The popularity of digital piano has led to its large production by different manufacturers. The market is currently filled with a wide range of digital piano brands that are created to serve different purposes. Hence when buying a digital piano you may have to consider the reason for which you require the keyboard, your budget, the efficiency and durability of the keyboard, and the reputation of the manufacturer.
Selecting the top 10 best digital pianos may be an uphill task because of the largest number of brands and models in the market. However, despite the huge number of brands in the market, there are some brands that have become the top choice in the industry. These brands are popular for their premium quality, unique ability, and the reputation of the manufacturer. Below are reviews of the top 10 best digital pianos.
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Roland RD-2000 Stage Digital Piano
The Roland RD-2000 is a top choice in the industry and a regular in the top ten list. The Roland state piano is at the top of the price chain, but it gives you a run for your money. This brand is what you need if you desire a piano with quality sound that comprises all the bells and whistles, look no further than the Roland stage piano.
The Roland contains a 128-voice polyphony that guarantees quality sound. It also gives you control over the playing process. The interface comes with eight knobs and nine sliders for the ability to adjust your sound in real-time.
The Roland RD-2000 is fitted with two onboard sound engines that produce quality sounds. The "Supernatural" and the "V-Piano" engines ensure that the piano and electric piano sounds are of premium quality. One of the engines is designed to produce acoustic sounds while the other is designed to accommodate more sound.
The RD-2000 keyboard is highly recommended for professionals. It has the feature of being capable of splitting into 8 zones with individual sounds, you can also layer up to 8 sounds which are perfect for creating unique patches. The RD-2000 also has an internal memory where you can store and access any voice or sound you create.
The RD-2000 gives you absolute control of accessing sound effects loops, and samples. It also features an LED night mode which creates beautiful visuals in the dark. Aesthetically, RD-2000 is designed with fine wood and materials to give it a realistic look, and also make it durable.
The features of the RD-2000 include:
- Very realistic appearance and feel.
- Highly effective for stage use.
- Works effectively with external and third-party software/DAWs.
- Zero latency processor.
- Two strong engines: SuperNATURAL and V-Piano sound engines.
The RD-2000 also has some downsides.
- First off, it is quite expensive to purchase and manage.
- It is also not suitable for beginners and intermediate users.
Kawai MP11SE
Kawai is a familiar name in the piano industry. Their pianos are known for their sophistication and meticulous finishing. The Kawai MP11SE is an embodiment of the Kawai qualities. Kawai deploys the features of some of its grand concert pianos into making the MP11SE.
Kawai deploys the full features of the Kawai Shigeru concert grand piano in making the MP11SE as realistic as possible. The keyboard has extended hammer action keys that make it as realistic as the Shigeru concert grand piano.
The MP11SE doesn’t feature as many effects and loops as other digital piano brands. However, they have a diverse selection of voices that you can tweak and adjust to your desire. The main panel of the keyboard also contains an independent section for electric pianos and virtual Technician technology.
The main features of the Kawai MP11SE include:
- It is the best choice for classical music
- It is straightforward and easy to use, which makes it suitable for beginners.
- The hammer action keys are designed to be very realistic.
- Simple user interface
- Fashioned after the brand's sophisticated concert grand piano sounds.
- Features recording and connectivity functions.
The Kawai MP11SE in spite of its distinct features has some downsides that include:
- It contains limited sound options.
- It is not the best choice if you're looking for versatility.
Yamaha YDP-184
This is another top brand in the digital piano industry is the Yamaha YDP-184. This brand is designed after Yamaha’s CFX 9′ concert grand piano and it's a revelation. This piano is the best fit for people who are looking for a premium piano experience.
This piano features a Virtual Resonance Modelling (VRM) that offers you absolute control over parameters like string vibration and damper resonance. Another special feature of the YDP-184 is the expressiveness of the weighted keys.
This piano contains 24 voices including electric pianos and 256-note max polyphony. It also comes with a MIDI recording capacity that allows you to record sounds, and also use the USB connectivity to connect to external devices.
The Yamaha YDP-184 is designed with precision and delicate care to ensure that the piano is authentic. This piano is made to give you a full acoustic piano experience. The Yamaha smart pianist application can assist you in finding some interactive features that can enhance your playing experience, and help you get more from the piano.
The special features of the Yamaha YDP-184 includes:
- It features a strong definitive CFX sound engine.
- Well constructed graded hammer action keys.
- Offers a realistic piano experience.
- Enhanced experience via the Yamaha Smart Pianist application.
- A little disadvantage of the Yamaha YDP-184 is its lack of versatility.
Casio PX-S3000
This piano is a technological masterclass, and a huge advancement on the Privia range since the release of the original. The PX-S3000 is a piano innovation and stands out in the aesthetic department. This piano is one the slimmest pianos you can find in the market, and it is designed to look like a concert grand piano with a classy glossy black casing.
The PX-S3000 also has the distinct feature of having an outstanding hammer action that sets it aside from other brands. The Casio’s smart scaled hammer action creates a special touch response for every individual key. There are 700 voices which can be layered or split in various ways. You can save your created combinations using 96 registration memories and access them easily.
The PX-S3000 comes with a USB recording capability and 200 smart styles that give you unlimited playing choices. It also allows you to use your smart device to stream backing sounds or songs through the piano's speaker via Bluetooth connectivity.
The PX-S3000 gives you the choice of customizing the piano sound, tonal balance, and touch sensitivity to your taste. Additionally, the piano has a dynamic engine that ensures a delivery of quality, and expressive tone to compliment the weighted keys perfectly.
The stand out features of the PX-S3000 include:
- Its portability
- Distinct and quality piano tone.
- Well crafted keyboard action to compliment the small size of the piano.
- Bluetooth and USB connectivity.
- A wide range of voices to choose from.
- A downside of the PX-S3000 is that the quality of the piano tone isn’t as good as most of its counterparts.
Yamaha CP40
The Yamaha CP40 is another product of the Yamaha brand, but this piano is entirely different from the YDP-184. The CP40 is a testament to how tastes and needs can differ when it comes to selecting a digital piano.
This piano is fashioned after the Yamaha stage piano, and although it is portable, it is a power-packed piano. It offers you the best in piano sounds, with distinct excellent features that are meant to give you an enhanced live playing experience.
The CP40 offers a range of classical electric piano sounds, which can be easily accessed at the push of a button. The CP40 also features the DX7 alongside other sounds which are an iconic trademark sound of the Yamaha brand. The CFIIIS was sampled to give this piano an original classical piano sound, and also some outstanding acoustic sounds.
The CP40 comes with a sustain pedal which can be used on stage in order to provide a better playing experience. The piano also has an inbuilt three-band equalizer which is created to adjust the lows, mids, and highs of the sound being created by this piano.
Despite the fact that the CP40 is a stage piano, it comprises an action key that gives it an acoustic representation.
Some of the stand out features of the CP40 include:
- It is portable
- It is perfect for stage performance.
- The interface is very simple to use.
- The capacity to record sounds and tracks and easily access them.
- A downside of the CP40 is the average quality of the speakers compared to its counterpart. You may have to connect the piano with a sound system for better sound production.
Korg LP-380
The Korg brand is a popular name in the sound engineering industry. They are a leading name in the area of music and sound technology, and LP- 380 is a fantastic innovation when it comes to digital piano. The Korg LP-380 is a fantastic digital piano and one of the best digital pianos on the market. This piano is highly recommended for advanced players who are looking for the ultimate piano experience.
Although, this piano doesn't necessarily match the likes of Yamaha and Kawai in the classical sounds department, however, it has its benefits and strong features in other places. The Kronos workstation is deployed to create the acoustic sound in the Korg LP-380. The piano also has RH3 technology which drives the hammer key to create a real weighted hammer action with an authentic feel.
The LP-380 comes in five different finishes, and it is designed to be compact and easy to handle and transport compared to other brands. The amplifier and speakers produce quality audio that is synonymous with the reputation of the Korg brand when it comes to sound. It also comes with three pedals for enhanced playing. The LP-380 features a MIDI outlet through which you can connect to external devices, and from which you can control your whole workstation or studio.
This piano is designed to be portable, and it contains 88-keys. The dynamics are 13.8 x 30.4 x 53.4 inches and it weighs just over 80 lbs, which makes it a good choice for those who require a mobile digital piano with the full features of a quality digital piano. The small size of this piano doesn't affect the size of the keys. The size of the keys is the normal size for a digital piano.
The special features of the Korg LP-380 include the following:
- Quality acoustic sounds
- MIDI outlet for connecting with external devices and controlling your work station.
- It is compact and easy to handle.
- Quality amplifier and speaker.
- A downside of the Korg LP-380 is that it isn't the best piano for classical sounds when compared to other brands.
Casio PX-870
This is another stand out product from the Casio brand. The PX-870 is a quality digital piano that offers you the best in digital piano for a relatively affordable price when compared to its counterpart. When it comes to selecting a digital home piano, the PX-870 is no doubt one of the best options.
It is designed to be appropriate for domestic use and to offer an easy playing experience for beginners and intermediate users. The PX-870 features a hall simulator and a projection engine to offer you the best in acoustic classical sounds. Aesthetically, this piano stands shoulder to shoulder with its counterparts. It features a graded hammer action which is meant to give it a realistic outlook and feel. In the technological aspect, the PX-870 features a USB port that allows you to record both audio and MIDI and connect with external devices.
The Casio PX-870 weighs 18 tones, and It weighs less than other Casio. If what you are looking for is a home digital piano that will excite you, the PX-870 is a way to go.
Some of the special features of the Casio PX-870 digital piano include:
- It is more affordable when compared to its counterparts.
- It is designed to be perfect for domestic use.
- Appropriate for beginners and intermediate players.
- Quality acoustic classical sounds.
- Designed to have a realistic feel.
- USB port for MIDI & sound recording, and also for connecting to external devices.
- A downside to the PX-870 is that it is not the best choice for experts who are looking for the ultimate piano experience.
Yamaha DGX-660
The inclusion of The Yamaha DGX-660 brings a new dimension to the top ten list. The Yamaha DGX-660 is a digital piano that offers a wider playing experience, and benefits. Unlike other digital pianos, the DGX-660 offers both playing and production capacities.
The DGX-660 is a type of workstation keyboard that features a 6-track sequencer. Aside the offering you a top piano playing experience, it also offers has the capacity to be used for music production. The DGX-660 comes with Yamaha’s Pure CF sound engine that offers wide sound coverage similar to the CFX 9′ concert grand engine. The Pure CF sound engine is an upgrade on previous flagship models. The Pure CF sound engine has over 150 voices and 16 drum kits.
In the technological department, the DGX-660 has the distinct feature of being compatible with XG song files which are included in some Hal Leonard songbooks. This feature is a component of Yamaha’s Educational Suite and it is a helpful way to develop your repertoire.
The DGX-660 is the perfect choice if what you're looking for is a digital piano that offers you a top playing experience, and music composition and production capacity.
The special features of the Yamaha DGX-660 include:
- It features a workstation with a 6 track sequencer.
- Pure CF sound engine for quality all round sounds.
- Designed with hammer action keys for a realistic look.
- It can be used for playing and production purposes.
- A downside to the Yamaha DGX-660 is that it lacks the same sound quality as the concert grand piano.
The One Smart Digital Piano
The One Smart digital piano is a recently launched digital piano brand. Despite the little period it has spent in the market, it has become a popular choice. If you're a conservative who appreciates the history of piano producers, then you might not really fancy this piano.
The One digital piano is a highly rated piano, that is very suitable for beginners and intermediate players. Although it costs a little more than its counterparts, this piano gives you full value for your money. It can literally teach you to play.
The piano features an LED light along the top of the keys, it also has an application that offers courses, games, and lessons that are of benefit to beginners and intermediate players. The application contains over 4000 songs and the application also teaches you how to play these songs.
A stand out feature of this piano is its ability to offer learning lessons which is something other brands have not been able to replicate.
In the technological aspect, the piano has a MIDI output that allows you to record straight out of the piano, and also connect with external devices. It also includes standard three pedals that improve playing quality and sound.
This piano is perfect for you if you're searching for a piano that can help you improve your playing ability. This piano is designed with internal intelligence that will help you to have an easy playing experience.
The special features of The One Smart digital piano include:
- It is an intelligent piano.
- It is suitable for beginners and intermediate users.
- It offers a huge range of piano lessons.
- Three pedals for improved sound.
- A downside of this piano is that it may not be the best choice for professionals. It is also quite expensive.
Roland F-140R
Roland is a brand known for building pianos and other electronic musical equipment as opposed to the production of digital pianos. Nevertheless, the Roland F-140R is in fact one of the best digital pianos in the market. This piano is made with the trademark sophistication of Roland with several state-of-the-art features.
This piano has some spectacular features such as; rhythm accompaniment which allows you to play a backing track to accompany the chord and tempo you are playing. It also has the capacity to record your sessions and other sounds. It comes with over 300 other tones to choose from, which offers you the freedom to have unlimited performance and composition.
In order to improve sound quality and playing performance, the Roland F-140R digital piano comes with a Roland stool, with three inbuilt pedals. The stool comes in both white and black colors.
The tonal options of this piano are limitless. It also has a wide variety of sounds which makes it worth every penny you are paying for it.
Some of the special features of the Roland F-140R include:
- It is designed to be portable and can fit into small spaces.
- Unlimited sound options.
- Three custom pedals to enhance sound.
- Recording and storing ability
- A downside to this piano is that it may not be the best choice for beginners and intermediate users. It is also a bit on the expensive side.
Conclusion
An attempt to shortlist the top ten best digital pianos is quite a difficult task because of the strong competition among digital piano producers. The pianos on this list were selected based on their abilities, innovations, popularity, and market demands. Therefore it is important that before you settle for a particular brand of digital piano, you must consider your needs and compare it with the features of the piano.