I am looking for a digital piano that mimics the key weight of a real piano with good sound quality. I don't care so much about tons of features like rhythms, prerecorded songs, etc...

I know Yamaha has the GHS and GHE systems for the weight of the keys, but basically the GHE are a lot expensive, and there is also people saying the Privia models have been improving the quality so you may get better quality for less money.

So....

Having that said,, Who is who when looking for a DP, not so expensive BUT with:
1) key weight of a real piano
2) sound quality ?

Yamaha P-85 = Casio PX-110
Yamaha P-155 = Casio PX-410

??

Among other reasons (depth of samples being primary) I chose a PX130 over a P85 because I felt the Yamaha action was too light and didn't go well with the Steinway I usually practice on. I didn't like the slowish rebound of the Casio, but didn't consider it as important as the feel downward action, which was much closer to that particular Steinway. I'm speaking only for my own "real" piano, not yours.

Hi Jose,

I'd recommend either Yamaha...the P-155 if you have the extra money, and the P-85 with stand and pedals if you don't.

In the olden days, I always got the impression that Casio built a keyboard, put it on sale, and then found out how it sounded.

They have improved quite a bit since then, but they still don't have the same high quality associated with Yamaha, nor do they have the same great resale or trade in value.

I have a Yamaha P-85 (actually I have two) and I'm very pleased with the keyboard action and response, and the fine piano sound.

Good luck,

Snazzy

The problem wwith emulating aa acoustic piano action is that every acoustic piano is different. So which one to emulate?

I think Yamaha is now calling the key actions "GHS" and "GH". They dropped the E in recent models. The GHS and GH have quite a bit different feel. The GHS being much lighter.

I don't know if Casio makes more than one kind of weighted hammer key actions.

But there is more to it than just key weight . Try rapid repetitions and also see how far up you must raise a key before you can make it sound again.

Those Casios you selected are old. The PX110 was replaced by the PX120 and that in turn was replaced by the PX130. The PX130 is what you will find in the stores. I would not consider and older model Casio s they have recently improved

Jose:
Of the ones you listed the P-155 is best of the bunch if you are looking at primarily piano. The PX-110 is discontinued but you could find one used for a reasonable price. The PX-410 is a multi voice DP based on the WK series workstations and used to be the European equivalent to the PX-575 sold in North America. I don't think the PX-410 is being made/sold any longer but is probably available used. Both the PX110 and 410 have 32 note polyphony.

The newest Privias are the PX-130 and the PX-330. These are roughly equivalent to the P-155 in that they have a good grand piano sound. They are both cheaper than the P-155 and offer good bang for the buck. The PX 330 is actually an arranger board while the PX-130 is a basic DP like the PX-110.

Korg SP170 is absolutely gorgeous. What hasn't anyone put a Korg model on the scale ?

Where were you able to see an SP170? Are you in the US.

So the list becomes:

Yamaha P-155 vs Privia PX-130 vs Korg SP170

I'm in Costa Rica, but prices are really close to what I see in amazon.

I have a PX-130, and here's my take on it. Maybe this will help you decide.

The piano samples are very good. My only complaint is something that's been mentioned on here before: a few notes around F5 seem to have a high-pitched overtone. This is present on all the piano samples ("Modern", "Classic" and "Variant") so I don't believe it's an artifact of sampling, but some kind of effect that Casio adds which, for those few keys, is just too strong.

The action is good. At the beginning, I too thought that it was a bit too sluggish, but after breaking it in, it has loosened up a bit to where it's now very realistic IMO.

The speakers on the PX-130 aren't anything to write home about. They sound a bit muffled, which you can partially compensate for by increasing the "brightness" setting on the keyboard, but it's still not crystal-clear. With headphones, I have no complaints about the sound.

The problem with the samples and the quality of the speakers isn't important enough to me to justify paying more for a Yamaha that might not have these problems. I just want something to practice on at home with a realistic feel, and a sound that I can listen to. This meets all those requirements at an admirable price.

I'm also looking for a DP piano with realistic touch. Now I'm deciding between P150 and Kawai ES6.
I excluded the Casio because my personal feeling with the keyboard wasn't good.
I tried the Korg sp250 and the new lp350, the keyboard wasn't so bad, but I didn't liked the piano sounds.
Moreover, after I tried the P155 and the Kawai I decided to take one of these two, the sounds and the keyboard are really better than the other opportunity, Korg included. (only for my personal feeling!)

Marcello

Cashley:
The Korg SP-170 isn't available yet and won't be shipping till maybe April. It looks like it will compete with Casio's PX-130 in both features, weight, size, and price. However, Korg isn't exactly a household name in digital pianos. They make excellent synths/workstations which are arranger boards. The other reservation I would have with Korg is service. If I'm not mistaken you have to ship the unit back to them for repairs under warranty.

This is a great time to be in the market for a DP. The many choices are almost paralyzing to me - too many to choose from.

well.... maybe I am too cheap but the P155 costs the double than the PX130, so I think I will be guying the casio.

Great help reading here from the experts !, thanks

DON'T BUY CASIO !

I went to buy the PX-130 today, obviously they said I was getting a great DP, but then I asked them to bring the box and open it to check if everything was find with it.

We opened the box, they plugged it, I turned it on and then realized:
1) the left speaker was dead
2) it had two keys stuck (I found one, my girlfriend found the other ! :S )

From that I can only think: Casio didn't check ANYTHING, nor the keys or the digital functions of this DP, I don't spend more than $500 without checking, and when I am doing it I expect to receive something that went to quality assurance and passed the tests.

This just makes me thing Casio = cheap and bad quality

Hmm, there've been a handful of reports on here about stuck keys on the new Privias.

Mine, on the other hand, was fine, and even survived a trans-Atlantic flight in the care of airline baggage handlers and came out unscathed.

Go figure. I guess if you get one that came out good, like I did, then all's well that ends well. On the other hand I can certainly see how so many defective units can cause one to doubt the level of service they'd receive from Casio in the future, even if they started off with a good unit.

He he, when i hear Casio mentioning a often primarly think of calculators .
Thus beform i got in to piano playing i thought of Yamaha as good motorcycles .

Well i raise my hand and think you should take a look at the Yamaha CP33 which offers a really nice sound IMO and do have the GH action.
They can be found pretty cheap since they are to be replaced in some months with a new CP line.

// Philip

There's bound to be defective pianos as they are shipped by truck and are often handled roughly and sometimes dropped. On the other hand, QC can't catch every defective unit that ships from the factory. I'll bet that Casio PX-30 series are selling well given their price points. If the units were failing in droves, Casio would have to hault production and shipment as no company can function with that kind of public relations nightmare. (ie-Toyota's sticking gas pedals). I'm not saying Casio's Quality Control doesn't need improvement, but basing it on a forum isn't realistic.

This key sticking problem seems to be something that happens at the factory, not during shipping. So they should definitely be able to catch this. Something must be wrong with their new designs as I haven't heard about such issues with the PX-120/320.

Hello Snazzy -

I was going to PM you but thought it better to ask here. I need to get a lighter weight DP because of age-related issues, i.e., I'm too old to tote so much weight. I played a gig last night with my trusty pc1x, which I love, but it reminded me I really should not be loading out such a heavy board. So I am putting the CP-5 GAS on hold to consider one of the light-weight Yamahas. I like Yamaha sound, too. Have you played the P85 through an amp or a sound system and does it sound OK sans its speakers? Just wondering while tracking through this alternate plan... thanks in advance.

I sold one of my P-85's to get a P-95...these pianos are handier than a shirt pocket...only 25 lbs.

For a single layer sample, it is pretty darn good, and the action is neither too heavy, or too light; a nice compromise.

Should be played through a stereo amp or sound system...we've been using a Yamaha Stagepas 300 for gigs, and a Logitech Z2300 for home use...the Traynor K4 is another great stereo stage amp, but it's a mite heavy.

If I get a CP-5, it will probably be kept at home....I'm like you, I don't want to drag around heavy equipment.

The P-85 is a rugged little piano as well...held up to a fair amount of gigging with no issues...I just put it in a gig bag.

If you're going to use an X-stand, you must get the adaptors to allow it to fit on one...the dealer should know about them.

Hope this helps a mite,

Snazzy

Helps a bunch. Thanks, Snazz! I just set up the rig I used last night in my "man-cave" (as the spouse calls it) studio. I play the boards after I get back from a gig through the system without changing any settings just to see what I did. I did OK last night. I love the sound I am getting. I still like the Kurz. piano and rhodes, and the XK3 through my homemade Crown pwr amp+eminence speakers/pro3x system. I don't think a huge bunch of money can improve upon it, in my view. I just need something lighter, and Yamaha works well, too. I practice on a CP-33. I will look at the P95, matched with the Electro2/61, when they show up around here.

I thought there is practically no difference between a P85 and P95. Why bother to upgrade?

The P-95 has a Jazz Organ patch that will come in handy, plus I'll find the new choir sound useful as well.

The P-85 is a terrific little piano...I've used it on some pretty demanding gigs, and it performed as good or better than stage pianos costing three times as much.

A very reliable instrument, and very light to carry.

The P-95 should be the same.

Snazzy