? BEST DIGITAL PIANOS under $2500 down to $1000 | UPDATED REVIEW – Feb 20, 2024 | Casio AP-470, Yamaha YDP-165, Roland RP701, Kawai ES920, Casio PX-S7000, Yamaha YDP-184, Kawai CN201, and a few others. For a recent review of new digital pianos under $1000 go here: New Digital pianos under $1000. My name is Tim Praskins and as an expert digital piano consultant to many people throughout the world, I like to share my knowledge of digital pianos with people just like you. There are SO many choices when it comes to new digital pianos these days and people obviously want the best piano tone and touch they can get (with some other nice features) for the lowest price possible that fits within their budget.
A variety of models from the top manufacturers including Roland, Kawai, Yamaha and Casio digital pianos are very good with a few being better than others. One of the newest and best choices right now is the Kawai ES920 portable digital piano (left pic – $1899 internet discount price – furniture stand & triple pedal is optional). The previous model was called the ES8 and the new ES920 has replaced it with many upgrades, although the key action and overall piano sound engine are similar, but improved (which is a very good thing).The ES920 has a very responsive grand piano sound and fast moving key action in a portable model along with flexibility of new features which makes it a very enjoyable piano own. The ES920 plays very smoothly with an organic piano feel and tone that even a pro can appreciate. I would consider the key action touch-weight on this piano to be medium (as opposed to light or heavy) which gives the player excellent control over piano dynamics for the softest tone to the loudest…and everything in between.
If you decide you want to purchase a new piano, reserved orders are being taken and this model will be very hard to get for the next few months so you would need to act now if you want one because they may be all sold out if you wait. If you have more questions on this model please let me know as I can help you get one and for even less money! Click on this link to read my review of this new model: Kawai ES920 Review
Kawai also makes a pro stage piano called the MP7SE at $2199 price which can also play back General MIDI song arrangements. This feature also allow the player to mute out specific instruments so that you can play those parts along with the song for full accompaniment enjoyment. The MP7SE is mainly built for superior grand piano tone and a quick realistic key action touch along with some very impressive instrument sounds including vintage electric pianos, symphonic strings, B3 jazz organs with digital drawbars, guitars, brass, flutes, synths, and more realistic instrument tones. And I am very particular when it comes to some of these sounds and the Kawai MP7SE certainly passes my test with flying colors.
If you are an experienced piano player, advanced student, very particular in wanting an impressive piano tone & key action touch, or are a beginner and just want what the MP7SE has to offer (and don’t care about cabinet and built-in speakers), in my opinion this could be a great “portable” digital piano in that “under $2500 price range.” if you don’t mind an instrument with no internal speakers and you would need to connect to external monitors for external sound. Below is a link to my review on the MP7SE with more details on this impressive piano: Kawai MP7SE Review
The Casio Privia AP-470 digital cabinet piano (left pic) is also a great choice in a lower price range and is pretty amazing for its low internet price of $1699. This is because the piano has most of the features of the more expensive pianos have like 40 watts of stereo audio power, ivory feel keys, USB direct output, realistic hammer weight & graduated key action touch, and more. It also has features that many of the higher priced pianos do not have such as 256-note polyphony piano sound chip, four internal speakers instead of two, USB flash drive audio wav file recording and playback, a lift top lid for sound expansion, and other cool features. Considering all of the possibilities out there right now for a great digital piano buy in a compact furniture cabinet, I would highly recommend this new Casio AP-470.
Last but definitely not least are the 3 new Casio portable models called the PX-S5000 at $1199 price, PX-S6000 at $1799 price, and PX-S7000 at $2499 price that were just introduced. These new Privia models have a brand new pro quality responsive hybrid key action that goes far beyond anything key action that Casio has ever had in their portable digital pianos at any price range. Coupled with convincing stereo acoustic piano sounds and some very cool features including designer retro appearance, we highly recommend these 3 models. Check out our recent review of these 3 new digital pianos at the following link: Casio PX-S5000, 6000, and 7000 Review |
| Korg G1 Air – rosewood |
Korg of Japan which is famous for making top quality professional digital pianos & keyboards for many years has 2 specific models of impressive home digital pianos called the LP-380U and G1 Air. Both piano are designed in slim, contemporary cabinets that can fit into smaller spaces and yet still look attractive, Available in 3 attractive matte cabinet colors, both the Korg LP-380U and especially G1 Air offer a noticeably natural piano key action, stereo piano sound, responsive pedaling, and a list of digital features that are useful and also fun. But both models focus especially on the “piano playing experience” and the G1 Air especially offers some of the most authentic reproduction of an acoustic piano in its price range. The Korg LP-380U sells at discount price on the internet at $99 (after factory $350 instant rebate) and the G1 Air sells at $1999 discount price. The most impressive thing about both of these Korg pianos is how big and full the piano sound is coming out of their respective speaker systems.
I have heard these in person and compared to Roland, Yamaha, and all the “off-brands,” in this price range, in my opinion the G1 Air could easily take 1st place when it comes to what you are hearing, whether you are playing it yourself or listening to it from a distance…pretty amazing actually. Please read my detailed review of the G1 Air at the following link to learn more: Korg G1 Air Review
The Kawai piano company has an impressive furniture cabinet digital piano under $2500 called the CN201. It comes in 3 satin finishes including satin brown-rosewood, satin black and satin white all at $2299 internet price. The CN201 has the same key action that is in the portable pro ES920 (which I like very much) and also has a very realistic sounding acoustic piano tone using 192-notes of polyphony along with having many useful educational features in an attractive cabinet. |
| Yamaha YDP-165 |
The Yamaha Arius YDP-165 at $1799 internet discount price is a new model between $1500 and $2500. It’s a good piano overall with an improved and more expressive piano sound and has many features including 192 note polyphony, ivory feel keys, 40 watts of power going through 2 internal speakers, layer & duo, an more. However, it has a noticeably heavy key action to the touch which can be fatiguing to play after a while. The piano comes in a more traditional cabinet which looks fairly attractive.
The YDP-165 does have a few “bells & whistles” including a controller app for iPad. But overall it is for people who want to mainly play piano. Yamaha makes a complete series of the Arius models up to the YDP-184 at $2399 which should also be a consideration because it has an upgraded piano sound chip as compared to the YDP-165 and a better internal speaker system. However, it does have the same heavy key action in it so you may want to consider another option if you don’t like heavy key action movement. Click on the following link to read my review of the top-of-the-line Arius YDP-184 in this under $2500 price range. Yamaha YDP-184 Review.
When it comes to digital pianos under $2500 in our opinion the newer Yamaha Clavinova CLP-725 is very nice for a traditional furniture cabinet model. This is because it offers the best piano sound samples along with a new and improved key action for 2022 called the Grand Touch-S that is far superior to the key actions in the Yamaha Arius line. The Clavinova CLP-725 sells for $1999 discount price which is $400 less than the YDP-184 and its a better piano too. If you can stretch your budget above the $2500 price range then the CLP-735 is definitely worth consideration and. If you need to be under $2500 and want a Yamaha digital piano then we do recommend the new CLP-725. Go to the following link to read my review of this impressive digital piano. Yamaha CLP-725 Review
The Roland company is well known for making some impressive home & professional digital pianos over the years and they have a few new models called the F701 ($1599 internet price and RP701 ($1749 internet price), that has a nice 3-part key key sensing system and smooth acoustic piano style key action along with continuous detection pedaling sustain and some very useful technology features. I think these models are good in many ways for their compact size however they do not rival the Kawai KDP120, Casio AP-470, or Korg G1B Air under $2500 with regard to a more authentic piano playing experience in our opinion.
A person can spend a somewhat more than $2500 and have some other good piano choices such as the newer Roland HP704, Yamaha CLP-745, Casio-Bechstein GP-310, Kawai CA501, and others all of which are in or around the $3500 to $4500 price range. So there are plenty of very nice digital pianos for even more money, way up to $17,000 for Digital Grand Pianos. But most families I speak with want to be near or under $3000, and any of these pianos mentioned here would be enjoyable to own. Based on my experience both past & present, I generally do not recommend off-brand names like Williams which is a Guitar Center house brand and is only sold by the Guitar Center company and it’s subsidiaries. Also, I do not recommend digital pianos from Suzuki or Artesia sold primarily in the US by Guitar Center & Costco. They have some nice “bells & whistles and their cabinets look attractive, especially the mini grand pianos, but as for their piano playing authenticity, the top name brands are far superior in my opinion including Kawai, Casio, Yamaha, Korg, and Roland and just sound and play a lot more like real pianos.
If you want a certain type of cabinet and are on a restricted budget, then you may enjoy a couple of the off-brands but you will not get a piano playing experience anywhere close to the name brands. Depending on your piano playing experience this could be an issue for you…so be careful with your money, especially if the cabinet is looking really good to you because you should not necessarily judge a book by its cover..
I know it’s difficult for most people to judge these various brands and models on their own when they don’t have the experience & expertise. It can also get even more confusing when different piano and music instrument stores or websites tell you different things depending on the brands they’re selling. I am happy to help people figure it out and I will answer your questions about what might be best for you based on the actual facts about what these pianos can actually do and what you budget and musical goals are. Even though the choices I have talked about here for my top digital piano picks are good ones, there may be other options for YOU depending on your particular price range and specific needs & wants. I am committed to helping people get good digital pianos, playing good music, having good piano instruction, and enjoying the entire experience.Why Kids Should Play Piano!
If you want more info on these and other pianos and lower prices than internet, Amazon, Bundles, or store discounts, please email me at tim@azpianowholesale.co m or call direct at 602-571-1864
I am debating between a casio px-330..which is very affordable or a kawai ES-6…which I really like, but the the price is 3x higher than the casio…can you help me decide?
Thank You,
Irene
Hi Tim,
I really like your blog and find your reviews very helpful. I'm trying to work out what digital piano to go for. I've been looking at the Yamaha P95 for a while now. Can you tell me what you think of it (if you've played it that is)?
Thanks and best wishes for 2012,
Duncan
Hi Tim,
Thanks for letting me know. I will check out the Casio model you recommend as well!
Best
Duncan
Hi there, I am looking to buy a digital piano and was wondering what you thought of the Casio AP420 compared to the Casio AP 220. The cost of the 220 seems to be a bit less from the sites I've seen it advertised on, so I wasn't sure if the 420 was worth the extra money. The case seems a bit more sturdy on the 420 as well, and I know it has bigger speakers and an SD drive where the 220 does not, but as far as sound quality and other features, how do they compare? Thanks, T.H.
I would be happy to answer your piano questions in detail if you email me directly and also indicate where you live.
Hi Tim
What a find your site is. Thank you! I am in Australia and have lugged our upright grand around the country!!! I am now looking for a digital piano because I'm running the Year 2 choir and also do a lot of church music and need some more options. So, the capabilities I need are:
Ability to record relatively simple backing tracks for the choir
Great piano sound, 88 keys, weighted etc,
Other instrumental sounds
Portability
SD card so I can easily interact with the laptop and create sound files (I'm hoping I can easily record a backing track and convert it to a mp3 track for playing on a computer or disc?)
Potentially interaction with notation software.
I've read through all your reviews and they were really helpful. Given I've got to think about portability
I was hoping for something around the $1000 mark to start with.
Any guidance you can give would be fabulous.
Many thanks from down under.
Catriona
I found the info on your Casio 220/420 review, thank you for all the information! I am finding your blog very helpful as we are trying to decide best value for money and are new to the digital piano market.
Thanks again, T.H.
(p.s. I live in Canada, am the former owner of a thousand pound full size acoustic upright that I grew up playing (loved!), but could no longer keep as it was far to heavy to even move from room to room (let alone up or down stairs or from house to house if we were to ever move again!). It is now in it's new home at our local piano studio where I also taught before I had children. As my oldest kids are nearing the age of being able to start lessons we are looking into buying a 'lighter' piano and I'm feeling much better about chosing digital now (after reading your blog) over acoustic, even though I've always thought acoustic was far superior (partly b/c it's all I've played and maybe acoustic uprights WERE better until more recently!). Anyhow, thanks and I'll continue to read your reviews as we continue to research. Cheers!)
Morning
Any opinions on the Kurzweil RE-220? I'm looking to upgrade from our 20 yr old Korg Concert 3500 and have been offered the Kurzweil for $700.00 (Business closing).
In general I'm looking for a "Piano" to expand my daughters 11 yr old "bells and whistles" that will also take her to the next levels Grade 5-8 royal conservatory.
Would this be a good deal?
Any opinion on the Roland F-120, my 7 year old daughter is just starting to learn piano.
The Roland F120 is a very basic, but nice instrument with some good features although the speaker/audio system inside is quite small which gives off a small sound in my opinion. Also, the key action is quite noisy when keys are pressed all the way down when pushing down the keys at a harder velocity. This is not an issue in the beginning but could become an issue later. A very "thumpy sound" when that happens. Otherwise a good option although there are others. You may email me for more info.
Hi Tim,
I'm from Turkey. I'm confused so I need your advice. Which one is better? Yamaha Arius Ydp 141 or Cassio Ap420? Their price is equal where I live. So which one should I chose?
sorry for my english 🙂
thanks for your help
Any opinions on the Roland F-120, my 7 year old daughter is just beginning to learn piano.
Both pianos would be good but the Casio does offer more such as a better speaker system, more electronic features including a SD card function for saving recorded songs, USB output to computer for software lessons, etc, audio outputs, height adjustable bench, ivory feel keys. If you really want a Yamaha you should get the YDP135R because it's nearly the same exact piano as the YDP141 but sells in US for $150 less money
Hello, I am from the UK and am looking for a digital piano for my two young children to learn to play in. We move around lot with my husband's job, hence the need for a digital one. I don't really have a budget. I do want something sturdy. My children are 4 and 6. Hope you can help. Sarah
My son is almost 11 and has been playing guitar for about3 years. He would now like to take up piano. Any recomendations on a digital piano for him. We are looking in the $200- $500 range. Could you give a recomendation on the low and high ends. I want to get a decent one that will keep him interested.
Recommended: Casio PX130, Yamaha P95, Casio CDP120
Recommended: Casio PX130, Yamaha P95, Casio CDP120
Hello. As an apartment dweller, And someone who has gone back to playing after 40 years, I'm looking to replace my old spinet with a digital piano. I'd consider either a traditional or stage model. Is there an advantage of one over the other? I want the most realistic sound and feel, and will be using both speakers and headphones at times. What do you suggest? Thanks.
I bought a Korg LP-350 recently. Just wonderring if you know about the loud bang noise when swith off the speaker? Not sure if it normal.
Thank you
play the flute
There is sometimes a loud pop in instruments when the power is shut off but it would be difficult to know if what you're hearing is normal to that instrument.
due to the budget i'm facing,the only digital i can get is between the Yamaha P-95,And the Casio CDP-120 or CDP-200R. i did a research and the i think the best for the feel and touch is the yamaha P-95 but for the features,i like the Casio CDP-200R better. Any good ideas?
Hi there,
I'm living in Belgium and I wondered if any one has heard of Dynatone DPR 2200. The descriptions looks ok, price as well but I don't know much about pianos. I'm also looking into a Yamaha YDP 161? Or should I go for a Roland
Please help!. So much choise, not enough knowledge
C. Belgium
Would not recommend Dynatone at this time. I have played them before and have not been impressed with build quality and sound. Go with Yamaha
Hi Tim,
My 7 year old son has taken interest in piano and the teacher has asked us to look for one, either acoustic or similar key feel, sound with pedal action. The nearby popular music shop have advised that Yamaha Clavinova's or the Roland F120 or better models to buy as they said are recommended by ABRSM.
Obviously I want to buy a piano to kindle and sustain interest of my child and also something to help to practice for a few levels of the exams at some point. But, my question is are the less pricey models as Casio Celviano's or yamaha YDP's not good enough for the purpose and perhaps for a few years of learning to start with?
Are you aware of such recommended models by ABRSM? What would you suggest considering the fact that my child may loose interest having tried. We live in UK. Thank you very much for your time.
Hi Tim,
Would you be able to comment on Roland DP90S Digital Piano? I have a very small apartment and this seems perfect. The piano is beautiful. I watched the video and sounds good. But is it really good? Your comment would be really appreciated. Thank you very much.
Isabel
Hi Tim,
Would you be able to comment on Roland DP90S Digital Piano?
Thank you.
Isabel
The Roland DP90S is a beautiful instrument and sounds great but it is substantially more money ($3000+) than the other pianos I mention in this review. The new DP90 series is basically the exact same piano as the Roland HP505 full size piano, but is more compact with much less powerful speaker system
Hello Tim,
Thank you for your informative site. I have a couple questions…1)I am curious about the expected life span of a digital piano. Resonably, at the rate technology advances, I know that these models at the top of the line today, will often be outdated in a few years. What do you feel would be among the most enduring models?
– about 14 years ago I bought a digital piano, and it has served me well (Technics brand)- it was not cheap and the 'hammer action' was just a very new feature available at the time. It was what helped me accept going digital. Compared to the digital pianos out there currently, it is not as precise in sound and touch but has still been very comparable over the years. I did notice last year though, that it seems to be somewhat – aged?? dying maybe?? It is actually gone off-key… Which brings me to my 2nd question: I am in the market for a new digital piano. I teach piano privately – it is more something I love to do than a profession but I still don't just want beginner/intermediate student quality. My budget is not super high, but I am willing to spend a little more if it is really worth it – because I do want quality, realistic sound and feel and want it to last for quite a while. I also have used my piano for recitals so I want it to look and sound good in a bigger room also. I have played the Casio PX-130, 135 and 735 (even recommended it for some of my students – but for me personally, I'm looking for a little more than that. Additionally, if this affects your recommendations, I also want something that will record with good quality as I often connect my computer to the piano to make gift cd's for relatives and friends. (My current piano has an old midi connection that doesn't even fit with modern comptuers now – so I can only record directly from the headphone jack as I play… the sound transfers slightly tinny) Any recommendations to point me in a good direction?
Tim, we live in Bahrain and are looking to buy a used Medeli DP 40 for our two kids, aged 11 and 12. We don't have a lot of affordable choices here but need to get them off the electric keyboard and onto something that feels more like a real piano. However, I don't want to waste our money. Can you tell me anything about this piano?
I am considering purchasing the Yamaha P105. I'm looking for something that has full amount of keys, has good touch response, comes with foot pedal, and I can plug headphone in to hear through if needed, and lastly about $650.00 is what I'd like to spend at most. (excluding tax). I was just wondering if the P105 hit my criteria above. Thanks in advance for the help. -Suji
Hi Tim
Thanks for your site.
After toying around for a while, I have decided on the Kawai CN34.
To me, learning the piano should be as much fun as possible and all the different bells and whistles on this model should do the trick to keep my 12yo interested for a few years yet. Thanks mate
Steve Australia
Hi I would like to know what would be the advantage to getting a Kawai CE220 or a Kawai CN34, which is better? Thanks
Josef-Peter roemer
Is it possible to generalize which digital pianos tend to have a lighter touch? I have owned Roland and Yamaha "slab" digital pianos, and have preferred the lighter touch of the Rolands. Now I'm looking to purchase a home digital piano, and I'm wondering if most players find that the Rolands have the lighter touch in that category as well.
Roland HP504, Kawai MP7, and of the new Casio's have a lighter touch
however, the black keys always have a heavier touch on most digital pianos so with regard to the black keys, Roland and Kawai do a better job with lighter touch as compared with others
Thanks for your prompt response, Tim!
I find your site very useful. What is your opinion of the Kawai CA95 & CA65? Are this sold only in the UK? I can't find a price range. We are in a bufget, but we do want to get a quality DP. Thanks uou. Alba
tim,what do you think about nord piano 3?
Digital Pianos Under $2500
Many thanks for this site! I don't play piano but my five and a half year old son has taken lessons for six months and I wanted to buy him a good piano.
Here in China, Yamaha is completely dominant but after reading many of your reviews and listening dozens of hours to YouTube, I finally decided on the Casio AP-700 which I found in a serious looking store for $1600.
Sight unseen in the box, but the same shop had a GP300 to try so I decided to take the chance. Will get the piano delivered and assembled on Sunday.
Could have gotten the Kawai CA28 (China version of the CA48) for a hundred dollars less but the AP-700 sounded so great with a taut firm sound and it has line in/out and 5 pin midi and I _really_ value old school connections.
Should I swap my G1Air for Kawai CA48?
swap? Not sure what that means? The CA48 has a much more advanced and realistic key action and pedal response