Casio GP-510 & GP-310 - REVIEW | Hybrid Digital Pianos | Amazing


Casio GP-310 and GP-510 Review
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 Casio GP-310, GP-510 | UPDATED REVIEW & Comparison | Feb 1, 2024 | Casio Grand Hybrid Digital Pianos | The new Casio Grand Hybrid models are the only digital pianos under $6300 price with the longest piano wooden keys constructed in Germany along with "moving" simulated grand piano style hammers from the famous Bechstein Grand Piano company of Germany. 

Casio continues their 500 and 300 series of Grand Hybrid digital pianos with the GP-510 and GP-310 in 2024 which are the replacements for the previous discontinued models GP-500 and GP-300. The Grand Hybrid line includes just these 2 models. These hybrid piano models are the first 2 serious digital pianos for Casio developed in a joint venture by Casio and the famous Bechstein grand piano of Germany. 

Casio GP-510 piano
The newer Grand Hybrid pianos can be played by serious professional pianists who play at very high skill levels and these two models rival the top digital pianos being put out these days by the more famous piano companies including Yamaha and Kawai with their CLP and CA series.
 If you have thought in the past that Casio does not have what it takes to put out a top competitive digital piano in the higher price ranges because they have been more closely associated with "cheaper price" digital pianos, then think again...because in my opinion they have come up with a couple of very impressive pianos that even pro pianists can and do enjoy.

Casio GP-310 white cabinet
I am a long time pianist and piano teacher and I try to play every new digital piano that comes out on the market regardless of whether I already like that brand or not. There are some brands known for poorly designed digital pianos, others are known for cheap price digital pianos, and still other brands are known for being pro quality instruments that top pianists, music teachers, and other advanced players (like me) enjoy playing. So when it came to trying out and playing the Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310 and GP-510 with a price of $4299 and $6299 respectively, I was skeptical that they could be as good as Casio claimed they were because most people don't think of the Casio company competing in this higher price range with Yamaha, Kawai, Roland, etc. 

Casio GP-510 GP-310 control panelI initially thought these new models could not be taken that seriously. This is because, although the name Casio has had a great reputation for producing lower priced but high quality consumer digital pianos under $2000 and I like those models very much, Casio was not known for producing digital pianos in the higher price ranges above $4000. 

I have done many reviews on those lower priced Casio models under $4000 and Casio is a leader in that price range. But a Casio for about $4300 and upwards to over $6000?...I thought there is just no way they could compete in that space. But was I ever wrong about that! They now definitely offer a very impressive piano playing experience that's hard to find in this price range, and in fact they offer more piano playing realism in some ways than the more well known name brands in this price range, and for less money too. Think you should not consider one of these new Casio Grand Hybrid digital pianos...then I suggest you ought to "think again" because you may be surprised at what you find from these 2 Grand Hybrid models built in collaboration with the Bechstein grand piano company of Germany.  

*As you keep reading this review do not miss watching the two videos I have posted at the bottom of this review. Also you can click on any pictures for larger views.

lower price than Amazon or internet

Grand Hybrid GP500
The Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310 and GP-510 are called 
"Hybrid" for mainly one reason...the key/hammer action.
These days it seems as if all the major digital piano companies want to do whatever it takes in getting as close as possible to reproducing a real acoustic "grand" piano. So the GP series key action and piano sound chip is Casio's way of doing this, especially in replicating the touch action of a real grand piano. The question is...did they do it? Actually, I believe they did a remarkable job and the result is a fairly life-like key movement and weight unlike other digital piano brands, but it was not Casio who designed and built this Grand Hybrid key actions, it was the C. Bechstein grand piano company in Berlin, Germany. 

The C. Bechstein piano factory was founded in October of 1853 by Carl Bechstein in Berlin, Germany. Carl Bechstein wanted to manufacture an acoustic piano able to withstand the great demands put on the instrument by the virtuosos of the time, such as Franz Liszt. List was a phenomenal pianist and was very hard on pianos (he played like a monster) when it came to key action. In 1857, Hans von Bülow (Liszt's son-in-law) gave the first public performance on a Bechstein grand piano by performing Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor in Berlin. By 1870, with endorsements from Franz Liszt and Hans von Bülow, Bechstein pianos had become the norm in many concert halls and private mansions.

Bechstein brandBy that time three piano makers, all of which were founded in 1853, became established as the industry leaders across the world and they were Bechstein, Blüthner and Steinway & Sons. So the Bechstein brand was in very good company:). In 1881 Bechstein began supplying pianos to Queen Victoria and a gilded art-case piano was delivered to Buckingham Palace followed by several more Bechstein pianos to Windsor Castle and other royal residences. By January 1886 they were among the piano manufacturers holding was called "a Royal Warrant" as a supplier to the Queen. Several British embassies across the world acquired Bechstein pianos and they are still popular across the world today and used by professional pianists in concert. However, that brand is not as well known in America as they are in Europe and other parts of the world.

Casio Grand HybridWhat this all means is that the wood key action movement in the Casio Grand Hybrid pianos is directly from the Bechstein piano company and built for the new Casio GP piano series and the keys themselves are authentic full size grand piano keys made from real spruce-wood from individual spruce trees in Austria (wow, that's pretty cool!). From what I have learned, the natural wood is precision cut and aged slowly over the time so that the keys in the key action can remain solid, aligned, and playable overCasio Grand Hybrid years of practice and performance. Attached to the wood key action inside these Grand Hybrid models is a moving hammer mechanism designed to imitate real hammers in an acoustic grand piano. 

This moving hammer mechanism is made from resin and synthetic compounds, etc that can withstand weather and humidity changes so that the hammers will last almost indefinitely without the need for adjustment or maintenance as you would otherwise have in a real acoustic piano. When the hammers move as you are pressing a key, you can actually feel the weight of those keys under your fingers and direct connection of the moving hammer mechanism inside the piano as counterweights to the keys which gives the player a feeling of natural expression and being directly connected to the music in a way that digital pianos without moving full length hammers cannot really do. The hammers in the Grand Hybrid pianos don't actually strike any strings in the piano because there are no strings (the piano sound is digitally reproduced)...and that's one of the positive aspects of a digital piano...no strings to tune and maintain which otherwise can be very costly over many years.

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310 GP-510 Review - AZPianoNewsWhen I played both the GP-310 and GP-510 for long periods of time, it was like I was actually playing a real grand piano in many ways and the feeling was pretty amazing for a digital piano. I will say that this key action does not feel "exactly" like a real full size acoustic grand piano because that type of thing would require a real full size acoustic grand piano key action. I should know because I play full size acoustic grand pianos from Steinway, Bosendorfer, Yamaha, Kawai, and others. The Grand Hybrid pianos have a "simulated" grand piano key action but for most people this Bechstein Grand Hybrid key action will very enjoyable to play and give you the feeling that you are playing the real thing.  One of the reasons for this is because the action has extra long keys (aka: key sticks) inside the piano and the balance points of the action are well done. 

As a comparative example, the Roland company has a top of the line piano called the LX708 which sells at about $6000. The white keys in that piano are mostly plastic and the black keys are all plastic with the white keys measuring a bit less than 11' long. Although that length is not very long, it's still fine for a vertical digital piano. The white keys inside the Casio Grand Hybrid models are all 100% wood and so are the black keys. As I mentioned earlier the white keys in the Casio-Bechstein GP-310 and GP-510 are a whopping 16" long in total length from the front of the keys to the back of the keys (white keys) that sit inside the piano. 

Casio GP-510 polished ebony
This extra long key allows the key action to feel and play more like a grand piano because full grand pianos have much longer wooden white (and black) keys that measure typically around 20" long (and longer) for white keys in regular acoustic grand pianos, and that's a very long key stick.
There is no other hybrid digital piano with 16" long keys or more until you get to a Yamaha hybrid digital grand piano key action series and those models start at $9800 and go up from there. Just because this is a "digital piano" does not mean you won't get a very satisfying key action playing experience in this lower price range $4299 to $6299.

Key action downweight
The down-weight and up-weight of the keys are also very impressive weighing in at just about 63 grams of down-weight force needed to press down a middle C. white key as compared to a real concert grand piano down-weight force (measured at middle C.
The middle C# key touch-weight measures at approx 70 grams so that's just slightly heavier than the white keys which is fine. On a real top name high quality acoustic grand piano, the touch weight force generally measures at somewhere between 50 to 65 grams for both the white and black keys.

Key action upweight
Most digital piano black keys tend to have a much larger difference in weight as compared to the white keys where those black keys can be substantially heavier or lighter than the white keys.
In this case the black key on the GP-310/510 is fairly close in down-weight and also up-weight as compared to the white key, so that's good. The return force (aka: upweight) of the white key on middle C measures at about 35 grams of up-force which is also very good. The upweight return force on middle C# is at about 40 grams which is also good and appropriate for the black key given its slightly heavier down-weight touch as compared to the middle C white key.  Hopefully all that jargon will make some sense to you. 

If a lower priced digital piano (lower price than a real acoustic grand) like the Casio-Bechstein GP310/GP510 can get close to a real full size acoustic grand, then that is pretty impressive. Overall I liked the comfort of playing the key action on these two models so I believe for most people they will feel the same way.

Key action balance & movement
The key weight force is also even from the front of the keys to the back of the keys. This type of key balance is the way more advanced players will want to have it.
Upright acoustic pianos have noticeably different key weight on the same key as your fingers go from playing near the front of the key to the back of the key. Upright pianos are noticeably different than grand pianos in that way and that's one of the reasons why you will never see an advanced player play an upright piano on stage...it's because it will alter and limit your playing technique. 

With the GP-310 and GP-510 you won't have to alter your playing technique because your playing experience will be balanced and even on this loner=key all wood grand style key action. There are smaller grand and baby grand pianos and a couple of brands with a lighter key down-weight, and there are some people who may prefer it that way. But on larger concert grand pianos the slighter firmer down-weight force can give you more "control" over your playing and dynamics and that's why many pro players prefer it that way. If you want a key weight "feeling" that is a bit lighter then you just set your digital velocity touch control to "light or extra light" and that will allow the feeling and sensitivity of the key action and sound to be lighter.

The Grand Hybrid models are like no other name brand vertical digital pianos that I have ever played in this price range (under $7000) in the way the keys move and feel under your fingers.

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 Review - AZPianoNewsThe key action feels smooth, balanced, easy and responsive to play without being too firm or too light, so the overall playing experience in my opinion is more like playing a natural Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 Review - AZPianoNewsgrand piano than nearly all of the other digital piano brands in this price range in this price range, and I have had other advanced piano players tell me that as well. It is interesting to note that this Bechstein GP key action does not have the notched escapement/let-off feel that you would normally experience and associate with playing a real grand piano when playing the keys very lightly and softly, but there is a reason for this. I was told that the Bechstein company wanted the fastest responding acoustic piano style action that was possible to get in a digital piano. 

To make this happen Bechstein's only recourse was to leave out the escapement "simulation" because otherwise that feature would have prevented a faster key movement for those players who perform at very high skill levels. In reality for most beginner through advanced pianists, the escapement function on digital pianos is somewhat irrelevant because it's not the near same thing as in a real grand piano and is only simulated in a small way. 

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-510With this in mind, the importance of key movement and faster triggering of the piano sound took priority over having a "simulated" escapement feature. I believe that Casio/Bechstein made the right choice because this Grand key action is lightning fast when it comes to playing authentic piano pieces and if giving up a simulated escapement/let-off function allows for a better moving, better responding action and sound with big expression, then I am definitely all for it. If you are looking for piano playing authenticity that is otherwise difficult to find on other digital pianos, then I believe you will be impressed with this Grand Hybrid key action. As far as the material used to produce the key tops, the white key-tops are made from the latest technology in plastics and are identical to the keytops of the Bechstein European concert grand pianos. 

Casio GP-310 matte black
Many of the new name brand digital pianos are using synthetic ivory feel white key tops with the purpose of trying to recreate the feel of older grand pianos from the 1960's and earlier years when real ivory was the material used to create the key tops.
However, for many years now, real acoustic grand pianos have not had real or synthetic ivory on their keys so the keytop feel of the new Grand Hybrid pianos is identical to what current day acoustic grand pianos feel like. In this way you can transition from a real acoustic grand or upright piano to a Casio/Bechstein Celviano Hybrid GP-310 or GP-510 digital piano with no differences at all in the key "feel" and materials used on the keys. The black keys are a natural satin finish made of phenol so that feel will also be the same as an acoustic grand piano. 

Casio GP-310 white
Oh, and one other important thing that I should mention: the there is virtually no noise coming from the key action when the keys are moving up & down. In other words, the keys are very quiet when moving up & down, especially as compared to other key actions in this price range which can have a more noticeable ambient noise coming from the keys when those keys are moving up & down. When keys move down they can make a lot of noise when touching bottom and when the keys come back up and return to resting position then some digital piano key actions can make a lot of "return noise" in that way. The Bechstein made key actions are exceptionally quiet and this is even more evident when using headphones and other people in the room can hear the keys move and that's when noise is also more of a factor. Hat's off the Bechstein for producing a very quiet playing key action.

Yamaha NU1XAs a reference and comparison, the only other top name pianos with actual moving piano hammers in a digital piano is the Yamaha Avant Grand series of digital pianos including the NU1X, N1X, N2, and N3X as well as the Kawai NV5S upright and NV10S with grand piano action. However, these pianos all use wood hammers, wood hammer shanks, and wooden organic connective parts which are very good and just like an acoustic piano but will likely require more maintenance over time. As an example, the Yamaha NU1X (left pic - see-through front is for display purposes only) upright style piano sells for $7400 at local store discount price and it has an upright console hammer key action but not a grand piano key action, and there is a Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 Review - AZPianoNewsvery big difference between the two types. Beyond that, the NU1X has very few sounds and very few digital options and features so it's a very, basic digital piano in that way, although the cabinet is attractive in its polished ebony finish. 

The higher priced Yamaha N1X ($9,800 discount price) has a grand piano style action (as I mentioned earlier) with all wood parts, but would likely require more maintenance over time as I mentioned earlier. The Yamaha N1X AvantGrand is an exceptionally nice digital piano but is still quite a bit more money than the Casio GP-310 and GP-510. The Yamaha N2 and N3X go way up in price from the N1X and all have the same key actions as the N1X and pretty much the same basic features with a few exceptions. So when it comes to a key action mechanism in a digital piano, this new Casio Celviano Grand Hybrid GP-310 and GP-510 (GP-510 in polished ebony, above left pic) in my opinion is ahead of the Yamaha upright NU1X in a number of ways and somewhat competitive to the higher priced Yamaha AvantGrand N1X, N2, and N3X pianos, although the Yamaha N series Grand Key actions are the "real deal" and more organic and natural as compared to the Casio's...but they should be given their much higher prices.

256 note polyphony Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310,  GP-510 Display screenThe GP-510 and GP-310 have the industry standard 256-note polyphony processing power which is important in helping to give the player enough power to play more complex pieces of music without the loss of notes or damper sustain. As far as piano sound authenticity goes, all of the major digital piano companies would claim to have the best piano sound in their digital pianos and certainly Casio is no exception. What else would you expect them to say?! Casio wants you to believe they have the best piano sound found in these new hybrid digital pianos and overall I believe they have done a very good job and I was impressed. 

Casio has developed a new proprietary piano sound chip and electronics key sensing system not found in some of the other digital pianos and I thought these new acoustic piano sound samples to be very impressive in the GP series, especially the GP-510. All of the digital piano companies use fancy words and phrases to describe how they get their piano sound along with the natural organic nuances they try to capture from real acoustic grand pianos to enhance the piano sound of their digital pianos. I won't bore you with all the terminology except to say that Casio records/samples 3 distinct well known European acoustic grand pianos which includes the Bechstein (Berlin) German Concert Grand, the Steinway (Hamburg) German Concert Grand, and the Bosendorfer (Vienna) Viennese Concert Grand. These three famous piano brands are the standard by which all other Display screen acoustic and digital piano companies try to emulate. 

Since the Casio GP series is designed in cooperation with the Bechstein piano company of Germany, it is easy to understand why the three main piano sounds in the GP series are so good. I found each piano sound sample to be unique with their own qualities of tone and dynamic range, but yet they were all enjoyable to play. What did impress me Display screen most about the piano sounds were their dynamic range of tone and the ability to really express yourself across all tonal ranges depending on your touch and finger movement. The German Bechstein sound was also impressive to me and more natural and realistic in a delicate way than many of the competitive brands, especially the new Roland LX series digital pianos  In my opinion the Casio Grand Hybrid piano sounds are noticeably more natural, more organic, have a wider dynamic tonal range, and just give you the feeling that you are not playing a digital piano. 

Casio GP-510 polished ebony
With 256-note polyphony processing power along with very good pedal sustain/decay time and dynamic expression, even advanced classical music can be played well including the layering of two instrument sounds together. Since there is a $2000 difference in price between the GP-510 and GP-310, then you would think there must be important differences between those 2 models and you would be right. With regard to the all important "acoustic piano sound" in these 2 digital piano models, the GP-510 sounds more realistic as compared to the GP-310 in terms of tonal richness, clarity, and presence of the 3 stereo piano sounds. But it should given the big price difference.

This sound difference is not because of the internal speaker system or key action because they are the same in both models, but it is because of the upgraded acoustic piano sound engine/organic elements along with the polished ebony cabinet finish that gives the GP-510 its more authentic piano sound. Although there are also some useful digital features the GP-510 has over the GP-310, it's really the piano sound where you hear the differences. This is not to say the GP-310 doesn't sound realistic or enjoyable to play, because it definitely does. I am just trying to make the point that the GP-510 is even better. 

triple pedal Pedaling is always important to the piano playing experience and the Grand Hybrids will likely not disappoint you since it is done the traditional way with damper pedal including continuous detection pedaling along with adjustable half-damper control, sostenuto pedal, and soft pedal. The pedals seem to move naturally and they have a type of grand feel movement to the pedals unlike some other digital pianos I have played that have lightweight movement or no half-damper pedal control. Casio also added pedal resonance and damper noise to simulate what real acoustic pianos do when using the damper pedal for sustaining the piano tones. So the pedaling portion of this model is convincing, at least it is to me and I played it quite a bit.

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 As far as the operating system goes, Casio incorporated a side panel control unit with LCD display which is very similar to what Kawai and Yamaha are currently using in their digital pianos. Although this is a simple and elegant design created to reduce the "digital look" of the buttons and controls of the piano and make it more minimalistic, I would prefer an attached lid or cover on that panel so you wouldn't see it at all when the piano is not in use or you just don't want to change controls while playing and don't want to see the panel. Regardless, the control panel still looks good, is minimal in design, and I found that using the controls was fairly easy to do (although there is still a small learning curve) and the display screen was, overall, easy to read and buttons were easy to use. 

However, in additional to the LCD control panel, I would have also liked an iPad/Android "controller" app to connect to the piano which could display all internal controls and features on the app so that you could access all functions that way from a color touch screen on a tablet device. The Yamaha Clavinova and NU1X line of digital pianos have a very intuitive app called Smart Pianist and it gives you control over the functions & features of their pianos. However, if your primary purpose is to focus on piano playing and maybe a few other digital features, then a controller app is generally not necessary. These new Casio Grand Hybrid pianos might be the perfect piano for you if your goal is to get a great piano playing experience while also giving you a some extra features like good instrument sounds, MIDI & audio recording, some editing features, and a built-in display screen & navigation which is fine for most people and easy to read.

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 The feature set and sound library in the higher priced GP-510 includes 35 instrument sounds (the GP-310 has 28 sounds) which include acoustic pianos, strings, choirs, organs, harpsichords, etc. Theses sounds can be layered 2 at a time, split with 2 different instruments one on the left side and one on the right side, duet piano mode for 2-person simultaneous play, registration preset "scene" mode for saving your own setups or using preset factory Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 setups for instant play, lots of different hall/reverb settings which really adds to the realism of the piano sound along with adjustable touch sensitivity, brilliance, and DSP which helps the user/player create a customizable piano sound and action response. There are a number of specific organic piano sound elements which Casio/Bechstein incorporates into the GP-510 which allows the piano Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 sounds to be even more natural and organic. 

This feature is called the "Acoustic Simulator" and would include things like adjustable Hammer Response, Damper Resonance, String Resonance, Aliquot Resonance (this feature is found in fine grand pianos and adds to the harmonic richness and clarity of the piano sound), Open String Resonance, Lid Simulator, Key Off Simulator, Damper Noise, Key On Action Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 Noise, and Key Off Action Noise all of which are adjustable so that you can micro -customize the piano tones the way it would sound best to you. The GP's also have a variety of tuning temperaments as well as a variety of piano stretch tunings including being able to shut off the stretch tuning depending on what sounds best to you. But for many people the factory default preset acoustic piano sounds may likely be enough to give you an outstanding piano playing experience.

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 When it comes to adding some "fun" to this model, Casio has a new feature called  "Concert Play" which means that you can select from up to 15 songs that are full orchestral CD quality renditions of famous classical music that you can listen to and play along with. You can even slow down the concert song while you try to learn it as well as rewind, fast forward, and loop a set of measures together for repeat play. You can also download new Concert Play songs from a Casio internet site, save them on a USB flashdrive, and then play them on the Grand Hybrid's. The Concert Play songs sound absolutely authentic just like listening to a full, live orchestra right in your home coming through the internal piano speakers. You can also play MIDI piano performances along with education piano song lessons by downloading those files on the internet and saving them to a USB flashdrive for playback on the piano.

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 Speaking of speakers, the internal speaker system is unique in that the top of the piano has a movable lid which can be propped up to allow more sound to come out towards the player which gives you the feeling of a grand piano sound experience with the lid open. You can even see the hammers move by looking through the inside top of the piano while you or someone else is playing. The only other digital piano that has a lid that opens in this general price range is the Roland LX708 but that piano sells for more money and has no moving hammers like the Grand Hybrid's. These new pianos have 6 speakers, 4 amplifiers, and 100 watts of power each which is actually plenty for these models, but they pull only 38 Casio grand hybrid watts of power from your electricity, so the amplifiers are fairly energy efficient. 

The 2 main, larger speakers of the piano (which I have found to be very high quality) are housed in separate acoustic boxes mounted underneath the piano with the speakers facing downward rather than forward as on some other digital pianos. This design allows the GP piano sound to come both towards the player on the top and the bigger speakers towards the floor like a grand piano soundboard would do. In my opinion this makes for a more natural piano sound experience and I did like it very much. In fact, if you turn up the master volume control to about 3/4 volume to full volume, that volume will fill up a huge room and even be overpowering. So when comparing the 100 watt specs in the Grand Hybrid pianos to other digital pianos out there which "spec out" with more wattage, don't let that make you think the Casio doesn't have "enough" power. The Casio GP-310 and GP-510 will blow your windows out if you want them to:)

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 The piano also has 2 headphone jacks for private play along with USB output to device for iPad and computer connectivity and USB flashdrive input for song play and recording, and also two regular MIDI connectors for those people who have MIDI music gear that they want to connect to the piano. Casio included 1/4" input and output audio jacks for connecting external devices to enhance the piano sound even further through external speakers or use the internal speaker system to amplify other sound devices such as computers, tablets, MP3 players, etc.

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 Casio Grand Hybrid GP300, GP400, GP500 Review - AZPianoNews There are other functions and features on the GP-510 and GP-310 but those are secondary things as compared with what I believe it this digital piano's primary purpose and goal...to offer an impressive grand piano playing experience in a beautiful polished ebony cabinet with folding key cover, full size music rack, opening lid and matching bench along with a complete 5 year factory warranty on manufacturer defects if they should ever occur. The GP-510 is only available in polished ebony finish, so if you want a non-polished ebony color, the GP-310 come in matte black as well as a very attractive matte white. Based on what I have seen for many years on all of the other digital pianos that Casio has produced and the overall quality and "bang for the buck" they have brought to the table, I believe Casio has a great future in this premium category for higher priced digital pianos with the introduction of their upgraded Grand Hybrid series in cooperation with the Bechstein Piano Company. 

For some people the Casio name may have a negative connotation because over the years people have wrongly equated the Casio name with lower price products and therefore some people will have lower expectations simply because Casio has focused on the lower price range with many of its electronic products over the years. But nothing could really be further from the truth because in reality Casio seems to have always produced "the biggest bang for the buck" with some impressive features for less money than you would otherwise get in other top brands. Now this appears to be true for the new GP-310 and GP-510 pianos.

casio Casio has not, in the past, had the prestige or gravitas of a digital piano name like Yamaha, Kawai, or Roland. I know that, they know that, and many piano shoppers know that. But a name means somewhat less these days considering how much great technology is being developed by Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510digital piano companies who were not as well known before with having higher priced premium piano products, such as these Grand Hybrid pianos. Even though Casio is very well known in the lower priced digital piano keyboard world, they were definitely not known for having digital pianos which compete with the highest price range for Kawai, Yamaha, or Roland digital pianos...but now they do so I believe the wait was worth it. 

With the help of the famous Bechstein acoustic piano company of Germany along with new piano sound technology developed by Casio & Bechstein, I believe this is just the beginning of their successful partnership and they should be able to continue to develop more impressive digital pianos in the future. I would not be surprised if they came out with a mini-grand piano shaped product one day as that would be a logical next step for these two companies working together. 

But for now in my opinion the Grand Hybrid series certainly is up there with the best digital pianos that Yamaha, Kawai, and Roland have to offer in this price range, and in fact the GP-510 is even more realistic than the competition in a few different ways, as I have already talked about, such as its special all-sprucewood European hammer action key movement and dynamic range of expressiveness.

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510
GP-310 matte black
As for the other Casio-Bechstein model GP-310 ($4299 price), the piano sound is very realistic with natural organic tonal elements including a full dynamic range of sound from very soft to very loud and in-between with smooth volume transitions. But the GP-510 goes beyond it with added "resonating tonal elements" to make it even more realistic & impressive but that model sells for $2000 more than the GP-310 so I would expect it to be better. After putting the Grand Hybrid's through their paces I agree that these models would make an excellent addition to anyone's home, church, school, or studio as long as they understand that the Grand Hybrid digital pianos are primarily designed to be purchased in place of an acoustic grand piano and are not heavy on additional features so does not have wireless, Bluetooth, dozens of extra instrument sounds, drum patterns, automatic interactive chords, General MIDI recording or playback, multitrack sequencer, and no proprietary iPad apps like some other digital pianos do. 

However, with USB to device connectivity you can plug in a USB cable and use many MIDI iPad apps with full MIDI/USB interaction from a Grand Hybrid to the iPad along with Bluetooth audio connectivity using a 3rd party Bluetooth adapter plugged into the piano audio input so that music from your iPad/Android device can stream directly through the GP-510 speaker system. Also, it has been my experience that direct connectivity using a USB cable is more stable than with internal Bluetooth connectivity.

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510
GP-510 polished ebony
As far as I am concerned, at 171 lbs in weight with cabinet dimensions of approximately 56" x 19"x 38" the very attractive matte finish GP-310 and polished ebony GP-510 are pianos I would definitely own if I wanted to focus squarely on the best possible grand piano playing experience that Casio-Bechstein has to offer along with being a more minimalistic looking instrument which adds to the overall elegance of these pianos. The Bechstein key action hammer system is not available in any brand of digital piano and you won't get a moving grand piano hammer mechanism until you get to the Yamaha AvantGrand N1X which sell a price of $9,999. The appearance of the GP-310 and GP-510 are also attractive in that when you prop open the lid of the piano to let the sound come out more, you see an attractive red material covering the inside piano top and you can actually see the moving piano hammers through two long rectangular windows in the top of the piano while you are playing the keys. It's a very cool visual experience along with having a beautiful piece of furniture.

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 There is one thing I find to be a bit odd when it comes to the GP-510 and that is the height adjustable black bench included with the piano does not match the high gloss black piano finish. The bench is a single size satin black (non-gloss) finish and even though an adjustable height bench is very nice to have, I am a bit baffled by the lack of a matching high gloss finish on the bench. Is this an oversight on the part of Casio or what? I just don't understand the reason for this but it's something which can be easily corrected if Casio chooses to do that which I recommend that they do. The satin black bench is fine for their satin (matte) black pianos and it's also ok for the GP510 high gloss model. But it would have been better for the GP-510 if the bench was high gloss as well.     

benchIt's also important to note that some very nice high gloss polished ebony benches are available on-line at Amazon.com for low prices around $75 on up. The extra cost for a polished ebony bench (should you feel you really need it) is a small price to pay. The bench issue is definitely not a deal breaker for me and is a small thing as compared with all of the great things this piano can do.  

Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510The Casio Grand Hybrid pianos be purchased on-line from a selected authorized US Casio piano dealer at the internet discount prices plus tax. This is Casio's 2nd time to enter this Casio Grand Hybrid GP-310, GP-510 premium digital piano category and although these are new improved models, I'm pretty sure we will see even more models come out in the future such as maybe a mini grand piano version with having their continued partnership with Bechstein grand piano company of Germany. As for the the current satin black GP-310 model, if the GP-510 seems to be out of your price range and/or you want a satin black finish, then you should definitely consider the lower priced Grand Hybrid piano instead of the GP-510. 

Considering the GP-310 has the same impressive key action, pedaling response, and internal speaker system of the GP-510 along with many of the other features, the GP-310 would make a very good choice and in some notable ways they excel past many of their competitors such as Yamaha, Kawai, and Roland. Also, in my opinion the Grand Hybrid digital pianos also look visually elegant in their furniture cabinets and have a relatively high profile which gives them more of an authentic appearance. Take a look below at a comparison chart of the 2 new models so that you can visually see and know the primary differences among them. I also included the "upgraded features" in these 2 new models as compared to the previous discontinued models.


Features
GP-310
GP-510
Upgrades
Polyphony
256
256
Total sounds  
26 incl strings, organs, harpsichord, etc
35 incl strings, organs, harpsichord, etc
New Harpsichord tone 
Main piano sounds
Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna
Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna
Longer piano sustain/decay time 
Total grand pianos
12
14
 Better legato response
Grand hammer action
Yes – individual keys
Yes – individual keys
Full length grand keys
Acoustic grand keys
Acoustic grand keys
Graded-weighted keys
Yes, medium weight
Yes, medium weight
Austrian wooden keys
Aged organic spruce
Aged organic Spruce
Grand fulcrum point
Yes
Yes
Acrylic white keytops
Yes - grand style
Yes - grand style
Phenol black keytops
Yes - grand style
Yes - grand style
Key Center Pin
Yes - grand style
Yes - grand style
Grand hammers
Resin - full movement
Resin - full movement
 Hardware resonator
No
Yes - affects each key
Triple key sensor
Yes
Yes
Key force detection
Yes
Yes
Hammer response
Yes
Yes
String resonance
Yes
Yes
Lid simulator system
Yes
Yes
Open string resonance
No
Yes
Aliquot resonance
No
Yes
Key on action noise
Yes
Yes
added to GP-310 
Key off action noise
Yes
Yes
added to GP-310 
Brilliance control
Yes
Yes
Hall-reverb simulator
Yes - 12 types
Yes - 12 types
DSP & chorus effects
Yes
Yes
 Headphone Mode
Yes - surround sound
Yes - surround sound
Touch response
Yes - 5 levels
Yes - 5 levels
 
Tuning
Yes
Yes
Stretch tuning effects
Yes - 5 types, off
Yes - 5 types, off
Temperaments
Yes - 17 types
Yes - 17 types
Grand pedal system
Yes - weighted
Yes - weighted
Pedaling
Continuous detection
Continuous detection
improved soft pedal response & sustain pedal decay time 
Adjustable half-damp
Yes
Yes
Damper resonance
Yes
Yes
Damper noise
Yes
Yes
Transpose
Yes - 2 octaves
Yes - 2 octaves
Duet mode
Yes - adjust 2 octaves
Yes - adjust 2 octaves
Octave shift
Yes - adjust 4 octaves 
Yes - adjust 4 octaves
Concert play mode
Yes - 15 songs + user
Yes - 15 songs + user
Added "relative volume control" 
Music Library
Yes - 60 + 10 user
Yes - 60 + 10 user
MIDI & audio recorder
Yes - 2 track, 1 track
Yes - 2 track, 1 track
Scene registrations
No
Yes - 15 preset, 10 usr
Metronome
Yes
Yes
Layer/Split 2 sounds
Yes
Yes
Backlit LCD display
Yes
Yes
Easier to read 
USB Flash drive input
Yes
Yes
USB output to device
Yes - plug & play
Yes - plug & play
MIDI input/output
Yes
Yes
Dual audio ins/outs
Yes
Yes
 added a "disable speaker" mode
Headphone jacks
 Yes - 2
 Yes - 2
  
Volume sync EQ
Yes - 3 types, off 
 Yes - 3 types, off
Added Master EQ  
Speakers
2 x 6.3"+ 2 x 4" + 2 x 2" 
 2 x 6.3"+ 2 x 4" + 2 x 2" 
New speaker design, richer tone & more bass  
Amplifiers
 30w x 2 + 20w x 2 
 30w x 2 + 20w x 2  
   
Cabinet dimensions
 57" x 19" x 38"
 57" x 19" x 38"
Cabinet weight
171 lbs 
 171 lbs
Bench
 Yes - height adjustable
Yes - height adjustable 


This video below is showing the Grand Hybrid GP-510 being played in a big ornate hall by an accomplished concert pianist. Listen to the incredible expression in her music all coming from this one piano.




The video below is showing the Casio-Bechstein key action hammer movement. Watch how the moving hammers behave like real acoustic grand piano hammers. No other digital piano brand in this price range (under $8,500) has anything like it. This video was done on the previous GP-500 model but the new GP-310 and GP-510 have the identical key action




If you want more info on New Digital Pianos & Lower pricing, including on the new Casio Grand Hybrids, please email me at tim@azpianowholesale.com or call direct at 602-571-1864.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

You say that "the GP300...does not sound as realistic as the GP500" -- The only differences I've read about on various piano forums are the polished ebony cabinet and the "scene" feature on the GP500 (which can in fact be replicated on the GP300, albeit with some manual tweaking of settings). In looking at the specs you posted, it appears that the GP300 lacks "Hardware resonator" (?) "Open string resonance", "Aliquot resonance", and "Key on/off action noise". Otherwise, the two models have the same sound engine/amp/speakers. Is the sound yet that different? Why would that be?

Anonymous said...

^ Tim is right, although there does not seem to be any good reason for the difference in sound quality given the published technical specs. I've played both the 500 and 300 and there is a clear difference in sound quality with the 3 main pianos from the 500 to 300. To my ear, they aren't even in the same league. IMHO the 300 isn't acceptable at all as far as the piano sounds, especially at this price point.

Arimitra Chakravarti said...

I think it might be because of the open and aliquot string resonances that the 300 does not feature?

Anonymous said...

Has anyone played the 400 yet?

Christian Benesch said...

Is there a difference in sound between the 400 and the 500?

Christian Benesch said...

I had the chance to play the GP500 next to a NU1, N1 and N2.
(when I say play, I mean press keys, but anyways)
The N2 gives definite vibrations as feedback into the key.
N1 and NU1 do that too, a bit less so.
I didn't feel much in the GP500. Is there a setting that can adjust that, or doesn't this feature exist at all?

Nina said...

Is there anywhere in the NY area I can find these yet to play them?

Tim Praskins said...

I don't know. Local dealers throughout the US and what pianos they offer is not my specialty. You can call the manufacturer corporate US office and ask them.

Pietro said...

Tim, I have the possibility to buy the Roland LX-17, but it seems to me, after reading this review, that this CASIO GP500 is better or at least the quality of the keyborad is better
Since I live in Europe and for some reasons I have not the possibility to try both these pianos, may I ask you which piano do you prefer?
I am a student of conservatory and I have a limited budget
Thanks

Anonymous said...

I had the same question as Pietro's of April 19 above. Also, does having wood keys raise a maintenance issue that the LX-17 would not have? Also, does the LX-17 sound better than the GP500? Finally, would having external bi amped speakers improve the sound of either or both of the GP500 or LX-17?

Anonymous said...

A lot of your comparison between the GP500 and the N2 factored in cost as a consideration. Question: if cost were not a consideration at all, which is the better electric piano, GP-500 or N2? and why? Would really appreciate your advice because that's what I'm trying to decide right now and having a hard time.

Anonymous said...

Some people have said that these pianos don't properly sustain notes for long enough
, and don't have enough power for many headphones. I want to like these, the action seems so cool. Any thoughts on that? I would think that the price may drop since they introduced new models (the 510 and 310).

Anonymous said...

I am looking forward to reading your point of view of the new Casio GP-510, especially compared to the first GP-500 hybrid grand pianos.

Kevin VOlz said...

Yes, I would also appreciate hearing the about the difference between the 500, (which i own thanks to you :) and the 510. And whether an upgrade would be worth it.

I also wonder if anyone else finds it annoying that the buttons on the left control panel are not illuminated. Between the relative darkness of the room while playing/performing and the bright light of the music lamp I need to pull out a small flashlight to see any of the control buttons.

Thanks,

Kevin

TheStig said...

I checked out GP-310 and 510 in local showroom. In fact the sound on 510 has broader range of dynamic frequency, higher highs and lower lows, so sound comparison wasn't even close. I am very excited for my G-510 delivery sometime this or next week!!

Anonymous said...

Hello
I would also like to hear about the difference between the 500 and the 510 please. Thank you so much for these impeccable reviews. After reading them you have no questions left and a good sense of what the specificities of each models are.

Matt S said...

This is by far the most comprehensive review of Casio GP-510 and GP-310 series on the internet. Thank you for such a fair review of Casio's effort to challenge other top competitors in the hybrid-piano category. I'm now seriously considering buying either Casio GP-310 or GP-510 since, for me, it's the action that matters the most. It would be a serious investment for a beginner but I think Casio's hybrid are the best value-packed products in this price point.

Pablo Albino said...

Hi Tim! How do you compare the gp 510 to clp 775? Here in Brazil both has a similar price. How would you buy? 😅