Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Yamaha CP-33 or P155

Could someone compare the Yamaha CP-33 with the P155. I know the P155 comes with built in speakers and the CP-33 doesn't.

I'm recommending one for my sister to replace her DGX with unweighted keys and a buzzy speaker.

The CP33 also includes more MIDI controller functionality... i.e. pitch bend and mod wheels, and the ability to program the buttons to send MIDI program change commands to other attached devices.

The piano sounds are not identical, some people prefer one, some people prefer the other.

You can download the manuals for both from the Yamaha web site, if you want a thorough preview of the features of each.

I have a CP33 and prefer the interface - I don't really use the wheels, but I like the more direct access to all the voices from dedicated buttons. The CP33 has lots of matt black metal and looks like the stage instrument it's sold as. The P155 is more like a piece of furniture, with optional matching legs and a choice of wood effects. On paper, the P155 sound specs seem to be superior (4 vs 3 layer samples, more polyphony), and the actions should be equivalent, but like anotherscott says, real world opinions vary:

http://www.pianoworld.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1198798/Yamaha%20P-155%20or%20the%20CP33?.html

These are different instruments often compared because of price point. The CP33 is a stage piano while the P155 is a portable home piano. Both can be used in either a stage or home application, although the CP33 is limited to headphones or purchasing speakers or monitors since it has no built in speakers. The P155 seems to be a better choice for home use. To see the P155, youtube Kyle Landry. Amazing piano player.

I 2nd what Zach said about Kyle, athough he has been using his p120 lately. There are plenty of vids of him using his p155 though.

Thanks for all the input on the 33 and 155. I watched the Kyle Landry videos.

RDW, I like the CP-33's dedicated voice buttons too.

ZacharyForbes, that was a good comment about stage piano vs. portable home piano. My sister's DGX looks like the 155 and the CP-33 looks more like my Roland FP-4 and I like that style better.

I'm definitely leaning toward the CP-33.

The main difference between the CP33 and the P155 is that I own the former

Many comparisons were posted over here in the past year, basically it's a matter of preference.

The only relevant difference (spec-wise) is that P155 offers key-resonance (afair), which is negligible in my view in most of the cases. (depends on playing style tough...)

Thanks Hannibal, one more plus for the CP-33.

I own the P155. I'd recommend it if the intended use is as a home practice piano. The CP33 is the best of the two by far if the intended use is on stage.

The reason is the controls. Some functions that are only accessible on P155's menu system are physical sliders on the CP33. No one during a performance on stage is going to go "head down" and push "Function, down arrow, down arrow,. Select up arrow, enter" while holding a flash light in the other hand. On the Cp33 you can simply press a preset button or push a slider. The P155 has slightly better sound and speakers that are good enough for low volume practice and enough functions buttons to handle what you are likey to want to do at home.

One thing that might be a big deal is that the CP33 has mod and pitch bend wheels. If you need these then you need them and the P155 would be totally unacceptable. But for piano oriented music you'd never use them. The wheels are needed if you are going to play non-piano sounds of instruments that can bend notes or have artiulations, most string and woodwinds and brass and all electronic (synth) music


But as I said above if the inteded use is a home practice piano, the P155 is the best one of the two.

Thanks Chris, I'll look into the P155.

joangolfing, will this purchase be for a gigging instrument or a home based instrument? If home based, go the for the P155 no question. If for stage, go with the CP33. I think deciding on what the purpose of the board is for should help your decision since they essentially sound and play much the same.

+1 !

Like somebody else above said, it all depends on what you want. I was faced with a similar decision some months back, and plumped for the CP33 in the end as I wanted the portability and the flexibility to choose my own sound quality output rather than relying on (and paying for) inbuilt speakers which would also add weight to the package while not necessarily giving me the sound quality I wanted. So I got the CP33 and some good quality studio monitor speakers (also Yamaha). This adds to the cost, of course, but with the P155 you are paying for these anyway and unlike studio monitors they are 'non-transferable'--when you change your keyboard the speakers go too!

Some other points to bear in mind. The CP33 comes with a Yamaha YC-3(?) pedal, with half-damper effect. As it is designed as a stage piano, it does not come with a music-stand--that has to be purchased separately and can be tricky enough to source. The CP33 is, however, built like a tank. I remember when I received mine how impressed I was with the build quality and the overall sense of solidity of the unit, from the frame, to the controls and buttons, to the keys and keybed itself. It oozes strength and solidity, and has that 'built to last' quality that is so rare in most consumer electronics today.

On the issue of the sound and the keyboard, two things:

Firstly, I have yet to come across any digital piano with (to my ear) an acceptable sound--the sampling is just not up to scratch, whether it has 3 or 4 (or 5 or 6) layers. I use Pianoteq for quality sound generation, but am happy with the CP33 sounds for practicing.

Secondly, I strongly suspect that the keyboards are different. The CP33 is a stripped-down version of the (twice-the-price) CP300, Yamaha's flagship stage-piano before the new CP1, 5 and 30 came out a couple of years back. It is consequently designed to be good enough for the more discerning professional/gigging musician, rather than the home-user. This suspicion was borne out when I ventured into a music shop a while back and tried out a P155 out of curiosity (and because I was looking for a cheaper second 'stage piano' for my home-away-for-home). The keyboard seemed to me very different, above all, much lighter in feel than my CP33, and closer to other Yamaha home-oriented digital piano products such as the Arius range. This is not necessarily a bad thing (my CP33 keys can seem heavier than the Kawai upright I occasionally use), but it is something to consider.

Best of luck with the decision!

Patrick

Thanks, these are all great comments. I did recommend the CP33 to a friend who ordered one a week ago and loves it. Their family needed a silent practice piano for late night sessions since they have a grand piano. They have 3 young children who can begin learning piano with the portability of the CP33. I thought the power of the speakers would give them enough sound to compete with their grand piano.

My sister is still reluctant to replace her old DGX and that was the reason for my original question here in this forum. I did recommend the CP33 to her as well but my powers of persuasion to her didn't work.

But it did give me some ideas for my own digital choices. I am happy with my Roland FP-4 but also interested in other digitals for myself that would be as light as the FP-4. For me the choice would be overall weight since I spend 3 months away in the winter using it. And I can't lift anything heavier than the FP-4. And it also fits side to side in the back seat of my Honda Accord.

It's the FC3, which works very well (the only minus is a tendency to squeak after a while, which can be cured by opening it up and re-greasing). The P155 comes with the cheaper FC4 instead, which doesn't support half pedalling - a nice piano like this deserves better, but I guess Yamaha's bean counters decided they'd rather you made a separate purchase. Still, if you buy the FC3 you can at least keep the FC4 as a soft pedal. The music stand for the CP series is the CP-REST, which attaches quite neatly (but sits a bit low and far back for my taste and has no clips to hold back the pages). Both the CP-REST and FC3 are stocked by (e.g.) B&H (www.bhphotovideo.com) and aren't too expensive, so Yamaha's skimping on accessories needn't be a barrier to getting either instrument.