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Hello guys. I am wondering on how this two DP's different to each other? In fact, I know that the Yamaha is more portable than the Korg, but it seems to me that the Korg produce better acoustic piano sound than the Yamaha. I am totally confused right now. Please help me to decide which one is better for me. TQ.
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The Korg SP250 is identical to the LP350 except for the style of the case. If you want a portable LP350 get the SP250.
Which is better? On paper the Korg wins. But you have to look. You just might like the sound or keys on the Yamaha.
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Is that true? Never thought of that... another thing,is there other suggestions on DPs at the same price range?
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Based on playing both SP250 and the P-85, I like the Korg better. I haven't played the Korg LP-350. I don't like the touch on the P-85 and from what I remember I did like the touch and sound on the SP-250 which I considered buying. These two things are personal so you have to decide what you like best and what meets your needs. It is a good idea to play everything and figure out what you like and don't like. This is the best way to narrow down your choice. Take a look at Casio Privia as these are in your price range.
Last edited by galaxy4t; 04/08/10 01:22 PM.
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Thanks galaxy. Anyway, I also heard that the keys of the P-85 feel a little less heavier than SP-250. I think this should make the SP-250 a better choice for me. I did not have a chance to take a look on the Privia but I don't know about the Casio or any other brand other than this two, either Korg or Yamaha. How about Kawai ES6? Is it better or not to SP-250?
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Boring advice I know but...what you've heard and what you would perceive from personal experience are two different things so, you really need to try them, particularly the Yamaha before dismissing it.
Best wishes,
Steve
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Thanks a lot Steve. Tomorrow I will stop by a musical instruments store and try all of it. Can't wait for that.
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Enjoy the selection experience. And as you've already mentioned, try to check the Kawai out as well. I would also chime in for Casio...the PX-130 is quite a bargain.
If I were you I would take a decent pair of headphones...don't use them exclusively but they will help you in your selection process if you play each piano with them.
Good luck,
Steve
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The Korg SP250 is very nice digital piano and I have played them extensively. In fact I've was told by sources from Korg a few years ago that the keyboard action itself was produced in the old Technics piano manufacturing factory which Korg took over some years ago. And Technics had a great reputation for very smooth playing actions in their digital pianos at the time. Of course Technics is no longer manufacturing digital pianos as it was a very small part of the parent company Panasonic's business.
The Korg SP250 is more than a few years old now as a model. Therefore if you look hard enough, you may be able to locate a used one for less money which would be good. When they first came out on the market, they were in my opinion about the best low priced portable digital piano made. But of course there are many other choices now. However, I always liked that model and still do, and it came with a very cool, lightweight stage looking chrome stand as well which the piano attaches to. I agree that the new Casio PX130 is a great bargain, but the Korg is a completely different animal in tone, touch, design, and weight. The on-board audio system is decent too. So it's a matter of choice. Even though it's an older model, it's still fun to play.
Last edited by Music Guy 1; 04/09/10 03:37 AM.
Tim - musician, teacher, composer, arranger, & playing music for over 35 years. Owner of digital & acoustic pianos, many guitars, & recording gear. Have a small private music business as well as being a real estate agent specializing in "short sales" for buyers & sellers in Greater Phx, AZ.
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I guess I should look for the SP-250 then. Thanks Music Guy. I am going to a music store and test it by myself. Thanks for the advice.
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Having played the Korg SP-250, I was immediately put off by the keyboard, which had varying gaps between the keys, and felt rather cheap.
I was told the SP-250 uses a Fatar keyboard...Korg used to use Yamaha keyboards, during, and a short time after, their financial bail-out by Yamaha.
I really liked the P-85, not just for it's "bang for the buck" price, but I really enjoyed the keyboard action, which I call the "Baby Bear's Bed" action...not too hard, not too soft, but just right.
I play professionally, and have been playing piano since a kid, and at 61, I must say, I like an action that is smooth, supports repetition very well, is durable, and does not get loose or noisy with time.
I played an older SP-250 at a jam session a few weeks ago...it sounded like an old typewriter...several keys clicked and clacked and felt loose.
If the piano sound of the Korg was stellar, it might be worth bearing the agony of the keybed, but the piano sound was thin and rather lifeless to my ears, but it does have it's supporters, who, no doubt, have less sensitive ears than I.
I heartily recommend the Yamaha P-85, or it's newest version, the P-95.
Snazzy
Semper Gumby: Always flexible \:^)
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I have a P85 as my first weighted piano keyboard. Prior to that I played on a Roland A33. I have very limited experience with keyboards so can't much compare. Still, the P85 feels very convincing and pretty controllable. It has a pretty good dynamic range and the response on subtle notes is there, although I have had a few issues with 'missing notes' where a light key-press or repetition hasn't been registered. I don't know if that's the keyboard's fault or my playing style!
There's also the matter of what you want the piano for. The P85's piano sound is pretty good, quite bright although lacking tonal variations. However, its internal speakers are lightweight and lack any bass reproduction. For live performance it's a bit lacking. The headphone sound is much, much better, although there's a fair bit of noise and it is possible to hear the compression artefacts in the piano samples. It also lacks any line-out, a hideous ommission on a so-called stage piano! For playing at home for your own amusement, the P85 with headphones is a very good choice. I can't comment on the alternatives of course!
If you want to record audio, MIDI out means the option exists to use a computer piano sound. I recently invested in 4Front's TruePiano's virtual piano synthesiser. You can hear the P85 in action on my YouTube page. The most recent recording is through the TruePiano's. My original 'Untrained Pianist' piece is a recording of the P85 through its headphone out and digitally touched up (EQ etc.).
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Another vote here for the Korg, I've always found their products to be very well made and competitively priced. The SP250 has a great action same as used on the superb Korg SV1 stage piano. The P85 is a very good piano for the price but if I were to buy Yamaha I go for the much better GH action.
You might want to consider the new Korg SP170 too, some people have said it has better samples than the SP250 (which is quite old now) and it's quite a bit cheaper too. Good luck finding one though, Korgs aren't nearly as common in the shops as Yamaha, Roland or Casio.
Of course ultimately you need to try them and decide for yourself!
Korg SP200, Pianoteq
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Just bought a Korg-250 to practice in my office at work, I think the action is its best feature (I have it on its firmest touch). With the headphones on and the reverb off, the 2 pianos sound pretty good. That said my priority was in touch over sound as this is just a practice instrument, the majority of my time will still be spent on my home acoustic piano.
Last edited by I'll be Bach; 04/09/10 07:28 AM.
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Thanks guys, Recently I have been asked to also look for Kurzweil Mark Pro ONEiS by my friend but I cannot find any to test it out. Actually I was expecting to buy the P-85 but the sounds is a little bit disappointing to me. So I don't know anymore what to choose.
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I tried to P85 (with headphones), and that's what I did not like: 1. Keyboard GHS is very specific and useful only for slow songs with a minimum of black keys 2. Sounds of a piano is not bad, but they spoil loud bass 3. Faced with a problem - the key after the piano has not played forte
In Korg liked everything except polyphonic (60 - a little) and too rapid decay in the average register
DP: Korg Sp-250,Pianoteq 5.x, TruePianos 1.9x; Grand piano: Blutner, Muhlbach, Yamaha, iRig Pro; Upright: Kalujanka; English (with some problems)
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The Yamaha P-85 also has dedicated MIDI in-out sockets, and makes a great controller for other keyboards (I use it to control my PSR-S910),and it's also handy for using with software pianos.
My only beef is with the speakers, so I use the relatively inexpensive (under $200) Logitech Z-2300 speaker system to improve the volume and tone.
I agree with Yuri above...to me the Korg's decay is rather short and unnatural.
Snazzy
Semper Gumby: Always flexible \:^)
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The P-85 pedals look so cheap for me (well, for some reason it should be reasonable for its price range). I really don't know that the P-85 keyboard GHS is specific. Considering that this is my first DP, how can I know the graded hammer action in a DP is good because there are some which do not have graded hammer action at all.
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I bought the optional stand and three pedal assembly with my P-85, although I like the pianos very light weight for gigging (25 lbs) and the fact it had MIDI. You'll need an adaptor to use it with an X-Stand, and these are available at the dealer.
The pedals are great, and are well made...no problems with them or the piano itself, despite a lot of above average use.
The stand also makes the piano work well as a piece of furniture...I bought the black finished piano and stand.
Some people feel the P-155 is a better piano overall, but since most of us only keep a digital for a few years, I couldn't see paying the extra money for an action that didn't feel any better to my fingers.
The P-85's action is graded.
But, action and sound quality are subjective, as well as intensely personal, so go with what feels best to you.
Quite frankly, I wouldn't give the lower end Korgs a second look, although there are some here who really like them.
It's not really "what's better", but what's better for you and your needs and budget.
Snazzy
Semper Gumby: Always flexible \:^)
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Unfortunately, sometimes the more you know about things, the less you want them. And that could be true of digital pianos though it shouldn't be.
Now you know more but seem to be more confused than ever. Playing piano is supposed to be fun, relaxing, and enjoyable. Most brand name newer digital pianos will not diminish that fact. Buy whatever piano you like and get started playing it and forget about what you read here. Life is too short to worry about what's "better." Korg, Yamaha, Casio, Roland, Kawai, Kurzweil...all good in their own ways.
The problem is that everyone has different fingers & ears. Hearing & feeling is quite subjective. What is good for one may not be good for the other. Why are there so many different cars, guitars, brands of peanut butter, etc:)? So that people have choices cause we're all different.
So get your money or credit card and go spend it on a piano asap and start playing already:)
Tim - musician, teacher, composer, arranger, & playing music for over 35 years. Owner of digital & acoustic pianos, many guitars, & recording gear. Have a small private music business as well as being a real estate agent specializing in "short sales" for buyers & sellers in Greater Phx, AZ.
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Finally, I tested both DP's and another one, which is the Casio Privia PX-730, and I my first impression is that the SP-250 has better graded hammer action (RH3 isn't it) rather than the GHS in the P-85. However, I am totally impress by the PX-730 which has better sounds and action rather than the SP-250 and the P-85 in my opinion.
I don't know but it seems like the price of the PX-730 is slightly higher than the SP-250 and the P-85 (PX-730, MYR3400, SP-250, MYR3100, P-85, MYR3000) FYI, MYR stands for Malaysian Ringgit. I think that the PX-730 is a better choice for but I will still ask opinions from you guys before buying the PX-730. Is the PX-730 good for me or I should better buy the SP-250?
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All current Casios have the same action I believe so if you like the PX730 you may be equally happy with a cheaper model.
Last edited by BazC; 04/11/10 07:56 AM.
Korg SP200, Pianoteq
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@BazC, yeah, I think so because I've just seen the PX-130 somewhere and the specs are quite the same as the PX-730.
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Trying to choose between the Casio action and the Korg's Fatar keyboard, is like deciding which leg you'd rather have amputated. Snazzy
Semper Gumby: Always flexible \:^)
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Snazzy, can be you try play one hand only? Try use both hands!
DP: Korg Sp-250,Pianoteq 5.x, TruePianos 1.9x; Grand piano: Blutner, Muhlbach, Yamaha, iRig Pro; Upright: Kalujanka; English (with some problems)
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Snazzy, can be you try play one hand only? Try use both hands! I don't play using my hands, Yuri....I play using my fingers. How about yourself? What appendages do you use? Snazzy
Semper Gumby: Always flexible \:^)
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@Snazzyplayer, what is your opinion about both DP's? I don't get the ideas of how choosing the action in between the Casio and the Korg to be like that. Can you please explain that? If possible, I would like to your opinions on the strengths and the weaknesses of that DP's because I'm still a beginner. For the P-85, I don't think that the action is as good the P-250 and the latest Privia series though. It's just my opinion.
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Snazzy, you will not believe, I use my heart
DP: Korg Sp-250,Pianoteq 5.x, TruePianos 1.9x; Grand piano: Blutner, Muhlbach, Yamaha, iRig Pro; Upright: Kalujanka; English (with some problems)
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Bygonez,
Which action you prefer is very personal. Snazzyplayer prefers the Yamaha sound and action. I prefer the sound and action on the Casio until I start looking at DP's that are $1500 or more. We are both right, it's just that our criteria about what makes a DP better is different.
As far as the difference between the PX730 and PX830, I believe someone has posted that the PX830 has a synthetic ivory key top instead of the plastic ones in the PX730 and below.
The best suggestion is to purchase one that you like, not one that we recommend.
Rich
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I'm a fan of the P-85, because I really find the touch about in the middle...not too light, or too heavy.
Yes, it is Yamaha's least expensive action, but it still provides fine repetition, it is extremely durable, and if you consider trading up later on, the Yamaha name carries a lot of clout.
The Casio's feel okay...but, not quite as nice as the Yamaha...this is my personal opinion.
The SP-250 sounded thin, quick decays in the mid-range, as stated above, and I didn't like the uneven gaps between the keys, nor did I like the noisy action on a well used one I played.
You'll probably want to upgrade in a few years, as you progress, and newer pianos become available, so, in my opinion the P-85 (or just released P-95) would be your best bet to begin with.
Again, it's my opinion...I'm sure others will have their own...and, ultimately, it will depend on your feelings about the action of each....good luck.
Snazzy
Semper Gumby: Always flexible \:^)
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The Korg 350 is a "console" version of the sp 250 portable model, which has, in my personal opinion, a piano sound that is not as good as Yamaha, Kawai or Casio.
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Hello, im brand new to this site. I too am soon to buy a Korg LP-350. Right now I have a Yamaha YPG 635 and it works great, but the Korg will look much better in my living room, and I love the closeable lid. I will have to sell my Yamaha. The P-85 has horrible speakers, and I would never buy it, even though I use M-audio AV140 speakers on my YPG 635, and soon my Korg LP350. I would also stay away from the Korg SP170, because it is a new design with NO buttons. Everything is controlled by pressing a combination of keys. I dont like the sound of that. It maybe cheaper for the same sound, but without the closeable lid, and without buttons to control stuff. Well, again, Im new to this forum. Just thought Id leave my two cents. Good day! -Sifodyas1
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But the sp 170 has an improved sound compared to the LP 350.
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