REVIEW - Casio PX830 BP Digital Piano - Polished Ebony Contemporary Design

UPDATED REVIEW - October 5, 2012 - The Casio Privia PX830BP is now discontinued and will be replaced by a new upgraded model in a compact cabinet model scheduled to come out sometime later this month in October 2012.

Although the Casio PX830BP (polished ebony) was a good piano when it first came out, Casio has just released the new Privia PX750 compact digital piano with a much improved key action and acoustic piano sound over the PX830, and it's currently selling for just $799 internet price. Although the speaker system on the PX750 is somewhat less powerful than the PX830, the volume is quite adequate for most homes and the improvements in sound and touch over the older PX830 are amazing, especially for the price. There are some discontinued PX830's on the internet right now for less money and they are good deals compared to what they were, but I would suggest you may be better off getting the brand new PX750. Read my review of this model and you'll learn why: Casio PX750 review

Casio PX850

And if you are willing to wait until near the end of October, Casio will be releasing it's top of the line Privia cabinet piano called the PX850 and it's internet discount price is just $1099. I will be posting my review of this model soon but for a few $100 dollars more, this piano is amazing! With its astounding 256-note piano sound polyphony, USB flash drive audio recording & playback system, brand new upgraded synthetic ivory & ebony keytops, and console grand piano lid sound projection for an even more natural organic sound, in my opinion it's worth moving up to the new PX850 over the PX830. If you cannot go up to the price of the new PX850, then I would still suggest you consider the new PX750 over the discontinued PX830 if you're wanting to get an even more realistic acoustic piano playing experience at a low price.  Neither of the new pianos are available in polished ebony but they are available in satin black. But when you hear and play the new piano sound, in my opinion that will more than make up for not having polished ebony.

I did like the PX830 however, and the price was reasonable for what it had including the older 1st generation ivory feel piano keys an SD card slot for storage of recorded songs on SD memory cards, a 40 watt audio system with 4 speakers, and fairly realistic piano touch & piano tone and more.  Also, the top folded down flat when closing the piano cover, which was kinda cool although I personally like the sliding key cover better because it's more practical in my opinion because you don't have to remove things off the top of the piano when closing the lid on pianos with sliding key covers.

The PX830 does offer a USB computer/iPad connection which has the new CoreMIDI USB instant "plug & play" software inside the Casio piano and is also available on the new models too. This allows the Privia pianos to be easily and instantly connected to an Apple iPad or computer which many people are using these days for in-home or studio educational piano lessons, composing, arranging, and many other exciting things. The fully compliant CoreMIDI USB connection is not available on Yamaha, Roland, or Kawai in this price range or on many off-brand pianos.

So before you buy a Casio PX830 (even at a further discounted price), I would strongly suggest you consider the newer models which will not only sound and play substantially better, but also put you ahead of the technology curve too, and that's always a good thing.

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.

REVIEW - Suzuki HDP Home Digital Piano - NOT RECOMMENDED - Also known as Suzuki M22, SW27, C11, R21

UPDATED REVIEW - Feb 13, 2012 - Not Recommended - Suzuki HDP. M22, SW27, C11, R21 digital pianos. The Suzuki digital piano brand has been around for quite a few years now. They are a well known name in that they are famous for the Suzuki violin and piano teaching methods as well as producing motorcycles, cars, and other consumer products (completely different companies). They also offer acoustic upright and grand pianos too under that brand name. Hyundai (another vehicle manufacturer), which is known for it's automobiles and gigantic ocean shipping tankers. also produces acoustic pianos and owns the Kurzweil digital piano company. So many of these big name Asian companies are very diversified and some know what they're doing in many areas of their product lines and services and some do not.

In my opinion it does not matter where a piano is made and who makes it, as long as it is a good quality instrument which closely (as much as possible) performs like a real acoustic upright or grand piano, has good construction, useful features, and is reliable. I have played the new lineup of Suzuki digital pianos and put them through their paces. The most important things necessary in digital pianos is key action feel, tone quality & velocity response, proper damper pedal movement with sustain & half damper response, and finally the piano construction. The Suzuki's do look like quality digital pianos on the outside including a fairly attractive cabinet, and the physical key movement goes up and down just fine, so the first impression is you would not expect any big deficiencies in the piano. However, you may be surprised to learn that in my opinion, when it comes to piano tone resonance, velocity key response, and damper pedal realism, the Suzuki HDP digital piano falls very flat.

Just so you know, the Suzuki company produces the HDP piano - $899.99 internet discount (above left pic) under four other model names including the M22, SW27, C11, and R21. The HDP model designation is marketed and sold by Costco on-line, Sams Club, and a few other on-line sites, and the other identical models are available at different retailers depending on who they are. However, all models are identical in their specifications and appearance. Suzuki does this to give an advantage to certain on-line & consumer and piano stores so they can have an "exclusive model number" for themselves. But all model numbers play and sound the same.

As a piano teacher, musician, and digital piano adviser for many years, I know what is needed in a piano so that it performs properly. It is true that in lower price ranges such as this HDP, you can only expect so much. But there needs to be at a minimum, a certain level of good piano tone, piano response, and piano touch reproduction so the player can reproduce the piano music without forming bad habits or trying to compensate for noticeable deficiencies in the instrument. Getting into bad playing habits (technique, velocity & touch response, and pedaling) is something that one must avoid if at all possible.

Good velocity (volume) key response means that the volume of the piano sound plays evenly and gets progressively louder or softer depending on how hard you push on the keys. After playing these pianos I noticed the Suzuki HDP has a problem in this area. The response is very uneven and jumps up and down in volume when playing the keys instead of smoothly changing volume in smaller degrees as good acoustic pianos do. Simply put, this would likely be due to lack of good electronics/key sensors in the piano. Suzuki uses the same key action and basic electronics in all their pianos up and down the line including their digital baby grands so the results are unfortunately the same in all models.

The resonance of the piano tone is very shallow and short when holding down the damper pedal especially with the sustain on the upper half of the piano keys. And to add to that problem, the damper pedal (right pedal) which is used very often for sustaining (holding) the note for a while after you release the key, does not function as it should. On an acoustic piano, when you press the damper sustain pedal (right pedal) down to get full sustain, the sustain is supposed to gradually and progressively let off as the pedal comes back up, and not just immediately stop as the pedal starts going back up. In the digital piano world, the proper pedal function is called "half-damper." Yamaha, Casio, Roland, Kawai, and a couple other brand names have this feature but Suzuki does not. Suzuki only has sustain "on or off" and that is definitely a problem in my opinion, especially for the piano student or player. You'll notice that Suzuki does not mention the word "half-damper" on any of their on-line literature or product specifications and the reason for that is they don't have it. If they did, they would mention it because it's a really big deal. The reason they don't have it in my opinion is that it saves them money to leave it out.

My favorite saying is that "you cannot judge a book by its cover" and that's true for pianos. The Suzuki digital pianos overall look attractive (most of the cabinets that are in the basic dark rosewood color also come in polished ebony for more money) and sound OK (nothing great compared to the other brands) and can even be price competitive for what they "seem to offer," but the reality is they do not come close to playing at all like real acoustic pianos of any type. And Suzuki's selling prices are really not that low and actually higher priced in some cases than the better brands.

Casio AP250

As far as reliability, additional features, warranty, and other assorted items Suzuki may have, that is unimportant if the basics aren't right. For all the digital upright style models Suzuki offers, incl their small (cute looking) digital baby grands, I would "stay away and move on" to other brands including Roland, Yamaha, Casio, and Kawai. Those pianos work well, sound great, have useful features and most importantly, do what pianos are supposed to do.

By the way, I really did want to like these Suzuki pianos, but unfortunately could not. I have also reviewed in detail a couple of their other Suzuki models in the past which can be found on the following links:

Suzuki TSI-1ei Digital Piano Review

Suzuki MDG100 Micro Grand Piano Review

Be sure to check out some of my other blog articles on digital pianos from the "big 4" piano makers especially the newer lower priced Casio PX780 & PX850, AP250 (pic above left), as well as the Kawai CE220, Kawai CN24, Roland FP7F, FP4F, Yamaha P105, and Yamaha YDP162. They are the better ones in their class for the under $2000 price range right now in my opinion and are recommended by teachers, players, and myself included.

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

REVIEW - Benjamin Adams DPR1500 Digital Piano - Good & Bad

The Benjamin Adams brand is carried exclusively by Sam Ash Music, a large retail chain of music instrument stores in the US. The brand is manufactured for Sam Ash by an undisclosed Chinese manufacturer and the Adams brand name is a 'made up name' to sound American, although the pianos are not built here. Building products in China is not a bad thing and in fact, many good products come from and are made in China. Even Yamaha and Kawai have have piano factories in China, but unlike the Adams brand, Kawai & Yamaha make the pianos themselves where Adams/Sam Ash does not. They simply buy an inexpensive model to market and promote in the U.S, and for the the Sam Ash company, its a smart thing to do because it gives them full control and exclusivity over that name.

With that being said, I have not liked the quality, sound, or performance of this digital piano brand in any of the models they have previously put out and I always recommend  purchasing the better and more popular brands including Yamaha, Kawai, Casio, Roland, and a couple of others. I have written reviews of some previous Adams models and I did not like these pianos at all, even for their low price. You generally get what you pay for, however I found the DPR1500 ($699 internet price) is much improved over the older models in features and piano tone, so I was pleasantly surprised by that. After having spent a lot of time playing this instrument I was hoping that I could recommend it because it's very affordable, has some good features, and many people are looking for that kind of thing these days. But unfortunately it has a major flaw that prevents me from recommending this piano and I don't believe this flaw is something which can be repaired, easily changed, or overlooked.

Example of quality digital piano key action

Here's the explanation of what I mean by that. All pianos have a key action that goes up and down when you play it and press down on the keys...that's normal. But when you press down on the keys and then release them to go back up, the only thing you want to hear is the sound of the music and the notes that are being played. You do not want to hear the keys physically making a lot of noise when hitting the bottom keybed (underneath the keys) when you push the keys down, and you don't want to hear the keys making noise when they go back up. A little ambient noise is normal, but if the noise is too great, it interferes with the music and what is being heard.

On the Adams DPR1500, when the keys are played and pushed down with any real force at all which is normal playing, the amount of physical thumping noise being produced when the keys hit bottom is so loud that is is almost unbearable in my opinion. The only time the noise is at a minimum is when you turn up the piano volume very loud so that you can't hear the thudding and thunking sound the keys make when being played. But of course you don't want to play the piano at a very loud volume just to mask the key noise. When you play the piano at a normal or softer volume, which is how it's mostly used in a home, the thumping noise is much more noticeable and distracting and noise also occurs when the keys come back up to resting position. And when you plug in headphones for private practice, you won't hear the outside noise as much but everyone else in the house will hear it constantly and it may drive them 'crazy.'

The MOST important feature and function in any piano is the key action because if it does not work correctly, nothing else really matters including the quality of the piano tone, the amount of sounds there are, the other features that are offered, or the design and attractiveness of the cabinet. Good key actions is one of the main things that separates one piano from another and this is where the Benjamin Adams DPR1500 falls apart (so to speak). You might as well use real hammers to strike the keys because that's what it sounds like to me when playing this piano. Just because a piano has keys does not mean they work properly or even at a minimum level. If the factory that builds this model fixes the problem or builds a higher quality model, then they may have something good. But until they change what they call their NHA or "New Hammer Action," I do not recommend this piano even for the lower price of $699. If you happen to see this piano in a Sam Ash store and are able to try one, just turn the piano volume down to a lower level and push on the keys with a medium amount of  normal force while increasing that force and then you'll hear what I'm talking about.

If you want a piano key action that will work properly and much more quietly, then try any of the other popular brands and models including Casio (starting at $799 for the AP220), Yamaha, Kawai, Roland, and Kurzweil. It will be worth spending a little more money on something you can enjoy for many years because then you'll know that all 88 keys should function properly.

By the way, if at all possible, be sure you try to get a digital piano with a USB computer output on it. The Benjamin Adams does not have this feature but many other pianos do and it can be important because of all the music educational software available for computers and iPads. A 'Core Compliant' USB output is best because that automatically can connect with iPad which is what kids are using more and more in schools, at home, and for music practice. Don't underestimate the fun and the power of what an iPad or laptop computer can do (with the proper software) for a piano student of any age. The availability of exciting interactive piano and music software is amazing and it is something that can help motivate any piano student or recreational player whether they are at a beginner or advanced level. On the left above are examples of educational software available from the eMedia company.

By the way, check out the following review I did on a couple of Casio pianos and related iPad connectivity and music software as an example of what else is available.

Casio Piano Reviews

Apple iPad & Digital Pianos

For more info on digital pianos and how to get one of these models for LESS, please contact me at tim@azpianowholesale.com or call direct at 602-571-1864

REVIEW - Kawai CN43, Roland HP305, Yamaha CLP440 Digital Piano Comparison

UPDATED REVIEW - May 20, 2012 - KAWAI CN43 ROLAND HP305, YAMAHA CLP440 COMPARISON - New digital pianos in furniture style cabinets are available in many different price ranges these days. Generally speaking, there are pianos for under $2000 and then there are the pianos for over $2000 on up to $10,000 and more. In this review, I am comparing new digital pianos in the $3000 price range (normal store discounts in standard cabinet finish) from Yamaha, Kawai, and Roland. These 3 companies (although there are a few others) are the primary manufacturers for digital pianos over $2000 in nice looking furniture style cabinets. Roland, Yamaha, and Kawai make fine musical instruments and all have their own strengths and weaknesses. But ultimately when it comes down to it, piano tone and key action touch is an individual thing, and therefore a subjective choice. 

All three of these piano brands offer a variety of models that come in different cabinet styles, colors, and configurations. If you're looking for something that is beyond the basic digital piano and don't mind spending around $3000 (more or less), then the 3 models you need to look at and compare are the Kawai CN43 (above), Roland HP305 (left), and Yamaha CLP440 (below). All of these pianos are the latest, current model acoustic piano replacements and I have played all of them. However, since I did this blog review, Roland has come out with a new model replacement for the HP305 called the HP505 ($2995 store discount price which is less than the previous HP305) which I will review at a later date. In the meantime there are still new HP305's available at local US piano stores. In my opinion, any of these pianos would be great to own and would offer a generally very satisfying piano playing experience. However, as with all products, sometimes there is a brand or model that jumps ahead of the rest in a specific price range, and in my opinion that piano is the Kawai CN43. 

Not only does the Kawai CN43 seem to offer a lot more features, and for less money than the other two comparable brands and models and the piano tone and touch on the Kawai is really impressive with a very smooth keyboard action and a quiet and refined mechanism and keybed. The cabinet is quite attractive and comes in two colors, with my favorite being the premium satin black. With all that Kawai offers on this piano, it is amazing to me that it sells for about the same price or less than the Roland and Yamaha. But as I said earlier, tone, touch, and furniture cabinet style & color is personal and subjective, and the Roland HP305 and Yamaha CLP 440 are also very nice. But if it were up to me, I would choose the Kawai CN43 piano because not only does it have very useful built-in piano educational and fun features that the other two do not have, the CN43 also has a very impressive piano touch and tone that's hard to beat. It also comes in a very attractive cabinet built by the Kawai piano company who has years of wooden cabinet building experience (as does Yamaha) with acoustic upright and grand pianos.

Below is a comparison chart of many of the important features of these three pianos. It is important to note that each piano model has their own unique way of generating their piano sound and piano touch and that each one is noticeably different. They use various words in their factory specs to describe the way they produce their tone and touch, but at the end of the day, it boils down to how it feels and sounds to you. Few people really care what it's called, as long as it's good and it allows the player (and the audience) to have a satisfying playing and listening experience. But as a complete package, as I said earlier, the CN43 would be my pick and it's less money. I also really like the fact that Kawai and Roland have developed a close replication of a grand piano key mechanism creating a let-off/escapement movement inside the key action which none of the Yamaha models have. It's really the difference between what a grand piano feels like compared to an upright piano.

Take a look at my comparison chart (at left) of these three models so you can see for yourself some of the important piano features and how these pianos compare to each other. The chart does not cover all the features on each piano, as the list would be much too long otherwise.  But this will give you a very good idea of how they do compare in areas that I believe need to be considered in your piano decision. Please note that the audio power on the Kawai CN43 is actually 100 watts total (2 X 50 watts) and not 80 watts as stated in my comparison chart. This makes for an even more compelling reason to consider the Kawai CN43 as top choice in this comparison. However, these are not the only pianos to consider when looking to purchase a new instrument, but they are very good ones. I also recommend you consider pianos under $2000 as well and I have done a comparison review of some of those models which include pianos by Kawai, Kurzweil, Casio, Roland, and Yamaha. Take a look at the link below to get more information on those pianos as they may satisfy you just as well, and you will spend less money too which is always a good thing. Also, many people these days are purchasing portable versions of furniture cabinet pianos because it can reduce costs significantly. Roland has a portable version of their top of the line HP307 (now replaced by the HP507) called the FP7F ($1899) which is considerably less money than the HP305, and it has many more features. Kawai also has a very popular portable digital piano called the MP6 ($1499) and it even outperforms the Kawai CN43 in significant ways. So there are a number of choices you can make when it comes to buying the right digital piano for your needs and one that can last you a long time.

Under $2000 Piano Comparison Chart

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.