PREVIEW/REVIEW – Dec 1, 2023 – Best Digital Pianos – Review – Important updates on Digital Pianos for 2024 – What new digital piano models are coming from Yamaha, Casio, Kawai, Roland, and Korg? FIND OUT HERE | LOWER PRICES HERE | The past year in 2023 was the year that our country and our world started coming out of the COVID pandemic. Even though COVID is till with us to some degree, the pandemic itself is over. Worldwide technology product production is back up and inventories of products are mostly back up with manufacturer warehouses.
There are still some shortages but not near as many as before. Prices have definitely gone up within the last few years but that is not surprising given some fairly significant inflation, especially here in the US.
One of the main culprits contributing to uncertainty for digital pianos for the past year 2023 was the world-wide computer chip shortage. It had been a very serious situation affecting all of the digital piano manufacturers, some more than others. It was a very real thing, but is getting noticeably better. Computer chips are in high demand for all kinds of consumer products and digital pianos are no exception. In fact, demand for consumer chips worldwide is so strong that some of the overseas chip manufacturers are currently building multi-million dollar chip making factories right here in the USA (it’s about time) hoping it eases product delays here in the US for the future. There are still a few popular models that have some shortages in availability, but everything is improving.
TOP DIGITAL PIANO BRANDS RIGHT NOW
Kawai is a great brand and I like them very much.The Kawai digital piano lineup right now includes the ES120, KDP75, KDP120, ES520, ES920, MP7SE, MP11SE, VPC-1, CN201, CN301, CA401, CA501, CA701, CA901, NV5S, and NV10S. All of these models are very impressive and start at $1000 and go up well past $10,000. With the the exception of the older pro stage and controller digital pianos from Kawai (MP7SE, MP11SE, VPC1), all of the other Kawai digital pianos are new current model digital pianos in 2023 and will go on through at least 2024. So with regard to the bulk
Yamaha is another great piano company with many impressive digital pianos especially in their Clavinova series. Yamaha’s most popular portable & home cabinet models right now include the P-143, P-225, DGX-670, P-525, YDP-105, YDP-S35, YDP-145, YDP-165, YDP-184, P-S500, CLP725, CLP-735, CLP-745, CLP-765GP, CLP-775, CLP-785, CLP-795, CSP-255, CSP-275, CSP-295, CSP-295GP, CVP-701, CVP-905, CVP-909, CVP-909GP, NU1XA, N1X, N2X, and N3X. Yamaha actually has more models (from their pro keyboard division) than that, but I have listed only their popular home cabinet and home portable models. Yamaha has, by far, the largest amount of models of any digital piano manufacturer out there.
Roland is a popular digital piano brand and they have had similar issues as Yamaha & Kawai with their most popular models which are also delayed for 30 to 60 days in some cases. Roland has many models of digital pianos including FP-10, FP-30X, FP-E50, FP-60X, FP-90X, F107, RP107, F701, RP701, HP702, HP704, LX706, LX708, and 3 new digital grands called GP3, GP6, and GP9 digital grand pianos. However, like Yamaha, Roland also produces pro stage digital pianos, electronic guitar products, electronic drum products, and many other categories of music digital products.
Casio is also a very popular digital piano company and their models are quite impressive, especially in their lower price ranges for what they offer. Whether you are a beginner or pro piano player, they definitely have something for everybody. Their models go from about $400 on up to over $6000. Those models include the CDP-s160, CDP-s360, PX-S1100, PX-S3100, PX770, PX870, AP-270, PX-S5000, AP470, PX-S6000, PX-S7000, AP-710, GP-310, and GP-510. Casio also has some much lower priced entry level portable keyboards under $500 which I have not listed here. Of the Casio cabinet and portable models currently on the market, the most popular models by far are the PX-S3100 ($879), PX-870 ($1199), PX470 ($1699), PX-S6000 ($1799), and the GP-310 ($4299).
Korg is another major digital piano and keyboard company which is very popular, especially with pro players, and many of their products actually made in Japan as opposed to other companies making their products in China, or other places. Korg music products are well known and used by professional musicians around the world for their quality piano key actions and piano sounds in attractive contemporary cabinets with powerful internal speaker systems. The Korg home cabinet digital pianos don’t go beyond $2000 price range whereas Yamaha, Roland, Kawai, and Casio all have models above $2000 and beyond. The most popular Korg home digital piano has been the G1 Air which is currently $1799 after a $200 factory instant rebate.
TOP DIGITAL PIANO BRANDS AND SOME NEW MODELS
Yamaha digital pianos for 2024 – So what do things look like for new models coming from Yamaha?Starting with Yamaha digital pianos, the new 2024 Clavinova CSP-200 and CVP-900 series have just recently been introduced and are brand new models. The CLP Clavinova’s are still fairly up-to-date, have very good key actions and piano sound realism, and even though they have been out for awhile, I don’t see any changes coming up for CLP Clavinova series this year.
The Yamaha “Arius” home digital pianos between $1000 and $2000 have been manufactured for many years under different model names. The current model Arius models between $1000 and $2000 are called YDP-105 ($1099), YDP-S35 ($1199), YDP-145 ($1299), YDP-S55 ($1599), and YDP-165 ($1799). There is also one much older Arius model called the YDP-184. However, as nice as that model is, the key action in it is a much older key action model and way to stiff and heavy for me to recommend it. They have improved piano sound realism over previous models but the key actions, especially in the 2 newest higher priced models, the YDP-S55 and YDP-165 are noticeable heavy and stiff and I cannot recommend those 2 models either because of the key action issues. Hopefully they’ll change in 2024, but I doubt it.
Nearly all of the Yamaha models models have also gone up in price approx 9-13% over the previous models from last year. The price increases are due to new production and shipping cost increases. With regard to the Arius series, overall the new Arius models has not changed much over the previous models. Cabinets are the same, key action is the same, internal speaker system is the same, and functions are pretty much the same. Yamaha made some tweaks in the piano sound engine and improved it along with upgrading the USB connectivity in a couple of Arius models, but that’s about it.
We do predict a new model by Yamaha coming out at some point this year to replace the current model YDP-184 that has been out for many years which sells for $2399.The YDP-184 has an older and much heavier key action in it which Yamaha does not produce anymore. Since Yamaha has improved the the Clavinova series above it for key action feel and response, then it’s just a matter of time until Yamaha improves the YDP-184 to give it the upgrades that it really needs.
Roland digital pianos for 2024 – Roland has had their lineup of home digital upright style pianos out for about 7 years which is a very long time in the world of digital pianos. That extended “shelf life” was likely due to COVID restrictions for the last few years and lack of production capability from Roland. The Roland FP-X portable series are relatively new as is the RP-107 & RP-701 model pianos, so those likely won’t change for awhile until a few years from now at least. Roland just came out with new digital grand pianos including the GP-3, GP-6, GP-9, and GP-9M digital grand pianos.
So now there are 4 models of digital grands in the Roland lineup from around $3200 to well over $10,000 and $15,000.Those 4 digital grands, but especially the GP9 and GP9M 5′ digital baby grands are very impressive for their cabinets as well as their new key actions and grand piano sound. Roland just replaced all of their vertical upright model digital pianos in the LX series for 2024 and they are now called LX5, LX7, and LX9. They went up in price but in my opinion they did not change much and are actually not as easy to use or figure out controls.
Kawai digital pianos for 2024 – The current model Kawai digital pianos overall are still fairly new in the last year or two with a few of them having just come out within the last 1 to 10 months months or so such as the CA401 at $3099, CA501 at $3999, CA701 at $4899. and CA901 at $6399. Since Kawai already had some furniture cabinet model upgrades this last year, we probably won’t see any more this year, or at least until the end of next year at the earliest.
We always have up-to-the-minute info on these things, so please ask us! The oldest models in the current lineup are the MP7SE and MP11SE portable “stage digital pianos.” There may be changes coming up to the popular MP7SE and MP11SE stage/studio models later in 2024 because in my opinion they need them. However, they continue to be very good sellers for the Kawai company right now. Kawai does have their “controller” digital piano model called the VPC1 which is good for home recording studios and also on stage at certain venues. The VPC1 has been out for a number of years and definitely needs to be upgraded with a new key action for better key movement response in my opinion. I am hoping that Kawai will do that to the VPC1 later in 2024.
The new more advanced Kawai Concert Artist series CA501 at $3999, CA701 at $4899 and CA901 at $6399 that I previously mentioned are the latest Kawai higher-end entries for 2024. These 3 pianos are the top of the line Concert Artist Series furniture cabinet models and they are the best digital pianos for an advanced piano playing experience in their respective price ranges. There is also the lower priced CA401 at $3099 that begins the Concert Series models and it is also impressive with its all-wooden key extended length key action that everyone seems to love. If you are looking for excellent piano playability at a somewhat lower price, then the CA401 would be a great choice.
Finally, Kawai has their top of the line Novus “hybrid” series with the NV5S upright and NV10S grand key action model. These 2 pianos exactly replicate the “feeling and movement” of actual acoustic piano key actions taken directly out of the acoustic Kawai pianos. One model is a full upright acoustic key action and the other Novus model is their Millenium acoustic grand piano key action. So if you want the most authentic key action and piano sound experience in a Kawai digital piano that replicates real acoustic pianos, and you are willing to pay for it, then the newer Novus models will give that experience to you. If you want more info on all of the Kawai digital pianos then read my review of these models at the following link: Kawai digital piano review
Casio digital pianos for 2024 – Casio come out with 3 new portable models in 2023 called the PX-S5000, PX-S6000, and PX-S7000 home/pro digital pianos, and they are very impressive. I have done a detailed review on them at the following link so please read it to discover what these new PXS models are all about: Casio PXS5000, PXS6000, PXS7000 Review
When it comes to the Casio company, they are always full of surprises. In fact, they just came out with 3 brand new home cabinet models for 2024 called the AP-450 at $1999, AP-550 at $2999, and AP-750 at $3399. These 3 new 2024 models have a new hybrid “fast response” key action along with a new grand piano sound engine, new cabinet designs, new digital features including Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and new educational features along with their proprietary Casio Music Space app of external tablet and mobile devices. The sound and key action on these new models are very impressive along with their 5 year factory warranties, and I will have a new review out on these models very soon. So stay tuned because you may want to order one of them after learning about how good they are.
Korg digital pianos for 2024 – Korg has recently updated their LP-380 piano to include a USB port with USB audio streaming technology because it did not have those features before, and USB audio streaming is very useful. They now call that new model the LP-380U and I have done a detailed review of it. The other Korg cabinet pianos are still current models and have been selling so well for them over the past few years that I really don’t see any changes in 2024 for those models. The Korg G1 Air is an especially popular contemporary furniture cabinet digital piano at $1799 (after Korg factory $200 instant rebate) for home piano playing. So you should definitely consider this one if you want a great piano playing experience for under $2000. Korg G1 Air ReviewADDITIONAL PIANO INFORMATION
The bottom line is this: Digital pianos do not change every year like cars. Their model life-cycle is typically 3 to 4 years or so and then a new model may come out. So we will definitely see some new products this year like I have already mentioned, but not much more.
The “off-brand” digital piano companies that regular piano stores typically do not carry are names that you can find at big consumer and music products stores like Costco, Guitar Center, and other similar businesses, including Amazon. They sell brands that are usually exclusive to them with some of those brands being “house brands” or “off brands” that they have made to sell from factories in China. Based on my experiences playing those off-brand models, they are not anywhere near the capabilities of the name brands in being able to produce a more authentic piano playing experience. Actually a few of them are not good at all in some notable ways which generally have to do with the piano playing experience concerning the key action, piano sound, pedaling, or all three of those components.
Off-brands as we call them, (not the well known name brands generally seen in piano stores), include Williams, Suzuki, Artesia, Donner, Eastar, Kurzweil, the One, Alesis, and a few others that tend to show up on Amazon. Their digital pianos are not necessarily “bad,” and a few of them have some pretty cool “bells & whistles” as well as some nice looking cabinets. But I would personally not recommend them because of my previous disappointment with their key actions, the piano sound realism on most of them, and noisy pedaling issues that I have found on many of those models.FINAL THOUGHTS
When it comes to the purchase of a new digital piano in 2024, in my opinion it should not just be about the lowest price, or a beautiful cabinet, or bells & whistles like color touch screens, or big speakers. It should be more about how good can that instrument be in trying to recreate the better piano playing experience in that price range as compared to a good acoustic upright or grand piano or a “name brand” digital piano in a similar price range or for a bit more money. In that way those off-brands, as I call them, just don’t cut it and that’s why they are a cheaper price.
Don’t get fooled by “slick advertising” and slick promotional videos in 2024 for some of those off-brands that I mentioned. I have done reviews of most of those lesser known brands and models so that you can know more about their pianos As for those off-brands possibly coming out with new models yet in 2024, it’s possible, but I doubt it because they recently came out with a few updated models in 2022 and 2023 which are still disappointing in many cases. But even if they did come out with newer models yet this year, I doubt they would be much better than what they already have now because of their past track record. So my recommendation is to just go with the name brands.
Again, if you want a new name brand digital piano anytime in the near future for 2024, please do not wait until prices go up again.Take my advice and put in your order now or as soon as possible. Most places will allow you to order with a relatively small deposit that can be refundable should the piano not be available right away.If you want more info on new digital pianos and LOWER PRICES than internet discounts, please email me at tim@azpianowholesale.com or call direct at 602-571-1864.
Thanks this was good read!
Thanks for the info, interesting read.
It was an honest and well informed page. Thanks.
Very useful and interesting. Certainly clarifies the situation for all brand. should also be useful to the retailers as well and reinforces wat tey have to tell their (would be) customers. Tank you.
Please keep us up to date of progress
Terry C.
Well done to you both for your honest reviews. I am a very happy owner of a Casio PX-S3100 which has replaced a Yamaha DGX630 and a Yamaha Electone HS5. For many years I played a Technics Pro90 Organ professionally and I have to state the the PX-S3100 is incredibly exciting to play. The tones and accompaniments are excellent with the ability to store 96 different setups and control the piano from a tablet or smartphone using Casio Music Space – absolutely amazing!
Don't forget the Yamaha P-S500 which is a portable version of the CSP-150-170 which was released late last year, which again is in short supply
Any news on the update of the Roland gp 609? ( cuz it’s coming )I’ve just ordered the new model this morning, but not even the guy at the store knew the model number. Thanks