Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Digital equivalent to the Yamaha U3?

Hi guys,

I'd like to buy a good solid digital piano for an intermediate player, similar in calibre to the Yamaha U3.

I want it to:
- have good built-in speakers
- have 88 very realistic keys
- to have headphone compatibility
- be a "turn on and play" piano - no need for software/plug-in compatibility
- stay put for a long time, I don't need it to be portable
- have 2/3 pedals
- maybe sound a bit mellow?

Anyone have a good recommendation? Thanks!

I don't know how they actually compare to the U3, but regarding your other requirements and assuming you are looking for a top-tier digital piano, my recommendations would be:

Kawai CA97 or CS11
Roland LX-11 (maybe LX-7)
Yamaha N1/N2 or NU1 or CLP585

All of these are fine pianos and would serve you well. All of them have their followers that prefer one of them over the others. Which one you prefer is entirely subjective and you will only know after trying them yourself. No advice on the internet can substitute for hands on testing.

You`ll not get many pianos sounding like acoustics of any calibre, the resonances etc are usually set too low or simply can`t be increased to the level of an acoustic.

So your pedalling will differ accordingly. Some of us don`t mind that; acoustics have a lot of unwanted jangle but this distinguishes it from it`s more refined and bland smaller brother.

Kawai CS11, Casio GP500 and Roland LX17 sound acousticky on default setting; the Yamah NU1 is similar in that sense at least; the first two have lots of good stuff inside to adjust if you wish, and will cost nearly as much as the U3. Also . . .

You never need to switch`em on or off. Opening the lid does that!

Keep in mind that most high-end digitals (like the ones listed above) are intended to mimic a grand piano action, not an upright action like the U3. The only exceptions would be the Yamaha NU1, which has an upright action.

Another option would be to get a Yamaha U3 with a silent system on it for headphone use. If you would be able to have some practice without headphones, I think this is a good option to go with. But if you will mostly be on headphones, you may want to check out the hybrids and true digital pianos because you will most likely get more bang for your buck with those.

Keep in mind that an upright action is limited in expressive capabilities and thus inferior to a grand piano action - which is why DP manufacturers try to emulate the feel the a grand piano instead.

"Intermediate" can be a very wide spectrum of difficulty, but if you are going to spend the money, I think it would be best to test drive these pianos out with the more demanding repertoire you can play to see what you feel offers the most head room to grow.

Thanks a lot for these guys.

I think you've come up with good recommendations.

Could any of you suggest something closer in pricing to the £1000 ($1250) mark?

You're shooting a bit low price-wise for your desires.

Jay

infraxo, is there a reason why you are using the U3 as a point of reference, specifically? Do you perhaps own a Yamaha U3, or play one at your lessons/practise sessions?

I have to agree with others that suggest you may need to increase your budget. A new U3 costs in the region of £11k~£12k, so expecting a digital costing a fraction of the price to deliver the same quality of touch and tone is somewhat optimistic.

My recommendation would be to visit a few of the music shops along Denmark Street, such as Rose Morris or Yamaha Music London, to get a feel for the kind of digital pianos that are available within your budget. Generally speaking, I would stick with the offerings from Yamaha (e.g. CLP-525/535), Kawai (CN25/CN35...CA17 if possible), and Roland (RP501/HP504).

Best of luck!

Cheers,
James
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infraxo: I would not overlook the high quality (IMO) Casio PX-360/560, which appear to be within your budget -- in North America anyhow; I don't know how they're priced in the UK.

The original specs eliminate a "kit piano" using a VST, MIDI keyboard, computer, and speakers.

If those requirements were changed, and a "kit piano" were permitted, at least the _sound_ of an upright might be duplicated fairly closely.

Pianoteq has a pretty serious "upright piano" model, and I believe other software-piano makers also have them. You'd need a MIDI keyboard, computer, and speakers.

It would be uglier than a Yamaha NU1, but probably cheaper.

. . . But, as everyone says above, it still wouldn't have an upright-emulating action.

For that, I think the NU1 is the only choice, and it's way out of budget.

Hi!

The reason why I am referencing the U3 is because I used to have one and recently sold it. But it was a reconditioned 1970s one. I bought it for £3500 but am now looking for a digital one that's more around the £1000 mark.

I guess what I'm asking for is recommendations for the best digital piano I can buy that's similarish to the U3 for around £1000

Please let us know, after you have bought a GBP 1000 digital piano and played it for a while, if it would come close to an U3 accoustic.
Thank you.

Considering the GBP 1000 budget, I think your list may have to have some compromises. That isn't to say, however, that there aren't any decent digitals in that price range, but just not something that will check all the boxes.

For about GBP 1200, you can get the Kawai CN25 which may be worth checking out. For closer to your budget check out the Casio AP-650 and the Yamaha CLP-525. I think also Roland RP-401R is in the price range as well.

Keep in mind that most of these pianos have the ability to adjust the sound, so please play around with the settings to see if you are able to find a sound you prefer.

Try these models out and see what you like best.

Can you extend your budget a bit to stretch to the Kawai CA17 (or still find its precursor, the CA15 somewhere)? IMHO this is a very reasonable no-frills digital piano as close to an acoustic as possible in this price range (which, however, is not saying very much). At least the key action is good, and playing through headphones it sounds quite good as well.

(Our American friends usually overlook this instrument since it is not available in the US.)

Yes, I was going to suggest it, but it was outside the OP's budget. It's a very good piano.

True, but if some dealer still has a CA15 sitting around, it might in fact be within budget. And as the OP will find when playing all these instruments, the budget *is* a problem with his wishes and experience.

I'm willing to buy second-hand by the way - that should help no?

A bit. If buying second hand you should definitely do some extended testing. Digital pianos are far less durable than acoustics, hence you need to make sure that everything (and especially the key action) is in good working condition. I would not buy a used digital older than five years, say.

+1. Sometimes you can get a good deal on ebay or craigslist, but you will also find that DP owners will try to recoup as much of their original cost without considering the advancement in technology that makes their investment almost obsolete. So it will take a bit more homework on your part, but definitely you can get something nicer in the used market.

Still, compare those with what you find in the new markets as well.

Hi guys,

I noticed the Kawai CA17 isn't as available as it used to be a couple of years ago.

For that level of price, say £1500ish, is Kawai CA17 still the best option to go for, or is there something better around now?

Thanks!

Infraxo, the CA17 was discontinued and replaced by the CA48.

http://www.kawai-global.com/product/ca48/

Kind regards,
James
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