Graham Howard

“The YDP 161 was the best option for me”

I bought a piano last week, i got the Yamaha YDP 161 for £1000,-! Last week Yamaha had a promotion that gave out a piano seat with it, great cause you need one anyway.

I went to two different stores, the first was a Roland dealer + aucoustic piano’s. And the other one, where i bought it had more brands and other instruments but didnt have as many piano’s set up to try out. They had the Yamaha YDP141 set up and for sale at £800,-
It was very helpful to have your top 10 list of piano’s between 500-1000 pounds, i would not have known to ask about the YDP 161.

I have to say i like the sound that Roland records for its piano’s a little better and would have gone for the Roland F110 if i hadn’t read about how hard it sounds in the middle in your review, and the salesperson in the store said the same about it, i was tempted to go for one of the more expensive Rolands but decided to stay in the budget i set at 1000 euro and then the YDP 161 was the best option for me. If i wanted to spend £2000 i’d go for the Roland. The Roland they had set up was on more of a keyboard stand so it moved at lot when played, i didnt like that at all and can’t imagine its good for the electronics.

I have had it a week now and i’ve played mostly with the headphones on so i do not bother the neighbours, its been over ten years since i seriously played to i have to practise a lot!

Review by Ilse de Gardeijn, Keiweg, The Netherlands

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

2) “The amplification was better than the 141”

I chose the Yamaha YDP161 over the cheaper 141 after considering the amplification
possible, and after reading reviews that said the 141 was a bit quiet. When testing it
out, and looking for that specifically, I agreed with the review.

I was happy that there was in included stool in the box. The layout of the unit is
good in that when you put the book-stand down, it’s a flat surface that I can safely
rest my laptop – I am using computer based lessons, and I connect the unit to the
laptop via a midi cable, so this was pretty important.

Review by Suzi Archer, Australia

 

3) “The top three keys, b-flat, b and c.. don’t emit a musical sound, just a thud, like a knock on wood”

It was a choice between the YDP 161, the YDP 141, and the Roland F-110. Graham Howard suggested weightier keys and ranked it #3 among the mid-price range.

I like it a lot. There was one glitch, however: The top three keys, b-flat, b and c.. don’t emit a musical sound, just a thud, like a knock on wood. The two keys before that are very faint, but at least there’s a sound.

I thought the piano was defective, so the salesman brought me a new piano, lifted it on the stand and plugged it in. Same problem.

So yesterday I went to the store to test the pianos on display. The other Yamahas were the same, a thud in the top three notes, except for the P95 was was better.

Then a professional pianist walked in. He played the 141 and the 161 and said they sounded OK. It’s a hammer action, he said, and after playing arpeggios up the keyboard he said he could hear the top notes, although he said he could understand why I couldn’t (my wife, by the way, was astounded when she heard the top keys and also thought the piano was defective and I should send it back). I even hit the top keys of a Casio nearby and they sounded like musical notes..the pianist agreed, but I thought the Yamaha sounded better over all, so I’ll keep it. I’m unlikely to play those top keys anyway.

Reviewed by John, Washington DC, USA

 

4) “I was surprised just how realistic the sound is”

Having played an acoustic piano for many years (albeit some years ago now!) I was surprised just how realistic the sound is. My head knows there are no real strings that are really vibrating, but after a little while I completely forget.

I’m very glad we spent a little extra to get the proper graded hammer action. I love that I can plug in headphones and pound away without disturbing the rest of the household, or the neighbours. The instrument itself is solid and stable.

All in all, a very good purchase!

Review by Alison Stone

5) “Sounds and feel like Yamaha upright piano”

Very good piano for 740 GBP in Serbia.
No bench, no headphones.
Sounds and feel like Yamaha upright piano

Review by Srdjan, Belgrade, Serbia

6) “I am really pleased with the sound quallity, but the right notes are not always played”

I took delivery of my Yamaha YDP161 piano yesterday after a short delay. I got it through Umbrella Music and they kindly upgraded the headphones as I did not require the piano stool.

So far I’m delighted with the YDP161 and found it easy to put together. Unfortunately it seems to have the same fault as my old previous piano in that the right notes are not always played and the odd sharp and flat are missed! However I hope that in time this fault will correct itself!!

I must say it is a joy to play and I can see it becoming quite a ‘time-waster’ in the best possible sense. I got the digital piano primarily because of the option of using headphones (so that my bad playing is not overheard) and although the choice of voices is quite fun I’ll try to stick to the Grand Piano option.

I am really pleased with the sound quallity of the 161 and I am looking forward to many years of enjoyment from playing it. I maybe even get to unplug the earphones!!

Thank you for all the helpful advice to gave me over the last couple of months in choosing a digital piano, for me the YDP 161 seems to be the right choice and at a good price too.

Review by Gordon Mcconnell (04/10/2011)

7) “I think the sound is very piano realistic”

I’m not a piano player so not much of an expert. Kids are doing grades on it and had been using an electronic keyboard so far.

So far, I think the sound is very piano realistic and key touch also. Neat size and stylish appearance to blend in to any decor.

Kids like the ability to record and replay, and, record one hand and practice other hand while replaying.

Review by Joe Devane (23/11/2011)

8) “It has a warm and very good sound”

Its enough for me. I can learn it on this.
But I did choose it, although is was € 999,– and much more expensif than the 141,
because it has a warm and very good sound. Close to the real accoustic pianos.
Your descriptions did lead me the way.
Thanks !!!

Review by JWA van Leeuwen, Zeist, Netherlands (09/12/2011)

9) “I am very happy with it”

I select YDP 161 and I bought it 2 month ago. I am very happy with it.
its very nice and produce a nice sound. I also connect it to my computer
by MIDI port as a midi controller and using a piano reason pack.
uuuuuuuh its well. I am love its piano sounds.

Review by Hossain Zabolzadeh (19/01/2012)

10) “Good choice for quality over price”

I’m not an expert in digital pianos but I studied classical guitar for about 12 years.
YDP 161 is a good choice for quality over price. It has the GH keyboard which is
enough for a begginer and medium player.

Review by Chelaru Viorel, Bucharest, Romania

 

11) “The YDP161 has a pleasing tone”

Main reason(s) we bought the Yamaha YDP161:

We thought it had a lovely tone.
We liked the feel (weight and response) of the keys.
We liked the style of the piano, the wood finish (dark rosewood) and sliding keyboard cover

This piano was bought for our 4 children (aged between 12 and 16). These are the reasons they like it:

The sound it makes, it has a really pleasing tone
The keys are responsive and allow good variation
The keys make a pleasant soft thud when being played with headphones in.
Can record compositions, useful for GCSEs
They like the pre-recorded songs and the book that came with it (callled “50 greats for the Piano”) as they are good to learn from
They like different voices, all honest/genuine (not fancy)
You can plug 2 sets headphones in at once

Other info:

My husband took delivery, then checked it and assembled it by himself in about an hour. He said it would be easier with 2 people. We were dubious of the stool and headphones before arrival, thinking they may be rubbish. However the stool looks very neat, has a surprisingly pleasing finish and matches the piano. Although not adjustable, the stool is comfortable and more than adequate for our needs. The headphones are reasonable and have proven useful as a second set.

We hope this review is helpful.
Thank you for all your help and advice Graham. We have learned a lot from you and hope the piano serves us for years to come.

Review by Vivienne (06/03/2012)

12) “All my prejudices about digital pianos disappeared”

I had to sell my acoustic piano as in the apartment we moved to it’d be too loud… Then I didn’t even want to hear about a digital one: I thought it could never even get close to the sound and feel of the acoustic. But I was missing it too much, so I started to read forums about digitals, and everyone kept on stating they feel and sound like a real one.

I read good things about the Yamahas, and I also wanted one as it seems the most popular brand so if I wouldn’t like it in the long run, probably I can sell it easily.

I wanted one that looks like an acoustic one, as I think this also increases the illusion of playing an acoustic… and looks much-much nicer in the living room, too. So I went to the store and tried an YDP 135 first. All my prejudices about digitals disappeared: I was amazed at the feel of the keys, and it really reacted even soundwise like a real one! I found the 135 a bit silent, though, and at higher volumes the speakers gave a bit overdriven, vibrating sound.

So I thought ok, let’s maybe spend a bit more and was lucky enough to find the YDP161 and YDP141 next to each other: and obviously, the YDP 161 has a much better voice, you don’t have to use it on 100% volume to get an adequate sound. (I didn’t know back then that I will mostly use it with headphones, which is maybe the best feature of a digital, and the sound is the best this way – with proper headphones of course.) The keys are also said to be better on the YDP161, I can’t really judge this as compared to my old acoustic both were better…

So I decided at buying the 161 and now my girfriend is jealous with a reason: I fell in love with it. With the earphones plugged in I can play any time without disturbing anyone, and it really feels the same than playing a real one. Of course I don’t have to mention the obvious advantages: it weights 25% of a real one (I remember hardly being able to carry my acoustic with 3 of my friends, and having fear of death up on the stairs), and it doesn’t have to be tuned at all. Recording, MIDI output – connecting it to computer with some piano teaching software so that you can improve yourself is also a great option. I have to admit that I’m a beginner :). So, I really recommend this one. It’s really hard to express how perfectly it emulates a real piano, so go to a store and try it in any case if you have doubts.

Review by Peter, Budapest, Hungary (02/06/2012)

13) “I’m very happy with it and played it for the whole night”

Hi Mr. Graham,

Just want to thank you for your “7 Things You MUST Know Before You Buy A Digital Piano” that have saved me a lot of time doing research on which digital piano to buy!

Based on your recommendation, I finally bought a Yamaha YDP-161 and received it yesterday in good condition, I bought it at SGD $1600 (approximatly 800 pounds) which I think it’s a good deal. i’m very happy with it and played it for the whole night. I am excited to discover the available functions and special features!

Before that I went to several shops and yamaha outlets to try out the pianos but never did I play on the YDP-161, they only have YDP-141 and recommended me P95. I am glad that I insisted on YDP-161, I think your advice & opinion in the piano guide played an important role and  certainly gave me great confidence to buy such a big thing without even trying on it! 😀 And I didn’t regret it coz the sound is great and the key touch is certainly similar to that of an upright piano!

I was more inclined towards a Classenti CDP1 or CDP2. Unfortunately there’s no where in Singapore carrying this brand. So I decided to move on with my second choice — YDP 161.
Anyway, in Singapore Yamaha only gives 1 year warranty for the digital pianos, which I think it’s a little bit stingy.

I’m a beginner who just started my piano lessons 3 months ago.

Thank you once again and have a good day!

Review by Fay Ong, Singapore (26/06/2012)

14) “I’m not too happy with the sound”

The YDP-161 (Digital) is exactly half the price of the JU109 (Upright) here. I’ve tested it and I’m not too happy with the sound, it seems to lack richness in sound. Moreover when you press the highest note, it does not make much sense. A very ‘faded’ sound in fact. However if you click on the demo play button, the overall sound is very interesting (not to say great). I’ve asked the salesman if that demo was done on this same piano but he could not tell me.

Review by Kurt Francis, Mauritius (23/09/2012)

15) “Occasionally a note jumps out and startles me”

I have had a little problem.

I have played the piano extensively for two weeks and twice during that time have been startled by an inappropriately loud note.
I never play at full volume – always at around “2.00 pm” on the volume dial – but the loud note produced has been as loud as if you played at full volume and hit the key hard.

It makes me jump and stops me in my tracks.  The first time I think it was Middle C, the second (today) was G above Middle C.

I am kind of keeping my fingers crossed now.

Review by Laura (16/11/2012)

16) “Graded hammer feels like classical piano, and a good one”

Hi Graham,

I wanted to tell you that my Yamaha YDP161 digital piano has arrived.
I am very satisfied with overall quality.

Piano case is very solid, beautifully designed and piano finish is good.
Sound of Grand piano is very realistic, beautiful, without any unwanted frequencies and irritating tones that can be found of that piano on YouTube, probably because of digital to analogue conversions.

Speakers are quite good, but far away from sound quality of samples that piano has. When connected to speakers(Hi-Fi) sound is flawless and on headphones, of course.

Other voices are also very good, even better than on most CD recordings that I own.
I can’t complain on the quality of piano keys as well. Very natural feel, graded hammer feels like classical piano, and a good one. Feels more like grand piano, even better than my old piano teacher’s piano (old Petrof or something….)
I can say I am very satisfied with my purchase

Review by Tomislav (07/12/2012)

17) “It has a clear and mellow sound and the keys are weighted beautifully”

Dear graham

Following lots of thought we have finally bought a digital piano for our daughter. It is a yamaha ydp161 which was at the top of our price range. Our daughter loves it and  plays all the time. It has a clear and mellow sound and the keys are weighted beautifully. We purchased through amazon who delivered within 4 days and took it into the room as well as unpacking for inspection. It took about 20 mins to put together and we are thrilled with it. Thanks to your newletters we felt much more confident buying our first digital piano.

Review by Janet Bailey (22/12/2012)

18) “You really can’t go far wrong with this model”

I chose the YDP 161 as I could easily tell the difference between the GH piano action and other pianos at around the £500 mark and thoought it worth spending the money. The action is great, the sound is fine although it can lack tone on the base notes compared to an acoustic piano. It sounds better through headphones which is the main reason for purchase (my wife doesn’t like to hear me practice).
I am so happy with the purchase – you really can’t go far wrong with this model.
I was torn in the shop between this model and the Korg LP350 – I felt the action on the Korg was not quite so good, but not much in it. The Korg was better for base tone (bigger speakers), more voices 30 compared to 10 and more compact).

Review by Marco Holt (26/01/2013)

19) “The yamaha was the cheapest and I couldn’t stretch my budget anymore”

I just bought a yamaha ydp-161. I bought from the Chapell shop in central london as i was planning to save £20-25 on delivery and take it home in a black cab (i live in east london). I transported a full size double bass in a cab, so i was sure the piano should fit in. But the guys in the shop said it wont fit in a cab so i had to pay them extra for delivery anyway.

The reason i chose this particular piano: originally i wasn’t prepared to spend more than £550. But I went to try some pianos in that price range (Yamaha, Roland and Kawai) and was not satisfied with their sound. Then i went the second time and tried the more expensive ones. It became clear that i wont be able to afford a good-sounding digital piano because they all cost over £2000. But i could pay more and get a decent “beginners” piano. I had to do some research to find out whether it was a sensible idea.

That’s when I came across the digital piano guide on UK Pianos website and spent a day studying it. At the end i had 3 main contenders: Roland RP301, Classenti CDP2, and Yamaha YDP-161.

I tried the Roland and liked it’s keyboard. The sound was different from Yamaha’s but not really superior to it. Classenti i didnt try, but i’m certain its sound is of a similar kind of quality. In any case the yamaha was the cheapest of the three and i couldn’t stretch my budget anymore.

I just set it up and played it a bit. It looks and feels nice. It’s not a real piano, far from it, but it seems solid and it will do. I bought it so i can work on composition without disturbing the neighbors at night. I think it will be perfect actually.

Review by Denis (21/02/2013)

20) “I’m not happy that it doesn’t have music holders”

Hi Graham,

So far I’m delighted with my YDP161, but it has one big shortcoming. The music holder isn’t much use for anything but sheet music or fairly slender (and well worn in) books.

I have several fat compendiums of music and I have to resort to all manner of trickery with clothes pegs or playing one handed! I seem to remember most real pianos I’ve played had little brass clips you could fold up for this purpose?

I know it’s nowhere near as important as how the instrument sounds / plays, but it’s a factor! No doubt other instruments have the same problem?

Review by Chris Hevey (27/02/2013)

21) “I thought the YDP161 was a noticeably nicer feel to the YDP141”

Graham,

Thanks for your guide it was very helpful. I got a Yamaha YDP 161.

I chose the 161 because:

a) It was in my target price range
b) It was a Yamaha and I’m a bit of a snob about brands
c) I didn’t see a Roland in the right price range
d) I thought the YDP161 was a noticeably nicer feel to the YDP141 so was happy to pay extra for it
e) Its in a very big room so the extra power in the speakers might be useful

I haven’t had it long, but I’m very happy so far with it.

Appreciate the effort you put into producing the guide, and also at keeping in touch.

Review by Sam (11/03/2013)

22) “It’s just what I was looking for”

I finally got myself a yamaha YDP 161 in black, and I’m really happy with it. Great sound, good key response, it looks great in my living room, and it’s just what I was looking for: a digital piano that was somehow close to an upright piano, but with the comodities of being able to practice “in silence”, while training my fingers on heavy keys (up until now I had been working on a yamaha keyboard at home and an upright piano in class, and the difference was huge, now I feel closer to “the real thing”.)

Review by Noelia Ianni (18/03/2013)

23) “It is fine, with a warm, if ever-so slightly tired, tone”

Hello Graham,

I bought a Yamaha Arius YDP – 161 and it was delivered a week ago.  I think it came about sixth overall on your list, and thank you again for your fabulously helpful reviews.

It is not my only piano.  I have an old upright (acoustic) Bremar, which used to be my Grandfather’s.  It is fine, with a warm, if ever-so slightly tired, tone, but I love it.  I bought the Yamaha simply to practice on, with headphones.  My neighbours do not like the sound of the Bremar and I was getting frustrated playing only for an hour or so in the mornings.  This way, I can do the technical practice on the Yamaha and then “transfer” to the real piano for a few minutes each day. The Yamaha simulates a real piano quite well.

I much prefer an acoustic piano, and I think they are more difficult to play, although I haven’t quite worked out why, yet.

Thank you again for your interest and terrific help and enthusiasm.

Review by Fiona Belden

 

>> For Yamaha YDP161 information, specifications and prices, click here

“I think that even if it was for an older child or adult, it is an excellent choice”

We just purchased for $200 a used P70 for our almost 5 year old daughter to practice. After owning it for 3 days I believe it is an excellent choice for the price and our current use. Some reviews mentioned that there is thumping on the keys (graded hammer standard) which I noticed immediately, however, remember it is a practice piano. Yes a graded hammer effect would have been better but the ghs is okay for now. Also note that this is a basic digital piano with few features–I especially like the headphone jack.

I think that even if it was for an older child or adult, it is an excellent choice because who wants to invest $1,000 or more into a really good digital or acoustic piano, until real interest develops. I hope that in a year that I have the problem of purchasing a really nice piano for my daughter.

One other thing that made our choice easy was that we live in a small house and there really isn’t that much room for an upright piano–we have a lot of narrow stairs as well. The Yamaha P70 doesn’t take up too much room and we could stand it up and store it in a closet (if we had one).

Review by Tom Wong, Laguna beach, California, USA

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“What bothers me a little is the sound that the keys make”

I bought a 2 year old Yamaha P70. The touch sensitivity is alright. What bothers me a little is the sound that the keys make, but since I’m playing with headphones that’s not too bad. I think it was the best choice given the small budget I was willing to pay.

Review by Andrea

 

“I was deeply disappointed with the noisiness of the keys”

I got the opportunity to take a Yamaha P70 out for a spin. I was deeply disappointed with the noisiness of the keys, and the plasticky feel of the keys. (I followed your suggestion about turning down the volume and playing the keys.) This was an epiphany for me, since I thought I would not be as finicky as I seem to be

Review by Maurice Landry, Maine, US

 

>> For Yamaha P70 information, specifications and prices, click here

“It is modern looking (I have the silver model), but compact which is just what I wanted”

After lots of research, I bought my digital piano from the Yamaha Dealer in Tarragona, Spain. I chose the Yamaha P95 because it seemed to offer the qualities I was looking for and was very good value for money. (I have not played the piano for 40 years and was not sure if I would take to it, so didn’t want to spend too much initially).

The service and delivery from Tarragona Musical was excellent. They were very helpful via email and the order was placed on line. Delivery was exactly as promised.

The piano has 88 keys and produces a very realistic sound. It is modern looking (I have the silver model), but compact which is just what I wanted. A friend who is a very good pianist and organist has played it and commented on the excellent sound quality and realistic touch.

The only slight negative I have found is that the options for sound (Hall 1, Hall 2, Room or Stage), appear to sound the same??

Overall I am VERY pleased with my new piano. I’ve now had it for a month and played it every day!

Reviewed by Jenny, Tarragona, Spain

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

2) “I love both the grand piano voices myself”

After MUCH research and investigation I finally bought the Yamaha P95s (silver version) two weeks ago.
I bought it from an online store here in Sydney (Bavas) who had good phone support too.
They had no silver pianos in stock but ordered one in for me, only took a couple of days and worth
it as I think the silver is much more stylish.

So after 2 weeks of playing what do I think? Here’s the review:

1) ACTION; lovely to play, very responsive, you can play with feeling, loud or soft. All keys
heard when pressed together.

2) Sound: it’s not that loud, I play mine pretty much on full volume, but that’s prob loud
enough for the neighbours.
If you want a bigger sound, you’d need external amplification.
The bass keys DO rattle when you play. This is because the speakers provided inside the unit are small.
To avoid this, again you’d need external amplification.
When playing the piano into headphones it sounds FANTASTIC, just awesome.

3) Voices: it’s really a piano, not a synth, so if you want lots of funky voices it’s not for you.
I love both the grand piano voices myself. Don’t really use any of the others, but a fun option is
that you can have two voices on at the same time, ie piano and choir which is good fun

4) programming: it’s fairly easy to work out all the fun things it can do, the booklet that comes
with it is a bit stodgy but not too impossible. The reverb effects are great. I found the metronome
a bit clunky to use, but that will get easier with practice I expect.
Record function is very easy to use and fun too, you can record one part and then play along over
the top of it later. It stays on teher even if you switch the machine off, but NOT if you unplug it.

5) Works well with Garage Band on Mac, can be a piano sound or as a synth to work with whatever you’ve
got going on but you will need to buy a midi to USB cable. Got mine online for about $50. You can get
really cheap ones, but I think cables need to be good quality, the carry all the info. (got an M-Audio
cable after reading lots of reviews)

Other useful info:
it works fine sat on your table, so long as it’s a sturdy one, it’s pretty heavy. You don’t need a
stand, the old model the P85 was not flat underneath and needed a stand, but this one is fine

The piano comes with it’s own plug in delay pedal, or you can buy the 3 pedal set. I love the delay
and it works brilliantly.

Get a stretchy dust proof cover for it. Can’t tell you much cat hair managed to get in there in one
week. I think he was playing it in the night. Got mine from Amazon.com. About $50, which seems a lot
for a nylon bag, but it’s great.

Use the very best headphone you can get hold of and have a play of it thru them, it’s awesome.

Overall if you are playing at home for fun, but want the piano feel and expression I think this is
a great choice of digital piano

Reviewed by Nat Bayley, Sydney, Australia

 

3) “The sound quality is no where as good as it should be”

I have had my P95 piano for about 5 months now so I thought I’d write
a review.

My point of comparison is a Korg TR 61 I own; it has reasonably studio ready
sound-sets and features- While it is a different beast I still think it does piano
quite well. I also used to play a Roland HP 102e regularly which has its own
pros and cons.

Yamaha P95-B (paid £595)

Pros:
– The Action (Graded Hammer Standard – GHS) is very nice and allows
for expressiveness.
– MIDI IN/OUT – useful for hooking the P95 up with my other stuff.
– Half pedaling functionality
– Demo songs, Metronome, Recording
– X stand compatibility
– Elegant design

Cons:
– The sound quality is no where as good as it should be (being a
dedicated instrument)- the sounds I can work with are Piano 1,
Electric Piano 1, Harpsichord, and the vibes (even the Harpsichord
feels cheap without the note-off samples).
– Headphone sound quality is full of artifacts- more noticeable at low volumes.
– Plastic chassis
– No line out jacks (the second headphone jack suffices but a
dedicated full volume port is more ideal).

I bought this piano to mainly help me my return to piano studies. All
in all it is quite a decent machine, the touch and sound quality is
just right for practice. Having said that its sound set feels a
generation old since some other pianos at this price point can offer a
multi-sampled Grand where this one doesn’t. The instrument makes up
for it shortcomings by offering the MIDI jacks which allow its superb
action to bring more out of other sound modules and keyboards. Great
for the home- not great for work. If I were to lose this instrument
I’d probably shed the extra couple hundred pounds or so to get a
P155 instead.

Reviewed by Roderick Timmerman (30/11/2010)

4) “I would have preferred to have seen at least 10 watts per channel for a fuller sound”

At long last my Yamaha P95 was delivered this afternoon – by Land Rover as one of the sales staff lives locally. (This method of delivery was opted for as we have had about 18” of snow here in Falkirk).

Anyway, first impressions are that the P95 with the stand was very light in weight compared with my old Gem DP20. Second impression is that aside from the keys, the appearance/finish looks and feels a little “plasticy” in the silver version that I chose.

At first when assembling the stand I thought the seating position might be a bit on the low side but once on the stand, the keys were at an acceptable height for my piano stool and playing position. However, the touch response/action at the default (average) setting is fine.

Now to the actual sound. Grand piano 1 sounds great through the headphones particularly in the bass register but the top four or five notes could sound a bit better. Without the headphones these upper half dozen notes could definitely sound better. With reverb set at an average room the sound improves a little but at the hall reverb setting the lower register notes sound a bit not quite right.

Grand piano 2 at the normal room setting reverb sees an improvement on this with good rendition of the top register notes – this will probably be my preferred mode.

The 6 watts per channel speakers are adequate for a small room but I would have preferred to have seen at least 10 watts per channel for a fuller sound.

The other voices are a good selection of sounds. Overall the P95 would be an excellent instrument for newcomers and reasonably skilled players and where the floor space available is limited.

For myself the piano has a good sound and should suffice for all my needs – I am the official accompanist for one of our local amateur operatic societies and I felt that after nearly twenty years with the Gem it was time to get a more modern 88 key instrument. Anyway, I am nearly seventy so this piano should see me out!

The small supplied sustain pedal does just that but its relatively small size means that it ‘creeps’ across the floor when in use – I would have preferred one with a swivel heel grip. As a reult, sometime soon I am going to invest in the proper pedal board attachment. One other very useful feature that Yamaha may like to consider for future modifications would be an indicator light built in to or adjacent to the voice selection buttons to show which one is in use at any one time (my old Gem has this feature).

Apart from that, the piano is a nice instrument to play with an excellent sound and feel.

Would I recommend the Yamaha P95 – for students and reasonably skilled players yes, but for mainly domestic use rather than for more demanding stage work where I would suggest the use of an external amp and speaker(s).

23/04/2011 Here is a short newsflash on how things are going with the P95 I bought back in December and reviewed then. I have now added the proper pedal unit and this is a great improvement over the supplied little sustain pedal. I have also attached a copy of a self portrait as requested.

The Yamaha has been well used over the past few months in preparation for our local amateur operatic society’s production of Godspell which is running this week in Falkirk town hall. The musical accompaniment for the show is provided by only two keyboards, bass guitar and drums. The opening number is solo piano with yours truly on the society’s own keyboard, a Roland RD170, hence the need back in November to purchase a decent instrument to practice on at home as there is no hiding place with only two keyboards! (The main keyboard used by the MD is an all singing all dancing professional Korg unit).

Review by Charles Woodford (04/12/2010)

5) “I felt comfortable playing on the Yamaha”

I have just bought a P95 Yamaha, but before do it I was testing a casio privia px-330, this last one had a lot of extra features like 250 sounds, a 16 track sequencer, 128 polyphony, affordable price, but there was something that didn’t convince me, the touch of the keys was not the same as Yamaha. On the Yamaha I felt comfortable playing on it, not the same with Privia.

Reviewed by Tito from Lima Peru – Latino America (30/12/2010)

6) “Allthough key-wise the P95 wasn’t as good as a digital piano, but the benefits lay elsewhere”

On paper it became a battle between Yamaha and Classenti.
If I was a UK resident I would probably go for a Classenti, but due to the higher shipping costs for the mainland it’s in the same price range as the yamaha’s

To keep controll, I had to set a budget. Since I only started playing about 2 months ago I decided to set the budget no higher then Yamaha’s YDP-161.

After comparing a few Yamaha’s (YDP-161, CLP-340, …) and Rolands (RP-201, HP-302,…) at the local musicshop.
I noticed that Yamaha sounded brighter (a little more realistic) then Roland, but on the other hand Roland had more expression in its sound.
I also started looking at stage piano’s (Korg, Yamaha, Roland).

Because most of the time I’ll be playing with a headphone the volume and quality of the speakers seem less important to me.
Allthough key-wise they were a not as good as the digital piano’s there benefits lay elsewhere.
Since I’m living in a flat it was the portability that made me choose a stage piano instead of a digitial piano … and thus I acquired a Yamaha P95B and pedal controller LP5.

If I keep continuing practicing at the current pace (1-2 hours a day), chances are big that next year I’ll be shopping again for a digital piano but with a larger budget.

Reviewed by Igor Jansen, Belgium (30/12/2010)

7) “I played it for a few weeks and grew more and more disappointed”

I am relatively clueless re pianos. Just started a few weeks ago with the idea to buy a digital piano for my kids and me. All of us are beginners and there is the danger that we all might lose interest.

However I am crazy with specifications and typically my mind sets on something ‘good’.

I decided in principle to buy a portable piano that is a close as possible to a real acoustic piano.
-> authentic action
-> authentic piano sound (other voices are not important)
-> portability
-> reasonable price (maybe 1000USD tops)

1st step:

3 weeks ago I bought the P95 as it seemed to fit my spec

I played it for a few weeks and grew more and more disappointed. The action still seemed ok as I had no experience with a real acoustic piano. But I disliked the sound as I started to hear the ‘synthesizer’ quality of it. Especially when the sounds fade it converts into something electronic rather than acoustic. (I play acoustic guitar and have a certain expectation on resonance etc.)

Reviewed by Axel Muench, Bangkok, Thailand (03/01/2011)

8) “There were various faults: I received a second P 95 after complaining. This instrument was even worse!”

Just before Christmas 2010 I got a P 95 Yamaha digital portable piano. There were various faults with it: a) mechanical noise of various keys (clearly heard particularly with volume 0) b) high pitch overtones when using the sustain pedal, particularly with the high keys c) 5 top keys did not produce any proper sound.

So I received a second P 95 after complaining. This instrument was even worse! So I have lost confidence in this instrument and will get my money back.

Reviewed by Robert Bolsius

9) “I really like the feel of the keyboard, although the action is a little lighter than on an upright piano”

I had piano lessons during my primary school years, and continued to play for fun in my teens – although not very well. Now, half a century later, and having played guitar and bass guitar all this time, I feel a strong pull back to the piano. Even if my situation allowed for an accoustic piano, I would probably still have gone for a digital one for it’s advantages.

So I recently bought a Yamaha P95. My original interest, after reading Graham Howard’s excellent book, was in a Classenti P1, but I had a couple of concerns: 1) It is rather heavy (I have a temporary place for it at the moment where I need to move it occasionally), 2) I wasn’t convinced it would look good enough for my wife’s taste, as I could find no decent images of it anywhere. As I was not able to satisfy these concerns by trying before buying, I went to GG-Digital to try some of the competition.

They had a good range, mostly Yamaha, Roland and Korg. I tried a number of pianos from the cheapest to about £1000, and liked the P95, mostly I suppose, because it satisfied my concerns above. At 12kg it is just over half the weight of the Classenti P1 (23kg). On playing one note repeatedly, starting as quietly as possible and gradually increasing to the loudest, it sounded like a smooth continuous increase in volume without any of the steps that you would expect with four (or a few more) touch sensitivity levels – perfect! Also the overall appearance, with semi-matt black keys, looks quite classy. The black plastic casing looks good quality – like that used in a quality car interior.

I also bought the L-85 stand and LP-5A pedal board (from Amazon), because the included footswitch was just that – not a proper pedal, and even with the extra weight it is easy enough to move when needed.

I really like the feel of the keyboard, although the action is a little lighter than on an upright piano. It’s not a 100% convincing copy of an accoustic piano keyboard, but close enough to be really enjoyable to play. In the shop I tried a piano without a graded action, and the ‘left hand’ keys felt way too light.

I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality through the built-in speakers. I wasn’t too concerned about this as I will mostly play through headphones. However it sounds entirely adequate – close enough to an accoustic piano to make playing enjoyable, and loud enough for home use.

A few observations:

The ‘piano 1’ sound is generally very good, however the 4 or so highest notes are pretty much unusable – producing just a sort of percussive ‘clunk’. I don’t like ‘piano 2′ so much, but the highest notes on it are much more usable.

The Electric Piano sounds are quite good, the Church Organ sounds good too, but I’m not keen on the Jazz Organ as it doesn’t have that classic Hammond B-3/Leslie sound I would have liked. Strings or Choir can be usefully combined with a Piano (or other) sound. I don’t like the Harpsichord or Vibraphone much, but I will never use them, anyway.

As I read in another review, the sustained sound becomes quite artificial just before it fades into silence, but I find this only really noticeable when using headphones, and how often do I think I will want to sustain notes that long? Almost never.

The keyboard produces some mechanical noise, noticeable to others in the room when the player is using headphones. I don’t find this a problem in my situation, but others might.

A line output would be useful to connect to an external amplifier. Although one of the headphone outputs can be used, this isn’t so easy to interface with some amplifiers.

A USB port to allow midi over USB would be much more useful than the supplied Midi in/out ports.

The metronone is very useful and easy to set up and use.

In writing the above, I took into account that the P95 is one of the cheaper pianos available with a decent piano feel. It’s not perfect, but you can’t expect a Clavinova at this price. In the shop I tried a Yamaha P155 and it felt and souded a bit better. Of course it was better – it was nearly twice the price – but not nearly as good value as the P95. The Classenti P1 might well be better too, but I like the way the P95 feels and sounds, and I am very happy with my choice.

Reviewed by Alan Broad (12/02/2011)

10) “I have limited space, another reason for choosing the P95”

I am a teacher and have just started to learn to play the piano. I have a limited budget, so wanted to spend less than £500. After reading quite a lot about which piano to choose, and trying to keep to budget, Dawsons were very helpful. I have limited space, another reason for choosing the P95. The sound to me is excellent, but as I say I am a new student. The keys are weighted, but feel quite light compared to the traditional piano I use for my lessons. I am thrilled with my purchase. It sits neatly in my room for me to practise frequently. There are lots of fun things to listen to and play about with. I am already playing a variety of pieces, and just love my P95. Its guaranteed for 2 years. I was worried about making the right decision, but for me this is the perfect choice.

Reviewed by Fran Pett, Gloucestershire, UK (10/03/2011)

11) “My favorite sound is the grand piano 1”

Overall, I really like the piano. The weighted keys fell great, pretty realistics, but the surface is a bit slipery. Nothing to be concerned about though. The sound is OK. my favorite one is the grand piano 1. I don’t really like the plastic finish, but I guess it’s fine considering that this is entry piano. I’ don’t regret my choice at all and I’m sure i still like it in a few years from now, when I’ll be better.

Reviewed by Amélie (23/04/2011)

12) “I think the sound through the headphones is great for the money”

I purchased the Yamaha P95 B to supplement my acoustic piano, mainly with a view to being able to practise through the headphones without disturbing my husband who works from home most days.
From that perspective, I am very pleased with my purchase and think the sound through the headphones is great for the money. In terms of playing out loud, the speakers are probably not as
good as some other digital pianos but for the price (which seems to have come down in the last few weeks as well), I am quite happy.

The feel is similar to my acoustic piano but I can see exactly what people mean now when they say it isn’t a real piano. However for the money spent and the use I purchased it for, it’s excellent.
I have already noticed an improvement in my playing!! Thanks to Graham for his guidance – it was really helpful!

Review by Sarah Ferguson, Carlisle, UK (26/04/2011)

13) “The piano didn’t sound so nice with speakers”

The store had the Kawai ES6 and the Korg SP250 in-store which I also tried out. The P-95 was cheaper then the other two, the Korg by about 100, and the Kawai by about 400. I chose it because it had the heaviest weight and decent touch sensitivity which were the only things I was looking at.

It doesn’t have any extra sounds or features which I didn’t need, so it was perfect. It had a good piano sound,
and all of the other sounds were great. The 50 built-in songs were a nice feature.

The only things I didn’t like was that the piano didn’t sound so nice with speakers, but since I usually wear headphones it’s ok. The piano also shakes when I play hard, which I think is because of the stand. It is an x-style stand, which I bought with the previous NP-30, and it is actually quite unstable.

If you are getting this piano and can afford it, make sure you get the wooden stand that is meant to come with it,
the one that you can attach the three pedals to. The pedal that came with it was also disappointing, but because
I used my old pedal from M-audio, it was fine. The pedal that came with it was synthetic and was not nice to step on.

Bottom line is that if you are getting the Yamaha p-95, Get the accompanying stand and a better pedal, the one that can attach to the stand if you can afford it. Overall a good digital piano, and well worth the price.

I recently invested in the L-85 stand, which greatly improved the stability of the piano. With the X-stand, I faced problems of the music stand falling off due to the instability of the stand and how I played (Strength, speed, etc). The L-85 stand not only fixed this problem and ensured the height of the keyboard was correct, so that when I play a grand piano, the difference in height will not be an issue.

Investing in a good stand will help you in the long run, compared to a cheaper X-style stand. I mentioned this previously but am emphasizing this fact now

Review by Rafael Ardi, Castle Hill, Australia (20/08/2011)

14) “It is more than good enough to start with”

Hi Graham

I kept to my £500 budget and bought a P95S from Normans. I also bought a stand & good pedal from Amazon.

I appreciate your help and would have gone for a CDP1 when I had the itch at Xmas – but I left it too late and UK Pianos had run out of stock.

I am starting from scratch, absolute amateur, but with the benefit of a daughter who is a music teacher, so I am sure I will “encouraged”.
I am happy with the P95, it is more than good enough to start with.

Review by Bill Keay (12/01/2012)

15) “I think this digital piano sounds and feels great”

My opinion about this digital piano:

For me, I am totally new to piano, so I don’t have no much experience about it, then I read Mr. Graham Howard’s “7 things you must know before you buy a digital piano”, it really helps me. I comparing and checking different pianos try to find a best one. Finally, I chose Yamaha P 95 which is simple but it has everything that I need. It has 88 keyboard, so the piano body is kind of long. I want to learn real piano, so I got full keyboard. The weight of the piano wasn’t heavy, but if you carry 3 stairs or higher then you will feel the weight. The weight of the keys is one of the important thing. When I first touch the keyboard, I feel a little bit heavy. After I play a few tone and songs, the heaviness goes less and less. Now, I don’t feel that heavy weight anymore. But I am for sure, if i don’t practice often, i will feel the heaviness again. It has two audio jacks for headphones, so I can just hear the sounds for myself. I think this digital piano sounds and feels great.

Review by Luna Liu, Austin, United States (16/01/2012)

16) “Great piano at a great price”

The piano is very easy to play. The action of the keys are only slightly heavier than other
acoustic pianos I have played, but it is very similar. Sound is good quality, but is not
loud enough for performance use so a keyboard amp would be needed. The standard pedal you
get with the piano isn’t great as it only registers as being either down or up but doesn’t
really have anything in between the two. Great piano at a great price, by far the best I
tried in the price range.

Review by Cameron Malcolm, Franschhoek, South Africa (06/02/2012)

17) “Key touch in general does not seem too different from a real piano”

I’m not a pianist (yet) therefore my scores are absolutely… preliminary! Anyway…

LIKEs
– piano voices, mainly grand piano 1 and 2
– key touch in general (does not seem too different from a real piano)
– sound in the headphones (simply GREAT!!!)
– price
– double headphone
– sound from the loud speaker (it’s good, given the price level, I mean).

unLIKEs
– high thickness of the body (no problem for me, but more for my young daughter)
– one key (central G) more noisy than the others. In general, the keys are a little noisy (when pressed with keyboard turned off)
– no line out (pre-amp)

I was not happy to spend 495 EUR for my P95 (new), after 2 lessons of piano of my 4 years old daughter, without any assurance on her future decision whether to continue or not, but you know, a plant, even the smallest one, needs water to grow: without fresh water, it would die. A poor or toy-level piano is not good water, in my opinion…

Review by Luca Ascari (28/02/2012)

18) “He is really pleased with his new Digital Piano”

Dear Graham

The P95B fits the bill for our son, a full size keyboard with weighted keys at a sensible price for a fickle teenager who regularly changes his interestes and hobbies. We do of course have the option of adding a wooden stand and 3 x pedal section should he still (hopefully) be playing and progressing in the future.
Compared with his previous (Yamaha) keyboard the sound and tone are beautiful, it’s a delight to for him to play and us to listen to. He is really pleased with his new Digital Piano and already embraced the sustain pedal–which he has never used before. We are very satisfied with this purchase.

Once again thank you for your excellent guide which helped us greatly with the choice of manufacturer–after making that decision the rest was pretty much price led.

Review by Jackie Waller (25/04/2012)

19) “I have come to rely upon the Yamaha brand for extreme reliability”

As an enthusiastic composer/MP3 site participant, entertainer and musician doing everything from wedding ceremonies to kids parties I have come to rely upon the Yamaha brand for extreme reliability. I have PSR keyboards that have been dropped on the floor and continued working without problems. Even the old Yamaha organs of years gone by seemed to be more durable than other manufacturers – although hardly sounding like a Hammond!

Anyhow, I bought the P95 to replace a P60 bought in 2006. Things have indeed moved on a lot. The slightly metallic sound of the P60 has gone altogether. The keyboard action actually feels better by far on the P95. It is an instrument that just begs to be played as opposed to just a portable gig instrument you leave in a bag until the
next booking.

I particularly appreciate the quite subtle voice of Piano 2 which allows exploration of Jazz Piano, mood and
innuendo beautifully. Of course I use a separate music stand for quick and secure page turning. Yamaha’s stands –
even on Clavinova always seem quite dire, with no depth and insufficient height. P95 also needs a rigid keyboard
bench as opposed to an X-stand for precise playing of works by Chopin, Debussy etc.

I like the way the plug sockets have been recessed on the back of the P95. So no-one can brush against them and
damage them. You can also place the P95 flush against an acoustic grand that may be cosmetically beautiful but
a shed to play. This is nice, as people expect to see you sat at a grand where one is available, even if it is
a load of junk

All looking good, and continuing my love affair with Yamaha going back more decades than I’d care to remember.

Review by Tony Gayle, Wilmslow, UK (28/04/2012)

20) “Overall, I am pleased with the purchase”

I have only had this piano for several days now, so I cannot give a detailed feedback as yet, but I shall try to say something useful.
I am a PhD student and I change accommodation every year so a portable digital piano was the only option. The reason why I chose Yamaha is two-fold. I have a different Yamaha model back in my parents house, CLP-230, and I absolutely adore it (I am not a great fun of a classical piano). Also, I read several reviews and P95 seemed like a decent choice. So what do I think about it now that I have it in my room?

1) It does not take up much space which is a huge advantage as my room is far from spacious.
2) I do like to feel/touch of the keyboard.
3) The sound quality is very good, but I always use headphones.
4) I have not had time and the urge to explore the recording option etc.
5) It was very easy to put it together. I managed on my own!
6) I bought a silver model, because I was worried that the black one would look too tacky. I believe that silver is so unusual for a musical instrument, that it distracts from looking at the details – which I would say is an advantage as the piano itself is not too charming – it is okay-looking.
7) I wish there was a small display which would tell me, say, which demo song is being played etc. I suppose Yamaha tried to make the piano as light as possible… mind you, “portable” does not mean “carry it on foot” but “light enough to take it downstairs to a car”.

Overall, I am pleased with the purchase, but I would like to stress that I am not a professional pianist or a musician. I play just for myself – it is solely my passion/a way of unwinding. But I would say this – if you do not need a portable piano then do not buy it but invest in a different model – they may cost more but it is worth it.

Review by Justyna, St Andrews, Scotland (16/05/012)

21) “The clatter of the keys can be heard”

The Yamaha P95 is just about adequate for general playing at home. Sound quality is OK, though it has a slightly synth sound about it. The speakers could be a bit bigger. its better when plugged into an amp. Playing with head phones is not good, the clatter of the keys can be heard which is distracting.

Review by Bill Orrell, Bournemouth, UK (20/06/2012)

22) “The volume is pathetic compared even to my cheap keyboard player”

I purchased a Yahama P95, it was a gift to our social club, but I have to say that I don’t think it was worth £600, not at all.  Playing the various voices on the keyboard does not sound, except a tiny bit, like the demonstration voices.

The volume is pathetic compared even to my cheap keyboard player. I was all for trying a digital but I think they are over-rated.

Review by Audrey Ann (07/09/2012)

23) “The sound isn’t as good as I expected from Yamaha”

Hi Graham Howard

I bought a P95, based in part on your recomendations, and I’m quite enjoying it, thank you.
The action is quite similar to my teacher’s real piano, but the sound isn’t as good as I expected from yamaha.
When using good quality headphones, I can hear a fair amount of mains buzz and digital sampling.

Review by Alan Sherif (21/09/2012)

24) “It has good clarity and tone”

Not having played (always quality accoustic) piano for years, I just wanted a good basic instrument, to play for myself and compose the odd item. The P95 fulfils these requirements admirably, with good clarity and tone. The keys have an authentic feel to me, up and down the keyboard.

There are 2 grand piano settings, 2 electric piano settings, jazz organ, pipe organ, strings, choir, harpsichord and vibraphone settings, any 2 of which can be combined. I didn’t want all of these, but they’re fun to use on occasion.
The X stand is solid and unfussy (I’ve secured piano to stand with velcro) but the sustain foot pedal (plug-in version) is very light and wanders in use. Of course, there is always the more expensive option of a more traditional piano frame with a fixed 3-pedal assembly to avoid this slight annoyance.
There are also sockets in the piano body for midi in/out and for headphones.

Review by Angus Macintyre (08/10/2012)

25) “I have been very satisfied with the Yamaha P-95”

As I am never going to be a brilliant pianist, I found Graham’s advice very useful for selecting a keyboard in an appropriate price range, and then selecting from the ‘Best Buys’ in that group.
I have been very satisfied with the Yamaha P-95 which I bought subsequently. Thank you.

Review by Peter Dodds (17/11/2012)

26) “I am very happy with the sound through the inbuilt speakers”

I bought a Yamaha P95 before I found your advice which I nevertheless found interesting in thinking about whether I’d made the right choice.
I would have liked an acoustic piano but living as I do on a boat that is not practical. I chose the Yamaha P95 because, due to lack of space I needed a stage piano and that seemed the cheapest option that was close enough to an acoustic in sound and feel to satisfy my needs as a beginner.  Amazon was the cheapest source I found at that time.
My previous musical experience is with harmonica (diatonic and chromatic) and I believe the important thing is to love the noise your instrument makes. I am very happy with the sound through the inbuilt speakers, particularly after setting the reverb option. I think recording and listening to yourself is extraordinarily useful when learning an instrument and the record feature makes that very easy. I am not interested in the other voices really but I had a listen and they’re OK. The inbuilt metronome works fine and is easy to set, though I prefer my old fashioned clockwork pendulum thingy.  If I had the space and a certainty that I would carry on with piano I would invest in a good quality reconditioned acoustic that would hold its value but for a raw beginner like myself this seems a brilliant option

Review by Chas Foster (30/11/2012)

27) “It has everything it needs, but it’s not too expensive”

I recently bought my new piano, and i can say I LOVE IT!
It has everything it needs, but it’s not too expensive. The ideal combination!
The touch and the sound (most important) are very good for a piano in its price range.
I firstly was stunned when i played it. It sounded so good! I think i’ve made the right choice. I also want to give many thanks to Graham Howard with his book ‘7 things you must know before buying a digital piano’ for making it a lot easier to decide what piano to buy.

Review by Jelmer, the Netherlands

 

>> For Yamaha P95 information, specifications and prices, click here

“Very poor”

Yamaha P140 stage piano. Bought from Octave in Dunstable – my local shop. I had planned to do more research before buying, but a crisis need arose as the result of a borrowed P140 having failed to work on the day of a concert.

Likes – excellent feel.   Outstanding sound quality.

Dislikes – audio output too low for anything other than a small hall.   Recording system is far too slow. Harpsicord sound
is too low in volume by comparison with piano.  Sustaining pedal not fitted with anti-slip feet so it slips on polished
wooden and stone floors.     Very poor instruction manual – it tells you how to do things without explaining why you are
doing them.    It also provides no overview of features, so you can’t always appreciate what it can and can’t do without
spending hours working through the manual.

Review by John

 

>> For Yamaha P140 information, specifications and prices, click here

“I hope it will be a good investment for all the family”

Entry level, but stylish enough , not silvery and shiny, which rightly or wrongly can make these things looked cheaper and nasty, although not packed with extras , all the required features covered, including the larger 25W standard speakers, (which compared to Yamaha YP..? in shop, was no contest for its meagre 6W ones.)

Price was£935 including delivery and free Roland equal Stool , both together worth£90, judging by internet costs. Worked out about£100 more, than Yamaha, but service excellent, important to get a shop demo, particularly being completely new to pianos.

I hope it will be a good investment for all the family. Although it was a present for my wife, I managed to keep it a secret from the children, so they’re faces on Christmas day were equally as priceless!

Thank you for your online guidance notes.

Review by Adam Chivers

 

>> For Roland RP101 information, specifications and prices, click here

“I hope it will be a good investment for all the family”

Hi Mr Howard,
I just got my new Roland RP-301!

After reading your guide I knew exactly what to look for when testing a piano at the music shop.
Unfortunately in Israel there are only Yamaha and Roland digital pianos at this price range (1500-2000$)
So finally I narrowed my options to this model and the Yamaha ydp-161.

The RP-301 sounds excellent, though it’s speakers are not as powerful as the Yamaha.
I find the touch a little weird – the keys are bouncy, and not heavy enough,
but they are much more sensitive than the stiff YDP-161 keys.

I’m very satisfied with my RP301, it’s an excellent choice from mid-level pianos.
I think it even sounds and feel better than many second hand acoustic pianos I’ve tried within this price range.

Review by Amit, Israel

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“For me, the piano is a drug”

Hola

I bought a Roland RP301R from Pianos Clemente, Valencia, Spain

The main reason you chose it was Sound and Touch (hardest than Kawai CN33)
I’m very Happy with the piano. I bought it locally and I bought it with arrange cause I thought my daughter will go many times to the piano if She can play (toy) as well as play (music) with it.

Both are starting to play piano. For me is a drug. I use to sit at piano as time as I can.

We are vey enthusiasmed with the piano.

When you are looking for information about to buy a piano is important to reach to UK pianos because, although you can not view some marks in Spain, you can play most of them in locals shops.
Is not easy to speak of the quality of the sound o the hard the touch is, but you can take the comparative reference and contrast ones and others to take your decision.

Thank you for your help.

Review by Key Un saludo, Valencia, Spain

 

“It is clear for me it is far away the best digital piano”

Hi Graham

Yesterday I managed to get my piano. As we discussed few times what could be the right brand and type or me, finally I choose Roland’s RP 301 piano. Luckily there is a official Roland dealer few miles from my house so I could test almost the full range from RP to LX-15. The gap between the cheapest and the most expensive digital piano is huge, Other hand I could notice the sound quality and real piano like keys on RP-301 meets my expectation and it is more than enough for years for me. So I jumped in and I bought it on a reasonable 1160 €. Additionally I bought a nice Beethoven piano pad.

All the day yesterday I was testing the RP-301 with (it was a gift) a MIDI-USB connector and with synthesia PC software. The built in songs sound great, I really enjoyed them, and I also has started my piano experience.

What I like in the new piano?

– The great feeling of the keyboard, the loudness in an approx. 25sm living room was perfectly enough.
– The easy way to get it to operate (20-30 min was enough to build up the stand and plug the cables)
– The colour perfectly fits to my furniture
– The midi-USB connection was ready to use with a simple driver update in my win7 system.

What I do not like so much ?

– Nothing to mention yet. It is clear for me it is far away the best digital piano, but I feel it worth its money.

Review by Peter Luzsanyi

 

“The final decision came down to the position of the controls being central”

Hi Graham

I had decided to go for a ‘furniture’ style piano as opposed to a portable ‘stage’ piano and set myself a budget of£1000.  Using web site reviews and YouTube as my main source of research, I narrowed my search down to the Yamaha YDP161 and the Roland RP301.  I eventually settled on the Roland.  There was very little to choose between them as both makes were in the top 2 or 3 in reviews for all aspects of the instrument.  In reality, the final decision probably came down to the position of the controls on the Roland being central as opposed to being on the side.  A bit arbitrary, but there was little else between them that I could find.  Roland also have a very good reputation in the general music industry.

The assembly process was very straight forward and it now takes pride of place in my music room.

I am no expert, but the sound from the Roland and the action of the keys both feel realistic.  It feels the way the old piano at home felt, as far as I can remember.  There are about 30 different sounds but I stick with the default piano sound as this is what I wanted it for.  I am very much a beginner and starting from scratch, so it will be some time before the piano is really used in anger.

My only regret with the process is that I wasn’t patient enough to go in to an actual piano store and try out different models.  The local store only stocked Yamaha so I would have had to travel further afield to get a selection of pianos to compare.  The local store may have swayed me towards the Yamaha or 100% cemented my decision on the Roland.  This would be my only advice to potential purchasers.  If you can get in to a piano store and listen to, and play, different pianos, then do.  You don’t have to buy from the shop, but you will be better informed with your purchase.  I appreciate this isn’t always possible.

So the challenge of choosing, buying and installing the piano is over.  The next challenge is finding a teacher I can get on with.  I went through several guitar teachers until I found the right guy and I suspect that piano teachers will be the same. This is where I will use the local store as they have already said they have lots of teachers they can recommend, especially as my musical taste veers towards jazz rather than classical.

I hope this can be used in some way to assist others in the process I have just been through.

Review by David Smeaton, Guildford

 

“This is an excellent piano for it’s price range”

I got my Roland RP-301 about 2 month ago, but decided to play it for a while before writing a review.
How did I decide to go with this model?
When buying, I had a budget of around 1000 GBP so it narrowed my options down to Yamaha YDP-161 and Roland RP-301 (this are the most common digital piano models in my country)
I found the touch and sound to be more realistic in the RP-301, and bought it right away (after a through reading of Graham Howard’s manual)

So far I’m very satisfied with my choice, This is an excellent piano for it’s price range (even when comparing to new/2nd hand acoustic pianos in my town). It has a very nice warm, soft sound, especially in middle keys, and the touch sensitivity is great for expressional playing.

2 notable point outs from 2 month of playing :
1) speaker sounds: there are only 2 12W built in speakers, so the sound do not spread evenly, and when playing loud it become somewhat blurry and not clean. But it’s all gone when plugging in a decent set of headphones (I use Sennheiser HD-558).
2) physical structure: the piano weigh about 40Kg, but it’s stand is quite light, So when playing faster pieces the piano trembles a little. In addition, the piano panel (with all buttons) is relatively close to the keyboards. So also, when playing faster pieces I occasionally press the metronome button and it messes up my play.

So overall, I think it’s an excellent value for money, at it’s price range! warmly recommended.

Review by Amit Somech,Tel-Aviv, Israel

 

“Well built, sounds good”

After reading the reviews I settled on the Roland RP-301 from a local dealer here in Canada. The sound was amazing compared to the old Casio keyboard we had at home.

It is well built, sounds good and looks great with the rest of the home decor. My kids now have a renewed interest in practicing and the sounds that filter through the home when they are playing changes the overall ambiance. The information from your site helped my decision process immensely.

Review by Rajkumar Nagarajan

 

“My husband is delighted with it”

I purchased a Roland RP301 in rosewood.
The piano was a gift to my husband on his birthday.
The delivery was prompt and as far as I know he is delighted with it.

Review by Phylis Gravell, Haverfordwest

 

>> For Roland RP301 information, specifications and prices, click here

“I do like the Roland digital 207e that we have recently bought.  The model is now discontinued. The piano has 3 options for the weight of key.  I’m using medium at the moment.  THe piano comes with 60 pre set ‘songs’  well known piano peices i.e. Beethoven’s Harmonious blacksmith.  You can just play the right or left hand of these pieces so you can learn the left hand with the right hand accompaniment playing for instance.  It has many types of piano sounds about 3 grand piano settings and also honky tonk etc. Also harpsicord etc.  You can record your own playing etc.”

Review by Judy Ashley

“The high notes in the treble sounded horrible – The action felt clunky too”

Our music store here in Melbourne tried to sell me the latest Roland HP302 (with built in speakers) – with all the piano settings and such….but….I played it and it had a great bass tone. However, it was as CLUNKY as ever! The high notes in the treble sounded horrible. The top note C sounded like hitting a small drum! The action felt clunky too… the end of the key was a very hard hit..the “aftertouch” made no difference. Pity – as this should make a big difference. .How could Roland make this and try to get away with it? I don’t know.

Reviewed by Malcolm Smith

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“Minimalist styling & beautiful satin black finish”

We bought a Roland HP302SB. I liked the look of this one – minimalist styling & beautiful satin black
finish. The sound of the 305 was of course deeper/fuller but couldn’t justify the extra $700.
Preferred Roland over the Clavinova’s – rosewood finish & gold Yamaha plaque = cringe!

Can’t wait to set it up in our house!

Reviewed by Shirley Curl, Texas, USA

 

“Like the natural sound… The ‘cabinet’ is not such a big deal”

Finally I got-it!
I had to choose between Yamaha CLP 330 (340) and Roland HP302;
Except the very close functions those keyboards have, I have to admit that the novelty of the key weight concept, plus the possibility of a better connection with different other electronic equipment (laptops, CD/DVD, e.t.c.) was taken into considerations;
Also- the fact that Yamaha CLP have released this model several years ago- and – at least for me- seems to be at the end of the life cycle; Roland HP 302 is just arrived and have all the desired features, and many more;

Liked: the natural sound (piano sound have like more possibilities than I `ll ever use), the weight of the keyboards (and the feeling that is a real classic (good one) piano;

The “cabinet” is not such a big deal: they could use better furniture for it – but, anyway – for this amount of money I got what I paid.
(I saw the Korg top end- series that they have a real piano cabinet- but- OK we are talking about other money)
For now, that is; The other features are OK, maybe it is not a significant difference between CLP 330- 340 and this one, but definitely, the sound is more round – full , not such “Yamaha sound”

Not to be mentioned that I was ( since now) a Yamaha brand fan ( I actually have HIFi high end equipment from Yamaha- and, of course, my 6 y.o daughter her first keyboard was a Yamaha EZ 200- );

Colour: Redwood is ok- ( I cannot accomodate black into my livingroom)- but- once again- the furniture doesn’t look like a “pro”
Now (probably) she is the happiest HP 302 user (she told me that she is more interested in using this Roland than the Bluthner piano from the school
That’s all;

P.S. And- about the “brand policy”- Seems like the Yamaha will lose some customers ( at least in Romania) due to the poor treatment they “offer” to the Romanian customers; I was one of the “unhappy customer” trying to negotiate with one of the main dealers – SENIA- they have in Bucharest- and the old lady form the piano section ( I remember her name-= Cristina) treated me- and my daughter like I was born yesterday and like she is the owner of the fire secret! I was really upset to consider that- when I show her that other dealers have smaller price but I intend to continue to buy from them- she actually told me: IF I want Yamaha – I have to pay the full price for; At Roland they told-me that they cannot negotiate the price- but- at least they can offer me- the chair and AKG headphones for free; So- at least 155 Euro;
I’ll send other comments about my Roland after a few months of usage (this is the “first week impression”)

Reviewed by Gabriel Cadar, Bucharest, Romania

 

“Within three weeks the external speakers stopped working”

Love the piano, HATE the Roland company. We bought an HP-302 and within three weeks the external speakers stopped working. After getting the runaround from Roland we were finally authorized to take it in for warranty service/repair. OVER TWO MONTHS, dozens of phone calls, loss of a circuit board in shipping, and being flat out lied to by “customer service,” we finally got the piano back in working order.

It has been years since I’ve received such poor treatment from a company, especially one with which I just spent thousands of dollars.

I will never buy another Roland product.

Review by Dave, Olympia, Washington, USA

“It is ‘almost’ the same piano as the DP990 with the same control panel”

First I started to look at internet and made a shortlist.
Rather fast I liked Roland the most.
After that I analyzed the spec of all types.
And I found your book ” 7 ways” which was very helpful.
I did not have a budget but wanted to use my common sense and would not go straight away for the best/most expensive one.
I use it just private in home.
From paper I choose the DP990F for the price.
Then I did go to a shop to play on it.
I liked it very much but then something happened to me.
Looking around and playing on other types, I fell in love with the ivory feel keys.
I decided not to buy a piano at that moment but would study some more specs.
The DP990RF has ivory keys but is in black polished ebony, which I don’t like.
Then I find the HP 307 the “flag ship” as Roland calls it.
I liked it very much but analyzed if I need all the features just for a piano at home.
I compared it with the HP 305.
Then I compared the specs of the HP305 with the DP990F.
Because in the first place my choice was the DP990F I decided that the HP305 must almost have the same specs as the DP990F. And yes it was.
It is “almost” the same piano with the same control panel.
That means that if I want a DP990F with ivory feel keys, for just 200,00 extra you find it in a HP305.
So, I bought a HP305 which will be delivered this afternoon.

Review by Will, Holland

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“Judging from the other reviews the Roland sound is something you either love or hate”

Having read ukpianos.co.uk site I planned to go to the most convenient shop and choose between some of the Yamaha Clavinovas as they had the best recommendations. However in the shop I was offered the chance to play two Clavinovas and two Rolands. I was surprised to find that I much preferred the Roland sound, which I felt was much more like an acoustic, than the Yamaha Clavinovas which sounded very flat and lifeless. My wife who was there with me was of the same opinion. Judging from the other reviews the Roland sound is something you either love or hate and I really like it.

Having now played it for a week I can give a more complete review. The bass and middle octaves of the piano are very rich and mellow, and to me very like an acoustic although the upper registers are a bit weaker. I do not find the top 5 notes as weak as one of the other reviewers, only the top note is drum-like with no real vibration, but the top octave is not as strong as I would like. Other reviewers have commented on the keyboard being too light but I find this a very positive aspect of the keyboard it is a huge improvement on my acoustic in some of the faster passages. One other negative comment I have seen is that the keyboard is clunky. Perhaps the reviewer is used to playing better pianos than I am because although you can certainly hear the thud of the keys when the sound is off it is a lot less noisy than my acoustic.

Overall I am really pleased with the piano and I would recommend anyone buying a digital piano to try a Roland before making a final decision.

Review by David Joynson, St Albans, Hertfordshire, UK

 

“Impartial, advice with clarity, to support us with our family investment”

5 STARS

At the outset, there were so many things to learn before we could even begin to make a decision about which digital piano would be right for our family.

UK Pianos played such a huge role in helping us to first understand the differences and features each had to offer, and ultimately influenced us with our final decision.

We purchased a Roland HP305 in April and still feel it was ‘the best thing we have ever purchased’. We have no regrets other than we were unable to purchase through UK Pianos as we are located in Canada. We appreciate all the advice and information. Thank you!

Review by Catherine, Canada

“The sound quality is most convincing, but the top 4/5 notes on the keyboard are very feeble – basically one hears a succession of key thumps rather than a musical pitch”

After some 3/4 weeks of using the piano I feel quite confidant of my choice
of this model. The sound quality is most convincing and the touch
sensitivity, which is marginally adjustable, is what I had been hoping to
find. Most of the other parameters provided, though not really essential,
are well thought out and easy to find.

My only reservation in commending the HP307 is that the top 4/5 notes on the
keyboard are very feeble in their purely musical output – basically one
hears a succession of key thumps rather than a musical pitch.
I have written to Roland at Swansea, commenting on this but have, to date,
received no reply.

Thank you for your very helpful hints on the whole digital piano scene.

Review by Carey Humphreys

 

“These are customer reviews from actual owners of this piano.
The most recent review is at the top of this page “, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Send me an email if you have any questions or need advice: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk
Or call 020 8367 5107

 

“It was the best option within my budget”

Since I live in Brazil, it is difficult to pick a piano by its price, since all things here
that are imported are incredible inflated, and here it lacks of options, so I bought
the Roland HP307 with the “6 Simple Tests You Can Do In The Piano Store Before
Making Your Decision” guide, it was the best option within my budget.

I had also tested the v-piano and found amazing the software used in that piano,
however the v-piano costs R$ 18.000,00 (6.700,00 Pounds)  and the HP307 was
R$ 8.500,00 (3.150,00 Pounds).

I also tried many Kawai pianos and Yamaha pianos, but the Roland had (in my
opinion) the most similar tone to a acoustic piano, and again, the most
considerable price. The cheapest Kawai piano was the mp8ii and costs R$
8.250,00, so you my guest how expensive are the pianos here and how
different it is to choose a digital piano.

Review by Felipe Wetter

 

“The HP-307 has a very dull and booming bass and the tones sound artificial”

After trying Roland pianos: HP-307 and RG-3 I decided that the Roland is not realistic in its sound.

The HP-307 has a very dull and booming bass and the tones sound artificial. Even though it has the new “supernatural” sound.
The RG-3 was a special offer from the store (5900 Euro): they had to get rid of it since its successor RG-3F was coming.

Again I found the action sluggish (but of course it was the “older” PHA-II action. At first sight the sound was impressive:
using many loud chords and the pedal you might get the “woow” feeling. But playing a chromatic scale across the keyboard
revealed many deficiencies. Notes that were too loud, too sharp or just plain ugly. And again the dull bass.

Review by Paul Provoost

 

“It does not feel like or sound like an acoustic piano”

I recently purchased a Roland HP 307 from Harrods ( 2 months old) but I do
not like it as it does not feel like or sound like an acoustic piano.
I now have to try and sell it or part exchange for an acoustic upright.

Review by Kevin Morris

 

“I was immediately irritated by the clunking noise the keys made”

After initially deciding to buy a decent digital piano I opted for the Roland HP307 in polished ebony. It cost me £2900. A digital piano would offer me the oppurtunity to play silently in the evenings and late at night so the idea of buying an acoustic was out of the question. After unpacking the 307 I was very happy it looked great and was easy to use.

HOWEVER! After a few minutes playing I was immediately irritated by the clunking noise the keys made. It was so loud you could hear it through the headphones with the volume all the way up. You could also hear the keys being played all over the house. It completely cancelled out the main reason for buying a digital….silent playing. I did not pick up on this key noise in the shop as I guess the background noise in the shop hid this. But in the house when it was quiet it was so annoying. I then read forums on the internet where many people have mentioned this annoying problem.

It is not anything than can be rectified, it is just the Roland key setup. Anyway I sent it back for a refund and have now purchased a acoustic / silent piano. I was going to buy the Yamaha B2 but instead was lucky to find a Kawai piano second hand for a good price with a silent system fitted. The keys do make a noise when in silent noise but its not as tinny and clunky as the Roland. Plus I now have the real acoustic deal as well. It was a shame really the HP307 was a beautiful looking piano with lots of great features and a realsitic key touch. Make sure you are happy with the clunking noise before you buy one.

Review by Brendan Clifford, Leighton Buzzard, United Kingdom

 

“I find the Roland HP 307 piano very organic and random”

I had a Clavinova CLP 170 that I taught piano on for 8 years. I liked it
very much, when looking, I tried the CLP 380 and found the sound to be the
same  sounding sample sets except with more notes and dynamics sampled. I love
Yamaha, Roland and Korg products as I use them all as synths and electronic
organs  in my recording studio. I feel that the Yamaha was still a little sterile
with regard to the overall interaction of the samples and resonance etc. But
still does sound great of course.

The Roland HP 307 was a shock in tone to start with as it is much mellower and
boomy in sound through its speakers (Steinway sample). After spectrum
analysing  the tonality I found a resonance peak at around 40 – 50hz which  when
attenuated with the inbuilt EQ and together with a 3db shelving boost at 4k
this gave the sound clarity and presence.

I find the Roland HP 307 piano very organic and random when playing like the
many grands and uprights I have played (the good ones). It is not perfect, as I
believe that until the total V-piano technology is used at this price point it
won’t be. The other samples onboard are the best I have heard and are as good
as my Roland Fantom X8 synth.

Review by Paul Lee (ALCM), London

 

“The finish of this model plus the good sound are the real plus’s”

I purchased the ROLAND HP307 PE from Gear4Music .  I managed to get it (after a mix up with another
one I thought I’d ordered) some £300 off their price.

The multiplicity of voices that it has, are perhaps not necessary, but are fun if you look upon them
as free extras. The finish of this model plus the good sound are the real plus’s.

Overall I am very pleased with my purchase

Review by Dennis Fleetham

 

“I found Roland’s feel and sound true to a real grand piano”

Comparing the HP-307 with Yamahas Clavinova series, I found Roland’s feel and sound to much more true to a real grand piano, and alot more satisfying to play.

Piano sound:
While Roland writes that the SuperNatural piano sound is sample based, with some technology borrowed from the physically modelled V-piano, I suspect that much more than they claim are based on physical modelling, and that the SuperNatural technology is merely a semantical twist to cater to a less expensive market segment. For instance, I initially thought that the damper pedal “gasp” at depression was a mere sample played over and over again. But repeated pedal action reveals that the sound is actually slightly different every time, and as a scientist specializing in computational mechanics, I can tell it takes a really advanced model to produce that effect realistically. The damper pedal is also velocity sensitive. Here’s another test you can do: press one key so gently down that it does not produce any sound. Then strike a key an octave above or below that. Try the same with a other inervals as well; you will hear overtones in the depressed key which are very true to life. There’s also a host of customizations to design a piano sound to your taste.

Keys:
The keys feature a nice and dynamic hammer action that the yamaha models lack. The black keys are relatively broad, e.g. compared to Kawai’s keys. I like it, it makes them easier to play. The texture feels very dry, supposedly, it is an ivory imitation. When you stike the keys hard, they will make audible thumps. In my opinion, this is not annoyng as someone else have commented – I think an accoustic piano would produce approximately the same thumps, but you don’t notice them due to the loudness of the strings. The same is the case with the Roland piano, if you turn up the volume to a level comparable with an accoustic piano. Compared to the Yamaha keys, they feel much better; the Yamaha keys sort of spring back at your fingers and give you a qualitatively the same feeling you would get by striking a metal plate with a metal bat.
The only thing i miss is wooden keys. This is however not noticeable unless you look for it.

Other features:
Full set of GM2 sound, and quite a few of Roland’s own higher quality sounds; e-pianos, strings, organs..
However, only the piano sound features SuperNatural technology.
3-track sequencer
USB connection for midi and wav playback

Review by Dennis Morton

 

“Overall we are quite pleased with the action”

Hi Graham,

We purchased a digital instrument.  We were considering a very lightly used Roland HP 307, that had been purchased new within the past year.  Not sure if it was a “left-over” or not, since I believe the 507’s have been out a bit longer.  This was purchased for use in a church fellowship hall.  Two of our keyboard musicians tested the keyboard action and sound and overall were quite pleased with the action and the quality of the sound.  We have a Yamaha grand piano in our sanctuary, and it is helpful to have an action that feels compatible for our musicians.

For the record, we purchased this instrument for about $2,200, so it was significantly less than what is available in our area in the HP 500 series.

Thanks,

Review by Del Keeney, Mechanicsburg, PA, USA