Yamaha P45 vs Casio PX-160 | 88-Key Digital Piano Review & Comparison

Welcome to another piano review here at Merriam Music! In this article and accompanying video, we’ll be comparing two absolute titans of the entry-level market for 88-key digital pianos with weighted actions as we look at the Yamaha P45 vs Casio PX-160. We’ll be comparing the actions, sound engines, speaker systems, and peripheral features - everything you'll want to know about these instruments before making a decision.

Let’s kick off our discussion by focusing on sound engines.

 

Digital Piano Sound Comparison: Yamaha P45 vs Casio PX-160

Casio PX-160 Polyphony

The Yamaha P45 and Casio PX-160 are really well-matched when it comes to price, but when we take a closer look at the sound-related specs, it becomes immediately apparent that the PX-160 is delivering some exceptional value. Just look at the polyphony counts for example - there are 128 notes of polyphony over on the PX-160, whereas the P45 has half of that at 64 note polyphony.

 

Speakers

The same thing continues when it comes to the speakers - the P45 has dual 6-watt amps/speakers for 12 watts of power versus dual 8-watt speakers for 16 watts of amplifier power on the PX-160.

 

Sound Engine: AiR Sound System

For the price, it really is quite remarkable what Casio has brought to the table here in terms of sound quality with their AiR sound system. Since sound is a super personal and subjective thing, however, at this point we’d recommend checking out the video as Stu Harrison takes us through a playing comparison of both pianos’ default grand piano sounds.

In terms of the actual acoustic piano tone, both instruments are definitely bringing something satisfying to the table. If you demo both pianos with headphones (which we would recommend) you’ll notice that the PX-160 has a lot of air surrounding the sound, which maybe shouldn’t be a shock given the name of the sound engine.

This is a really great feature as it gives the player a sense of being in a larger room behind a real piano. The Yamaha P45 has a more simple tone courtesy of the Advanced Wave Memory engine (AWM stereo sampling), but it's still delivering a satisfying playing experience.

Yamaha has sampled their CFIIIS concert grand piano for the core piano sound, and while this piano has been replaced by the newer CFX concert grand, this is still a super high-end grand piano to be working from.

 

Additional Sounds

Beyond the core acoustic piano sounds, both pianos have some additional instrument sounds worth exploring, with 18 total sounds on the PX160, and the P45 has just over half as many with 10.

Even though there are only 10 sounds on the P45, all of the essentials are covered, such as some electric pianos, strings, organ, and harpsichord. The P-Series pianos always have nice electric piano sounds, and that holds true here.

The PX160 has all of the same types of sounds, plus several more given its larger count overall. The quality is high for the price points on both pianos in terms of the onboard voices, but the PX160 obviously gets an edge here due to the greater number of sounds. Both pianos offer some user control over the Reverb settings.

This sums up our discussion on sound. Let’s move on to action now.

 

Yamaha P45 vs Casio PX-160 | Piano Action Review and Comparison

We certainly had some big differences in the sound systems of both pianos, but when it comes to the action, the differences become even more obvious, even if both pianos are using full-size, weighted keys, 88-key keyboards. This is apparent right away when you first play the PX-160’s Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II due to some really dramatic textures on the white and black keys.

 

Yamaha P45 Graded Hammer Standard

The Yamaha P45 Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) action on the other hand doesn’t employ any type of texture on the white keys and instead features a glossy feel, with a matte finish on the black keys.

For the P45, this has been an area of criticism within the industry for a few years now, as the piano player’s fingers can slide on the keys in playing situations with higher humidity, which of course aren’t uncommon for portable digital pianos.

 

Casio Privia PX160 Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II

Neither action has escapement or let-off as it's sometimes known, and only the FP10 and its PHA4 action boast this particular feature in the price point. The Yamaha P45 action uses a dual-sensor which is typical for the price, but the PX160’s action features a more advanced triple sensor action meaning it has a greater capacity for touch sensitivity.

A beginner looking for an instrument for piano lessons won’t really feel a difference here, but an experienced musician looking for a good value practice or secondary instrument probably will, as will those looking for an accurate MIDI controller.

The weighting is good on both pianos, with the Yamaha feeling a little bit lighter.

As far as weighted action digital pianos go, both of these feel good overall for the price. Are you going to put either one on your wishlist if you’re looking to dive into advanced classical repertoire? No, but that’s not the point, and you’re probably not looking for a portable keyboard in that case anyway.

 

Yamaha P45 vs Casio PX-160 | Features/Connectivity Comparison

Both the PX-160 and the P45 have all of the basics covered when it comes to normal digital piano features. Both have a metronome, transpose, dual-mode (Layer), while the PX160 has Split mode, and the P45 has Duo mode.

 

USB-MIDI Connections: Yamaha P45 and Casio Privia PX-160

There’s no built-in recorder on the P45 like there is on the PX160, but thanks to USB-MIDI connections both pianos are easily connectible to computers for recording anyway. The PX160 has discreet 1/4” line outputs which is a very nice bonus for the price point, while you’ll have to use the headphone jack on the P45 which isn’t ideal.

 

Keyboard Stand and Pedal System: Yamaha P45 vs Casio PX-160

Both pianos include a basic footswitch sustain pedal, though we recommend upgrading to a more substantial damper pedal. Also included with each are a power supply (power adapter) and a music rest.

Both are available with optional matching keyboard stands, while Casio also gives you the option of opting for a triple pedal system as well.

Final Thoughts

At the price both of these pianos are available, there aren’t too many other compelling options out there, aside from spending a little bit more and jumping to the Roland FP10 with its superior tone and touch (no triple pedal though!.)

Between the P45 and PX160, the PX160 definitely out-specs it on paper and makes a pretty compelling case for itself. That said, there are plenty of folks who will simply prefer the tone and touch of the P45 for their own personal reasons, not to mention the comfort that comes with selecting a Yamaha product.

Tough to find in stock, even on Amazon, but if you can, both are among the best digital pianos available in the entry-level class.

The post Yamaha P45 vs Casio PX-160 | 88-Key Digital Piano Review & Comparison first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Yamaha P45 vs Roland FP-10 Digital Piano Review, Comparison, & Demo

 

 Welcome to another piano comparison at Merriam Music. Today, we are comparing the Yamaha P45 vs Roland FP-10, two absolute titans of the entry-level market, both with tons of fans and lots of potential shoppers all around the world.

This comparison has been requested many times by our readers and viewers so we're happy to cover it here, and in the accompanying video. In a part of the market that also has compelling options from Casio (Privia and CDP series) and Korg, the P45 and Roland FP-10 still manage to be among the best sellers, the P45, particularly on Amazon.

We'll be comparing the actions, sound engines, and main features to see exactly how these two oft-compared pianos stack up to one another.

 

Opening Thoughts

These two pianos are very similar in some respects, the most obvious being price. These are both priced in the United States for under $500, and in Canada, both are available for under $750. Visibly, they appear to be very similar in terms of their size and stature.

At a quick glance, you might think to yourself, "Well, the Yamaha P45 and the Roland FP-10 are essentially equal offerings from two different companies, and, I've always gone Yamaha before, so I'm not really missing anything by not taking a serious look at the Roland,"  This is where you would be very wrong.

Hiding under the hood of these two instruments are some remarkably different specs that ultimately result in divergent musical experiences. Let's start by checking out the sound engines.

Piano Sounds: Yamaha P-45

The piano sound consists of some different aspects when we're in the digital piano realm. The first factor is of course the computer that functions as the tone generator. The second aspect is the onboard speakers. We'll start by checking out the sound on the Yamaha P45 88-key digital piano first. Right away it's clear, even in spite of its affordable price tag, that it's a pretty responsive piano.

P-45 Advanced Wave Memory (AWM)

The P-45 features the Advanced Wave Memory (AWM) stereo sampling sound engine here. The grand piano sound is certainly on the brighter side, but that's fairly expected since apes the timbre of their real pianos. Yamaha tends to have a brighter, clear sound on both their acoustic pianos as well as digital pianos.

 

Speaker System

The speakers on this are 6 watts apiece, so it's a total of 12 watts of power. For an instrument of this price and size, that's plenty. In fact, it's hard to build an instrument that's this light with much if any more power.

The speakers on the P45 are on the bottom of the instrument, so they are downward-facing. The sound quality is good, but you do get a better playing experience when playing with headphones.

 

64-notes Polyphony

We're getting 64-note polyphony here on the P45 which is definitely quite dated considering what most other options in the price point are offering.

In terms of other instrument sounds, the P-45 has 10 on board. Accessing them is really easy with a very user-friendly interface. There are a couple of nice electric pianos, organs, strings, harpsichord, and vibraphone. The pipe organ is particularly nice.

 

Piano Sounds: Roland FP-10

Let's now move over to the FP-10. If you're a Yamaha person and have never thought of a need to look outside of the Yamaha lane for a product, this particular matchup should give you some pause. We try and be as objective as possible in these reviews, but to be honest, the FP-10 blows the P-45 away in virtually every respect.

96-notes Polyphony

The FP10 has a polyphony of 96 versus 64. This 32-note difference gives the Rolan d a bit of an edge, especially if you're going to be doing some layering, but it's also indicative of a more complex tone generator. 

The FP10 has a polyphony of 96 versus 64. This 32-note difference gives the Roland a bit of an edge, especially if you're going to be doing some layering, but it's also indicative of a more complex tone generator.

 

Super Natural Piano Sound Engines

The FP-10 is using Roland's SuperNATURAL Piano Sound Engine, and it's actually incorporating and allowing you to access and tweak all kinds of synthesis parameters such as damper resonance, string resonance, and others. The SuperNATURAL sound engine is available in different levels throughout the Roland lineup, but even this more basic version has a lot going on.

Objectively, you can argue that there's just more technology going on here behind the piano tone itself. But then we get into the number of tones, and instead of 10, as long as you're using the piano partner app wirelessly, you're given access to more than 30 on the FP-10, including some really nice synths. The quality is definitely higher across these other tones as well. 

 

Speakers

In terms of onboard speakers, you're not getting much of an improvement. They're literally the same with 12 watts of power on both. Still, it's pretty hard not to come away feeling that the FP-10 is delivering a much more realistic piano tone, that also happens to offer more polyphony and more sounds.

 

Piano Action: Graded Hammer Standard vs PHA-4

Now let's talk about action because if you are a parent enrolling your child in piano lessons, the action is probably going to be the most important thing to get right to ensure that the new student is building good habits right away.

Fortunately, we're dealing with two weighted action digital pianos here with full-size graded hammer actions, which is crucially important if you actually intend to learn piano.

Yamaha's Graded Hammer Standard (GHS)

The action on the P-45 is Yamaha's Graded Hammer Standard or GHS for short. This is an action that Yamaha has been using on their instruments for quite some time. There are things that are likable about it, and others that are undoubtedly drawbacks at this point in time.

The GHS action has polished white keytops, so that gives it a good grip in some situations, but it also makes it a little less comfortable to play in more humid situations. Fortunately, there's a matte finish on the black key which feels nice.

It's missing escapement, but for somebody who has never played piano before, this will be a non-factor. But if you are using this as a practice instrument and going back and forth between it and an acoustic, it would be a little more helpful to have both instruments with escapement for familiarity.

The other thing about the action which is a bit of a knock against it is the presence double sensor. If you had any intention of using this as a MIDI controller, and you were wanting to trigger some really high-quality samples on a DAW, the double sensor does not really deliver a particularly accurate MIDI output for professional use. For beginners, it shouldn't really matter, but of course, it will be less sensitive than a triple sensor action.

Some positives are the weighting which feels good, as is the repetition speed. They also use this action in the Yamaha P125.

 

Roland's PHA-4 Standard Keyboard Action

Over to the FP-10. If there's one thing that set's the FP-10 apart from everything else in the class, it would be the action. The PHA-4 Standard Keyboard Action that the FP-10 has is the same action that Roland puts on their RP-501, F-140, FP-60, and FP-30, which in the case of the RP-501, is an instrument that's 3x the price of the FP-10.

That's an incredible value that you're receiving on the FP-10 for this price because it's not some stripped-down version of the PHA-4. You are getting a triple sensor for better touch sensitivity, escapement and nice ivory feel on the keys.

On paper and in practice, despite both being weighted key actions, the PHA-4 simply outguns the GHS action as a borderline high-end action available at an entry-level price.

 

Yamaha P45 vs Roland FP-10 | Features & Connectivity

There's quite a bit of overlap between these two when it comes to features and optional accessories.

They both come with an included music rest, footswitch style sustains pedals, and power adapters for the power supply.

Both are available with a matching keyboard stand for an additional cost, though neither one has an option for a 3 pedal unit.

 

Bluetooth MIDI vs USB to host port

Now, a big difference between the two is that the FP-10 has built-in Bluetooth MIDI connectivity. The Yamaha P45 does have a USB to host port, so you can hook this up to a computer and output MIDI to it, but it's really nice being able to do things wirelessly.

 

Headphone Jacks

Neither one of these instruments has official audio line-outs. They both are equipped with headphone jacks though,  so you can use the headphone output to connect to an amplifier.

Both pianos have all the basics covered like a metronome, dual mode, duo mode, and transpose. 

Closing Thoughts

Here are some closing thoughts and general takeaways on the comparison here. First of all, you may just have a subjective preference between the tone P-45 or the tone of the FP-10. There's nothing invalid about that.

But beyond that, the FP-10 really does pack an objectively superior piano sound, both in terms of specs and how it works in practice, and the same can be said about the piano action. The Bluetooth Connectivity for connecting to Apple and Android devices might be a big deal too.

That said, the P-45 is a tried and true instrument, and the fact that it's almost impossible to find in stock really says something.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out the accompanying video to hear these 2 in action! Visit Merriam Music for more piano reviews and article

The post Yamaha P45 vs Roland FP-10 Digital Piano Review, Comparison, & Demo first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Yamaha P45 vs Yamaha P125 Digital Pianos Comparison - Are They Still Worth Buying?

Introduction

Yamaha's P series digital pianos are about as popular as a line of digital pianos can get, especially apparent by Amazon sales statistics. For lots of folks, the combination of price, features, and brand comfort has them settling on a weighted action digital piano P series instrument. The question from there is, which one should go on your wishlist?

In this article and linked video, we'll discuss Yamaha P45 vs Yamaha P125 Digital Pianos Comparison, which is known as the most popular Yamaha P series pianos, to see how the entry-level Yamaha P45 88-key piano stacks up to the mid-range P125.

Both instruments are portable keyboards and feature full-size 88-note weighted key hammer actions and convincing piano sound quality. You might be wondering if you'd be satisfied with the P45 or if it would make sense to spring for the P125. Hopefully, this review and comparison video will help answer that question.

Opening Thoughts

Along with Roland's FP series, Yamaha's P-series are undoubtedly the most popular, portable 88-key keyboards on the planet. The P45 and P125 are both well under $1,000 USD in a lot of markets, with the P45 sitting right around the $500 USD mark.

Yamaha P45

Many people will wonder exactly what separates the P45 from the P125 since it's not a huge stretch of the budget to make the jump to P45.  It turns out there are some big upgrades on the P125, to the point that unless you're already maxed out budget-wise on the P45, it's hard to see why anyone would stop at the P45 and not spend a little bit extra.

For some quick context, the P45 competes in a price point that happens to feature Casio's new CDP-S350, which on paper, really outshines the P45 with many more sounds and features, plus superior speakers. You also have the FP-10 in this class, which has by far the best tone and touch out of any instrument available for the price.

Yamaha P125

The P125 competes with Kawai's ES110, which is another huge fan favorite, along with the Casio PX-S1100 and the Roland FP-30X.

With that out of the way, let's see how the tone engines on the P-45 and P-125 stack up.

Yamaha P45 vs Yamaha P125 | Piano Sound

Speakers

One of the biggest differences that you'll notice right away between the two instruments has to do with the speaker configuration and location. The P45 has two downward-facing speakers, and these are each fed by 6-watt stereo amplifiers, for a total of 12 watts of power.

Anytime you have downward-facing speakers, you're always going to have a bit more warmth to the tone because your ear isn't coming in direct contact with some of the higher frequencies. This can sometimes create muddiness, but in the case of the P45, it actually sounds nicely warm.

The P125 conversely has an upward-facing four-speaker system. Although it looks like a two-speaker system, there are actually two different speaker cones inside each one of the speaker enclosures. The speaker system is being fed by dual 7-watt amps, for a total of 14 watts of power.

This isn't a huge difference in power, but the fact that the speakers are facing up instead of down means that you're getting a much more detailed sound. Check out the video for some side-by-side playing examples to hear for yourself.

Sound Engines

The next sound-related difference is that these pianos do not use the same sound engine. The P45 is using Yamaha's Advanced Wave Memory (AWM Stereo) engine, while the P125 is using the more advanced Pure CF sound engine, with the high-end Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand piano being recreated via stereo sampling.

The extra processing power of the Pure CF engine as evidenced by the fact that the P125 has 192 notes of polyphony compared to just 64 notes of polyphony on the P45. 64-note polyphony is definitely on the low side for the price, and while it might still be fine for solo piano playing, it's definitely quite light.

In addition to the tone engine, the difference in the quantity of the instrument sounds between the 125 and the P45 is also pretty substantial. We've got 10 tones to choose from on the P45, vs 24 on the P125.

The various other patches on both pianos sound good, but there's a higher level of authenticity on the P125, especially with the electric pianos and organs, and just the extra variety of sounds as mentioned.

Wrap Up

So, it's pretty clear. The P125 definitely outmuscles the P45 in every regard when it comes to sound, and these aren't just on-paper differences either - the P125 definitely sounds noticeably better.

Yamaha P45 vs Yamaha P125 | Piano Action

Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) Action

Both pianos are actually outfitted with the same action as Yamaha's Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) action. This is a functional action, and while it's not our favorite in the price range, it's by no means a bad action.

Some common complaint about the GHS action is that it uses a dual-sensor and doesn't have any let-off/escapement. The other issue common to many people's playing experience with this action is that the white key can get very sticky when playing for extended periods of time. This isn't the case with the Black Keys fortunately due to a matte finish that feels nice on the fingers.

Touch Sensitivity

On the other hand, there are things about the action that Yamaha has done a really good job of, such as the overall weighting which is really good. The touch curve is well done too, and there are a few adjustable levels of touch sensitivity to accommodate different playing styles.

What we have then is an action that will serve its purpose - a beginner taking piano lessons can definitely develop good technique on this action - it's just not the best action available for the dollar.

Let's move on to the final section where compare piano features and connectivity.

Yamaha P45 vs Yamaha P125 | Piano Features & Connectivity

Bluetooth and USB Audio Output

Starting with connectivity, there are some key things to note. While neither instrument has any Bluetooth connectivity, the P-125 has something very cool that the P45 doesn't and that's a built-in USB Audio Interface. This is super useful if you're looking for an instrument to connect to and use with a DAW since it cuts down on extra gear.

The P45 is pretty light with connectivity, with a standard DC In for power supply, a sustain pedal port, and a USB to Host port.

The P125 has the same DC In for a power adapter, but dual headphone jacks, a sustain pedal port, a triple pedal unit port, USB to Host, and possibly most importantly, AUX line outputs if you want to connect to an amp.  Neither piano has traditional 5-pin MIDI connectivity.

Keyboard Stand

Both come available with a matching keyboard stand from Yamaha, but the Yamaha P125 also has the option for a triple pedal unit, which the P45 does not.

In terms of standard feature specs, both pianos have a metronome, transpose, dual-mode, and duo mode. Both pianos come with a music rest and a basic footswitch pedal, but we'd recommend upgrading to a better pedal that more closely resembles a real piano pedal.

A final highlight worth noting with the P125 though is the built-in auto-accompaniment, wherein you're given 20 rhythms and accompaniment styles to work with.

Closing Thoughts

In conclusion, we've got two pianos here for the same series that aren't hugely separated by price, but actually quite different in their offerings.

Now, if your budget is already stretched at the price point of the P45, it's certainly a fine option, and one of the best digital pianos available at the said price point. And since it has a USB, you could use it as a MIDI controller.

If you can make the jump to the P125 without breaking the bank, it's definitely worth it. The grand piano sound is just closer to an acoustic piano courtesy of the upgraded sound engine and additional speakers, as are other sounds like a harpsichord.

You're also getting more features, connectivity, and the USB audio interface. Both might be tough to find in stock these days, so just prepare for a possible waiting period after you've made a decision.

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check out the video version of the article and more of our piano reviews on YouTube!

The post Yamaha P45 vs Yamaha P125 Digital Pianos Comparison - Are They Still Worth Buying? first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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