Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Casio PX-130 Upgrade?

Looking at upgrading from a used Casio Px-130 and curios what is a worth upgrade and not just the same class - just newer.

Looking at a Kaiwa ES110, KDP-110 or the new ES-520 (that nothing much is known about).

I'm a beginner just learning, but I'm hooked.

Absolutely worth it.

I upgraded from a Casio px 130 to a Kawai ES110 a while ago: better sound with a lot longer decay times and higher dynamic range, better action, better pedaling (with half pedaling capabilities), string resonance simulation, absence of dampers in high register... (if I continue thinking I'm sure I find other adventaages).

I think it's 200% worth it. Totally different and much more real piano like experience with the ES110.

I wouldn't go from Px130 to anything other than an ES8 and above. Honestly I don't even think the ES8 is that great a deal.

The actions are all kinda Meh until you get to Grand Feel.

I beg to differ as eloquently. I have gone from a PX350 to an ES8 and the difference was huge in all accounts (sound/touch/keybed quality/build quality). Despite later on I developing a dislike for it due to key clicks and some other issues, I have to admit I still consider it a huge step up form PX350. That said, nowadays I would look at other brands too, especially Yamaha, not discarding higher end Casios.

Casio is not in the same ballpark as other manufacturers, so going to Kawai is always an upgrade.

Casio has the small pivot, that's its only shortcoming.

If it had a bigger pivot, there'd be pretty much nothing to complain about.

Jeffcat, my apologies, I misread your post, body was moving, brain was not entirely woken up yet. So, I agree with you instead of differing.

I own a Casio PX870 and I agree 100% with Jeffcat.

Muskie

It isn't worth it. Why do you want to upgrade? You have few hundred bucks lying around that you don't know what to do with it?

If you are serious about learning how to play, improvising and jamming with friends, then buy somthing that has some room for you to grow! not something in the same department.

Plan for your goal and your money wise.

Everyone is such buzzkill.. Serious, when should I upgrade? When I've got $2K+ lying around? I can score a used KDP-110 and sell my PX130 to get a upgrade for a net around $700. Maybe not massive upgrades, but surely across the board improvements in sound, action, speakers, and most obviously the build of the piano. And it's 10 years newer... Maybe I've made up my mind, but I'm always surprised there isn't more enthusiasm for upgrading on these forums.

Well I wasn't :P.

I'm not sure people are aware how old the px130 is. It's action is 3 generations old, as well as its sound engine. It's a digital piano from 2010.

I know the es110 isn't such a big upgrade, but I made this exact upgrade and I'd do it again. It's just a lot better overall and you maintain the great portability feature, if that matters to you (it mattered to me, the es8 is already too heavy). If portability doesn't matter the KDP110 would be good too, it's basically a console version of the es110.

Well I upgraded from the 10 year old Casio Privia PX130 to the Kaiwa KDP-110. Absolutely in love. Would it be worth it at $1200? Maybe not, but I'd still do it. But I got a great deal barely used, so its no question. The action and sound engine are both BIG steps up. And the 40W speakers are glorious going from 2x8W. The build quality is also night and day.

I'll disgaree. The PX-130 action was not as good as your PX870 or other more modern Casios. In fact, to me, the PX-130/PX-330 action was one of the least enjoyable hammer actions of the past 20 years, it felt "sloppy." I personally found it to be a step backwards from the actions Casio used on the older PX-100/PX-300 or PX-110/PX-310, which I liked. As hammer actions go, any Kawai, any later generation Casio (and at least some of the older ones as well), any Yamaha, any Korg RH3 model, would all be noticeably better, IMO. Yes, this is subjective, but to me, upgrading would be very worthwhile.

Yes, I would highly recommend upgrading when you have $3K+ lying around. $2K is just meh.. This forum is VERY enthusiastic about upgrading.

However, DP is not like an iphone. There isn't really that much improvement over the years, and they don't put the best stuff in the <$1500 models. Again, going to an ES8, somewhat worth it. Less than that, meh..

I don’t doubt that. I’m just saying the short pivot length on the 870 is it’s only downfall. It sounds very good. I really like the key texture. Nice compact design. But... the short pivot length is an issue for me. I don’t like it.
Muskie

FWIW --

The one thing that you can't change, on a DP, is the action.

You can run VST's, you can add outboard amps and speakers. But you can't change the action.

So if you want to upgrade, it's ought to be the action that sets the "tier" of what you buy.

. . . On that basis, getting an "entry-level" DP isn't a good decision -- even if it's a new model.

A used Yamaha P-515, or ES-8, or FP-90, might be your best trade-off between "action quality" and $. Any of those should make you say:

. . . "Oh -- _this_ is what ten years of progress brought !"

An alternative is to bite the VST bullet, and get a Kawai VPC-1 (just action, no built-in sounds). You'll be tied to a computer, and need outboard speakers or headphones, and I wouldn't trust it for gigging. But if you have a computer already, it's not a crazy thing to do.

"Upgrade" means getting an acoustic piano. Or go the Avant Grand or Novus route.

Replacing one folded action with another is not an upgrade, it's a sidegrade.

Then there would be no difference between Roland PHA50, Yamaha NWX, Kawai RHIII and whatever they have inside those Gear4Music pianos.

So, a 300€ Gear4Music piano should be the ideal budget controller for VSTis unless a "non-folded" action is a must.

And yet people feel differences between the various folded actions...

Some are even measurable with a ruler or a set of weights.

You cannot be serious.

I didn't say there isn't any difference between folded actions. But for me an "upgrade" means actually going a step up. Getting out of watches, calculators and toy pianos is an upgrade, but replacing a less expensive folded action with a more expensive one isn't.

It's the same for acoustic (and hybrid) instruments: Replacing less expensive upright piano with a more expensive one is a sidegrade. Replacing an upright with a grand is an upgrade.