Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Yamaha P85 / Casio PX130 / Casio CDP200

Wondering which one to purchase. I haven't gone to the music store to test them yet, but any input would be appreciated.

Not looking for anything too fancy with extra features, and portability is not an issue for me. Just want something that sounds and feels like a real piano, so no soft/light keys!

Any suggestions on what type of pedal to get with each piano?

I'm leaning towards the Yamaha P85.

I haven't tried the Yamaha P85, but it's often said here that it's the lowest end Yamaha DP, with only 1-layer sampling and using the lowest level of Yamaha keyboard action. Yet some people say they are satisfied playing it and like the sound.

On paper, the PX-130 wins out with because of the 4-layer sampling. I quite like the keyboard touch of these newer Privia models but haven't directly compared them with the P85's action so I can't comment on that. The PX-130 is a basic stage piano model.

I am not particularly fond of the CDP-200 because it uses the older Casio ZPI sound source (they currently use the AIF sound source in the Privias and Celvianos) and I don't like the action much either (uses Casio's older keyboard action). It, however, has a lot of bells and whistles like rhythms, voices, and an LCD screen unlike the PX-130. But it has lower polyphony (64 if I remember right).

It's best to get a separate aftermarket pedal because the pedals that come with these stage pianos don't feel like a real pedal at all.

In the end, it's best to decide with your own hands and ears

Sourkeys,
It sounds like you are between the Yamaha P-85 and Casio PX-130. These are basic models without bells and whistles. Between these two, I think the PX-130 is the better choice. It has a better piano sample and in my opinion the touch is better. The P-85 uses Yamaha's cheapest action (GHS) which is very light. The keys are weighted, but the touch is slightly better than a synth that has no weighted keys. You need to sample touch and sound for yourself and decide what you like. Be sure and play anything you think you want to buy. Bring a good set of headphones so you can evaluate sound.

I would add feet as well for pedal action. Yamaha P85 should be good entry-level, the sound and feel is not too bad actually, but for true piano feel you would also need a firm stand (not the foldable stage variety) and 3-pedal unit (don't settle for just one sustain pedal), but that adds about $100-150 to the cost. Also check how do you like the sound and overall playing feel in headphones. One of the P85 I tried had been producing consistently annoying noise in headphones at fortissimo in bass register, but that could be headphones or faulty P85 unit.

Any Casio I tried, and I don't remember how many of them, but more than 5 - were mediocre, decay too short for my blood.

Good luck with your choice.

I was in this same dilemma myself lately, being new to piano. Between these models I wasn't really happy with any of the SOUND out of the box (the P155 was getting closer but I've played with pianists since I was young, so I can still hear the "digital"), but I chose the Casio for the touch. That said the sound on the Casio is an improvement over the earlier models and is not bad through something other than the factory speakers.

Touch on the Privia is quite heavy, which I really like. Acoustics differ in their touch as well, with some people having issues transitioning from a lighter acoustic to a heavier one, so pick what feels the best, don't worry too much about it feeling "like a real piano"; they're all different too. As I'll be taking lessons on a grand with a rather heavy touch I felt this was the right one for me.

I primarily use it through my PC with powered studio monitors (or headphones) and Ivory instead of the default piano samples and it sounds phenomenal. So it's my humble opinion you should choose which one feels the best to you, then which one sounds the best, as there are countless ways the sound can be improved, from simply amplifying it to get rid of the weak factory speakers, to using software piano.

The P85 uses Yamaha's "GHS" keys which are their lightest. In the Yamaha line the lowest priced model with GHE keys is the P155 or CP33.