Note: Due to rising inflation, the prices of digital pianos have increased by 10-20%. As a result, some of the models discussed in this article may slightly exceed the budget we’ve set.
Modern digital pianos come in every size, shape and form you can imagine.
There are portable, stage, console, and even grand digital pianos available on the market today.
But if you want to get as close as possible to replicating the characteristics of a real acoustic piano, you should definitely look in the direction of console digital pianos.
Console digital pianos (aka furniture cabinet digital pianos) are perfect for home use, and while they tend to be more expensive than their portable alternatives (with similar characteristics), they also provide a more realistic playing experience.
The good news is that today you can get a solid digital piano with an authentic sound, touch and good feature set for about $1000.
No matter if you’re a beginner or an intermediate pianist, these pianos will give you enough room to play and enjoy music as well as develop your skills even further.
Console vs Portable Digital Pianos
Each type of digital pianos has its pros and cons, and the console type is no exception.
1) The main advantage of console digital pianos comes from their design. Compared to portable pianos, they look and feel much more like an acoustic piano, making a nice addition to your home decor.
2) Console pianos come with a furniture-style cabinet and a full set of 3 piano pedals, which means you don’t need to spend extra money on a stand or pedals for your instrument, as you probably would with portable pianos.
3) Finally, thanks to a bigger keyboard base, console pianos usually sound fuller and bolder compared to their portable alternatives, mainly because of the resonance effect caused by the cabinet.
If you ask me which brands to go for when choosing a console digital piano, I’d certainly recommend sticking with the following manufacturers:
- Yamaha
- Casio
- Roland
- Korg
- Kawai
These brands provide the highest level of performance, reliability, and realism that other brands cannot match (at least for now).
With that out of the way, here are the 5 models that we think are the best digital pianos under $1000:
- Casio PX-870 – Best Value for Money, Packed with Useful Features
- Roland RP-102 – Simple and Affordable Introduction to the Roland quality
- Yamaha YDP-145 – No-frills Console Piano That Gets the Job Done
- Casio PX-770 – The Best Choice for Those on a Tight Budget
- Korg LP-380 – Japanese Quality, Great Selection of Sounds
Best Digital Pianos Under $1000 For Home Use
- Model
- KeysModern acoustic pianos have 88 keys. Most digital pianos and keyboards have 88, 76, 73, or 61 keys.
In reality, 73 keys are enough to play most modern pieces. Some advanced pieces require a full set of 88 keys. - Fully-Weighted KeysThere are 3 most common types of key actions:
1) Non-weighted - most organs, synths and entry-level keyboards are not weighted.
2) Semi-weighted - often used portable keyboards and workstations. Spring-loaded mechanism adds more resistance to the keys compared to the non-weighted action.
3) Fully weighted (hammer action) is designed to replicate the action of a real piano. It uses small hammers (rather than springs) attached to each key to recreate the mechanical movements and resistance similar to the acoustic piano action. - Simulated Ivory/EbonySome digital pianos come with a simulated Ivory (white keys) and Ebony (black keys) key surfaces, which gives them a nice textured feel, helps absorb excessive moisture and prevents your fingers from slipping off the keys.
- Touch SensitivityThe volume produced by the instrument changes depending on how hard or soft you play the keys.
Touch Response, Velocity Sensitivity, Touch Sensitivity are the same thing .
Many digital pianos allow you to adjust touch sensitivity (make the keyboard more or less sensitive to the force of your keystrokes) to better suit your playing style. - Tone Generator
- PolyphonyThe number of notes a piano can play at once.
The more polyphony the better, especially when layering several sounds or using backing tracks, etc. When you reach the polyphony cap, the piano starts to drop the earliest played notes to free up memory for the new ones, which affects the sound and its fullness.
It’s desirable to have at least 64 notes of polyphony. - Built-in Tones
- Modes1) Split - divides the keyboard into two parts, allowing you to play a different instrument sound in each of them.
2) Dual (a.k.a. Layer Mode) - allows you to layer two different sounds so that they sound simultaneously whenever you press a key.
3) Duo (a.k.a. Duet Play, Partner Mode, Twin Piano) - divides the keyboard into two halves with identical pitch ranges (two middle Cs) allowing two people to play the same notes at the same time. - Lesson FunctionThe ability to use built-in/user songs for practice by turning off the left- or right-hand part of a song and practicing it along with the playback of the other part.
- MIDI RecorderAllows you to record and playback your own performances.
A multi-track recorder (2 and more tracks) allows you to record several musical parts on separate tracks and play them back as a single song. - Audio RecorderAllows you to record the audio output of the instrument and save it to a flash drive usually in WAV format (Linear PCM, 16bit, 44.1 kHz, Stereo).
You can then share your recording on social media, upload it to SoundCloud, burn to CD, etc. - Piano ElementsOrganic piano elements that are reproduced on the instrument, often using physical modeling. These elements are usually quite sublte but important if you want to get the fullest, and the most natural piano sound.
- Preset TemperamentsAbility to change the standard “Equal Temperament” tuning to other tuning systems better suited for playing certain styles of music (Indian, Arabian, classical).
- Transpose,Tuning1) Transpose function allows you to shift the overall pitch of the keyboard in semitone steps.
2) Tuning function (aka Fine Tuning, Master Tuning) allows you to shift the pitch from the standard A440 tuning in 0.1Hz or 0.2Hz steps. - MetronomeA useful tool for practice that will help develop your rhythmic and timekeeping skills by providing a steady beat to play along with.
Some pianos allow you change the conventional click sound of the metronome to various drum rhythms. - USB Type BThis port enables you to connect the keyboard to a computer/smart device and use it as a MIDI controller with VST plugins and music apps like GarageBand, Flowkey, Synthesia, FL Studio, etc.
- Bluetooth ConnectivityAllows you to connect your piano to a smart device wirelessly and exchange MIDI data with various music apps (e.g. GarageBand, Flowkey, Simply Piano, etc.). This can be used as an alternative to a USB type B port. Note that some pianos can only transfer Audio data via Bluetooth, others can only transfer MIDI.
Some pianos support both MIDI and Audio data via Bluetooth. - Speakers
- Weight
- Casio PX-870
- 88
- Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II
- 3 types, OFF
- Multi-dimensional Morphing AiR
- 256 notes
- 19 (5 pianos)
- Dual, Split (Bass only), Duo
- 60 songs
- 2-track, 1 song
- 25 min per song, 99 songs
- Damper/String/Key Off Resonance, Hammer Response, Lid Simulator, Key On/Off Action Noise
- 17 types
- 20W + 20W
- 75.6 lbs (34.3 kg)
- Roland RP-102
- 88
- PHA-4 Standard with Escapement and Ivory Feel
- (Ivory only)
- 5 types, OFF
- SuperNATURAL Piano Sound Engine
- 128 notes
- 15 (4 pianos)
- Dual, Duo (Twin Piano)
- Damper/String/Key Off Resonance
- 6W + 6W
- 83.3 lbs (37.7 kg)
- Yamaha YDP-145
- 88
- Graded Hammer Standard (GHS)
- 3 types, OFF
- Yamaha CFX
- 192 notes
- 10 (3 pianos)
- Dual, Duo
- 50 classics + 303 lesson songs
- 2-track, 1 song
- Virtual Resonance Modeling (Lite)
- 8W + 8W
- 83.7 lbs (38 kg)
- Casio PX-770
- 88
- Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II
- 3 types, OFF
- Multi-dimensional Morphing AiR
- 128 notes
- 19 (5 pianos)
- Dual, Split (Bass only), Duo
- 60 songs
- 2-track, 1 song
- Damper Resonance, Hammer Response
- 17 types
- 8W + 8W
- 69.4 lbs (31.4 kg)
- Korg LP-380
- 88
- Real Weighted Hammer Action 3 (RH3)
- 3 types
- Stereo Piano System
- 120 notes
- 30 (5 pianos)
- Dual, Duo (Partner Mode)
- Damper Resonance
- 9 types
- 22W + 22W
- 81.5 lbs (37 kg)
1) Casio PX-870 – Best value for money, packed with useful features
A few years ago Casio updated their Privia line of digital pianos by introducing the new PX-770 and PX-870 models, which replaced the PX-760 and PX-860 respectively.
The PX-870 is a flagship model that offers the most realistic playing experience in the series (among console models).
It comes with a few significant improvements, including a redesigned cabinet, an upgraded piano sound, and a new 40W sound projection system.
But first let’s take a closer look at the two most important aspects of any digital piano, touch and sound.
Touch
The PX-870 comes with Casio’s well-known Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II with 88 full-size keys.
The keyboard utilizes hammer action system with triple sensor detection technology, which allows for faster note repetition and greater expressiveness.
The keys of the PX-870 have simulated ivory & ebony keytops which provide a nice textured feel. The surface of the keys also helps absorb moisture from your fingers and enhances control.
To my fingers, the PX-870’s keyboard has a nicer and more accurate feel than Yamaha’s GHS keyboard, but it also seemed a bit noisier than the rest of the keyboards on the list (especially noticeable when playing at low volume levels).
Sound
The previous PX-860 model had a very good sound already, but the new PX-870 proves that there’s always room for improvement.
At the heart of the PX-870 is the Multi-dimensional Morphing AiR Sound Source, which comes with an upgraded 4-layer piano tone. I must say it sounds incredibly realistic and there are a few reasons for that.
The PX-870 fully reproduces important elements of the acoustic piano sound such as damper resonance, string resonance and key on/off action noise.
Apart from that it also has Key Off simulator, Lid Simulator, and Casio’s proprietary Hammer Response feature.
The second thing that makes the PX-870 stand out from the competitors is its unique 4-speaker sound projection system with 40W of output power.
It delivers a full, rich sound and can get as loud as a real acoustic piano. The dynamic range is also very impressive ranging from the softest pianissimo to the loudest fortissimo.
Another thing worth mentioning is 256-note polyphony, which ensures that the notes will continue to sound fully and naturally even under high demand performance situations (fast passages, layered sounds, etc.). It’s the only piano in this price range that has 256-note polyphony.
Features
When it comes to features and functions, the PX-870 does not disappoint either.
Along with the standard features like metronome, transpose, dual/duo modes, the PX-870 offers 60 internal songs to listen to and play along with as well as great recording capabilities.
With the PX-870 you can record your performances not only in MIDI but also in WAV, meaning you can record the actual sound of the instrument and share it with your friends and family easily. It’s the only piano on the list that has this function.
Another great feature the PX-870 has is called Concert Play.
It provides you with 10 different tunes, which are real recordings of the symphony orchestra. First, you can practice the piano part of those pieces (each hand can be practiced separately) and then move on to playing along with the orchestra accompaniment.
It’s pleasing to see that Casio continue to improve their instruments and provide the technology normally only available on much higher-priced pianos.
- Slim, simple design
- Nice-feeling keyboard with textured keys
- New 4-layer piano tone sounds beautiful
- 256-note polyphony
- Powerful 2 x 20W sound projection system
- Concert Play feature
- Built-in MIDI and Audio recorder
- Chordana Play app unlocks more features and simplifies navigation
- Slightly noisier key action compared to the competitors
- Limited Split Mode (only bass sound for the left-hand section)
2) Roland RP-102 – Excellent-quality keyboard, Bluetooth onboard
This is another excellent digital piano and a worthy addition to Roland’s RP series of home digital pianos.
Up until now, Roland didn’t offer any digital pianos under 1000$ except for their popular FP-30 model. But they soon realized that it’s a very popular price point among beginners and intermediate players and decided to join the game.
The RP-102 is almost identical to the FP-30, as far as piano playing goes, but unlike the FP-30 it comes with a furniture-style cabinet, 3 pedals and a whole bunch of preset songs.
Even though the RP-102 doesn’t offer many bells and whistles, it does an excellent job of recreating the sound and feel of an acoustic instrument.
Touch
The RP102 features the PHA-4 Standard keyboard with Escapement mechanism and Ivory feel keys.
It’s the latest iteration of Roland’s hammer actions, which have become even more realistic and less “noisy” compared to the 3rd generation.
The PHA-4 Standard uses triple sensor detection system, which allows for more accurate key repetition sensing and better expression.
The escapement mechanism simulates that unique clicking sensation felt when you gently press the keys on a grand piano.
The Ivory textured keys aid control and help absorb moisture from your fingers.
Overall, PHA-4 Standard is one of the most reliable and realistic key actions in this price range, and is one of my favorites keyboards under $1500.
Sound
At the heart of the piano is Roland’s unique SuperNATURAL modeling technology, which is known for delivering a very full, rich piano sound with seamless dynamics.
Some people like the sound, some people find it a bit too bright and metallic. I personally like the rich sound of Roland pianos. It’s very dynamic, powerful, and has its own character.
Moreover, the RP-102, PX-870 and YDP-145 are the only pianos on this list that simulate sympathetic string resonance, a unique characteristic found on an acoustic piano.
Since the PR-102 and the FP-30 share the same sound engine; you can compare how it sounds compared to Yamaha and Kawai instruments (note that the Yamaha P-115 in the video uses a different piano sound than the one in the YDP-145):
Features
The RP-102 probably doesn’t have as many features as the other pianos on the list, but thanks to its great connectivity (USB port, Bluetooth) you can easily expand the capabilities of the instrument using music apps such as flowkey (for learning songs), GarageBand (for creating music), Logic Pro X, etc.
Moreover, Roland designed a great app called Piano Partner 2 (available for both iOS and Android devices).
Using this app, you can quickly access all the functions and songs on the PR-102 as well as display the scores of preset songs, develop your note-reading skills using the Flash Card game and much more.
What’s important is that the app also allows you to record your performances in MIDI, which is particularly useful for the RP-102 as it doesn’t have a built-in recorder.
Speaking of preset songs, the RP-102 has over 200 songs that you can listen to and play along with.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t provide a lesson function, which means you can’t turn off R or L track of a song to practice each hand’s part separately. But apps like flowkey and synthesia will easily solve that problem.
- Well-built piano-style cabinet
- Realistic key action with escapement simulation and ivory feel
- Rich, resonant piano sound (SuperNATURAL sound engine)
- Over 200 built-in songs
- Bluetooth MIDI
- Extra sounds and features available via the app
- No built-in MIDI recorder
- No lesson function
- Controls aren’t intuitive
3) Yamaha YDP-145 – A straightforward piano that gets the job done
Yamaha is probably the most well-known manufacturer not only when it comes to budget-friendly digital pianos but pianos in general.
Their recently updated YDP line consists of console digital pianos that offer realistic piano playing experience for a fairly affordable price. This is what makes this series so popular among beginners and intermediate pianists.
The Yamaha YDP-145 is the middle model in the YDP series (YDP-165 – next model up; YDP-105 – next model down), which primarily targets home-based intermediate piano players.
The piano comes with a traditional-looking cabinet and 3 piano-style pedals. It’s the heaviest piano on the list (83.75 lbs) and it’s slightly deeper than its competitors (16.6″).
If you take a closer look at the specs of the YDP-145, you can see that it’s very similar to the portable Yamaha P-125.
The pianos share the same key action and have an almost identical set of features. However, the piano sound is different.
The P-125 features the Pure CF sound engine (same as was used in the YDP-143), while the YDP-145 uses Yamaha’s CFX sampling found in their higher-end Clavinova series.
Touch
The YDP-145 is equipped with 88 full-size touch-sensitive keys that use the Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) action (Yamaha’s most affordable fully-weighted action).
I was a bit disappointed that Yamaha didn’t even try to improve on this aspect by designing an improved version of this action or a new action entirely.
Instead, you get the same tried and true key action that Yamaha have been using on their entry-level and mid-range digital pianos for years.
The GHS provides a fairly realistic feel with a lighter touch in the upper range and heavier touch in the lower range.
The white keys have regular smooth plastic keytops, while the black ones have a black matte finish and are less slippery when playing over long periods of time.
There are a few limitations I’ve run into with this keyboard, and key pivot length is one of them.
The GHS action is relatively short, which makes the pivot length shorter as well. This, in turn, makes it a bit tricky to play further up the keys, as they do get quite heavy towards their upper points.
Although this is quite common among budget-friendly digital pianos, the GHS is definitely not on the better side of the spectrum.
Sound
While the YDP-145 still uses the same Yamaha CFX sound engine as its predecessor, it now comes with an extra layer of details recreated by Virtual Resonance Modeling Lite.
This is essentially the watered down version of the VRM resonance simulation used in their higher-end Clavinova series.
Yamaha CFX sampling also means you get to enjoy the sound recorded from Yamaha’s most expensive piano, the Yamaha CFX 9-foot concert grand.
Thanks to the high-quality samples, 192-note polyphony and Yamaha’s latest technologies for sound optimization (Intelligent Acoustic Control, Stereophonic Optimizer), the YDP-145 offers a rich and well-balanced sound through both headphones and its 12W onboard speakers.
The sound options on the YDP-145 are pretty limited. There are only 10 sounds including 3 different grand piano variations (CFX, mellow, pop), 2 electric pianos, 2 organs (pipe, jazz), strings, a harpsichord and a vibraphone.
When it comes to sound customization options, you don’t have much choice either. 4 reverb types are pretty much all you get.
Features
As far as features are concerned, the YDP-145 is pretty basic as well, but it covers all the basics.
The piano has a metronome, dual and duo modes, a 2-track MIDI recorder, and a lesson function with 50 preset songs to practice right and left-hand parts independently.
Moreover, using the USB port, you can connect the piano to a computer or iPad to use it as a MIDI-controller with various music-making and teaching apps.
It’s important to note that the USB port has a built-in audio interface, which means it can transfer audio as well as MIDI data.
Using this port, you can also load up to 10 User Songs onto the instrument and use them in the same way as preset songs.
The YDP-145 is compatible with Yamaha’s Smart Pianist app, which will allow you to navigate the YDP-145 using an intuitive graphical interface and get access to some of the extra features.
If you like the sound and feel of the YDP-145, but you’re looking for something more slim and compact take a look at the YDP-S35, which is basically the same piano as the YDP-145 but has a different cabinet design.
- Traditional, acoustic-like design
- Lush, expensive sound of the CFX 9-ft. grand
- 192-note polyphony
- 2-track MIDI recorder
- Lesson function (+ 303 lesson songs)
- USB Audio Interface function
- Well-designed Smart Pianist app (remote controller function and extra features)
- Not the most realistic key action
- Limited selection of sounds
- Navigating can be a pain if you don’t have the manual at hand
4) Korg LP-380-U – Japanese quality, great selection of sounds
The Korg LP-380 is another popular digital piano on the market and a great alternative to the newer C1 Air for those on a tight budget.
Until recently, the LP-380 was the flagship model in Korg’s range of home digital pianos.
But even now, after the G1 Air and the C1 Air have been released, the LP-380 is still a worthy piano that you can get for a very appealing price.
Touch
The piano features the same RH3 keyboard action as the C1/G1 Air models.
The RH3 is one of the best key actions you can get for under $1500, and the LP-380 is actually Korg’s most affordable digital piano that uses this key action.
While the RH3 is based on a 2-sensor detection technology and doesn’t offer any ivory or ebony simulation on the keys, it’s one of the longest mid-range key actions out there, which considerably improves pivot length and makes it easier to play further up the keys.
In this particular component it beats every other key action on this list.
The RH3 has a medium weight touch, feels very responsive, and reproduces the feel of an acoustic piano pretty accurately.
Sound
The Korg LP-380 uses the same stereo PCM sound engine and 120-note polyphony as the C1 Air model.
If you want to have as many sound options as possible, the LP-380 is the way to go. It has more built-in tones than any other piano on this list.
Unfortunately, the LP-380 doesn’t have the new piano sounds of Japanese and German grand pianos found on the C1 Air, which, as I previously said, are quite impressive.
But even with the Classic Grand Piano sound and slightly less powerful speakers (2 x 22W), the LP-380 sounds more than decent. Take a listen!
The LP-380, just like the C1 Air, is manufactured in Japan, which means you get the same exceptional Japanese quality for an even better price.
But there are also certain limitations that come with the lower price tag. In particular, the LP-380 doesn’t have a built-in MIDI recorder or the lesson function.
There are 30 built-in songs (10 demos and 20 piano songs), which you can play back and play along with but you can’t change the sound of the song or turn off one of the tracks (R or L) to practice each hand’s part separately.
Connectivity also isn’t something the LP-380 is very good at. There is no Bluetooth support and more importantly no USB ports.
The rest of the connectors include two headphone jacks and a mini line out jack for connecting to external speakers, amps, etc.
If you feel that you could benefit from having a few extra features such as Bluetooth Audio connectivity, and the new upgraded piano sounds (Japanese and German grand pianos) with sympathetic damper resonance and key-off simulation, you should consider the Korg C1 Air.
- Slim, sleek design
- Well laid out easy-to-use controls
- Premium RH3 key action taken directly from their pro keyboards
- 30 beautiful preset sounds
- Made in Japan
- No MIDI recorder
- No lesson function
- Limited customization options
5) Casio PX-770 – The best choice for those on a tight budget
We already talked about the PX-770’s older brother and the flagship of the Privia series, the PX-870.
These two digital pianos have a lot of similarities, though the Casio PX-770 does lack a couple of features, which explains the lower price tag.
When it comes to piano-playing experience, they are very similar since they share the same key action and sound engine (same set of built-in tones too).
Although piano sounds are the same, the PX-870 simulates more organic piano elements, which makes it fuller and more realistic sounding compared to the PX-770.
When using the onboard speakers you’ll also be able to tell the difference between the two, as the PX-870 has a more powerful and sophisticated speaker system.
However, don’t be fooled by the numbers, the PX-770 gets louder than you’ll ever need for a typical home situation.
Polyphony also isn’t something to sweat over. Be it 128 or 256 notes, you’ll be able to play pretty much anything you like without fearing that any notes will be cut off.
There are also a few sound-enhancing technologies present on the PX-870, though I wouldn’t say they change things dramatically sound-wise.
The PX-770 doesn’t have an audio recorder, which none of the pianos on this list have, except for the PX-870.
As you can see, the PX-770 is basically a watered-down version of the PX-870. It has a beautiful 4-layer piano sound, decent keyboard, and some cool features to keep you busy.
- Relatively lightweight and easy to move around
- Nice-feeling keyboard with textured keys
- New 4-layer piano tone sounds beautiful
- Concert Play feature
- 2-track MIDI recorder
- Very affordable
- Slightly noisier key action compared to the competitors
- Limited Split Mode (bass sound only for the left-hand section)
Things you MUST KNOW before choosing your Home Digital Piano
There you have, folks! Note that this list is based on what we believe are the best home digital pianos under $1000.
In case you haven’t found the instrument that suits your needs in this article, I’d like to provide some extra information that will hopefully help you find the right instrument.
Here are some of the main terms and aspects of the digital piano world that you’ll most likely run into when searching for your dream piano.
Modern acoustic pianos have 88 keys. Most keyboards and digital pianos have 88, 76, 73 or 61 keys.
73 keys are enough to play most (99%) modern pieces. Some advanced (classical) pieces require a full set of 88 keys.
There are 3 most common types of actions:
1) Non-weighted – most organs, synths and entry-level keyboards are not weighted.
2) Semi-weighted – common action for budget portable keyboards (usually cost <300$). Spring-loaded mechanism adds more resistance to the keys compared to the non-weighted action.
3) Fully weighted (hammer action) is designed to replicate the action of a real piano. It uses small hammers (rather than springs) attached to each key to recreate the mechanical movements found inside a real piano.
If your main goal is to play piano that you’ll definitely want a keyboard with hammer action keys.
It’s the key action that feels close to the real piano keys and will help you build proper finger strength and technique, making it much easier to transition to an acoustic in the future (if you decide to).
Touch sensitivity (a.k.a velocity sensitivity or touch response) is a very important feature of any keyboard or digital piano, which ensures that the volume produced by the instrument will change depending on how hard or soft you play the keys.
It’s not a big deal nowadays as almost any $150+ keyboard have touch-sensitive keys regardless of its action type.
Much more important is whether the keyboard is weighted or not. Keyboards with fully weighted action often have adjustable touch-sensitivity so you can adjust it to your playing style.
Polyphony is the number of notes a digital piano can produce at the same time.
These days, most digital pianos are equipped with 64, 128, 192 or 256-note polyphony.
You may wonder how it is possible to have 32, 64, or even 128 notes playing at the same time, if there are only 88 keys and we never play them all together.
First of all, many of today’s digital pianos use stereo samples, which sometimes require two notes for each key played.
Furthermore, using the sustain pedal, sound effects (Reverb, Chorus), dual-mode (layering), and even the metronome ticking sound takes up additional notes of polyphony.
For example, when you depress the sustain pedal, the earliest played notes continue to sound while you’re adding new ones and the piano needs more memory to keep all the notes sounding.
Another example of polyphony consumption is when you’re playing along with a song playback (can also be your own recorded performance) or auto-accompaniment.
In this case, the piano will need polyphony not only for the notes you’re playing but also for the backing track.
You’ll rarely need all 192 or 256 voices of polyphony at once, but there are cases when you can reach 64 or even 128 note limits, especially if you like to layer several sounds and create multi-track recordings.
For an intermediate player it’s desirable to have 128 notes of polyphony or more.
Along with the standard “Single” keyboard mode, digital pianos often offer additional modes that allow you to use two instrument sounds at the same time or playing four hands.
Here are the most popular modes that digital pianos have:
1) Split Mode – divides the keyboard into two parts, allowing you to play a different instrument sound in each of them. For example, you can play guitar with your left hand and piano with your right hand at the same time.
2) Dual Mode (Layering) – allows you to layer two different sounds so that they sound simultaneously whenever you press a key. For example, you can layer strings with the piano sound or combine whatever sounds you like to get some new interesting combinations.
3) Duo Mode (a.k.a. Duet Play, Partner Mode, Twin Piano) – divides the keyboard into two halves with identical pitch ranges (two middle Cs) allowing two people to play the same notes at the same time.
Duet Play is particularly useful when you use it with your teacher or tutor who will play you some tunes on one side of the keyboard, and you’ll be able to follow along on the other side, playing the exact same notes at the same time.
Some digital pianos allows you to turn off the left- or right-hand part (track) of a song (preset or downloaded from the Internet) and practice it, playing along to the playback of the other part.
Pianos that have this function usually have a multi-track MIDI recorder.
A MIDI recorder allows you to record and play back your own performances without using any additional equipment.
Multi-track recording (2 and more tracks) allows you to record several musical parts onto separate tracks and play them back as a single song. You can also experiment with your recording by turning off some of the recorded tracks.
For example, you can record the right-hand part of the song on track 1, and the left-hand part on track two (while listening to the playback of the first track).
You can also create complex, multi-instrument recordings by recording several instrument parts onto separate tracks and playing them back together afterwards.
MIDI-recording is not the recording of the actual sound of the instrument. Here, we’re recording the MIDI data (a sequence of notes, their length, velocity and other parameters).
A built-in audio recorder will allow you to record the actual sound of the instrument (native samples) and save it to a flash drive usually in WAV format (Linear PCM, 16bit, 44.1 kHz, Stereo).
You can then share your recording on social media, upload it to SoundCloud, burn to CD, etc.
Audio recordings are more universal than MIDI ones because they provide you with a CD-quality audio file playable on most modern devices, and don’t require any additional software, and sample libraries (VSTs) to render a MIDI recording to audio.
Accompaniment function will enrich your performance, providing full backing accompaniment (rhythm, bass, harmony) that will follow your playing and make you sound like full band.
The accompaniment changes depending to what notes you play with you left hand (chords or even single notes if you don’t know full cords).
In other words, you manage your “band” with your left hand (by specifying chords) and play the main melody with your right hand.
Some instruments offer several accompaniment modes, and allow you specify chords using the full range of the keyboard.
1) Transpose function allows you to shift the overall pitch of the keyboard in semitone steps. The function is particularly useful when want to play a song in a different key but don’t want to change your fingering and learn it in a new key.
So, for example, if you know how to play a song in F major, you can transpose the pitch and play it in C major without actually learning it in the new key.
You can also transpose a song written in a difficult key (e.g., many black keys) into a different key with easier chords, but still hear it as if you were playing in the original key.
2) Tuning function allows you to shift the pitch from the standard A440 tuning in 0.1Hz or 0.2Hz steps.
You can use this function to match the piano’s pitch finely to that of another instrument or music (old piano, recording).
This port is also known as USB to Device port or USB drive port. The port can be used for connecting a flash drive to the piano to exchange files quickly and easily.
For example, you can load MIDI songs into the piano’s internal memory for playback or rehearsal (if the piano offers this option).
Alternatively, you can play back WAV and MIDI files (depends on the piano model) directly from the flash drive without loading them into the piano’s internal memory.
And finally, you can save your own performances recorded with the instrument to the flash drive as well as load them back onto the instrument when needed.
This port is often referred to as USB to Host terminal or USB to Computer port. This port is used to connect your digital piano to a computer or a smart device (using a special adapter) to exchange songs/files, and MIDI data.
This port will allow you to use the piano as a MIDI controller to control various music apps such as GarageBand, FlowKey, Playground Sessions, etc.
There are actually tons of other apps that can expand the functionality of your digital piano in terms of learning, composing, recording, editing music.
Some brands offer their own free apps designed for certain piano models. Such apps usually enable you to control all the settings and functions of the instrument using an intuitive graphical interface.
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If after reading this review you still have doubts about what instrument to choose, take a look at our Digital Piano Buying Guide and other popular articles listed below:
Best Digital Pianos for Beginners (Under $500)
Best Weighted Keyboards Under $700 (for Intermediate Players)
Best Home Digital Pianos Under $1500 (In-depth Comparison)
Best Portable Digital Pianos Under $2000 (for Advanced Pianists)
The Ultimate Guide to Buying a Digital Piano
Holy cow, You finally updated your list! Glad to see Casio getting the respect they deserve finally! That PX-870 is hands down the best bang for the buck of any piano on the market.
Hi Pete, thanks for your comment. The PX-870 was there from day one! And I agree it presents a very good value for the money.
Fanatic review. Not many websites out there share the passion you present in an article
Thank you, Mike!
Excellent. Thanks for the review.
You’re welcome, Dave.
Hi Lucas! Thanks so much for this. Your website is very helpful. Question for you: How do you compare the Casio PX-870 with the PX-860? I found a PX-860 for $675 US and I am wondering if it is worth it. I am a beginner but I would like to buy a piano that will be good for at least a decade. I am mostly attracted to the 256-note polyphony. Thank you!
Hey Rachel, well both of these pianos have 256-note polyphony, however, I wouldn’t get too excited with this characteristic as there are more important things that should be taken into account (key action, quality of samples, decay, resonance, etc). The PX-860 and PX-870 share the same key action and a lot of other features. I’d encourage you to read my full review on the PX-870 so that you can get an idea of whether it’s worth paying extra for it or not. But, in my opinion, if you were able to find the new PX-860 for as little as $675, go for it, because the extra features you get on the PX-870 may not be worth the extra money. However, I still prefer the new piano sound on the PX-870.
Thanks so much! Ended up going with the PX-870 and I am very happy with it. Keep up the good work and thanks again!
You’re welcome! Glad you’re enjoying the instrument!
Hi Lucas,
Dittos on the many positive comments posted throughout this site on your reviews and helps. Outstanding. I’ve learned so much. Greatly appreciate the content as well as the format.
1) Any plans to review the Kawai KDP110? 2) The Casio AP-270? 3) Any plans for a Best DP in the $1000-$1500 range? 4) I like what I’m learning about the Casio PX-870, except I have concern over the keyboard noise being somewhat louder than competitive models, particularly at low volume. Im struggling to relate to that since I’m a total newbie and have no point of reference as whether that might be bothersome or not. IOW, how perceptible is that noise? Enough to deter from purchasing? I haven’t had the chance to hear a PX-870 yet. Finally located a dealer about 1.25-1.5 hrs away. Wondering if I should consider something else, or make the drive to hear it? Who knows, maybe I won’t even pick up on it?
Hey Craig, thanks for the kind words.
1) Review of the Kawai KDP110 is coming soon.
2) I have plans for this review as well, but it’s gonna take some time (probably a month or two)
3) There’re 3 top lists that I’m planning on writing including “Best Console DPs under $1500”, “Best DPs for advanced pianists” and some others, but every post I publish takes a huge amount of time to write and publish, so I have to prioritize. I’ll try to keep a pace of one post per week but that won’t always be the case.
4) The noise is definitely not a deal-breaker as it’s comparable to other models in this price range, which also have some key action noise (all of them have).
It’s just Casio’s Tri-sensor scaled hammer action II tends to be slightly noisier in low-volume situations compared to other brands such as Roland or Yamaha, which may be a bit uncomfortable for other people in the room listening to the noise while you’re playing in headphones. When using the onboard speakers, the noise will unlikely be audible unless you’re playing at low, low-medium volume.
As you said, chances are you won’t even notice it but it’s better to be safe than sorry, so I’d definitely recommend trying the piano out in person if you have that option.
Amazing review! I think Yamaha ydp-143 is the best choise for me. Thanks!
Amazing comment! Glad you found the instrument you like. Great choice!
Hi Lucas,
Awesome article here. Super super helpful. Which one of these would you rate to have the best most realistic acoustic piano sound?
-Tou
Hey Tou, it’s really difficult to answer your question since it’s all so personal and subjective.
They all sound great for the price, the PX-870 and C1 Air have more powerful speaker systems, so will probably outperform the others (in volume and boldness) when listening through the onboard speakers, but when listening via headphones… You really need to listen to their tone yourself, as in my opinion there’s no clear winner here.
I personally like the Casio and the Roland, but they’re all quite good honestly, so I don’t think you will be disappointed with any of these pianos’ sounds.
Hi Lucas,
Thank you for a great review. I came to my local store in Melbourne today and there are few options, which I beg for your advises.
I am new to piano. They have Roland RP102 ($1249), Casio PX 770 ($1295 w/stool), Casio AP 270 ($1249 w/stool) and Korg 380 ($999).
Considering the price of the Korg 380 dropped that much but it has RH3 weighted system but no Ivory touch and I did not quite like the look of it but for the prices, it is a good deal. Which one of those four you will think as the best buy for a new player.
Hey Zoli, all of the models you mentioned are fine for a beginner. Did you get a chance to try them out in the store? The Korg LP-380 is a wonderful instrument, and out of all the options you mentioned (taking price into account), I’d probably go with the Korg. I’d also take a closer look at the Roland, mostly because of its quality key action, and beautiful piano tone. While any of these instruments would be good enough for a new player, I’d recommend going with the one that feels/sounds the most natural to YOU.
Hi Lucas,
How does the PX-770 compare to the FP-30? They both have the same price on Amazon US $699 and you both recommend them (Casio for best budget under 1000 and Roland for best under 700)
Hi Ray, the PX-770 is a console type (home) digital piano, while the FP-30 is a portable one. That’s why you found them on different lists.
Depending on your needs, and the kind of design you’re looking for, either of these may be a good option.
The PX-770 comes with a furniture-style cabinet and has 3 piano pedals, while with the FP-30 you’ll have to buy all of that separately. The PX-770 also has a 2-track MIDI recorder (the FP-30 can only record 1 track per song), 17 preset temperaments and 60 built-in song to practice.
The FP-30, on the other hand, has an arguably more realistic key action, Bluetooth MIDI, and a wider selection of sounds.
The SuperNATURAL sound engine boasts a very rich and detailed piano sound as well, though make sure you listen to demos first, as piano sound is a very subjective thing, and I can’t tell you which one will sound better to your ears.
I hope this helps.
Hey man! Thanks for your detailed review. I ended up buying Roland Rp102 with your suggestions. It was very helpfull and the only source to made my decision clear. Thank again
Awesome man, hope you’re enjoying your Roland!
Hi Lucas,
Is the px-870 still good compared to the newly released px-s3000, in terms of key action and original piano sound? Same question with the rp-102 and fp-30. I’m 90% a home player, so that’s my priority, though I’m going to learn some about producing this year. Of those 4, which one do you recommend?
Thank you
And, one more question please. I’ve found the px-560 with a very reasonable price in my country (equal to the s3000 and fp-30, which is 100$ less than the px-870). How do you think about that?
Also sorry for my bad English
Hi Long,
Well, the FP-30/PX-870 are quite different from the PX-S3000/PX-560. The latter go well beyond just the piano and offer hundreds of sounds, effects, and editing capabilities. So, the main question you need to ask yourself is whether you need all those extras?
Hi Long,
Well, the FP-30/PX-870 are quite different from the PX-S3000/PX-560. The latter go well beyond just the piano and offer hundreds of sounds, effects, and editing capabilities. So, the main question you need to ask yourself is whether you need all those extras?
As for the PX-870 vs the newer PX-S3000, I still think that the PX-870 is better or at least equally as good the PX-S3000 for piano playing. Obviously, the PX-S3000 has the edge in other aspects.
The RP-102 and FP-30 are very similar. If you’re planning to buy the matching stand and pedal unit for the FP-30, you might just buy the RP-102 instead. It does have less powerful speakers, but it’s not too critical, plus you’ll be able to unlock more sounds via the Piano Partner 2 app with the RP-102.
Hi Lucas!
Thank you for all your reviews, this website has been the single most useful resource for choosing a digital piano. I have played the piano a bit as a child, and now want to pick it up again as an adult. I’ve narrowed my list to 7 pianos (not very narrow, that’s why I need help!). They are, somewhat surprisingly to me, all similarly priced. Could you help me with a rough ranking of these for just plain and simple piano playing (so mostly sound, feel, etc… also, I think I’ll mostly stick to classical pieces on a European-sounding piano, so all those extra sounds don’t really affect me)?
The instruments are
Casio PX 770
Casio PX 870
Casio AP 270
Casio AP 470
Yamaha YDP 144
Kawai KDP 110
Roland RP 102
I know that the PX 770 and AP 270 and more or less “strictly worse” variants of the 870 and 470, but they are a tiny bit cheaper, so I’m still considering them. Also, the Kawai is a bit more expensive than the rest, but it could still be within budget if I were convinced it’s the best one.
I know that a lot of this is very subjective, but sadly, due to the current situation, I can’t really go to the store and try them out, so I need to rely on the judgment of the people who know more than me. Thank you so much in advance!
Hi Aron,
I’m so happy you found the site useful.
Are there any particular features you want your digital piano to have, or do you only care about the sound/feel? All the instruments you mentioned are good choices, but I know this is not the kind of answer you’re looking for 🙂
The AP-470 and AP-270 are basically more ‘premium’ versions of the PX-770 and PX-870 with fancier cabinets and an additional American Grand Piano tone. Feel-wise they’re all pretty much the same as they share the same key action.
The Kawai KDP110 is a beautiful instrument with no major flaws (both the sound and the action are highly regarded in the piano community) but, as you mentioned, it’s all very personal. The Roland RP102 is often overlooked but I find the PHA-4 key action to be one of the most realistic in this price category. The sound is great as well, though it’s probably not something you would call “classical” as it has more of a modern flavor.
I know, it’s hard to choose from so many options, especially when you can’t test them out personally. I’d recommend checking some of our reviews of the models you mention as often there are people asking similar questions and you might be able to find some of my answers helpful as well.
Hello Lucas,
I’m upgrading from a Casio CDP-200R because even with layering the piano sound is to frustrating. My options are either a floor model Korg LP-380 with a one year warranty or a new Casio PX-860 with a three year warranty…both are priced at $899 (Canadian) and the Casio includes a bench. This is purely for home use and will mostly be used on a strait piano setting without headphones. Due to the present situation this will be an online purchase without playing in person. From what I can gather the Korg has a quieter key action and more natural piano tone but lacks some of the resonance features and expressiveness with being a 2 sensor key action. The Casio has a less refined piano sound but it can be customized more and has better expressiveness with the triple sensor keys. It has a noisier key action but if the noise is the same as the CDP-200R it isn’t really that excessive. What are your thoughts on the decision I have to make here? Thanks for maintaining such a balanced site with honest, well thought out reviews and content.
Hi Keith,
I wouldn’t attribute the number of sensors to the ‘expressiveness’ of each particular instrument. In this particular case, I think the LP-380 with its RH3 key action is actually a slightly more realistic key action than that of the PX-870, in particular with regard to the pivot length and how the keys respond to your playing.
However, the PX-870 has its fans as well! Since the key action on the PX-870 and CDP-200R are from the same key action family, I don’t think that the PX-870 will have a noisier action than your CDP-200R, so it shouldn’t be a problem.
As for the sound, you’re definitely getting more customizability with the PX-870, but I wouldn’t say it has ‘a less refined piano sound’ than the Korg. It’s just different, so by all means listen to demos online to see which sound you prefer.
Thanks for the reply Lucas,
I was able to try the Korg and bought it on the spot…the sound, feel and action are exactly what I was looking for. I’m very pleased with everything about it.
Awesome, Kieth. Have fun!
Hi. Thanks for the ranking of dp. Is C1 air and G1 air was considered in this ranking?
Hi Jonathan, since the C1/G1 Air are slightly above the set budget, we didn’t include them in this article, though we did include them in this one.
This was so helpful! Two questions for you:
1) Does the lack of Bluetooth on most of these completely prevent you from doing anything? Or can those without it connect with an iPad in a wired way still?
2) I live in a condo. Do these differ at all in terms of any vibration/noise for people below us? We have concrete floors so noise is generally not a problem but I wanted to check.
Thanks!
1) No, not at all, you can definitely use external adapters/cables to achieve the same thing as with Bluetooth MIDI.
2) You mean when using headphones or through speakers? Shouldn’t be a problem when listening through headphones.
Thank you so much for writing such in depth reviews for all of these! I am currently in the process of choosing a digital piano for me to be able to take to university so I can play piano whenever I want. I am not going to be studying music and I would say I am probably about an intermediate level so the digital piano is purely to give me access to a piano 24/7. Uni accommodation is fairly small so I am looking for something fairly compact so I believe the Casio pX-870 /770 and Yamaha YDPS34 Arius would be best suited for this however I also have the following on my (not very narrowed down) list. I will hopefully be going to try as many out as possible but I am not yet sure which ones will be available in store (I will then order online once I get home and have made a definite decision) I was just wondering if there were any in particular that you would recommend over others or taking off the list completely. I know this is also down to personal preference, but any opinion would be greatly appreciated, and this website and all the reviews has been a massive help so far.
• Casio PX870 Privia
• Casio PX770 Privia
• Casio AP470 Celviano
• Casio AP270 Celviano
• Yamaha YDP 144
• Yamaha YDPS34 Arius
• Roland RP102
• Korg LP380
• Korg C1 88
Thanks again, and apologies that my list is still so long!
Hi Ellie,
No, those are all good options. The YPD-144 and the YDP-S34 are almost identical, but the latter is more compact so might be a better option for you. The Korg C1 is kind of a better, improved version of the LP-380 model, but they are also similar in many ways, so you might be able to save some money by choosing the LP-380. The PX-870 is similar to the AP-470 and the PX-770 is similar to the AP-270. The AP series offers a more traditional cabinet designed, a slightly different feature set, and comes with an additional American Grand Piano tone (which sounds pretty damn good, by the way). The Roland RP-102 is definitely worth trying out as well. After playing those models in person, you should have a better idea about which ones speak to you personally.
Great review but I am confused, I see the Casio Px-870 online for $2050 cdn, so about $1600 US? Do you know which slab piano this is equivalent to in the Casio series please?
Hey Karen, prices vary in different regions, so apparently Casio instruments are more expensive in Canada than, say, in the US. There’s no really a slab equivalent to the PX-870. The closest equivalent would probably be the PX-S1000.
Hi Lucas, I’m looking for a piano that is less than $1000, closest to the acoustic piano for my children. I’m having a hard time deciding between Yamaha 143, Casio, and Kawai. I’m planning to buy a grand piano later. Which digital piano do you recommend that will be easier for my kids to transition into the acoustic piano. They also like to practice from their iPad. Do I need to look for Bluetooth feature? Thank you very much. If you think there are better brands , let me know.
Hi Vicky,
By Yamaha 143 you probably meant the YDP-143 model? If so, that model was discontinued and replaced by the new YDP-144. Are there any particular Casio and Kawai models you are considering?
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