REVIEW - Yamaha YDP161 & YDP181 Digital Pianos - Nice, except for the Key Action

UPDATED REVIEW - February 10, 2013 - RECOMMENDED - The Yamaha YDP161 is now discontinued and the new 2013 model Yamaha YDP162 has taken its place for the same internet price of $1499. The new YDP162 has some nice upgrades and you can read about this new model on my blog review here: Yamaha YDP162 Review.

The Yamaha piano company makes great pianos, no doubt about that, and they've been doing it for many years. I personally own a Yamaha acoustic piano and have played professionally on many Yamaha acoustic & digital pianos as well as their pro keyboards, synths, and organs. My kids even play a Yamaha flute & clarinet. So it will come as no surprise that I like Yamaha musical instruments. I have followed their digital pianos for years and they have always had a very respected reputation for good quality instruments.

Previous YDP161 and YDP181 review: Yamaha builds a line of furniture style cabinet digital pianos called the Arius, and they sell for under $2000. They have five Arius models in the US but this review is on the YDP161 ($1499 internet price, left pic) & YDP181 ($1699 internet price, below left pic). These models are nearing the 3-year old mark and are essentially these pianos are about the same in most ways with a few upgraded exceptions in the YDP181 such as slightly bigger speakers, 4 more instrument tones, a USB flash drive input for storage of recorded standard MIDI songs on the piano as well as playback of recorded piano songs from the flashdrive. Also, the YDP181 has a control panel across the front with a LED display which makes it much easier to navigate the various features on the piano. The YDP161 is more difficult to navigate the various features including the instrument sounds so I much prefer the YDP181 control panel for that reason as well as the other differences. The YDP181 is overall a basic digital piano when it comes to what it offers and it is my best guess this model will be discontinued soon for a newer version. My opinion is based on the fact that the lower priced Yamaha YDP141 and YDP161 just had major updates for 2013 (and are now called the YDP142 and YDP162) and the YDP181 did not have any upgrades for 2013. So in some ways the new lower priced models are better than the higher priced YDP181.

Both pianos have the same piano sound sampling with 3 dynamic levels, both have midi connectors but no USB (they should have had USB output connectors for connection to iPad and  computers, but they don't), same amount of polyphony (128 notes which is good), same upgraded quieter & heavier GH key action, same audio power rating of 40 watts total with two speakers, same layer functions along with reverb and basic 2-track standard MIDI recording, and same cabinet and pedals with (half-pedal) progressive sustain. Tone quality is better on the 181 because of the larger speakers (although the power is the same on both) and the overall touch movement is good with one exception on both instruments: the key touch when pressing keys down on the piano is somewhat stiff, in my opinion.

Here's what I mean; when you first apply pressure to the key and try to press very easily and softly as is required in many piano pieces as well as being important for younger beginner students, the GH action in both pianos reacts a bit stiff or overly resistant as compared with good acoustic pianos that I have played. There is an upward resistance to each key that requires a bigger amount of finger pressure to get the key to move downward. In other words, the key does not move as easily when playing lightly or softly especially when playing light legato or staccato style music and also when younger students with minimal finger strength try to press on the keys.

However I do like them overall and they do have a good piano tone with some other nice features. The key action itself is solid and has a quiet movement so that is good, but I just don't happen to like the playing experience on these models as well as I do other brands and other Yamaha models. Physical key touch is the most important thing in selecting a digital piano followed by the actual piano sound having a smooth dynamic range when playing the keys, which both Yamaha's do have. After that, then having a good speaker system and smooth pedal action with half-damper control. 

So that's my opinion for what it's worth, and although I am a big fan of Yamaha musical equipment, I would look at other options besides the YDP161 & 181 which would give you a bigger bang for the buck. One other thing, a good, experienced piano player can play almost any piano with almost any key action because excellent piano players know how to compensate for various types of key action movements and weight so it may not be as much of an issue for that kind of a player. Overall, the Yamaha YDP161 & YDP181 digital pianos are solidly built instruments, reliable, and sound good, although I would submit they are somewhat overpriced for the features you are getting as compared to the other good brands in their price range. In fact, a new 2013 Casio Privia digital piano has just come out for substantially less money than the Yamaha's I reviewed here and is a better piano in almost every way. See my info below as I believe it will help you make an informed buying decision.

Casio Privia PX850

UPDATE: The Casio digital piano company has released a brand new 2013 model digital piano called the PX850 for just $1099 internet price. If I wasn't such a good musician and piano teacher and knew what I was talking about (if I do say so myself:) I would not have thought this new Casio piano could be as good as it is for such a low price, but in most ways is better than the Yamaha YDP161 and YDP181 (and the new YDP162)...and it's a lot less money. Yes I know some people feel low price and a brand name like Casio cannot possibly equate to a high quality digital piano that comes close to competing with something like a Yamaha, but you would be wrong if you believe that. Do yourself a favor and read my recent review of this new Casio (which I have played) and you'll likely be very impressed with what you read and see..and my recommendations don't come easily. Casio PX850 Review

If you want more info on these and other pianos and LOWER PRICES than internet discounts, please email me at tim@azpianowholesale.com or call direct at 602-571-1864.