Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Why do I see more Kawai and Casio than Yamaha??

I took a glimpse over at the prices paid thread and I see so many more Kawai's and Casio's being purchased than Yamaha's. Infact, I barely see Yamaha's.

I was under the impression that Yamaha's were the most popular Digital Pianos? Maybe because my school only uses Yamaha's and Guitar Center / Musiciansfriend has a lot more Yamaha models than Kawai's and Casio's.

So, do Kawai and Casio make better Digital Pianos than Yamaha does? What is the reasoning behind much higher demand for the first two mentioned and barely none for Yahama?

I get the impression that at a certain price point, Kawai and Casio have some good consumer offerings that Yamaha doesn't match. You can't find any Yamaha keyboard with triple sensor action for under $1,000, but I can think of at least two Casio models off the top of my head. On the other hand, Yamaha has heavily marketed to the educational market for years. I don't know if they offer significant discounts or what. For instance, my old school installed a piano lab not too long ago that has 41 Yamaha Clavinovas.

Mike and James.

Casio are great price points for their features. I've got pretty much every connection I want on my PX-350 with the ability to USB record and many other features.

One thing to note is that this is a 'piano' forum. We are in the digital piano section but I would guess that this forum is a bit different from a 'synth' forum. You might see a lot more Yamahas there. A lot of us are looking for a substitute for an acoustic piano.

Kawai has been making products geared toward piano players. I just got a Kawai (after having a Casio and a Yamaha) and I am blown away by this thing. The piano sound is really good and the action is pretty amazing (I'm just learning some of the features to adjust how it feels, and like it )

I personally didn't like Yamaha's action - it's a bit hard at the bottom of the key stroke (I have been finding that their acoustic pianos are a little like that though) and I REALLY don't like the feeling of the spring-loaded keys. If I was not playing on acoustic pianos at the conservatory I'd probably never notice. The quality is good and the sound isn't bad especially on their higher end units.

Casio has a low price point and you get a lot of keyboard in a small, lightweight package.

My local dealer says Kawais are his best sellers. Has always been Yamahas previously. But he`s sold loads of DGXs which are officially "keyboards" . .

No, all three companies (four if you include Roland) make very good digital pianos.



This is my personal opinion:

Yamaha is arguably the 'default' choice for individuals wishing to purchase a digital piano (indeed for many years the 'Clavinova' brand was almost synonymous with 'digital piano'). Many consumers will visit their local Yamaha dealer, ask the salesperson to demonstrate a few instruments, and likely purchase a digital piano there and then, without questioning the alternatives.

However, a growing number of consumers are using the internet to research their digital piano purchase, with forums such as PianoWorld an ideal place to ask questions and learn about important features. While Yamaha is still the the 'default' option for many initial forum visitors, their opinion may change after they have play-tested alternative brands. If the individual opts for a Casio, Kawai, or Roland after reading the forum, they're perhaps more likely to detail their purchase in the 'Prices Paid' thread.

Kind regards,
James
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...and now Jay too!

...and half of those were to you Pete!

James
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Did the dealer sell only 2 DGXs?
Or did Pete buy 200 DGXs?

I think this is pretty accurate. I started out looking for a DP at the local music stores and Yamaha was the most prevalent. It is mostly Casio and Yamaha in the big box stores. They carry some of the other brands but the stock selection is almost nil. So I've had Casio and Yamaha, then I found this forum

After coming here I've made an effort to find Kurzweil, Roland, and Kawai. And it is an effort to find and play all these instruments locally. I ended up with a Kawai MP10 and am beyond happy with it. I actually had to go to a piano store to find the Kawai. I originally did not think to look at piano stores, but it turns out they've had the best selection for digital pianos (not keyboards).

I`ve had three. The 630 last year (used) and the 650 in Dec. from the local shop. The 620 I bought new (£200 off RRP; fell off the back of a truck) from Rimmers in Bolton. . .

Rumour has it Kawai is collaborating with Yamaha to shoe-horn the CA 65 keybed into next DGX . . .

What sort of bargains are you seeing used?

I've bought from Rimmers both online and from one of their high-street stores, but have considered buying a slab / stage type digital piano on the used market. Problem is, they either seem quite overpriced, or quite ropey - or both.

So far, the mystical bargains on the used market haven't made themselves known to me.

My personal feeling is that apart from the Avant Grand range, which is extremely nice but out of the price range of most people, there's little about the Yamaha home pianos to get people excited. Their technology and marketing seems to have stagnated a bit and really it seems like they're not really trying. They just release the same models every couple of years under different names.

I tested a CLP430 and it was underwhelming in every way. Even at full volume it was too quiet (over both speakers and headphones), which put me off more than anything else. The keyboard didn't feel that good, the sounds were meh, and the user interface looked like it was from the 1990s. Meanwhile, the equivalent Roland, the HP504, outclasses it in every way. Casio have made good actions and sounds at previously unattainable prices, and Kawai have differentiated themselves with their wooden keyboards, soundboards, and nicely designed stage pianos. I'm struggling to think what Yamaha do better!

If I was buying used, I`d go to Ebay and just sit and wait until THE piano came up, as they always do. CA95 for 1200 smackeroos? or a DP 15 (or was it a 10?) for £1600 . . .

Second hand Kawais seem to go for less than Yammies or Roland in UK. But I`d have to pay well over the odds for a P105 or even a DGX model, not to mention some of the older "wonderful cabinet" classics like the CLP611 and the 880. But they`re probably worth the money for the casing alone.

You don`t fare better with dealers in my opinion. My Local Jovial Guy was trying to sell a friend an old CLP250, short scaled Yamaha which had been "improved" by the previous owner. He`d wrecked it. And they sold an old Viscount (faulty) to my church. And expected me to play it . .

I agree. Information has never been more accessible. Although I have to drive
quite a ways for alternate instruments, I can research and decide that easier. Yamaha has always been my go to instrument, but thanks to the internet, I have definitly branched out as far as purchases go.

I believe there is an element of truth in this, however the new CLP-5x5 instruments appear to be a considerable improvement over the previous generation models...albeit with some of the more interesting new features borrowed from other manufactures.

James
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