Today, we’ll be taking a closer look at the Yamaha DGX-660, a truly versatile keyboard with lots of impressive capabilities.
This is a flagship model of Yamaha’s “Portable Grand” line and the only keyboard in the line that has fully weighted keys.
The DGX-660 has replaced its successful predecessor, the DGX-650, and comes with increased polyphony as well as some new sounds, effects, and features, which I’ll get to later in the review.
So what is so unique about this keyboard?
Well, the DGX-660 is essentially a hybrid of a digital piano and an arranger keyboard.
It comes packed with hundreds of sounds, songs, styles, and rhythms, making it a perfect instrument not only for playing piano but also for learning and making music.
Now let’s dig deeper and find out what the keyboard has to offer and what its strengths and weaknesses are.
Yamaha DGX-660 Specs
- 88-key fully weighted keyboard with matte black keytops
- Graded Hammer Standard action
- Touch Sensitivity (Hard, Medium, Soft, Fixed)
- Display: 320 x 240 LCD (+ score/lyrics display function)
- Sound: Pure CF Sound Engine
- 192-note polyphony
- 554 built-in sounds (151 panel, 15 Drum Kits, 388 XGlite)
- 205 styles (Multi Finger, Full Keyboard, AI Fingered)
- 100 preset songs
- Modes: Split, Dual
- Effects – Reverb: 41 types, Chorus: 44 types, Harmony: 26 types, DSP: 237 types, Master EQ: 5 types
- Lesson Function: Yamaha Education Suite
- 6-track MIDI recorder (5 songs)
- USB Audio recorder: WAV (44.1 kHz, 16 bit, stereo)
- Metronome, Transpose, Fine-tuning
- Speakers: 6W + 6W (12cm x 2 + 5cm x 2)
- Connections: USB to Host, USB to Device, Headphone jack, Aux In, Mic In, Sustain Pedal jack
- 1,397 x 445 x 146 mm (55” x 17.5” x 5.7”)
- 21kg (46 lbs. 5 oz.); with stand: 28kg (61 lbs. 12 oz.)
Check the availability and current price of the Yamaha DGX-660 in your region:
Design
Although the DGX-660 is a part of the Portable Grand line, I wouldn’t call it very portable.
The keyboard is pretty big and heavy compared to other models in the line and digital pianos from the P-series. However, the latter doesn’t come anywhere close to the DGX-660 in terms of sounds, features and connectivity options.
The DGX-660 is 55” wide and 5.7” high (29.9” with the stand), which is pretty standard for 88-key keyboards.
The depth is 17.5” though, which makes it considerably bulkier than, say, the Yamaha P-125 or the Casio CGP-700.
The DGX-660 is also quite heavy; it weighs 46.3 lbs without a stand and 61.75 lbs with the matching stand that comes with the keyboard.
So it’s not something you’d want to move around often.
And if portability is crucial for you, I’d recommend taking a look at the Casio CGP-700, which is similar to the DGX-660 in terms of features but has a more compact design.
Take a look at the table below to quickly compare the DGX-660’s size to some other popular digital pianos:
| View on Amazon | Keys | Width | Depth | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 88 | 55" | 17.5" | 5.7" | 46.3 lbs |
 | 88 | 52" | 11.5" | 5.5" | 26.2 lbs |
 | 88 | 52.2" | 11.9" | 6.5" | 26 lbs |
 | 88 | 52" | 9.1" | 4" | 25.1 lbs |
 | 88 | 51.6" | 11.2" | 5.8" | 26.5 lbs |
 | 88 | 51.2" | 11.2" | 5.8" | 31 lbs |
 | 88 | 52.7" | 16.6" | 5.7" | 24 lbs |
The DGX-660 comes with a matching stand. It’s pretty well-built and sturdy enough to hold this rather large keyboard.
The piano comes packed in a large heavy box (about 100 pounds) so you’ll most probably need another person to help you with unpacking and assembling.
The “ikea-style” assembly will not take you more than 25-30 minutes; the instructions are very clear so you shouldn’t have any problems with that.
The DGX-660 has a contemporary-looking design with nice wooden elements (side panels, stand) and is available in black and white color options.
Since the keyboard is full of features, sounds, music styles, and other so-called “bells and whistles”, there are lots of buttons on the control panel, which let you access all the settings/functions in just a few presses.
But more importantly, the DGX-660 features a 320×240 LCD screen, which makes the keyboard a lot more user-friendly.
The display will show you the current settings as well as the scores and lyrics of songs.
You’ll also be able to see what notes you’re playing and what notes you need to play (on the on-screen scores and virtual keyboard) when using the Lesson function.
For piano players, Yamaha has designed a function called “Piano Room“, which has a dedicated button.
Once pressed, the optimum settings for piano performance will be applied regardless of what settings you’ve made from the panel, which is very convenient.
Keyboard
The DGX-660 features a touch-responsive keyboard with 88 fully weighted keys.
The action is called the Graded Hammer Standard (GHS), and it’s the same keyboard action you’ll find in the Yamaha P-45 and P-125 digital pianos.
The GHS action uses graded hammers attached to the keys to reproduce the feel of an acoustic piano with heavier touch in the low end and becoming progressively lighter in the higher ranges.
This will help you develop a good technique and finger strength, needed for performing on an acoustic piano.
The keyboard of the DGX-660 is also touch (velocity) sensitive, meaning the harder you play the keys the louder the sound.
It gives a player an excellent control over dynamics and expression from the softest pianissimo to the strongest, boldest fortissimo.
The sensitivity of the keyboard can be adjusted to better suit your playing style. There are four preset settings you can choose from, including Soft, Medium, Hard and Fixed.
When the “Fixed” setting is selected, the volume will stay the same no matter how hard or soft you play, which will make the keyboard non-touch sensitive.
The keys of the DGX-660 are made of plastic, which is true for all the keyboards in this price range.
The white keys have a glossy finish, while the black ones are matte, which will prevent fingers from slipping when they become moist.
Sound
At the heart of the DGX-660 is Yamaha’s proprietary Pure CF sound engine. It’s the same sound source as used in the Yamaha P-125, the P-255, and some Arius (YDP) models.
The Pure CF reproduces the meticulously recorded sound of the Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand piano. * №1 Natural! Grand Piano sound on the DGX-660*
It sounds very convincing, just take a look at the video below.
Not only does the DGX-660 have 10 different piano sounds, but also hundreds of other instrument sounds, which gives you lots of room for creativity.
The DGX-660 has an impressive library of sound effects that you can use to make the sound more interesting and unique.
- 41 reverb types simulate the acoustics of various environments including different kinds of concert halls, rooms, stages and some other interesting reverbs such as canyon, basement, tunnel, club and some others.
- 44 chorus types will make the sound richer and thicker simulating the subtle pitch and timing variations to make it sound as if several performers play the same part in unison.
- 26 harmony types effect will add harmony notes to your performance.
The DGX-660 is also equipped with a Pitch Bend wheel, which will allow you to reproduce some interesting effects (e.g. guitar vibrato, choking) by bending notes up and down while playing the keyboard.
Master equalizer (EQ) will allow you tailor the sound to your taste. There are 5 Master EQ types you can choose from: normal (default setting), piano, soft, bright, powerful.
DSP which stands for Digital Signal Processing will allow you to further customize and transform the sound using over 230 different sound effects including reverbs, choruses, echoes, distortions, etc.
Polyphony
The polyphony has been expanded from 128 notes on the DGX-650 to 192 notes on this model, which means you can freely play and layer multiple sounds, use backing tracks and accompaniment styles without worrying about the memory capacity and notes dropping out.
Speakers
The DGX-660 is equipped with 12cm x 2 + 5cm x 2 built-in speakers with two 6W amplifiers, which produce a rich, well-balanced sound.
The speakers are open-faced, so the sound is directed toward your face, making for a clear, muffle-free experience.
The quality of the sound is further improved by the Intelligent Acoustic Control (IAC) function, which intelligently adjusts bass and treble frequencies to make the sound clearer and more balanced at low volume levels.
The DGX-660’s speakers are sufficient for home practicing and even small performances.
However, for bigger performance in a band or a stage set-up, you’d need an external amplifier or PA to get a more powerful sound.
Features
The DGX-660 can be used in many different ways.
Not only does the DGX-660 have all the essential qualities to provide a realistic piano experience but it’s also equipped with a variety of features that you would usually see on an arranger keyboard.
Not to get lost in the keyboard’s numerous features and settings and make it easier for piano players to access piano sounds and piano-related settings, Yamaha has equipped the DGX-660 with the “Piano Room” function (has a dedicated button).
Once you press that button, the main Grand Piano tone will be selected, and the optimum settings for piano performance will be applied.
You can also change the piano settings according to your preferences.
There are 4 piano types you to choose from: Grand Piano, Pop Grand, Warm Grand and Honky Tonk.
You can even change the lid position to achieve the sound effects resulting from an open lid.
Other parameters you can configure in the Piano Room are as follows:
- Environment Type (reverb): Room, Stage, Recital Hall or a Concert Hall.
- Damper Resonance (On/Off)
- Touch-Response (3 levels)
- Tuning (adjusting the pitch in 1Hz steps)
Modes
The DGX-660 offers split and layering features for playing two instrument sounds simultaneously.
The Split Mode divides the keyboard into two sections, to which you can assign a different instrument sound.
For example, you can play piano in the right-hand area and drums in the left-hand area and so on. You can split whatever sounds you like and the split point can be adjusted as well.
The Dual Mode (layering) will allow you to layer two sounds so that they sound at the same time over the entire keyboard range.
For example, you can put strings over the top of the piano sound or combine a harpsichord with an electric piano, etc.
And with over 550 built-in sounds, the sky is the limit as far as creativity is concerned.
The Duo Mode, which would divide the keyboard into two equal parts allowing two players to sit side by side and play the same pitch ranges, is not available on this model.
Recording and Playback
The DGX-660 can work with two types of data, MIDI and Audio. You can record and play back your performances in both MIDI (SMF) and audio (WAV) format.
You can also play back MIDI and audio files downloaded from the Internet from the piano’s internal memory or directly from a USB flash drive.
MIDI. Here we’re not recording the actual sound of the instrument but MIDI data (a sequence of notes, their length, and velocity).
You can then play back your recordings on the keyboard, or on your computer using programs that can interpret MIDI data, such as Windows Media Player, QuickTime, Winamp, etc.
The DGX-660 allows you to record and store in the internal flash memory up to 5 songs.
For each song, you can record up to 6 tracks, which you can then play back as one song or turn some tracks off to mute the parts you don’t want to hear (melody, percussion, accompaniment, whatever you’ve recorded on those tracks).
After you’ve recorded all the parts (tracks) you need, you can adjust the tempo of the song, fast-forward/rewind it or set an A-B repeat that will repeatedly play back the part of the song from the start point (A) to the end point (B).
Audio. Here we’re recording/playing back the actual sound of the keyboard.
The DGX-660 allows you to record up to 80 minutes per single recording and save it to a flash drive in WAV (44.1kHz/16bit) format.
You can then play your audio recordings on your smart devices (e.g., laptop, music player, smartphone, etc.), share them on social media and even burn the recordings to a CD.
No matter if it’s a MIDI or WAV file you’re playing back, you can play along with it.
Lesson Function
Beginner players can take advantage of the onboard lesson feature called Yamaha Education Suite (Y.E.S.).
The Y.E.S. allows you to use MIDI songs (100 internal songs or downloaded from the Internet) for a left-hand, right-hand or both-hand lesson.
For example, when you select the left-hand lesson, you need to play the left-hand part of the song while the right-hand part will be played automatically and vice versa.
There are three types of Song Lesson available on the DGX-660: Waiting, Your Tempo and Minus One.
In the “Waiting” type of lesson, the Song will wait until you play the right notes shown on the screen and only then continues playback.
Not only will the display show the notes you need to play but also the keys (on the virtual keyboard), so you don’t even need to know how to read music to play the songs.
In the “Your Tempo” type of lesson, you should try to play with the correct timing. The playback tempo will vary to match the speed you’re playing at.
The melody will slow down when you play wrong notes and gradually return to the original tempo when you play correctly.
In the “Minus one” type of lesson, you choose the part of a song you want to practice (left- or right-hand part) and play it along with the playback of the other hand-part at the normal tempo.
The DGX-660 is capable of displaying the music scores and lyrics of songs if the song contains them.
Other Functions
The DGX-660 offers a wide selection of auto-accompaniment styles and rhythms, which will accompany your performances making you sound like you’re playing with a band or an orchestra.
There are over 200 styles of different music genres including pop, jazz, country, R&B and many more.
You can choose out of three Fingering (cord specifying) types:
- Multi-finger (you can play all chord variations, full chords/single fingered).
- Full Keyboard (use the entire keyboard range to specify cords).
- AI Fingered (Artificial Intelligence is used to help your performance by trying to predict what you want to play next).
If you can’t decide what Style and Voice to choose, the built-in Music Database will help you with that. Just choose a music genre you like (over 300 variations) and the optimal settings will be called up.
The Style Recommender is another useful function to help you pick the style. It will suggest optimum styles based on the rhythm you play for one or two measures.
Smart cord feature will help you play with accompaniment styles even if you don’t know how to play the appropriate chords. You’ll be able to control styles with just one finger as long as you know the key of the music you play.
The DGX-660 has an onboard metronome to help improve your playing speed and the accuracy of your timing.
You can change the tempo, time-signature and the volume of the metronome.
To adjust the pitch of the keyboard you can use either Transpose or Tuning function.
The transpose function allows you to shift the pitch of the keyboard in semitone steps, for example, to facilitate playing songs written in difficult keys or you just need to play music in a different key without changing the keys you’re playing.
The tuning function can be used to adjust the pitch of the entire keyboard in 1Hz steps.
Connectivity
The DGX-660 has extensive connectivity options, which not many digital pianos can offer.
All ports and jacks are located on the rear panel of the keyboard, except for the USB to Device terminal, which is on the front.
USB to Host Terminal
This port can be used to connect the keyboard to a computer for exchanging files/songs.
You can also use the DGX-660 as a MIDI controller, transferring MIDI data between the keyboard and the computer to control various music production and learning apps (e.g. GarageBand, FlowKey, etc).
An A-B USB cable needed for this connection is not included with the keyboard and can be purchased on Amazon for a few bucks.
USB to Device terminal
A USB flash drive can be connected to this port to quickly and conveniently exchange files and data (recordings, parameter settings, etc.) with the keyboard.
For example, you can save recordings (MIDI/Audio files) created on the instrument to the flash drive and then load them back into the keyboard when you need it.
Moreover, there is a wide selection of songs and MIDI files on the Internet that you can download and play directly from a flash drive (for listening, practicing, and playing along).
Headphone Jack
This ¼” stereo jacks can be used to connect a pair of headphones to the piano and practice without bothering anyone around.
You can also use this jack as a Line Out to connect the piano to an external sound system such as an amplifier, PA system, mixer, etc.
Mic Input Jack
Another great feature of the DGX-660 is that you can connect a microphone directly to this 1/4″ jack and sing along with your keyboard performance or a song playback.
The DGX-660 will output your vocals through the internal speakers.
There is even a Mic Volume Knob to control the volume and a bunch of settings and effects to play around with.
The microphone must have a 1/4″ plug (not USB) to connect to the piano.
AUX in
This 1/8” (3.5mm) mini-jack can be used to connect an external audio device (basically any device with 3.5mm output jack) to hear its sound through the keyboard’s built-in speakers.
You’d need a 3.5mm Male to Male cable to make this connection.
Sustain Jack
This jack is used to connect a sustain pedal/footswitch to the keyboard.
Pedal Unit Jack
The optional LP-7A/LP-7AWH 3-pedal unit connects to this jack.
Accessories
Stand
A sturdy matching stand is included with the DGX-660, so you don’t have to worry about where to place the keyboard.
However, the stand is quite heavy (15.4 lbs) and not easy to transport.
If you need a more portable and compact solution that you could easily move around and put away in storage when not in use, an X-type stand would be a great alternative.
Below I’ve listed 3 wonderful X-type stands for the DGX-660:
- 1. RockJam Xfinity Infinitely Adjustable X-type Stand
- 2. Plixio Adjustable Heavy Duty Z-type Stand
- 3. World Tour Double-X Stand
Sustain Pedal
The DGX-660 comes with a basic Yamaha footswitch. It’s a plastic box-like unit, which doesn’t look or feel like an acoustic piano pedal.
And even though the included pedal would be OK for most beginners, more experienced players would probably want a more realistic pedal.
As usual, I recommend taking a look at the high-quality M-Audio SP-2 piano-style pedal with a much more realistic look and feel and an affordable price.
Bag
As I said, the DGX-660 is not the best choice to take to gigs due to its size. However, it doesn’t mean that it’s unsuitable for that, it’s just not the BEST option.
In fact, many musicians manage to transport and use this keyboard to perform on stage. And if you decide to do so, you’d probably need a bag to safely transport the DGX-660.
Unfortunately, there aren’t many gig bags for such a big keyboard.
The first option is the Yamaha Artiste Series Keyboard Bag for 88-note keyboards, which is quite a big bag even for the DGX-660 and you’ll have some space left inside.
The bag is not heavily padded and only be suitable for light travel.
The Gator 88-Note Gig Bag would be another great option from a well-thought-of brand. The bag is made of heavy-duty nylon and has reinforced riveted carry handles.
The size of the Gator bag is almost identical to the DGX-660’s, and the padding is thicker than that of the Yamaha bag.
At the same time, the Gator bag is almost twice as expensive the Yamaha, so it all comes down to your budget.
Keep in mind that both bags are great for solo gigs/light travel and aren’t suitable for heavy/air travel.
Headphones
Headphones come in very handy when you want to practice in private, focusing solely on your playing and not disturbing others nearby.
Moreover, a good pair of headphones will provide a clearer and more detailed sound compared to the onboard speakers.
Check out this guide to learn how to choose the best-sounding headphones for your digital piano.
Summary
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| LCD screen | Heavy |
| 88-key hammer action keyboard | Not as portable as its competitors |
| Piano sound sampled from the Yamaha CFIIIS Concert Grand | Headphone jack is on the back |
| Large library of songs, styles, rhythms and sound effects. | Very basic sustain pedal |
| Midi/Audio recording capabilities | |
| Wide range of connectivity options | |
| Features for learners | |
| Comes with a sturdy matching stand |
As I said the Yamaha DGX-660 is a very versatile keyboard and anyone from a beginner to an experienced player will not be disappointed with what it has to offer. I bet your kids will love it too!
As a digital piano, the DGX-660 features fully weighted keyboard with 88 keys and incredible piano tone sampled from the CFIIIS Concert Grand. That along with 192-note polyphony creates a realistic piano experience.
But the DGX-660 doesn’t stop there.
Yamaha wanted the instrument to be equally great for piano playing and music making as well as for learning and just for having fun.
And it’s really incredible how many things you can do with this keyboard.
First, you get hundreds of sounds, songs, backing styles and effects, which will keep you busy for hours without feeling bored.
The piano also has a bunch of educational features that will make learning more interesting and effective with on-screen notation and virtual keyboard.
Thanks to the great recording capabilities, you can compose and record your own music without using any additional software/equipment.
But if you need something extra, you can always use the DGX-660’s connections to further expand its functionality by connecting it to different devices and equipment.
To me, the main drawback of the DGX-660 is that it’s quite bulky and heavy.
Of course, it’s not nearly as cumbersome as traditional instruments, but you’d still probably need another person to help you move it around (61.75 lbs with the stand).
So the DGX-660 is not the best choice for gigs and playing out due its size. However, if you manage to safely transport the keyboard, it’s more than suitable for performances, considering how many bells and whistles it has.
Wrapping up, I’d recommend the DGX-660 for those who want more than just a digital piano with several instrument sounds and a few basic functions.
Check the availability and current price of the Yamaha DGX-660 in your region:
Alternatives
Below I’ve listed the 3 most popular competitors to the DGX-660 you might want to consider before making the final decision.
Yamaha DGX-660 vs Yamaha P-125 (Full Review)
The Yamaha P125 is another popular intermediate digital piano from Yamaha’s P series. The P-125 is basically the same keyboard as the DGX-660 but without all those extra functions and sounds.
It has the same GHS keyboard, the same Pure CF sound source, and the same amount of polyphony, which allows for a realistic piano playing experience.
However, instead of 550 instrument sounds and hundreds of styles, songs, rhythms, and effects, the P-125 has 24 built-in sounds, 20 accompaniment rhythms, and 50 songs.
So it’s much more basic and straightforward than the DGX-660. But it’s not necessarily a bad thing.
It’s just that the P-125 is designed to be used mainly for piano playing and actually does its job very well.
The piano has all the basic functions such as an onboard metronome, transpose and tuning functions, a 2-track MIDI recorder, Duo, Dual, and Split Modes.
I should also say that it’s much more compact and portable than the DGX-660 and weighs only 26 lbs, which is half the weight of the DGX-660.
So the P-125 is a better choice if want to be able to easily move your keyboard around and take it to gigs, rehearsals, etc.
I’d recommend the P-125 over the DGX-660 for those who just need an alternative to an acoustic piano and don’t care about the extra sounds and features.
With that said, the DGX-660 has a lot of additional functionality, and you will be pleasantly surprised with how versatile this keyboard is.
The video below explains the key differences between the two keyboards very well (in the video, Chris talks about the older P-115 and DGX-650, but most of that applies to the new models as well):
Yamaha DGX-660 vs Casio CGP-700 (Full Review)
The CGP-700 is the direct competitor to the DGX-660 not only because they have the same price tag, but also because they are very similar concept-wise.
The main dilemma is which keyboard to go with, and the good news is that you can’t go wrong with either of these keyboards.
Let’s start with similarities between the two.
The CGP-700, just like the DGX-660, is a very versatile keyboard that offers a realistic piano experience as well as lots of features for music production, learning, etc.
The piano comes with an integrated stand but it’s not just a simple unit.
The stand features two low-frequency speakers built into it and combined with the speakers on the keyboard itself offers 40W of full, powerful sound. It makes a huge difference!
Another great feature of the CGP-700 is its 5.3” color touch screen, which beats the DGX-660’s non-touch monochrome screen and makes navigating more convenient and intuitive (particularly useful on stage).
The CGP-700 features Casio’s famous Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II with simulated Ivory & Ebony keytops, which to my taste provides a more realistic feel than the DGX-660’s GHS keyboard.
Speaking of sound, the CGP-700 doesn’t use the popular Multi-dimensional Morphing AiR Sound Source we’re used to seeing on most Casio digital pianos.
Instead, it features MXi (Multi-Expressive Integrated) sound processor, which also provides a very rich and natural piano sound sampled from a Steinway Grand, which delivered by the 40W speakers is almost unbeatable in this price range.
However, listening through headphones, I liked the DGX-660’s piano tone a bit better.
As for the extra sounds and features, the CGP-700 boasts 550 built-in sounds (DGX-660: 554 sounds), 200 accompaniment styles (DGX-660: 205 styles), 128-note polyphony (DGX-660: 192 notes), layer/split functions, duo mode (not available on the DGX-660), 17 reverb, 16 chorus and 6 delay types (DGX-660: 41 reverbs, 44 choruses).
The CGP-700 features a 17-track MIDI recorder with memory capacity for 100 songs (DGX-660 has memory only for 5 songs). Audio recording is also available on the keyboard.
Unlike the DGX-660, the CGP-700 doesn’t have a Mic In jack. Instead, it has dedicated Line Out jacks.
Wrapping up, the DGX-660 offers slightly more sounds, styles, and effects as well as a higher polyphony count and arguably a better piano sound.
The CGP-700, on the other hand, offers a much more powerful speaker system, a more convenient 5.3” touch screen and arguably a more realistic keyboard action.
Yamaha DGX-660 vs Casio PX-360
The Casio PX-360 is another strong competitor to the DGX-660.
The PX-360 is almost identical to the CGP-700 so I’ll be brief.
The main reason you might prefer the PX-360 over the CGP-700 is that it comes with the AiR Sound Source which allows for more realistic piano sound by adding string resonance, key-off and hammer response simulation.
To me, the difference is subtle, but you can hear it, especially when listening through headphones.
In addition, the PX-360 has Line In and MIDI In/Out jacks, which the CGP-700 doesn’t offer.
Another important thing is that the PX-360 doesn’t come with a stand and only has 8W + 8W onboard speakers, while the CGP-700 has 6W+ 6W speakers AND a stand with 2 x 14W low-frequency speakers built into it.
As for the rest, the PX-360 and the CGP-700 are identical and considering that the PX-360 is slightly more expensive than the CGP-700 I’m not totally convinced that it’s worth it.
What do you think?
The phone jack location on the dgx slab is not a problem because the jack is assignable in software.
I leave headphones plugged in all the time at home and they are always on by default with the speakers silent. When I want to use the speakers they can be turned on as well leaving speakers and head phones active at the same time. The head phone jack is also assignable as a line out for a stage amp optionally leaving the on board speakers active as a local monitor. The location of the jack on the back of the slab is what you would want for that. In other words, your inclusion of the jack placement as a con is simply ignorant of its functions.
The weight is reviewed by most reviewers as a con so you are in good company for that opinion. My aging handicapped wife can’t handle it alone and my adult daughter has problems with hers as well due to a shoulder injury and needs help with it. I, however, can still move it around by myself at 75 so I wonder if a Physical training regimen might be in order for some of the younger male reviewers who seem to have trouble moving something that weighs about the same as a big bag of groceries.
Hi and thanks for your input. I’m glad to hear you don’t have any problems with the things I qualified as cons, but I’d like to clarify something.
First of all, when I write a review and say that piano is pretty heavy, it doesn’t mean that it’s heavy for me to move around, it means that most people will find it heavy and some will not be able to handle it on their own. Everyone has different physical abilities and decides for themselves if a 60 lbs keyboard is easy to move around or not. The DGX-660 is definitely not the most portable keyboard and compared to its competitors it is heavy (I wonder what kind of a grocery bag weighs 60 lbs?).
For those who plan to move it around on a daily basis and gig with it, this might be a problem.
As for the headphone jack, it’s great that you’ve made this jack location work for you, but some people don’t have their headphones plugged into the piano all the time and have to connect them each time they sit down to play, which makes the location of the jack not very convenient. I agree Line Out jacks are better be on the back panel, but since the DGX-660 doesn’t have dedicated Line Out jacks, I prefer the Phone jack to be located somewhere on the front, since most people use it to connect headphones rather than an amplifier.
What I’m trying to say is that I use “Cons” column to point out things that can potentially be important factors in their decision-making process, it’s not universal, and everyone decides for themselves if it’s an important factor for them or not. From my side, I try to be as objective and unbiased as possible.
P.S. I’m glad you’re enjoying your DGX-660! Wish you all the best in your musical journey.
The slab weighs 46 pounds not sixty. The last bag of groceries that I carried up my steps (I weighed because of our ‘argument’ here) weighs in at 45 lbs. It included several small filtered water containers and some frozen meat. But I apologize for the snarky remark about physical training. Moving from one musical venue to another is a pain in the ass no matter how heavy is the equipment. The piano is on the heavy side, yes but doable by yourself if you are in reasonable shape and easily moved by two people. Let’s agree to disagree on this one.
As for the lack of a separate headphone jack, I think that the software ‘switch’ is easier on the equipment than physically connecting and reconnecting to a jack every day perhaps for several times. Let’s agree to disagree on that one.
Your summary, however, is spot on:
“The keyboard offers you much more than a regular digital piano. The DGX-660 is basically an entertainment center, a digital piano and a little studio all in one.”
I am not a pro at anything really but I do find myself teaching absolute beginners on this thing from time to time. Name the keys (I have a visualization that allows them to memorize the whole thing in minuets and find the keys with their eyes closed), chord grip, and sing into the mic (amplified through the onboard speakers) all in the very first few minutes of introduction. I am a fanatic and want everyone to love this instrument as do I 🙂
Thanks for this review, Lucas! Very informative. I might just buy this thing!
You’re very welcome! Excellent choice
This is by far the best review I’ve read about the magnificent Yamaha DGX 660.
Having read earlier and other reviews, I bought a black one for home and occasional social use, and I certainly haven’t been disappointed. So here’s a users perspective.
Yes, it’s a good weight, but once it’s on its base, it’s remarkably stable, feels and looks the part, great quality, easy to lift and move with one person on each end. Off the stand it’s heavy, but portable, although I don’t think I’d be happy putting it in a bag.
Sounds are very very good, and Yamaha have a good database of other sounds to draw from. My only sound criticism is of some of the church organ effects.
I have played a few big and small church organs, and I just can’t seem to get the same true tones out of the DGX660. Still working on that, and I will solve it I’m sure. The piano room is simply awesome though. Amazing.
The music stand…. Sorry Yamaha… Who the heck designed it. It is a joke… A cheap, slot in affair that is no use at all for any serious music playing, and who on earth decided to make it curved? Great, and very stylish maybe, but put a music score on it, or a book of music and, because it’s curved, it self closes the books, and the sheet music is too big, so it ends up falling off. Just plain bad, especially when it happens mid performance.
I’ve got round it by getting a local sign shop to cut me a 2′ x 1′ x ⅜sheet of black plastic perspex. Put on the stand….. Problem solved.
One thing I would like to have seen is some more LED lights on the Harmony, Dual Voice and a few other buttons to give an immediate visual on/off view. Yes, you can see it all on the screen, but it’s not as quick and easy to see as LED’s.
The single sustain pedal unit supplied is cheap and nasty, Buy another as suggested or buy the extra full 3 pedal unit.
Microphone. You need a ‘proper’ stage microphone. We tried several cheaper PC type ones before we found a SHURE one that works fine. Most of the bog standard mics that we tried weren’t recognised at all though.
All in all though this is a top notch, stage quality instrument that sounds amazing, and looks great, and a great buy, one I’d recommend without hesitation. Go get one, you will love it!
Thanks for the kind words, Keith, and thanks for your input, it’s very much appreciated. Good luck with your musical journey!
Hi, nice review. I bought a yamaha dgx 660 and I love it. Today when I wanted to try the Mike i plugged in a cable with 4′ Jack and a sure gs 58 mike when i noticed that the mik volume knob next to the Mike Jack connector is down. When i turn it on gives a buzzing sound. The mike doesn’t work. Tried to play with the settings, no improvement. The Mike worked before with other devices. The cable is new. I don’t know where is the problem. Thanks
Hi Eva,
Sorry for the late reply. Are you referring to the Shure SM58 microphone here? Also, please provide more details about which cable you’re using.
Thank you for the indepth review. This was exactly what I was looking for to help make my decision (bought one and glad I did, love it). The one question I have, the red headed young lady playing the demo has an incredible voice . Any idea who she is and if she has any other recordings ??
Hey Jerome, glad the article was of help to you. Her name is Sarah Straub, and, yeah, she’s impressive. I believe she released a few albums too.
Thanks for this great review, super helpful! I was wondering if any of the functionality gained by the optional, separate purchase, USB Wireless Adapter (UD-WL01) is any good. I understand that there are iOS apps to go along with those but it’s not clear to me if this feature is good enough to be considered a pro or a con. Thoughts?
Hi Doug, the USB Wireless adapter you mentioned will allow you to connect your digital piano to a computer or a smart device wirelessly via WiFi. However, the UD-WL01 Wifi adapter can be quite limiting as it will only work with Yamaha apps (you won’t be able to use GarageBand, for example).
There’s also another adapter, called the Yamaha UD-BT01, which will allow you to exchange MIDI data via Bluetooth. Unlike the UD-WL01 adapter, the UD-BT01 can be used with third-party apps as well as Yamaha’s apps.
The main advantage of these wireless adapters is that you don’t need to use any cables to connect.
But you can still connect your DGX-660 to an external device without buying any of those wireless adapters. In many cases, all you’ll need is an A to B USB adapter to connect to your computer. If you want to connect to an iPad or iPhone, you’ll additionally need to buy the Lightning to USB Camera adapter. Once you connected (either wirelessly or using cables), you’ll be able to take advantage of various music apps (not only the ones made by Yamaha) to learn, compose, and produce music.
Help! I’ve connected my iphone just as described above. When I hit the keys on the Garageband keyboard, I hear it come through the Yamaha keboard, BUT when I play the Yamaha, it is not being picked up/recorded by Garageband on the iPhone. Is there a setting that I need to set so that the Yamaha “talks” to the iPhone?
Thanks!
Dear Mr. Welter,
I purchased my Yamaha DGX-660 a couple of years ago and I’m enjoying it. I was shock to see a review written about it, so I had to read it. You wrote a good review on a very good product. I love the one that I have but I think it could be made even better with a built-in bluetooth WiFi reciever, and a larger display panel, (touch screen /laser pen). I understand that you didn’t design the DGX-660 and only wrote a review on the keyboard and its functions, and you did a great job on it. But My newer computers don’t have connector ports they are all wifi w/ bluetooth. Even my printer is WiFi /bluetooth. I would love to have a Yamaha DGX-660 with a built-in WiFi bluetooth computer system with a larger display screen.
Hey George, yeah it would be a nice feature to have, considering a lot of new digital pianos being released today have Bluetooth connectivity onboard. Hopefully, the DGX-660’s successor will come with a lot of useful improvements including the ones you mentioned. At the same time, you can still enable Bluetooth connectivity on your DGX-660 by using Yamaha’s Bluetooth MIDI adapter (Yamaha UD-BT01). See my previous comment above.
Great review.. I’m a beginner piano player. I’ve played guitar and bass for 30 years and always wanted to learn piano. Not trying to be a concert pianist playing Debussy, but a rather a guitar guy who plays some piano as in belting out Lady Madonna for example. I chose this one to learn on, so I have no point of reference if it feels “real” or close to a real acoustic piano. It feels like an instrument to me rather than a cheap keyboard.. I understand dynamics and velocity from guitar and this piano seems to respond very nicely to how you play it and attack it.. My question is about the other piano sounds other than the Grand such as the “warm” and “pop”.. Where do the samples come from? Are these the same samples from the grand that are manipulated or altered to sound brighter with a different timbre such as for the “pop” piano.. I can’t find any info on this. Thanks again.
Brian, as with most digital pianos in this price range, it’s probably safe to say that these are samples of the same piano, recorded in different acoustic environments and/or digitally altered to make them sound slightly different. It’s rare to find a digital piano (especially entry-level) that is sampled from several different grand pianos. If that’s the case, they usually indicate this so you know that these are two different pianos (for example, Kawai EX and Kawai SK-EX in the Kawai ES8, or American Grand and European Grand in the Casio AP-470, etc.). I hope this helps.
Thanks very much Lucas,
Excellent review….. Will help me make a better choice between the Korg havian 30 and the Yamaha DGX-660 – Wish one or the other had Bluetooth – have a great day !!
That’s great Francine, you’re welcome! In case of the DGX-660, you can get a Wireless Bluetooth adapter to be able to transfer MIDI data wirelessly. Please see my previous comments above.
Do you think the DGX-660 really does feel like a piano? Isn’t it a nice keyboard with heavy keys?
In comparison to the Roland FP30, for example, how would you describe the keys action and piano sound fidelity? I think Roland FP30 has a slightly better piano sound compared to the Yamaha P125, for example, and the key action seems to be very similar. The speakers on the Roland FP30 are more powerful than the DGX, right? Is the DGX660 trustable as a piano like P125 or Roland FP30, but with extra benefits?
Hi Cezar, The P-125 and DGX-660 share the same key action and sound engine, so they sound (via headphones) and feel practically the same.
The DGX-660 is a basically the P-125 with all the extra sounds, styles, songs, and connectors. Plus, the DGX-660 has larger front-facing speakers, which makes it a bit fuller sounding than the P-125 via the onboard speakers.
The speakers on the FP-30 are more powerful indeed, but they are down-facing so may sound a bit muffled compared to the Yamaha, especially if you’re placing it on a flat surface such as a table or a desk.
As for the key action, I definitely prefer the Roland’s PHA-4 Standard action over Yamaha’s GHS. It has a nice weight too it, the mechanical movement of the keys feels pretty authentic as well.
The keys on the FP-30 also have longer pivot point, which makes it easier to play further up the keys compared to the GHS.
But, it’s really a matter of personal preference, I’ve spoken with people who prefered the GHS over the PHA-4 Standard and any other entry-level key action. So each keyboard action has its own fans I guess.
Excellent review. I think the DGX-660 has been around for about 3 years. When do you think Yamaha will release the next version of this model? I am interested in seeing what new/improved features it might have and if the unit itself (without the stand) will be any lighter. Is the weight mainly due to the GHS key system?
Hey Tony, yeah, it’s been a while since the last DGX update but I doubt that we should expect anything revolutionary any time soon. While they might release an updated to the DGX-660, I doubt that it will be very different from its predecessor.
In the past year Yamaha updated quite a few of their digital pianos but the changes weren’t so dramatic (I’m talking about the P-125, YDP-144, YDP-164, YDP-S54, etc.). Plus, if they keep the same concept with the DGX-660, which they probably will, it’s unlikely that it will become much lighter considering its fully-weighted action and big front-facing speakers.
If you like the DGX-660 and its concept (tons of sounds, rhythms, songs, great recording capabilities) but want something more compact and lightweight, check out the Casio PX-360, PX-560, CGP-700, or the new PX-S3000. They are all very capable instruments, and in many aspects even outperform the DGX-660.
I heard the PX-S3000 had an issue with the keys where the black keys were lighter than the white keys?
There is no video of how my dgx660 works! I don’t know how to turn it on for just a piano sound!
Hey Monika, I don’t entirely understand your question. Please Refer to the owner’s manual to learn more about how to navigate the instrument. You can download the manual on Yamaha’s official web site. As far as a remember the DGX-660 has a button called “Piano Room”, which should take you to the main piano sound right away.
A very useful review. I’ve been looking for a playpen to compose ideas and the 660 appears to be the answer. I can lay down 4 or 5 tracks and then transfer my song, I can have more than one version of a song also.. keyboard is very good and so are the voices.
Hi John, I agree, the 6-track MIDI recorder definitely helps when you want to compose music and layer sounds without turning to a DAW.
Lucas, I purchased this keyboard about a week ago. Like others I am very pleased with the sounds and the weighted keys. I have the following observations. Am I missing something?
I selected this piano because of the sounds and the ability to record up to 5 tracks in one of the 5 user songs. I am not disappointed in these two areas. I will check out the bells and whistles later.
However, when recoding on a track (there are 5 tracks on each of the 5 user songs) there is no count-in and when you add a track you have to be ready to pounce on the keys when you hit the “Play button” because your previous track will play immediately.
Next, I saw that there was a way to record data and MIDI but as far as I can tell there is no way to transfer song MIDI data or ,wav data to a computer. The audio can be captured on a flash drive for backups but it cannot be transferred to a computer because the keyboard has a proprietary file format. You also need flash drives approved by Yamaha. Mine’s on its way. The MIDI data can be captured in real time. So you can play MIDI into a DAW, but you cannot transfer songs that you recorded on the keyboard to a computer. I saw that you said this was possible. Could you tell me how please?
I am not impressed with the computer operations manual on the Yamaha web site. It describes features that are not available on this keyboard e.g., MIDI in and out ports. It’s a one size fits all manual and not specific to the DGX-660. I don’t believe the USB MIDI interface is bi-directional but I could be wrong.
There is very little information on the functions relating to Audi and MIDI. Hardly anything in the user manual.
Thanks,
Hi John, I did this review a while ago so I don’t have a DGX-660 around to check this out for you. However, I just went through the manual and talked to one of my friends who has a more recent experience with Yamaha intermediate keyboards.
Here are some of my thoughts:
1) It seems that there’s indeed no option to sync the start of the playback with the moment when you hit the first note in the multi-track recording mode.
2) Audio recordings are done in CD-quality (44.1kHz/16bit) and can be saved to any commercially available flash drive. On page 82 of the manual, Yamaha recommends to insert the flash drive into the instrument and format it, which will prepare your flash drive for use with the DGX-660. The audio files are saved in the WAV format, which is not Yamaha’s proprietary format, and most (if not all) audio players will play these audio files just fine.
3) Your MIDI recordings can be saved internally (and then transferred to a computer using Yamaha’s Musicsoft Downloader) or they can be saved to a flash drive as well. The recordings are saved in SMF (format 0) with .mid file extension, which is not proprietary either. In fact, it’s a standard MIDI file that you can open in a DAW with no problem. You can also load your personal SMF (format 0) files into the instrument for a playback (using the same Musicsoft Downloader I mentioned above).
I hope this helps. Do let me know if you manage to do what you’re trying to do! This could be useful to other readers as well.
Hello Lucas, thank you for the review, it helped in most ways, however I am not able to find any information about MIDI playing back to the keyboard from the computer, seems there is only one way, from keyboard to computer, allows you to record MIDI signal, but doesnt work backwards. My idea is to record a MIDI file to a computer, repair the MIDI track, if necessary, and then play it back to he keyboard and record it again with the corrections, and i.e. use a different voice. Is it possible? Thank you.
Hi,
Thanks for a very helpful (and well written) intro to my DGX 660. Are there any more, in depth tutorials for this keyboard? i.e. how do I actually, step by step record my playing and put it on a flash drive, etc. – very specific steps through all it’s amazing functions?
All the best
Hi Lukas,
I’m trying to decide between this keyboard or the cgp 700 or px560.
I played a cgp and thought the piano was better by far on the dx.
I’m a guitar player that is tired of daws and want to work on my harmony skills and layer outside the computer then transfer to the daw after.
Would you recommend one over the others for any reason?
Thanks
Fahid
Hi Fahid, please check out the Alternatives section of the Casio CGP-700 review where I shared my thoughts on how it compares to the PX-560.
I CAN’T GET ANY OF THE STYLES TO WORK AND HAVE HAD NO LUCK GETTING HELP FROM CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Hi David, did you follow the manual instructions? Can you be a bit more specific about what exactly doesn’t work and what did you try?
Hello Lucas, I’m going to be buying a digital keyboard to learn how to play. I like the feature of the Yamaha DGX660; because it has a learning feature. Is there any other Models in that price range that offer a learning option. I am a beginner and thought I would give this a try…I don’t sing, or record, I have been reading your reviews and enjoy them. There are so many pianos it’s hard to choose.
Thank you
Hi Susan,
Many of the beginner keyboards have that (Casio, Yamaha), but those are not digital pianos and are fairly unrealistic when it comes to the piano playing experience.
As for digital pianos, this is not a very common feature. Personally, I wouldn’t rely on them as your main source of piano training. Those features are pretty limited, plus the relatively small display doesn’t make it very enjoyable either. In many cases, the learning features are just a library of songs that you can practice using different modes, etc. It’s not a fully-fledged learning tool for sure.
With that said, there are many external apps that you can use in conjunction with your digital piano. These articles might help:
https://www.pianodreamers.com/ways-to-learn-piano/
https://www.pianodreamers.com/piano-apps/
Hello, thanks for the review. Is it possible to connect Yamaha DGX-660 to Yamaha’s “Smart Pianist” app on iPad using the UD-BT01 adaptor, or in any other manner?
Hi Crom, as far as I know, the Smart Pianist app is not supported on the DGX-660 model.
Anything better than Yamaha DGX-660 for $800?
Buying this for high schooler who is interested in learning/playing keyboard.
At present he plays alto sax but that is very different from keyboard.
Is Yamaha P45 or NP-32 better?
Budget is under $800 or lot less.
Is bluetooth required for learning/supporting app?
Are there learning/supporting apps which run on windows or linux laptop or android phone/tablet?
what would be the best bang for the buck?
Hi Steven,
Apologies for the delayed response. Yamaha P45 is a digital piano (88 keys, fully-weighted action), while the NP-32 is a portable keyboard (76 keys, unweighted action). For piano playing, I definitely prefer the P45 over the NP-32.
With that said, the DGX-660 is also a digital piano and a step up from the P45. It has the same key action, but the sound engine is better, plus it comes with many more sounds, features, and connectivity options. So out of these three, the DGX-660 is definitely a superior instrument.
Bluetooth is not required to use external learning apps, you can use a more traditional method that is connecting via the USB port using a cable. We’ve reviewed quite a few piano apps and courses, which you can see here. There’s also the roundup article coming soon that will compare them side by side.
Is Roland FP-10 better than Yamaha DGX-660 or P45 or NP-32?