🎹 2024 Digital Piano Buyer’s Guide - Best Options Under $2000 🎹
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
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Introduction
These are the best digital pianos under $2,000 in 2024. I’ve spent a significant amount of time playing each of these pianos, and for this list, we’re dealing only with digital pianos; no synths or controllers.
Casio
PX-S6000
This is part of the new Privia line that was released a year ago. The PX-S7000 deservedly got a lot of attention, but the PX-S6000 is a great option for those who don’t need the high-quality stand and who want a more “all-around” instrument. The 6000 includes over 350 built-in tones, programmable control surfaces, a nice full-spectrum speaker system, the ability to run on batteries, and is lightweight enough to carry with you.
AP-S450
This model contains innovations that are new to the Casio lineup; an all-new wood core action, an updated stereo sample set of the Hamburg Steinway, a totally new cabinet look with a really interesting visualizer feature, an ultra-slim form factor, a unique speaker approach that projects the lower speakers into the cabinet, providing maximum resonance, and a set of tweeters to clearly define the highs.
Kawai
KDP120
One of the least expensive instruments on this list, the value continues to be outstanding; with 40 watts of speaker power, an updated RHC action with improved cushioning, and Bluetooth MIDI for wireless connection to Kawai and other apps. The real centrepiece of this instrument is the quality of the unfiltered multi-layered stereo-sampled Kawai SK-EX grand piano. For parents looking for a basic instrument that doesn’t compromise too badly on the musical performance, the KDP120 has been dominant in the marketplace since its release, and, unlike other models on this list, it includes a bench.
ES920
This is the quintessential portable digital piano. It’s not trying to be a stage piano but is providing portability for those who need a great playing experience wherever they go. The RHIII action is one of the best in the industry, and the keyboard includes a great onboard accompaniment feature.
The focus of this instrument is the number of authentic acoustic piano patches delivered in beautiful unfiltered stereo layers along with all of the resonance engines you could hope for played through the best-performing onboard speakers in the industry.
Korg
G1
Although we haven’t reviewed this piano on our channel, my impressions were generally positive. The action feels substantial, the cabinet has attractive styling, and like Casio’s top-line Privia and Celviano models, Korg has included three different acoustic piano models.
Roland
HP702
Two things stand out with this instrument. This is the first price point where you get modelling, one of Roland’s most well-known differentiators. The second is the use of speaker technology in these larger cabinets where Roland has really figured out how to use the cabinet itself to enhance the playing experience. Unlike the DP603, the 702 has beautifully contoured shaping, with no harsh highs and a nice lower-mid warmth.
FP-90X
This is Roland’s flagship digital piano. Whereas the Kawai ES-920 is focused on acoustic piano replication, the FP-90X delivers in every category; from a massive onboard library of tones to robust built-in speakers, the PHA-50 action, and great connectivity and recording functionality.
Yamaha
CLP-725
Much like Kawai’s ES920, the CLP-725 is focused on the acoustic piano environment. The value is in the action and the CFX Concert Grand. It’s equipped with the resonance engines you would expect, a much better feel than the YDP series, and a 40-watt speaker system.
If you prefer the brighter clearer tone that Yamaha is famous for, Yamaha digital pianos are the only place to get it.
CK-88
The CK-88 is aimed at a stage piano audience with the focus primarily on keyboard instrument sounds, such as piano, Rhodes, and organ. This is Yamaha’s answer to the Roland RD-88. It is reasonably lightweight and the lushness and authenticity of the Rhodes and organ sounds is a standout for the price point.
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Видеоклипы
As I said, I am missing Stu’s long and detailed reviews.
We appreciate the feedback. Our production team is always experimenting with new formats and approaches. Perhaps, we will have two types of review/comparisons in the future: long form and short form for different types of topics. :)
I purchased a PX-S6000 for the portability, and size. I built a wall mounted bookshelf, and it fits perfectly on a very narrow shelf that others on this list would not. Sounds, looks, and feels amazing, and works for me.
That is awesome to hear! It really is an incredible instrument that checks off so many boxes. We're glad you're enjoying it! :)
I got the 6000 too. I have it on my desk, under my pc monitors. Its the only fully weighted piano that is slim enough to be a good fit. I didn't need the stand of the 7000.
A lovely piano, with great tones and keybed, and I can always use PianoTeq on my PC if needs be, although the onboard tones are more than good enough
Thank you so much for fullfilling my request guys! One of your best vids as always!🙌🏻
You're very welcome! Thank you so much for the support! :)
I'm waiting for my Kawai cn201 for a week now, can't wait to play it
That's amazing! Congrats on your CN201! I hope you enjoy it once it arrives. :)
Sir, I am not a piano player, I never owned one but I just discovered your channel (I'm french) and I enjoy it a lot. You know what you talk about and sometimes (often) I enjoy your impros a lot ! To me, your channel is how all channels should be : good informations given by an expert and in a humble yet pleasant way. I am nobody but I wanted to congrat you.
Hi there! Thank you so much for the kind words! We're glad that you have been enjoying our videos and Stu's playing. :)
I love my ES920, great instrument and surprisingly easy to move around, and sounds great.
That is great to hear! It is one of my favourite portable digital pianos! It is a total home run in my opinion. :)
Professional intruduction!
Thanks so much! We really appreciate that. :)
I used to own a CLP 745, now own the P525, I just can’t see the CLP 725 being a better option than the P525, because of the budget and action comparison. But that’s just me, not saying the Yamaha suggestions are wrong. My P525 with stand and 3 pedal unit was just under $2k USD.
For sure! It all comes down to personal preference of course. The P525 is a very solid choice! Every player will gravitate towards a different sound and touch. :)
I completely agree with you. I think that the action of P-525 is better than any other on the list!
4:10 I own the Korg G1 and I’m very happy to play it, Korg’s tones are good, but I am really happy using Pianoteq, my favorite samples are Steinway D German Grand, SK-EX, C.Bechstein D282.
That is awesome to hear! It is a very solid piano with great value. :)
Have you also considered Korg LPU-380U back then?
@@amitev no
Very happy owner of the ES920 here. If I could play half as well as Stu I'd be all over a Novus, but the 920 is brilliant at the price point imho
Congrats on your ES920! It is a wonderful instrument with a fantastic touch and tone! Also, I'll be happy to pass along the kind words to Stu for you. :)
Am a very happy owner of the ES920 years now :)
That's amazing! The ES920 is a powerhouse machine! :)
Thank you, endlessly helpful videos! Been watching your channel almost non-stop for a week now, and my favorites keep changing. It's very scary not to get the key weight and tactile feel right, but unfortunately there's no way to compare in real life before buying.
Maybe, based on your reviews, I need a KAWAI CN301, but now that it's not in this ranking, I'm doubting again😆
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thank you so much for watching! We sincerely appreciate it. We're glad to hear that you've been enjoying the videos and have found them useful through your process. The Kawai CN301 is a wonderful instrument that checks off all of the major boxes: tone, touch, speaker fidelity, aesthetics, and more. I think it would be a wonderful choice! :)
Or CA401... jesus, it's so hard to guess the tactile sensation from a video lol
@@MerriamPianos Sorry, I compared European prices with those on your continent. Now I understand why the instruments I listed are not included in your ranking=)
Thanks for another interesting review. Yes, like mfurman, I like the longer videos, but I understand the need for shorter ones too.
With so many great models to chose from, it must have been hard picking only these ones, but they are a nice selection. Stu's points about the CK-88 are astute, and I think that Yamaha is clever in calling it a stage keyboard instead of calling it a stage piano. My first reaction to the expression "stage keyboard" was yuk, but then I remembered that pure piano patches are seldom used on the big stage, so stage piano has always been an odd expression. Yamaha is simply acknowledging a reality and marketing the CK-88 accordingly. Meanwhile, I believe that portable pianos are gradually replacing stage pianos on wish lists of gigging pianists, but that's another subject.
Thank you for tuning in! We appreciate the honest feedback and I will certainly pass it along to our production team. And those are very good points and an interesting topic/debate worth exploring. Perhaps, that would make for an excellent video topic in the future! ;)
Another great and quick comparison from Merriam Music. :) However, I do miss a little bit the Kawai MP7 SE next to the ES-920, as this is maybe the most unnoticed (next to the MP11 SE) portable digital piano made by Kawai on this channel (though there has been one episode recorded about it) and in many ways a great alternative to the ES-920 too.
Thank you kindly! We're glad you enjoyed it. We can certainly do our best to tackle an MP7SE versus ES920 comparison. With that said, these are slightly different types of instruments with different intended purposes. The MP7SE is a stage piano that does not have onboard speakers, whereas the ES920 is an all-in portable digital piano with onboard speakers.
Oh! Korg became a new member for reviews....super!
:)
In my old days, the days of the O1 W and the Triton, Korg was king in my area. Now no one carries the higher end keyboards in store to test, and Korg seems to not have enough reviews online. It was nice to see Korg on here and hopefully Korg gets reviewed on its most recent models such as the SV2 and Grand Stage X, that would be fantastic. IDE love to learn how it compares in action to other competitors.
Great reviews
(although here in Australia these pianos are more expensive in Australian currency. That dreaded exchange rate)
Thanks so much! Yes - unfortunately, the price points are quite different in some other markets.
Hello, can you give some recommendations between the Casio ap550, the Yamaha CLP 735 and the kawai CA401, I could only try the Casio and the clp , and I’ve got a better feeling with the touch of the CLP but the design and sound of the Casio look and sound very impressive, in a few years I would like to upgrade to a real accoustic piano.
What is your recommendation between those 3 (the better touch and sound)?
Thanks for your time and your video
Hi there! Brent from Merriam Music here! The Casio AP550 sounds and looks fantastic, but the action is certainly going to play lighter than the Yamaha CLP735 and Kawai CA401 models. While this is a very tough call to make between three very solid instruments, for me, the CA401 is a total home run if you're looking for a digital piano that will sound and feel as close to an acoustic piano as possible in this price category. It is a really spectacular instrument! :)
Great round up, be awesome to see Stu compare the Yamaha CK88 to the Roland RD88 as an affordable stage piano match up! Cheers
You're very welcome! Thank you for tuning in! We really appreciate that. :)
Stu is the man!
:)
Would you recommend the Yamaha p525 or is it more worth it to get one of these pianos?
It's just best to try it out in person to see for yor self🎹🎶
It's the first piano that comes to my mind after watching the video.
It comes down to personal preference. The P525 is a solid instrument, so it would certainly be worth checking out in person along with some of the other models mentioned in this video. Every piano will have a slightly different touch/tone. :)
Is there a piano with the button configuration of the Roland HP702 but that is portable, or at least that can be stored when not needed???
The FP90X has a fairly similar control configuration (although it is slightly different). It also uses a modelling engine like the HP series instruments. However, it is a more advanced engine. :)
Hey Stu, I recently bought the Casio PX-S5000 but I'm not happy about the speakers, in my opinion they sound kind of tinny and more like a keyboard than an actual piano (it stands freely in my room on a stand).
Now I'm thinking about exchanging it for the S6000, because I read it has better speakers, but I'm very unsure about it, for the following reasons:
I thought the S5000 would be a perfect fit for me, because I don't really need a lot of crazy features, mainly a good piano sound and feel to practice at home and the portability is very important to me since I play a lot of live shows.
I've been researching and sampling digital pianos for weeks now and I'm starting to lose my mind trying to find one that has an authentic feel, a great sound over speakers and connected in a live situation and is portable, too.
I mainly use the piano to accompany my singing and unfortunately difficult interfaces tend to scare me away, so I need something low-threshold.
It would be so great to hear your opinion about the 5000 vs. 6000 speakers and I'm grateful for any tips regarding other models for my needs in that price range.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I'm sorry to hear that you're not fully satisfied with the PXS5000's speaker system. It is a simpler dual speaker setup with a lower power rating (16W), so it certainly won't offer as robust of a sound as something with a higher-powered and more sophisticated speaker setup. To that point, the PXS6000 does have a four-speaker array, which is double the power. In my experience, the bass response in particular is much better on the PXS6000. With that said, you could also consider using an external amplifier to enhance the sonic experience of your PXS5000. The Roland KC series amps in particular sound quite good! :)
Thank you for this overview. Do you think a digital piano in this price range would be a significant upgrade from a Yamaha Arius YDP 163? I have been using it for about 5 years and have become a bit frustrated with it. I take lessons where i use an acoustic piano and it is completly different. I am always surprised by the dynamics and the pedaling and sometimes the notes i play come out silent.
I tried out a few higher end DPs in a store (clp 785 and kawai ca 901) but was not very impressed by the action. Maybe i am just not advanced enough to recognize the quality. Do you think upgrading to a better digital piano will help me adapting to acoustic pianos?
You're very welcome! Thank you for the question! If you were not satisfied with the playing experience of the CLP785 and CA901 models, it is unlikely that you'll favour one of these models under the $2000 price point. It may be that your fingers are longing for the touch of an acoustic instrument. A nice used acoustic piano might be an excellent choice. Alternatively, true hybrid pianos like the Kawai NV5S are a meaningful step up from all standard digital pianos in my opinion. :)
Thank you.
Is the CK better than the VR730 in terms of piano, rhodes and hammond?
It comes down to a matter of personal preference really. They are both quite solid on that front in my opinion though. :)
Dear Stu! I beg you to finally do a review of Bechstein C8. I have concert 8 and I highly interested in differences with new c8.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! We have reviewed the Concert 8 in the past, which you can see here:
ruclips.net/video/uIZnzUBjrlE/видео.html
I don't believe there have been any changes/updates to the design with the C8 model. It is simply a different naming convention for the Concert 8.
I saw your review more than 10 times, it’s brilliant. That’s why I bought Concert 8 white polished 2022.
Bechstein itself claims that C8 is absolutely new and better than Concert 8. That’s why I ask to check C8. And I ask you to use little better mic for record acoustic piano please! 🙏 ❤
what is a very good external speakers for the portable pianos
If you are looking for studio monitors, the Yamaha HS5 speakers are quite good! If you're looking for an amplifier, the Roland KC amps are excellent. :)
thank you so very much
Can anyone comment on the EQ possibilities with the PX-S6000? This can be a big issue on certain gigs. It has an attractive carry weight for a semi-pro priced instrument and some other nice features too, but I keep wondering how serious Casio is about making gigging pianos. Is the PX-S range more glitzy than gig friendly?
Between the plethora of onboard sounds and adjustable parameters, I would say that the PXS6000 is certainly equipped to be an excellent gigging companion. The on-stage aesthetic and portability factor also give it some additional points in my opinion.
All wonderful digital pianos, but I'm surprised the Yamaha P-525 didn't make the list. Thoughts?
It all comes down to a matter of personal preference of course. We just feel that there are better cost-to-value ratios offered at this price point.
Looking for insights, preferably with reasoning! I currently have a Yamaha P515. This is my first and only piano for a couple years now. I am looking to get a new digital (Upgrade?) that I can leave at home, and keep my p515 at work so I can practice without traveling with it. I have no digital piano dealers close to me to test any of these so I cant get hands on. Its hard to pick one of these as they all have merit. Curious how I would pick one, and which one with my only experience being my p515! I will see if theres individual videos for these as well, but looking for thoughts as well if anyone has any! I almost just went for the P525, but ehe CLP-725 seems nice to leave at the house, and would keep me with yahamaha and what im used to (though different pianos for sure both of these) (im just rambling at this point ;'p)
Hi there! Thanks for the question! It really comes down to musical preferences. We have filmed/released individual reviews for many of the models discussed in this video. That would be an excellent resource to familiarize yourself with the overall sound and feature offering of each model. With that said, when it comes. to the action/touch, the best bet is always to audition the pianos in person whenever possible. If the piano is going to live in one spot in the home, a console piano will likely provide better value and a superior sonic experience, as they usually have more elaborate speaker systems. Hope this helps a bit! :)
As have been proven thousands times before a top Kawai is the only option for anyone who ever hopes to play a real grand piano.
Casio Yamaha and Nords are anti-pianos in terms of action and getting the learner prepared for real stuff.
Top Rolands will kinda do.
Never had a chance to play a Korg though.
It is definitely tough to compete with some of the Kawai models on the market right now. They offer an excellent combination of tone and touch! Thanks for tuning in! :)
Hi Stu & Crew.
Rich b-roll, nice background.
I like top tenz, it's a subgenre for itself, watched by people delving in stats (mo bigger -> mo better :-) You guys could play on this ground for a bit.
most portable
most suitable for busking
most often chosen for the house of worship
most presentable furniture
most benefiting from the app
Loudest (measured in DB?)
Closest to the real piano
The proved formula is to count them from 10 to one - from the "weakest" to the "strongest".
Tension should rise Hitchcock says.
I wonder how crazy / silly top ten about pianos you can come up with ;-)
---
Your thumbnails leave a lot to improve yet...
Thank you for tuning in and sharing your insights. I'll pass along the suggestions to our production team.
No p525?
The P525 is still a solid instrument, but we feel that these options offer better cost-to-value ratios. It is a very subjective matter of course. :)
@@MerriamPianos thanks!
But where is Kauai vpc1?
the vpc1 is a masterkeyboard and not a digitalpiano. the diffrence is that digitalpianos have integrated sounds and speakers and a masterkeyboard is a keyboard for "mastering" music on your computer and doest have integrated speakers and sounds. on a masterkeyboard you MUST connct it to a pc and a digitalpiano is a standalone instrument
@@alpay389 Stu said controllers were eliminated from his presentation.
I see! Interesting video. Big fan of your channel. Maybe it’s possible to make video about midi keyboards?
The VPC1 is a MIDI controller, which is a bit of a different animal. This video is focused on all-in portable digital pianos. :)
The Korg G1Air actually has 80 watts rated for its speakers.
The Korg spec sheet for the model is a bit opaque. It says: (20 W + 20 W) x 2. I interpret this as 80 W as well, but I can see where the notion of the system being 40 W would come from given how the info is presented.
@@MerriamPianos I repaired my G1, there are 2 fullrange speakers 2x40w 4 Om and two midwoofers 2x40w 4 Om powered by TPA3118 2-channel amplifier chip (output max power 50w per channel). Therefore, it is more correct to say that G1 has actually 2x40w sound system, because fullrange speaker and woofer speaker connected to a single gain channel.