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Korg DPs are known to provide good value and decent quality. The SP250 and LP350 models have been around for quite many years without being upgraded. But they are still popular DPs and recommended by many people.

One key reason is the price tags they come with. Korg DPs are priced at entry level pricings. Sound quality is decent, despite having only 2 samples per note. RH3 action is also authentic.

The sound quality cannot match those at the top-end (like CP series, Roland or Kawai), but it comes quite close. For the huge discount in price, many are tempted to purchase Korg DPs instead of the others.

Any comments from users? Are Korg DPs durable? Do the keys start to "click" after a few years of playing?

I don't have the 3 items mentioned although I have played them a lot.

I did have a Korg SG Rack for many years as well as a Triton Le and found them well made. I will defintely buy a Korg product in the future.

I am heavily leaning toward a SP170S for later in the year to take out to open mics etc.. I found the speakers to be a big improvement than the SP170. I liked the #1 piano sample.

Some of the sounds on the LP350/SP250 remind me of the Sg RACk.

There are complaints about the keybed in the Kronos 88; I have not heard of as many for the 3 pianos you mentioned.
Is there one model you are leaning toward? I could ask people I know that might have them as well.

My favorite thing of theirs would be the steinway sample itself.

I own a LG350, may be I can sum up some pros and cons:

Pro:
-best key weight around its price range, I think PHAII is better but the price is doubled, Yamaha entry level DPs action is far too light for my taste
-Slim design
-midi output for me to use Ivory II with it

Con:
-The unit itself is made out of very cheap materials (and I DO mean VERY cheap), I rather they use plastic...
-the sound system is poor, some hiss comes out of the speakers, even Casio DPs are better in this area. High notes die off very quick

I think SP170S is a better option as it provides a better sound system and it's cheaper as well.

Hubert, did you consider the Kawai CL36?

James
x

Only Korg, Roland, Yamaha and Casio DPs are available in my area, so I only tried those before I bought my Korg.

thanks james I should have mentioned that in my previous reply, Kawai never pops out of my mind as I never seen one around.

No problem Hubert.

Am I correct in thinking that you are based in the US?
If so, it's perhaps a moot point as the CL36 is not available in North America.

Kind regards,
James
x

I live in an Asian country and would very much like to try a Kawai... they received lots of good comments here.

btw james do you know why they are not for sell for some countries??

I believe Kawai instruments can be purchased in most Asian countries, as listed on the Kawai Japan website:

http://www.kawai.co.jp/worldwide/world/index2.html

Kind regards,
James
x

Acoustic upright / grand pianos are available in my area (Hong Kong) but not for DPs....

Ah, I see.

Kawai instruments are distributed in Hong Kong by Parsons Music, however I believe this distributor has only started marketing Kawai digital pianos very recently.

Kind regards,
James
x

I found more rigid mounting of the keyboard in the 350 to result in slightly better action than the 250. I repeat...this is only because of more solid mounting of the action.
After you get the stand for the 170. It's close to the cost of the 250.
The 170's action is not bad. It is not as good as the 250. I really like the 250's action in comparison to any of the entry level DP's out there in the price range.
Also not a comparison to any of the low level Kawai's. Haven't been able to try any.
I very much like the look and cover of the 350. I know...it's a 250 in a different cabinet, speakers.

- Sam Ash is currently offering $100 off $599 which in essence would cover the stand.
Would you still recommend the 250?

I find that I like the multiple variations of the SP250's piano as it emulates my old Sg Rack by Korg in that regard, but even though the SP170S has only one Steinway sound (don't know what the second piano is) I really enjoy listening to it

The 250 includes the stand...always. The 170 doesn't.

I gotta admit. I liked the sound on the 170. Maybe a little better than the 250. But...at this price...an entry level DP. I really wouldn't worry alot about sound. If you're really obsessed with sound like I am. Do what I did. Also I consider the sound on the 250 as not bad at all...just my opinion...

I would still suggest the 250. Even though I know a person purchasing this...if they continue and progress in piano...they will upgrade in the future.

I would like to add. I once thought maybe that keyboard had more to it than it did. Kinda like letoff and such. What it has is weight and a little friction. This results in helping it have more realistic feeling action than others in this price range.

Bottom line is: The SP250 is a whole lot of piano for the price.

Please read my post abt RH3 Keybed here
https://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubb...e%20you%20buy%20Korg%20.html#Post1944875


I Recently got the Sp-170S. I returned it, bocz the keys were making clicking sounds. Very Annoying while playing forte phrases. Then i got the Sp-250. The RH3 action feels firm to play on. The sounds are also great, with a good metronome sound for practice.

But the SP-250 has some serious issues playing softer (p & pp) phrases. Btw some lower velocity range, it triggers a muted, staccato like piano sample & believe me for a pianist it is very ANNOYING. It's like you play a legato phrase & if you aren't hitting the keys hard enough, you are likely to hear some short length notes (like; theres is no decay or release on those notes).

I would really request to people who are buying the KORG SP-250 to play it for a while with Headphones & play @ different dynamics. I checked this with LP-350 too, and it too has that issue.

The sp250 has been discontinued, before the big tsunami in Japan last year it was highly speculated that its predecessor was close to release, however that has changed with what happened, quite a few people were hoping they were going to put the kronos piano into an sp250-like shell and sell it for around the same price. Who knows though, im not an insider but that was the word around town.

Which town?

Haha! the town of korg forums! So far its just hearsay and speculation but with the 250 not being produced anymore people seem to hope and think the sgx1 engine will end up in a dp. Which would make for a lovely sounding dp under 800 if that is the case.

Well, there it is....the Krome, i really wish they had upgraded the keybed on it, but it still seems like a decent dp.

Maybe. But really, the Krome is more of an M50 on steroids rather than a replacement for the SP-250 or even the SV-1. It remains to be seen whether Korg thinks the DP market is lucrative enough for them to have another go with a competitive stage or home piano. It would make sense to filter down the Kronos pianos beyond workstation territory, but that's not a guarantee it will happen. I actually have no interest in the workstation functionality, but it seems like these do-everything units are very easy to resell, if it turns out to be less useful than expected.

One of the main reasons I wanted to try out the Krome, was to see if the relatively large memory allocated to the pianos makes sufficient difference in practice to warrant choosing a possible SV-2 or SP-450 in future over a new Kawai or Yamaha.

Can I ask you a question about the stand of the piano- I was watching a youtube demo and it seems the piano was turned upside down to connect to the stand. Is this necssary? Could the piano just be put on a normal xstand?
I am awaiting the SP280 to try out.

Also, if you are using the stand it came with- about how many pounds does it weigh?