Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Beginner needs some buying advice for a digital piano

I've been playing piano for six months, using a Casio LK-55. I think it's high time for an upgrade to a real digital piano, but I am clueless as to which one I should choose.

I would prefer a portable one instead of a furniture piece. I'm not going to travel with it, but i want to be able to put it on a desk and move it around inside the house. I would like it to have a built in metronome, a record function and also many presets to play around with. I want high quality built in speakers and an audio jack for playing with headphones. It should also have a good sustain pedal.

I can go up to $1000, but I would prefer a little bit lower. Many thanks to anyone who takes their time responding to this thread.

I recommend the Casio PX-160. It has all that you ask for, and probably the best DP at the sub-$1k range. You can get one for around $500 USD. Casio also has other models in the Privia line that are still under the $1k budget, the they contain the same action as the PX-160. Just more features, better speakers, etc., so it's good to try them each out to see what features you want.

You can also compare with Kawai ES100 which is a bit pricier at $700, but it's important to have a few to choose from - you want to go with what you like the best.

Yamaha has the P115 which I think is around $600, but the action isn't very good.

You can try and get a hold of a used P155 (I see some refurbished ones for sale) which would be a better choice.

The two best pieces of advice I can give:

1) Get what you love within your budget

2) Take your time in testing out DPs and deciding what to get - it's not a race

Looking at digital pianos from Casio in my price range I find Casio Privia PX-350 and Casio Privia PX-5S, would one of these be a good choice?

PX5S does not have the internal speakers you want, or a metronome. It is a bit better than the PX350 as a piano, though.

Then the PX-5S is out and the PX350 is the prime candidate right now. Does anyone have another suggestion or does the PX350 seem like a solid choice?

The PX-350 will do what you want. It has a full "General MIDI" set of voices, auto-accompaniment, drum patterns, etc. The built-in audio recorder works OK. The loudspeakers are comparable to other DP's in its price range. The connectivity -- real MIDI in/out, line in/out, two headphone jacks -- is excellent.

It's being replaced by the PX-360 (somewhat improved sound generator, touch-screen display). You might get a good deal on the price, right now.

Have fun! --

Well that is unfortunate. Where I live the only option is to buy it from a regular store, and the statistics say that the price of the PX-360 have stayed the same for the last two years (in my country). I'm not so keen on buying a digital piano that's just about to get replaced by a better model when the new one will probably be about equal in price. Back to square one again, new suggestions are welcome.

Start reading here

https://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubb...son_of_Portable_Digital.html#Post2167459


personally i would wayt till Oktober till we see the PX360 and 560 from Casio surface..

Based on the pricing announced so far, the PX360 will be more expensive than the PX350. But it will still be in your budget, and would be a nicer choice.

Another model you might want to look at is the Yamaha DGX-650. That and the Casio PX350/PX360 are probably the choices that best meet your requirements. (And for any, you can buy a better sustain pedal than what they come with.) The Yamaha is not as light, but as you say, you're not traveling with it, and so maybe it will be light enough.

Well, just because something new is coming out doesn't mean that the old one isn't worthwhile. If you want you certainly can wait and see, but I don't think the action will be changing (the other newer Privias that have come out recently have the same action as before). As stated earlier, you may be able to get a good deal on the outgoing model once the new one comes in. Until then, however, I'm pretty sure the dealer will be asking full price.

Personally I think the Yahmaha 650 (about $800 compared to $700 for the Casio 350) is better; better speakers and better action. But this is all obviously subjective; you really need to find a place that sells them and tinker around a bit.

As for Casio 350 vs 360, the gist of what I recall is that the new 360 is about $200 more FYI, so bumping pretty close to that $1000 range.

+1

No matter what you buy, it's going to be "the old model" in just a few years.

Unless the new version has some feature you really want, the best price/performance point is to buy the old one right after the new one comes out, and dealers cut the prices.

Remember, acoustic pianos haven't had a feature upgrade since sostenuto in the 1870's....

Whatever you buy, make sure you have 88 full size, weighted keys i.e. get a proper digital piano. Any of the Casio Privia PX pianos will seem fabulous compared with what you currently have. I know because I swapped a keyboard similar to yours for a PX-110 and the difference was enormous. Casio or Yamaha are the brands to consider at under $1000, but try to play before you buy.

I looked a bit at the Yamaha DGX-650 after reading some of the replies here and it looks really interesting. It seems to fit my requirements well and the only downside that's consistently listed in reviews is that it's heavy, but I don't really care much about that. Might be a buy.

"Remember, acoustic pianos haven't had a feature upgrade since sostenuto in the 1870's...." JohnSprung

That made me laugh! I am listening because I'm buying my first keyboard after almost 20 years! I just hope I can make up my mind today - after a week of this torturous looking online!

any advice or pointing into purchasing directions appreciated - trying to stay under 800.00!

Denise

I've owned a dgx-620 for many years before upgrading to the casio PX-850. I can only say yamaha's ghs action is not quite as good and consistent as the action in the casio, which is pretty much the same in the cheaper PX-150 someone already recommended.

Hi All,
I'm a new adult learner starting my piano lessons in a couple of weeks time and right now in the process of deciding on a decent digital piano. So far my heart is set on the Yamaha CLP585.
This is a very nice piano in the Polished Ebony finish and the sound is very similar to most acoustic that I heard at the same shop. The trouble I'm having is how to bargain to get a good deal from the shop. I understand that the CLP 585 is the top of the range in the Clavinovas series and the advertised retail price reflects that. Also, most buyers would not pay the advertised price.All I am asking is a price guidance from previous owners so that I have an idea what to expect when shopping.
I have checked the price paid section of the forum but could not find any CLP 585 except for a member by the name of Cub , who did not want to disclose the price paid. Any recent owner of CLP585 could PM me for the best price paid, I would be very grateful.
Thanks
I live in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Regards,
Rohan

Rohan: Larry Fine's pianobuyer.com shows these prices for the Yamaha line:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LIST . . . LARRY
CLP545 Wood Finish . .$3699 . . $2900
CLP545 Ebony Polish . $4299 . . $3400

CLP575 Wood Finish . .$4999 . . $3900
CLP575 Ebony Polish . $5699 . . $4500

CLP585 Black . . . . . . .$6299 . . $4900
CLP585 Ebony Polish . $6999 . . $5500

I think the 585 is grotesquely overpriced ... even Larry's street price.

$5000? Really? You might offer $500 for the 585 model (70% of list). But still. Pretty steep.

(And now I notice that you're in Australia, where pianos seem to be even more expensive. So the numbers above would be even higher!)

With a digital piano's action and a digital piano's sound, I can't see value in the 585. You can get an full-sized upright for that amount!

Hi Mac,
Thanks for the reply.
You are perfectly correct to say that the CLP 585 is overpriced and more so in Australia where we are asked to pay a ridiculous premium on these type of items. I was talking to the sales guy at the shop and the hint he has given me so far indicates that he is not willing to take more than a couple of hundred dollars off the list price.
I entirely agree with your argument for an upright acoustic but from a practical point of view, I have no choice but to start with a decent digital piano and then later on as I progress, add a quality acoustic to my list. My teacher's advice is to get a digital piano with weighted keys from the major brands( like Yamaha, Kawai and Roland) and I should be good to go.
What is the general advice given to adult beginners like me? What do you recommend me to start with. I had a Kawai CA 67 in mind and going to try it in the coming days.
Thanks,

Rohan

If you words accurately reflect your interaction with the dealer ...... then you need to gain an understanding of how pianos are sold.

1. The salesman will not lower his price. It is YOUR JOB to lower the price.

2. A salesman's "hint" is meaningless. What matters is YOUR OFFER. Until you make an offer, there is nothing.

I'll accept that prices in Australia are ridiculous. But I cannot a salesman's hint or offer.
My offer matters. His does not.