2022 and 2023 have seen a large number of new digital piano models released by the top three manufacturers: Kawai, Yamaha, and Roland. Therefore 2023 presents the perfect opportunity for consumers to either upgrade their digital piano or to enter the market! Here are some suggested digital piano models to compare when you are out shopping. Note that I have only included pure digital piano models, and excluded all-in-one / one-person-band / workstation / ensemble instruments as those cater to a much smaller niche market.
Important things to note
- USB Audio
USB Audio lets to you accomplish two things:
a) Easily upgrade the quality and variety of sound that your digital piano can play. All digital pianos can have their sound improved by connecting to a computer, tablet, phone, or other device (e.g. Raspberry Pi). However using USB Audio makes this much easier by enabling transmission of audio data in both directions (in addition to regular MIDI data). So if you ever want to upgrade to better audio experience from your piano, then USB Audio is both the easiest and best quality way to achieve this.
b) Record CD-quality audio directly to a computer, tablet, phone, or device. Until USB Audio was available about a decade ago, the only way to record your digital piano was either via a microphone, analogue output (e.g. RCA cables), or by recording to a USB drive plugged into the piano. USB Audio makes recording your piano an order of magnitude easier by allowing you to record directly to a computer, tablet, phone, or device using nothing more than a single $0.50 USB-B cable (a USB printer cable).
Using USB Audio saves you the hassles of:
Plugging a USB drive into the piano.
Selecting record on the piano (and potentially selecting the USB drive / option).
Unplugging the USB drive from the piano.
Plugging the USB drive into a computer.
Finding the USB drive on the computer.
Finding the file of the recording on the USB drive (usually by sorting by the timestamp as the piano’s automatically-generated file name will likely be meaningless!)
Copying the file of the recording from the USB drive onto the computer.
Opening the file of the recording in a DAW or audio editor to edit it.
Deleting or renaming raw recordings on the USB drive before you forget which one is which.
Using USB Audio avoids those 9 painful steps – steps that must be performed every single time you want to make each new recording. It also ensures that your recording quality 100% matches the original performance, i.e. the quality is not degraded which is the case if you were to record using analogue output (line-out).
If you see yourself in the future needing to perform either of those two activities above, then first consider digital pianos with firmware that supports USB Audio from Roland (since 2020), Yamaha (since 2018), Korg (since 2021), Kurzweil, Dexibell, and Studiologic (Numa Compact 2). Note that Casio, Kawai, and Nord digital pianos do not yet support USB Audio. - Headphones
The most common mistake made when purchasing a digital piano is allocating insufficient budget to purchase a pair of quality headphones. Digital pianos do not support Bluetooth headphones (as the transmission latency is too high), so you either need to purchase a pair of wired headphones (the most common option) or a pair of infrared wireless headphones. To assist you with your research, I have put together a list of high quality headphones suitable for digital pianos.
Portable Pianos
Low-budget ($500 – $1,500)
- Yamaha P-225 (AUD $789 piano-only / AUD $1,100 with Yamaha stand + pedals)
Includes premium features missing from the Kawai ES120: 24-bit USB Audio + a textured key surface. The P-255 also includes upgraded CFX samples superior to the samples in the Korg B2. - Kawai ES120 (AUD $799 piano-only / AUD $1,089 with Kawai stand + pedals)
Whilst the key action is similar in quality to the Korg B2, the SK-EX audio samples are far superior to the Korg’s samples. The missing USB Audio feature and sub-par app. support relegate this piano to second place in this category. - Korg B2 (AUD $599 piano-only, so you will also need to purchase a stand and bench)
The most economical digital piano on the market. Includes USB Audio and also includes good quality Fazioli piano samples (I believe Dexibell are the only other brand that include Fazioli samples). If you are on a tight budget, then this piano will save you a couple of hundred dollars. Warning: be careful not to purchase the less expensive B2N model – only the B2 model has a properly-weighted key action. - Roland FP-30X (AUD $804 after $5 sign-up discount)
Includes premium features missing from the Kawai ES120: 24-bit USB Audio + a textured key surface.
Mid-budget ($1,500 – $3,000)
- Yamaha P-525 (AUD $1,883 piano-only, so you will also need to purchase a stand and bench)
An update on the popular P-515, this new model includes an upgraded key action that is superior to the key action in the Kawai ES920. It also includes upgraded CFX binaural samples, and has superior sound compared to that of the Roland FP-90X. Not only does it boast USB Audio, it is also the first digital piano to feature a USB-C port. - Kawai ES920 (AUD $1,595 piano-only, so you will also need to purchase a stand and bench)
Selling for more than 30% less than the Roland FP-90X, this model offers by far the best value for money in the mid-range category. Superb SK-EX audio samples outclass the FP-90X, with the only features missing being USB Audio and quality app support (the Kawai PianoRemote app. is not very intuitive and has a few glitches). - Roland FP-90X (AUD $2,399 piano-only, so you will also need to purchase a stand and bench)
Top quality Roland digital pianos have never been cheap, however the pricing of the FP series has lost touch with the competition. The FP-90X is very good instrument, however the sound quality does not match those of the Yamaha and Kawai competing models. Unfortunately the successor to the FP-90X is still about 2 years away, so Roland sales in this portable category will suffer until then. - Kawai VPC1 (AUD $2,159 piano-only without onboard speakers, so you will also need to purchase speakers, stand, and bench).
Note that this weighs almost 30 kg (about 50% heavier than the Nord Grand 2) – so whilst this is a portable piano, it is not something that one person should handle on their own. Also note that the VPC1 was released in 2013, so it is well over-due for an upgrade. However it still represents very good value for money if you intend on pairing a piano with an external sound system. - Kawai MP7SE (AUD $2,295)
Essentially a less advanced version of the MP11SE, it features wooden keys like the Yamaha P-525 and the Roland FP-90X. Worth considering if you are playing professionally at gigs.
Premium ($3,000 – $5,000)
- Kawai MP11SE (AUD $3,399 piano-only without onboard speakers, so you will also need to purchase speakers, stand, and bench).
Note that this weighs 34 kg (more than 50% heavier than the Nord Grand 2) – so whilst this is a portable piano, it is not something that one person should handle on their own. - Nord Grand 2 (AUD $3,977 piano-only without onboard speakers, so you will also need to purchase speakers, stand, and bench).
Nord pianos are unique in that they let users change/upgrade the onboard sound samples. So these are great for events/venues where you just want to plug in and start playing. Also I believe this instrument has had the fake escapement/let-off notch removed to improve repetition speed. However you are paying a significant premium for these two features.
Upright Pianos
Low-budget ($1,000 – $2,000)
- Kawai KDP120 (AUD $1,329)
By far the best quality key action and best quality audio samples in the entry-level category. Also at an amazing price point. The only drawback is it is missing the USB Audio feature. - Korg LP-380U (AUD $1,199)
Features a solid key action that is well-regarded by many piano teachers, and has USB Audio. This represents the absolute minimum quality piano required in the upright piano category. If your budget doesn’t stretch this far, then economy-level portable piano models are the next step down from this. - Casio PX-870 (AUD $1,529 – after 15% cashback from Casio)
Whilst this is an old model (released in 2017), it is well-regarded by many piano teachers. The main problem is it is over-priced compared to the newer competing models from Kawai and Korg.
Mid-budget ($2,000 – $4,000)
- Yamaha Clavinova CLP-845 (pricing due to be released any day now)
A little over-priced in the Australian market – a better Yamaha choice would be the P-525 (this has the same key action as the CLP-745) plus its 3-pedal unit, a nice stand, and adjustable music rest. - Kawai Concert Artist CA701 (AUD $3,985)
The best value-for-money option in this category. However it lacks USB Audio, so if you need that feature then the Yamaha models are better options.
Premium ($4,000 – $9,000)
- Yamaha AvantGrand NU1XA (AUD $8,500, you can bargain this one down by a significant amount)
Released in 2023, this has Yamaha’s best key sensor system, and also has the latest 24-bit USB Audio technology. Due to its real acoustic key action, this is a worthy competitor to the Yamaha U1J and Kawai K-300J acoustic pianos. - Kawai Concert Artist CA901 (AUD $4,899)
This model is identical to the CA701 except for the cabinet style / keyboard cover and the its vibrating sound board, with the look of the cabinet style being the most noticeable of those two features (the cabinet style is quite beautiful). This piano represents the best value-for-money model in this price range. - Roland LX-6 (AUD $6,499)
This model is now 30% more expensive that its predecessor the LX706, and therefore no longer represents good value at its current price point. The main features added in the LX-6 are: 1. Improved sound modelling. 2. Improved key action sensors. 3. Improved speaker system. 4. USB Audio added. Both the Yamaha NU1XA and the Kawai CA901 represent better value-for-money. - Yamaha Clavinova CLP-885 (pricing due to be released any day now)
I will play and review this model when it arrives in stores in a few weeks.
Grand Pianos
Low-budget ($2,500 – $6,000)
- Yamaha Clavinova CLP-865 (pricing due to be released any day now)
Has USB Audio. - Kawai DG30 (AUD $5,029)
- Kurzweil KAG100 (AUD $2,689)
Has USB Audio.
Mid-budget ($6,000 – $15,000)
- Roland GP-6 (AUD $6,789)
- Roland GP-9 (AUD $13,599)
- Yamaha CLP-895 (pricing due to be released any day now)
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