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Yamaha has sampled their CFIIIS concert grand piano for the core piano sound, and while this piano has been replaced by the newer CFX concert grand, this is still a super high-end grand piano to be working from.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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Casio PX-160 vs Roland FP-10 | Digital Piano Comparison

Hi and welcome to another piano comparison article. In this piece, we'll be comparing Casio PX-160 vs Roland FP-10. These are two darlings of the entry-level 88-key digital piano space, and certainly two instruments that our customers love.

The PX-160 really elevated the entry price range when it came out and caused other companies to play catch up. Roland's FP-10 was in many ways Roland's direct response to the PX-160.

Yamaha (particularly the Yamaha P45 and Yamaha P-125, huge sellers on Amazon), Kawai, and Korg also had their own musical instrument responses, but we're focusing on this comparison in our piano review today.

Also check out our individual reviews for the Casio PX-S1000 & Roland FP-10 review.

Discontinued Model: The Casio PX-160 has been replaced by the PX-S1000 and the CDP-S350.

Casio PX-160 vs Roland FP-10 - Sound Engine Comparison

Let's start by comparing the sound of these two instruments, and we've really got a good match-up here as far as grand piano sound is concerned.

Casio has in the past been a brand that's somewhat associated with the very entry-level portion of the market, but when the PX-160 digital piano hit the market a few years ago, it redefined what a $600 CAD digital piano should be delivered to the marketplace.

The PX-160bk is using Casio's Multi-Dimensional Morphing AiR Sound Source (Acoustic and Intelligent Resonator), which is essentially a sample-based sound engine with some additive synthesis on top to add some of the extra nuances like after-touch, string resonance, and damper resonance, among others.

Overall, the PX-160 is generating a pretty authentic and satisfying concert grand piano tone, particularly when you're listening through headphones. It was the top piano sound for the category in our opinion for a few years easily.

It has 128-note polyphony and an onboard speaker system with a wattage of 8 watts per side.

When we flip over to the FP-10, it's important to remember that we're now looking at a newer instrument that actually arrived in response to the PX-160.

Roland has put their SuperNATURAL piano engine into the FP-10 and that unlocks all sorts of value to piano players who are aware of Roland's technology. It has a slightly lower polyphony of 96, but this only becomes an issue if you're doing a lot of layering. For solo piano playing, 96 notes are still fine and the SuperNATURAL Sound Engine is very nice.

The speakers on the FP-10 are a little weak at 6 watts per side, so the best way to enjoy the FP-10 is with a good quality set of headphones.

At first, listen between the two, they sound pretty close. The more you listen, you start to pick up some differences. The FP-10 in the extremities of the range delivers a slightly more authentic sound and timbre, closer to that of a real piano.

There's a certain clarity to the sound that we're hearing on the FP-10 that starts to get a bit distorted and not quite as well constructed on the PX-160.

Both pianos have a decent selection of other sounds, including some nice electric piano sounds (e.piano), as well as others like synths, harpsichord, and string ensemble.

Overall, we do have to give Roland slightly higher points as far as expressive sound quality is concerned, but this was expected since the FP-10 is the newer instrument.

 

Digital Piano Action Comparison

The action on these two instruments is probably the most impressive thing about each one. Both of these hammer action keyboards have triple sensors, which means that you're getting accurate MIDI output touch sensitivity that goes beyond what most digital keyboard actions were capable of, say 10 years ago when dual sensor actions were the norm.

The fact that you're getting the PHA-4 Standard Keyboard in the FP-10 for this price point is somewhat mind-blowing because the PHA-4 ivory feels key action from Roland is one of the most reliable and well-liked plastic actions out there.

Casio has put the Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II with simulated ebony and ivory keys in the PX-160, and this was definitely the best action available for the price when the PX-160 came out.

So, the match-up between these two actions is pretty subtle. It's hard to say one is objectively better, so we'd recommend trying both out yourself.

That said. one thing we noticed is that the PHA-4 has a less lateral motion on the keys, and thus less mechanical noise. This won't matter for most styles of music, but if you're tackling some more advanced classical rep, the extra motion can be problematic.

The PX-160 isn't marketed as an advanced practice instrument anyway, but it's something worth noting in our side-by-side comparison here.

Both pianos have a moisture-absorbing texture on the keys which is nice, but one other difference is that the PHA-4 keyboard has escapement. Escapement replicates the sensation you get when playing an acoustic grand piano, and it can make playing fast passages for experienced players easier.

That's it for the comparison of these high-quality actions. Let's move on to some features and connector specs.

 

Features & Connectivity

The first feature difference between these two we'll point out is that the PX-160 has two 1/4-inch stereo outputs that are separate from the headphone jacks. This is great if you want to connect to an amplifier or stereo for[ some sound reinforcement, or if you were actually thinking about using the PX-160 as a gigging stage piano instrument.

The FP-10 on the other hand has a single headphone output and not a discreet line out. So, for people who are considering this for some type of a gigging keyboard, having the mini jack as the only output is a bit limiting.

The PX-160 also has an optional triple pedal unit (SP-33) matching keyboard stand (CS-67 Stand). The FP-10 also has the option for a matching stand (KSCFP10 Stand), but it does not have a port for a triple pedal. They both come with a basic sustain pedal, but the PX-160 has the advantage of offering triple pedal flexibility.

We'd highly recommend if you're thinking about the FP-10, go with the DP-10 damper pedal with half-pedaling as an add-on accessory.

Both come with their own built-in music stands, though these music rests are probably only going to be able to handle a pretty light book.

One feature that favors the FP-10 is the Bluetooth MIDI connection allowing for wireless connection to apps, like Roland's Piano Partner 2 for iOS and Android.

The PX-160 requires a wired connection via USB connectivity as it has no Bluetooth connectivity. The PX-160 has a 2-Track recorder with Playback while the FP-10 has no on-board recorder. Both pianos have a Metronome, Duet Mode, and Twin Piano Mode with Transpose (shifts the pitch in semitones.)

 

Closing Thoughts

To sum everything up here, it's not exactly an apple-to-apple match-up that we're dealing with after all. The actions are both great, though the PHA-4 has an advantage on paper with the escapement and an advantage in practice with less lateral movement. Both would be great MIDI controllers with a DAW though.

The acoustic piano sound for the most part is quite comparable, though we do hear more detail and authenticity on the FP-10 side.

The PX-160 has a lot of practical pluses in other areas though. The addition of the triple pedal, the 1/4-inch outputs, and a better visual layout are all check marks.

So, there are some differences here that make it a little bit hard to tally up exactly which one is going to come out on top as a better option for pianists. In the end, it really is going to depend largely on your use case.

Thanks for reading and click here to shop for more digital pianos.

The post Casio PX-160 vs Roland FP-10 | Digital Piano Comparison first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

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(905) 829-2020