Table of Contents
Introduction
For producers or concert players alike, do you want the best sounding digital piano for added quality in your music? We’ve got some great suggestions for you. But first, what exactly makes a digital piano quality in sounds?
First of all, it is mostly brand name digital pianos that have quality sound. This is because they are sampled from actual grand pianos or concert pianos or at least ones with quality stereo sampling, unlike the synthesizer-like sounds or muffled notes of cheaper digital pianos. Quality does come with a price, so if you value sound quality then your best bet is a higher-priced digital piano.
Our Top Picks
Here are some of our top picks for the best sounding digital pianos out there:
Overall Best Sounding Digital Piano: Yamaha P45
Without a doubt, perhaps one of the best digital piano brands out there to look for quality sound would be Yamaha. Here are some of its features:
Features
- Advanced Wave Memory Stereo Sampling – the quality is superb and it’s like you are playing at a concert with a real grand piano due to the natural sound.
- USB support – this can be great for beginners or anyone who want to practice, record and learn different new pieces of music.
- Accessories – you get a bench, a sustain pedal and the wooden furniture stand in this package.
Benefits
- Great for Grown-up Beginners – this is because it is not too pricey yet has a quality sound that’s not too childish-sounding. It’s also easy to set up overall.
- Good for dorms – the size of this digital piano keyboard is not too bulky so it can be a great one to have in your dorm.
- Weighted keys – you can practice the soft touch and hard weighting with the keys, just like with a real acoustic piano.
Pros
- A complete set – you get different other accessories aside from the weighted digital piano, such as the sustain pedal, bench, music sheet holder and the furniture stand.
- MIDI connection – you can use this if you want to produce music. Many DAW or digital audio workstation programs can make use of a MIDI keyboard for you to input notes easily.\
Cons
- Limited Presets – as it is only a digital piano that focuses more on sound quality than quantity, it only has a few sounds.
- Polyphony – the 64-note polyphony may not be that catering to those who want to play more notes at the same time, but this is a small factor because if you only care about quality piano sounds (without a lot of other presets), it’s not a big deal breaker.
Great for Portability: Casio CTK-3500
Another one of the name-brand digital pianos, this one has the following great features to boast:
Features
- Weighted action – you can add dynamics to the music that you are playing by using the soft touch keys.
- Step-up Lesson System – this can be useful for beginners who want to learn pieces.
- Dance Music Mode – you can use the 50 built-in dance music rhythms to add more spice to your music piece.
- Voices and rhythms – you can add accompaniment or change the tone of your digital piano, with over 100 rhythms and 400 tones/voices.
Benefits
- Portability – since it is a quality keyboard that offers portability only with the use of batteries, you can take it with you wherever you go.
- Power supply option – even as a portable keyboard, you can use the power supply when you run out of music power.
Pros
- A lot of presets – you can choose from a plethora of sounds and all of them are of good quality, especially the piano sounds.
- On-the-go digital piano – you can take it with you to practice over at a friend’s house or even while at the park.
- Great for beginners – with its lesson plan features, beginners who want a quality sounding digital piano might like this one.
Cons
- Few keys – it only has 61 keys, but this is not really a con if you intend it to be simply a portable on-the-go keyboard or digital piano.
- Not MIDI compatible – this is a downside that is only for those who are concerned with recording their songs on the computer. Otherwise, for beginners, MIDI recording may not always be needed.
Beginner-Friendly Set: Casio Privia PX-160
The Casio Privia PX-160 is what we’d recommend to those who are still starting out. It has the following specifications:
Features
- Weighted Keys – you can add dynamics to your performance just like playing a real concert grand piano!
- Free stuff – you get a sustain pedal, headphones, a dust cover, a bench, a black handle and much other stuff – perfect for beginners!
- Quality speakers – the stereo speakers let you easily listen to your performance on a live basis.
Benefits
- Lightweight – at only 26 lbs, it’s easy to move anywhere for you to play.
- Practice quietly – you can use the headphone jack to not disturb the neighbors when you play.
Pros
- Great for beginners – as we mentioned, the Casio Privia is great for those who are still starting out, since it has everything that you need for a piano lesson.
- Headphone input – you can use this to practice quietly and listen closely to your mistakes.
- A complete package – this may save you a lot of time, money and effort when having to buy separate pedals, a stand, and a bench.
Cons
- Spaces between keys – there have been some comments with the design of the keys, as they could be a little too wide which can get caught in there.
Conclusion
Overall, all of these digital pianos, the Yamaha P45, the Casio CTK-3500 and the Casio Privia PX-160, have their own strengths and weaknesses, but they are all great when it comes to being a quality sounding digital piano. The Yamaha P45, however, just excels a little bit when on sound quality overall.
Are you interested in any of these? You might as well check them out on Amazon for their current price!
