Yamaha CLP480

Description

Availability: Discontinued March 2014 – Replaced by new model Yamaha CLP585

The CLP480 is also on display in our showroom. Call 020 8367 2080 for information.

Colour: Dark Rosewood   |   Item Code: CLP-480R

Other Colours

Polished Ebony
CLP-480PE
Discontinued
Now
CLP585PE
Availability: Discontinued March 2014 – Replaced by new model Yamaha CLP585

You Get:

FREE UK and Europe Delivery (We deliver anywhere in the UK and most of Europe for free)
FREE 5 Year UK and Europe ‘At-Home’ Warranty (2 year manufacturer, extended to 5 years by UK Pianos, all parts and labour included – we come to your home for repairs)
30 Day Trial Period (If it isn’t as good as you expected, we collect the piano at our cost and give you a full refund)
Matching Yamaha piano stool (wooden legs and body matches colour of the piano)
Headphones (Comfortable over-the-ear headphones with independent volume adjustment)
Book of 50 Classical Piano Pieces (Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Chopin…)
Safe Shopping (UK Pianos are an authorised UK Yamaha main dealer, check here)
Peace of Mind (see reviews of UK Pianos shop on TrustPilot: the number 1 review site)
Owner’s Manual (Operating guide in English and other languages, assembly instructions, computer related operations, how to use MIDI, Yamaha Music Soft Downloader)

Alternatives to the Yamaha CLP480

Compare Roland HP508

Compare Kawai CA95

Compare Yamaha NU1
Graham Howard, piano advisor: grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk

“If you want the best sounding digital piano, then it has to be the Yamaha CLP480… its piano tone is so authentic. The way Yamaha designed its speaker system is the real secret… the number of speakers, speaker sizes, speaker placement, acoustic box design, size and shape of the cabinet, original sampling and meticulous adjustments all contribute to its natural, even tone. Just go play one and you’ll see exactly what I mean. There’s no other digital piano quite like it”, Graham Howard, Piano Advisor

Main Specifications

Dimensions:

Width: 1420mm (55 15/16″)
Height: 940mm (37″)
Depth: 513mm (20 3/16″)
Weight: 87.5kg (192lbs., 14oz)

88 keys (Natural Wood keyboard with synthetic ivory keytops)
Voices: 38 + 480 XG Voices + 12 Drum
Speakers: Tri-Amp System (30W + 30W + 20W) x 2 + 20W x 2
Speaker Box: (16cm + 8cm + 2.5cm) x 2 + 8cm x 2 [(6 5/16” + 3 1/8” + 1”) x 2 + 3 1/8″ x 2]
Power Consumption, 80W
256-note polyphony
Metronome
Transpose
3 pedals
16-track recorder
Headphone connections x 2

FREE items included:

FREE Yamaha piano stool (worth £99)

FREE digital piano headphones

FREE 50 greats for the piano — View list of pieces here

You get a 5 year UK and Europe ‘at-your-home’, parts and labour warranty.
This means we send a Yamaha technician to your home for any repairs.
There is no cost to you, and you’ll never have to send your piano anywhere.

Yamaha CLP480 Reviews

Paul Bennett reviews his CLP480…
1) “The feel on the keys is just like a real piano”

I bought the Yamaha CLP480 piano 3 weeks ago to renew my piano playing, after an absence of 20 years.
I have been practising every day since, 5 or 6 hours each day on the weekends, 2 or 3 hours a night
on a work day. I absolutely love the piano.

I found that even after 20 years of neglect, I could still play pieces I had once learnt. I was
classically trained and reached Grade 8 distinction at the age of 17; the piano was my second instrument.

I stopped playing in my 20s, through lack of access to a piano, and I could not afford to buy one.

I can hardly remember playing a real piano, though I had played on Steinway grands many times. To me,
the CLP 480 almost perfectly replicates a piano.

Here are some points I would like to make:

– Sometimes I find it a little difficult to produce a wide range of volume; the CLP 480 has 5 different
volume levels, depending on how hard you hit the keys. That is more than any other CLP piano, which
usually have 3 or 4. I still find the lower octaves a little loud, and the loudest volume of the keys is
not always loud enough. But really, this is a small complaint, and maybe something I have not got used to.

Most of the time I am happy with the contrast in sound. I have been using headphones nearly all the time,
so this may influence this point.

– The headphones give a perfect piano sound, whereas playing without headphones and you tend to be reminded
that it is a digital piano; only because pressing the keys makes a lot of noise. To me, the digital piano
keys are a little noisy, again maybe I am not used to this. I am not aware of the noise travelling through
the piano legs to the floor and disturbing the neighbours, I hope this is not the case. I have friends whose
neighbours complained because they could hear the tapping of the piano keys, not the music, but then they
did not have a Yamaha CLP. Generally, I completely forget the piano is digital, it is that good.

The feel on the keys is just like a real piano, whether you are playing complex chords in Chopin or
glissandos in Debussy.

– You can plug in a USB or MP3 players with WAV format files and play them though the piano. I have a
backing track of the Mozart Piano Concerto in D Minor K466, split into sections and movements; I created
these using the excellent Ronimusic Slowdowner software. On the piano I can select any track or a whole
movement and play with the orchestra; that it is an invaluable learning tool and great for entertaining.
I found the piano display and the A, B, C, D button controls confusing at first, I think people will
struggle with this unless shown what to do. The other functionality I will explore over time.

– Connecting the piano audio out to my laptop audio line-in or microphone socket, I can record the piano
sound, and any backing track being played by the piano. This is a superb feature. I still have trouble
with volume, the piano sound can distorted if too loud; the piano volume has to be set low, the laptop
recording microphone volume level also has to be low. This means you can’t hear yourself using the piano
headphones. So you need headphones connected to the laptop and hearing the audio that the laptop records,
which can be increased in volume without affecting the recording. With a laptop webcam, the audio from
the piano, and Debut webcam software, I like to create mini videos of myself playing Beethoven or Mozart
with the orchestra audio, great for pleasing Mum who hasn’t heard you play in 20 years, ha, ha, ha.
It is also great to review the audio later and check what you need to improve.

That more or less covers what I have tried in 3 weeks. The grand piano sound and key touch is all I
wanted and the audio playback has kept me very busy and entertained. I am totally happy that I bought
the Yamaha 480, it makes me want to get up early in the morning and start the day with some piano practise
before going to work.

Video of Paul Bennett playing Mozart, Debussy, Beethoven and Chopin
on his new Yamaha CLP 480 piano.

In the past, when I had searched Youtube, I was disappointed that I could not find any serious musicians, not sponsored by Yamaha, playing the Yamaha pianos.

I found plenty of enthusiastic pianists, but no one playing particularly challenging pieces. I began to wonder if serious musicians have still not taken to digital pianos. So I thought I should play some serious classical pieces in my video, to interest the more classical pianist. I can also play (and sing) Dialect Chinese pop songs, but that would only go down well in Singapore, ha, ha, ha.

It appears that Windows Movie Maker is ruining the sound of my video, creating that ringing sound that is heard with the piano notes; the ringing sound is not heard in the initial video I created. I will find another software to edit the videos and fix this. Maybe “technical problems with digital pianos” is a good forum thread for your website, e.g. how to play back audio using the piano buttons, or how to make good video and audio recordings, or how to set the audio properties of your laptop to record the sound, or where to find free software like Debut for video capture. I found only incomplete information on these on the internet and had to guess what to do myself.

Review by Paul Bennett

Questions and Comments (Email your questions to grahamhoward@ukpianos.co.uk)
>> Or call UK Pianos for advice on 020 8367 2080

“How does the CLP480 compare with the old CLP280 digital piano?”

Dear Graham,

Thanks for your email and for the very helpful and informative Buyer’s Guide. I’m gradually homing in on a Yamaha but have a couple of questions for you.

A friend has a Clavinova CLP280 which he bought 4-5 years ago for around £3,000. He is delighted with it and wouldn’t change it for the world but it’s no longer in the Yamaha product list. How does it compare with the current 4xx series? Is the Yamaha 480 today’s equivalent, and how do 280 and 480 compare with the 430 (which is the one I was considering till I spoke to my friend). As it happens, a near neighbour of the same friend bought an identical instrument about the same time. He has just died and it’s likely his family will want to sell it. Assuming it’s in good condition, can you given me any idea what it might be worth?

A bit of background: I’m not a pianist but I am musical (40 years choral singing; 25 years playing viola in orchestras and string quartets). I’ve wanted to learn the piano for years. Now I’m retired the opportunity has arrived, hence the determination to get something to replace an ancient cottage upright that’s horribly out of tune and not worth refurbishing (so the tuner says). Would I be able to tell the difference between a CLP480 (~£3,500) and a CLP430 (~£1500)?

Best wishes, Mike

Reply/ Hi Mike

The Yamaha CLP280 is the equivalent of today’s
CLP480. There has been improvements to the
touch and sound, but nothing too great.

The advantage of the CLP480 over the CLP430
is mainly in touch and sound…

The CLP480 has the best sound from all digital
pianos. The key touch is also firmer and more
sensitive. It feels much closer to playing an
acoustic piano.

But the price difference is HUGE.

You have to decide if it’s worth spending so
much more money to have the better tone
and feel.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

—

“Is it best to get the Yamaha CLP480 or an upright piano?”

Sarah

Hi Sarah

Normally I would recommend an upright piano over a digital…
But in this case the decision is between the very
best digital piano versus the cheapest, low end
upright piano in the Yamaha range…

Personally, I much prefer playing the CLP480.
It has a superior key action which feels ultra-responsive
under the fingers.

The CLP480’s sound is also purer than the B1.
Although you do get a bit more volume out of the B1.

Of course, if you do play the CLP480 with headphones
you hear the sound of Yamaha’s concert grand piano.
And that’s outstanding!

If you want a decent, silent upright piano then
the Yamaha P116 is the one I recommend.

You can see it here:
https://www.ukpianos.co.uk/yamaha-p116-silent-piano

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

—

Hello, Graham,

We bought a Yamaha CLP 480 at the UK Pianos shop yesterday.
We wanted a top of the line product and your impartial review
of the many makes and models available led us to make this choice.

Best regards,

Franklin Stephens

—

“I would appreciate your comments on the CLP480”

Hi Graham,

Thank you so much for your follow-up. Your book was very helpful. I wasn’t sure if I should hang on to my Technics piano (discontinued). The right pedal and was repaired successfully. After reading your book, I decided to get a new digital piano because I have now reached an intermediate level. I will probably purchase the Yamaha CLP-480. I would appreciate your comments on this digital piano.

I wish you alot of success with your book.

Violaine

Reply/ Hi

The Yamaha CLP480 is one of the best digital
pianos I’ve ever played.

It has a warm, resonant tone full of richness
and vibrancy. And the key touch is smooth and
ultra responsive.

It feels and sounds closer to an acoustic piano
than any other digital piano.

The keys are wooden, with imitation ivory key
tops. If you close your eyes you might think
you’re playing one of those superb old-fashioned
Steinway grands.

I don’t know why other manufacturers can’t
replicate the real piano mechanism like Yamaha
do… I guess it’s a ‘Coca-Cola’ type trade secret?

The CLP480 has a fantastic Tri-Amp speaker
system that incorporates 2 x (30 watt +
30 watt + 20 watt) and a further 2 x 20
watt speakers.

What’s more, the main speakers are enclosed
in separate acoustical boxes to further
enhance and purify the tone. Just beautiful.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard

—

“What’s the difference between CLP480 and CLP480PE?”

Hi Graham

I found your digital piano info very useful
and appreciate it.

I was considering buying the best digital piano for a reasonable amount,
up to say £3000, and my main criteria were (a) full octave 88-key, not
one of those kids’ toy models and (b) sound and mechanical feel as close
to a real piano as possible.

After reading a few reviews, I decided on the Yamaha CLP480 or the Yamaha
CLP480PE, but could find nowhere that explained the difference, if any,
between these models despite the large price difference – The PE model
seemed anything up to £1000 more expensive, and I couldn’t figure out
why!

Reply/ Hi John

The CLP480 and CLP480PE are exactly the
same piano. The only difference is the colour.
PE stands for ‘polished ebony’.

To be pernickety about it, there is another tiny
difference. The polished ebony finish increases
the overall size of the piano by a miniscule amount.

Yours pianistically,

Graham Howard