Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Yamaha YDP142 vs Casio PX750

Morning everyone,

I am buying a new digital piano on Saturday. I am looking at the two as described in the subject. I will be testing them before I buy but should I be looking out for anything in particular?

I am currently learning on a Roland FP7F which belongs to my piano teacher. I have at home a Yamaha Piaggero NPV-60 (I also learn on this) which I must say is absolutely useless in the sense that the keys are not weighted and they bounce back on springs! Useless for exam standards anyway.

The Casio PX750 has SCALED HAMMER ACTION TRI-SENSOR keyboard and the Yamaha has GRADED HAMMER STANDARD. Not graded hammer action/GH3/GH3X/NW which I understand is better.

Are the keyboards on the above two the same thing? I'm worried I won't be able to tell the difference at my level of experience (which is only grade 2 ABRSM)! If I don't notice this difference now I'm thinking I may do as my experience broadens and then it's more money I will have to spend on a new one.

Will this get me through all the grades comfortably? I cannot afford anymore than £600-700

Thanks so much and sorry for all the questions.

P.S am really not fussed whether my digital piano has YAMAHA or CASIO stamped on it.

In hat price range, Casio is the way to go - assuming you like it. You really have to play them, and you will be able to tell the difference, so don't worry. The GHS is not as good, and for your money you will get more out of the Casio. Either are a great improvement over the Piaggero, however, and will be better preparation for exams.

I have the YDP142 and I'm at grade 2 level.
I like it and don't really have any problems when I play on my teacher's acoustic upright during lessons.

I haven't played the PX750 so sorry I can't give a comparison.

Any chance you can try out YDPS51B too? A music store near me had that model cheaper than YDP142 and it has GH action.

What Morodiene said.

. Charles

Have to agree with morodienne. A nice thing about this price level of pianos is that you can play them side by side at a place like guitar center without getting too much attention from the sales staff.

IMHO none of the digitals at this price range feel like a real acoustic. I suspect the casio might be a tad more realistic. The only ydp model I thought was nice (meaning a noticeable improvement in action over my 20 year old clavinova) was the ydp181. However at its price range there are far superior choices.

The YDP161 has the same keyboard as the 181 and is a very nice instrument - about €150 more than the YDP141. Also, since the P155 has now been replaced by the P255, you can get the P155 cheaper - going rate seems to be £799.

This is a much better bet than most of the above mentioned, apart possibly from the Casios, if you like their sound & action. But, all in all, the Yamaha P155 must be the better intrument, IMO though it's a bit above your original price range - but only by £99

If you're going to go to that kind of price range, the Casio PX-850, and possibly AP-450 become relevant. Although the same action, you're then doubling polyphony to 256, and a fair degree of other stuff that's relevant to the sound engine.

If you are doing ABRSM, then just bite the bullet and get the Yamaha CLP-525 or Kawai CN24. You will outgrow the entry-level stuff by ABRSM 4 and you'll have to upgrade then anyway.

The P155 would be just as capable of handling higher ABRSM levels than the CN24 or CLP525. Also, possibly the Casios, especially if linked to an (inexpensive) virtual piano. In fact, it would be better, I think.

And the Yamaha P155 has the same keyboard system as the CLP-525, minus the third sensor, admittedly useful for a very few pieces of early 20th century, but hardly essential.

Yes agree, saying "you'll have to upgrade" is a bit too strong. GH action is probably good enough for most repertoire. I should have said, you'll itch to upgrade by ABRSM 4 again. The OP is itching to upgrade now before he needs it, really. Why go the really expensive route of buying a new keyboard every 2 to 3 years? Not having the 3rd sensor, every time you do trills by ABRSM 4 you will wonder would that have gone better if I had the 3rd sensor? Answer is no, but you'd still wonder, actually certain legato chords do benefit from having the 3rd sensor, any time legato chords requires repeating some or all the same notes.

All Casios have three sensors - but I'm just wondering whether the 3rd sensor is so necessary - not for turns, mordants or trills. For tremolo on a single note, of course yes but that's not an effect very often employed.....Ravel likes it a lot though.

I would not recommend a CLP-525. There are cheaper and better out there from other brands.

From a Yamaha perspective, with the CLP-535 and higher you at least get the new Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial voices, "better" action (at least in theory), Key-Off samples, String Resonance, WAV recording abilities and more.

Edit:

Of course this is not my money I am spending either

You can chew on the technical specs for ever and get nowhere. Just go and try them, go home and try them again. It`s goit to be what you prefer; the Yamaha 142 looks awful, the Casio looks good-ish. Yamahas are usually bulletproof, Casios have much improved. Pay special attention to the action and feel of the keys. You`ll have fun on whatever you get; they`ll both do the job well.