightly better action and sound processor for about the same price as their home digital counterparts, with the compromise coming on speaker size and aesthetics.

How Long Will a Piano From this Category Last?

An instrument from this category will serve the average piano student for about 4-7 years through lessons before an upgrade would need to be considered.

Summary

The pros for this category include the fact that many options represent a cost-effective way to get a versatile, great-quality piano that works well with headphones and amps while taking up minimal space. The cons include the fact that these options are not great for larger spaces, the speakers tend to be smaller than their stationary counterparts and they simply lack the same aesthetic appeal.

Professional Stage Pianos

Professional Stage Digital Pianos
Professional Stage Digital Pianos

Our final category for this piece is the professional digital stage piano. The typical buyer for these instruments is going to be professional players who need a gigging or studio instrument, as well as audiophile enthusiasts.

Price Range

These pianos tend to start around $2,000 and can go up to $5,000 or more. You can think of these as the souped-up laptops of the piano industry. Most of the major manufacturers are represented, and there are also companies that specialize in this area such as Nord.

Why Buy a Piano From this Category?

They tend to be somewhat compact and are loaded with features that are built for specific professional uses like stage performance or studio recording. In most cases, speakers aren’t present in an attempt to keep the weight down so these are going to need to be operated with an amp, PA speakers, or headphones.

Popular options in this category are the Yamaha CP88, as well as the Roland RD-2000.

For most end-users, this category isn’t really that relevant. There’s a steep learning curve and fairly sophisticated level of understanding of synthesizer concepts required to really use these instruments that goes way beyond what most amateur or even classical and hobbyist players have. On the other hand, there is of course enough of a subset of consumers purchasing instruments from this category to justify its existence.

How Long Will a Piano From this Category Last?

A piano from this category wouldn’t really make a ton of sense for a beginner looking to take piano lessons, but in theory, a piano from here would probably serve the average student for about 4-7 years.

Summary

Positives for this category include the fact these instruments generally have the most leading-edge technology in the whole industry presented in a wide variety of formats and price ranges and are entirely targeted toward pro users. Negatives are the steep learning curves and hyper specificity of the instruments.

Closing Thoughts

Thanks for sticking with us here at Merriam Music through this detailed article. Our hope is that this piece should provide some clarity and help you when searching on Amazon and other online retailers.

Depending on your own unique situation, there will likely be a category that stands out as the right fit for you. Once you’ve got the category sorted, it’s pretty fun to narrow things down from there.

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