Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Yamaha CLP 130 or 150?

Hi folks,

I'm going to buy a Yamaha CLP.
The price of the CLP-150 sits a bit above my budget.

I was wondering...is the CLP-150 really a lot better than the 130? In terms of sound quality.
The 150 has string resonance, but does that make a huge difference?
Anyway, I'm not especially looking for all the bells and whistles, I just want good sound!

My question is...is it really worth to save up some more cash for the 150? Or will the 130 do?

Thanks for any information and advice.

CLP150 is definitely better, more polyphony, more powerful speakers and better sound. but if money is your concern, you may consider PF500 instead which is almost the same as CLP150 except the look and a few things.

Thanks for you replies! I appreciate it.

If you can afford it, you will definately appreciate the 150 more but quite frankly, if you're looking for the BEST then save a few more (well more than a few) dollars and go for the CLP-170. The keybed (GH3) alone wi worth the extra cost but with iAFC, this instrument is truely a cut above!!

Good luck in your purchase.

Rodney

p120Man,

So if I'm correct...the CLP 130 and 150 sound the same when I play without using the pedals?

Thanks.

Don't listen to p120man. He's been proven to be a fraud several times. He's even promised to leave repeatedly. Rodney seems to know his stuff, and be familiar with the products. I'd go with his take...

Better yet, don't take anyone's advice. Go to your local dealer and play on all of them. Ultimately you have to like the instrument or you just will not play it (which is after all the point!)

Good luck on your purchase,

Rodney

C'mon Rodney.... I was giving you an endorsement and you had to go and ruin it!!!

Thanks guys.
I'm gonna check the both of them out, but I think I'm gonna wait a bit longer with my purchase...until I have enough of those bloody euro's to buy the 150;-)

"No matter what, your personal opinion is always the right one, and that will help you make the right choice."
That's a good piece of advice. Thanks.

By the way, my budget covers the price of the new Roland HP 103.

In terms of sound quality, which one is better? The Yamaha CLP130 or Roland HP103? It might the depend on the ears of each listener, but technically speaking, which one is better?
I know there's already a topic on this question, but a clear answer wasn't provided. Or I missed it;-)

I couldn't find any sound samples of the HP103 on the Roland website.

A few weeks ago I had the chance to test a CLP 150 and a HP1 or HP2, I can't remember.

The Yamaha sounded brighter than the Roland piano's, which I like.
Is this a typical difference between Yamaha and Roland? Or is a just a matter of playing around with the settings?

That is a typical difference between Yamaha and Roland, no matter how your set the brilliance, it won't change the bright sound of Yamaha and the mellow sound of Roland

However, a comparison between Yamaha CLP150 vs HP1 or HP2 is not quite fair in my opinion, as CLP150 in almost top of the range in Yamaha digital piano series (except Yamaha CLP170), it also has a much larger speaker, 128 polyphony, etc.

As Roland is promoting the new HP10x series, you may be able to get HP3 or even HP7 for a good price. In Australia, the price between CLP150 and Roland HP107 (the top of the range in Roland's new HP series) only difference by $US 350. So by all mean, try the higher model of Roland as well before making the final purchase decision. However, you are right about the tonal difference between Yamaha and Roland. Hope this helps

P120Man is wrong! DEAD WRONG!
String Resonance is a VERY valid feature that allows digital pianos to simulate the sympathetic resonance present in acoustic instruments. When you press a key on an acoustic piano, the damper lifts off of the string. When other keys are played around that key, the string resonates sympathetically giving a resonance that, until the string resonance technology was added to the digital piano, was only possible in an acoustic instrument.
This takes the digital piano to levels of realism that weren't possible before.
The Roland HP107 not only incorporates this String resonance feature but Key Off and Damper resonance as well.
By Key off resonance, I mean the subtle, but varied, sound produced when you release the key and the damper returns to stop the vibration of the piano string.
Damper resonance simulates the "widening of sound" that occurs while holding down the sustain pedal. All the dampers are lifted from the strings (on an acoustic) when the sustain pedal is held down. This effect on the digital "widens" the overall sound as it would on an acoustic instrument.
The HP107 also has a feature called Grand Space. It is a fantastic spatial effect that fools the ear into hearing the sound coming from "beyond" the back of the piano as you would an acoustic grand. There are an extra set of speakers mounted on the top of the cabinet to take full advantage of this effect. (Roland calls it the "Grand Sound" speaker system) There are 4 different levels of this effect. I like level 3 having tried all 4!
I have tried both the CLP-170 and Roland's HP107. The Grand Space and Yamaha's iAFC perform similar functions,although I do like the fact that the Roland doesnt neccesarily have to be placed against a wall to make the Grand Space feature work well though.
I have found the CLP170 benefits from being placed against a wall and the iAFC isn't nearly as effective unless placed that way.
Having said ALL THAT (WHEW! my fingers are getting tired, and I am a pianist!) Nothing will replace your personal preference though so try them both out.
I hope this helps you out!
Propiano

P120,
Beleive me I know how to actuate the string resonance on any digital piano. If you really knew what you were talking about, then you would know that several of the major piano teaching courses have songs in their syllabi that require string resonance as part of the song. Some of the piano purists wouldnt even consider a digital piano because it couldnt recreate the nuances that make an acoustic what it is. With string resonance being a MAJOR feature on several digital pianos, it allows the digital to work for up and coming piano students. In Canada one of our major examining bodies, Conservatory Canada has deemed that the Roland digital piano is suitable for PIANO EXAMINATIONS due to the fact that these resonances are present!
Propiano