Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards finals DP comparisons( Roland RP401R vs Casio PX 860)

After i researched and tried myself i came down to these two.
I know there is a price difference.

Is the Roland RP401R worth the more hundred dollars compared to casio PX 860?

I dont care about the 300 more sounds of roland or any other gimmick.
I only care about which piano feels more classicaly realistic to the accoustic and which one will hold me the most years before i will need an accoustic.

Please provide explanation to your choices.
After this i ll go buy the chosen
thank you

These two outstanding DPs are among the all-time best values for any DP in the $1100-$1500 price range. They both have the latest technologies, and they both closely approximate the real acoustic piano sound/feel/action.

It's impossible to say which one is "better" in any objective sense; IOW, it's a completely subjective decision at this point.

You cannot go wrong with either piano. I highly recommend both these pianos, and I rate each of them a 9.5/10. The only other DP's that I would recommend as strongly in this price range are slab pianos which you wouldn't be interested in (the Casio PX-5S and the Kawai MP7 ... and the Casio has the edge as between these two).

Other things being equal, the Casio takes a slight advantage with it's 3-yr warranty (the Roland has a 2-yr warranty). Considering that it's usually during the 2d or 3d year where things start to go wrong, this is actually a very important factor.

I personally slightly prefer the action and sound of the Roland, but in truth both are stellar at this price-point.

At your local music store, I would recommend that you practice on each one for a few hours -- alternating between the two -- until you can break the tie in any definitive sense. I have played each for several hours, and I still cannot express a clear preference.

Please let us know which one you ultimately choose!

Thank you a lot for the response.
Truly ive tested both and they are really flawless (as I can judge being totally new).
The only advantage of roland over casio i could see is the conectivity utilities and the many more voices (300 if I recall).

You've narrowed down your decision to the two best alternatives for budget console pianos ... and now you must decide between the two.

Given the Casio's 3-yr warranty (with online registration) and cheaper price, it would be difficult to go wrong with this decision.

On the other hand, ...

On the other hand food from McDonalds is also great for the price.

If you`re a five yo . . .

Hi Pelasgos, it may also be worth keeping an eye on the previous Casio model if you can get one , the PX 850 ( or the AP-450 in the larger cabinet which is the same piano as the PX-850 in every other way ) they are often reduced in price these days.

The sounds samples for piano are identical, as is the action in the 60 series and 50 series. The other sounds, strings etc have been improved on the 60 model.

Apart from the extra reverb settings on the 60 ( hall simulator ) and extra orchestral accompaniment features. For piano playing alone you are getting exactly the same package as far as I am aware whether you buy a 60 or 50 series, so you can keep the extra cash in your pocket if you don't wish to spend it on those extra features you are not interested in.

Really? You think food from McDonalds is "great" at its price-point?

I think it sucks.

In my opinion the Casio Privia XP 5s piano and action can't be beaten at any price for a digital piano I have had a Nord stage 2 and own also the Korg Krome 88 and The Roland FA 06 The Casio Privia XP 5s I believe Is in a different league for quality and evenness of tone throughout the range

I've had the PX850 and have been using it every day for a couple of months. I've never used the Roland but the Casio is very good at its price point. Lots of useful features, great warranty, service most anywhere, very good keyboard feel and excellent sound.

Since the prices are close its personal choice but the 850/860 won't disappoint.

I don't think I've ever seen a conversation where Casio would be described as just great and not "great for the price". I believe it's important to realize that all this rave doesn't mean it's flawless.

People have described the Casio PX-5S as intrinsically great, irrespective of the price.

Something can be "great" and still be "flawed." Marlon Brando was a "great" actor, albeit a deeply flawed person.

The Casio PX-5S would be considered by many to be "great" even at double, triple, or quadruple the price ... but few people would argue that it's "flawless."

For gigs - maybe. For someone who wants to learn classical piano - I don't think so.

Depends on what you mean by "learn". My kids' piano teacher's lessons are nearly 100% classical music and they have no problems switching from PX150 to acoustic for these pieces.

If you're talking about concert pianists performing at Carnegie, what DP could qualify?

I don't think there's any product at this level people would uniformly describe as flawless.

Question: have you actually played the Casio PX-850 or PX-860, or are just going off pre-existing bias, and / or having played earlier models?

I agree. This sounds like the cemment of somebody who is just operating of an old bias and hasn't bothered to update themselves on Casio's current offerings. (no doubt this poster will come on and say they have played them though).

Having played all of the offerings in the middle price bracket from Roland, Yamaha, Kawai and Casio, I think the Casio is a valid competitor to them. The action, sound and responsiveness is comparable to the other brands. Casio doesn't do high end stuff, but within the low to mid range stuff, they are perfectly respectable and are realistic competitors. Whether they are "great" or "great for the price" is irrelevant because you could say the same things about the other brands. No mid range DP is "great", but they can be pretty nice for what they are.

With SN sound and PHA-4 keys it's hard for me to imagine a looper with Casio keys beating that. Listening to the PX860 demos, it has a "plinky" sound in the upper mid keys that I personally find grating. You could probably do realistic solo recording with the Roland.

Though I've seen neither of these DPs in the flesh. Did you listen to both of them through the same headphones when you demoed them Pelasgos? DPs often get used with headphones, and there are many devils living in the sonic details that you might not otherwise notice playing through the speakers, particularly in a noisy music store. When demoing think of playing and listening to the DP under test year in and year out, over and over. If anything stands out as even slightly annoying imagine how it will seem way down the road after you've heard it literally thousands of times. Just like you can't fix stupid, there's no calling in a piano tech to tame the sound generator in your DP, it's what it is for eternity.

An AP-450 (equivalent Celviano to the PX-850 / PX-860 - just "packaged" differently), being recorded by mic, played by Max Tempia...



I don't think there's anything poor about the sound of the PX-850 / PX-860, or AP-450 at all. Might not be perfect - but neither is anything else - especially at this price point.

Action is well thought of by many that have played them, easily comparable with anything similarly priced or perhaps slightly higher, and is common throughout the range(s) (Privia and Celviano).

I've no doubt the Roland is a decent digital piano for the money, but it's more money, and on spec, only has half the polyphony (128, rather than 256) of the PX-860, and not as powerful speaker system.

So your selective focus on some spec, is worth no more than my selective take on spec - the OP should play them both - and yes, with headphones on, too - and decide what they think is preferable.

I disagree (strongly).

First, the PX-5S has many features that enhance the grand piano feel and experience, such as;

AiR Sound Engine
256-note polyphony
Scaled Hammer Action II
Tri-Sensor keyboard
Synthetic ebony and ivory keys
High resolution velocity
Key off velocity
Lid Simulation
String Resonance
Damper Resonance
Hammer Response

Second, here's a 1.5 minute sample of classical grand piano on the PX-5S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwMM9nMOwyM



Third, the PX-5S can function as a virtual piano controller, allowing the user to import classical piano software, such as Ravenscroft concert grand.

Finally, the PX-5S has a powerful synthesizer engine that allows the experienced user to fine-tune the robustness of the classical grand piano sound.

Thus, the PX-5S is not only a very competent keyboard for classical piano, but an experienced user can actually enhance the classical music experience far beyond what your standard DP or Steinway grand could deliver.

The PX-5S is the future!