Regardless of whether you are an upcoming musician or an expert, investing in the best digital pianos is a prudent decision.
Buying a piano can be challenging for both experts and novice enthusiasts. This is due to the wide variety of digital piano models available on the market.
Unlike initial models, modern pianos come in varying sizes, shapes, forms, and price ranges. Whereas others are portable, there are other consoles and grand sized digital pianos.
Nonetheless, the best digital piano should produce authentic sound, good touch and additional features for the price. It is also supposed to come with high-quality volume control knobs, built-in speakers, and various extra modes.
As mentioned before, the varying models may make your search process quite daunting. However, worry not as our digital piano under 1000 review below outlines some of the best products on the market. We will also discuss some of the important features to consider before settling for the best digital pianos.
Comparing The 5 Best Digital Pianos Under $1000
1. CASIO PX-870 Digital Piano – Best Digital Piano for the Money
The two important aspects of a piano are sound and touch. It features a Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II that helps the system with triple sensor detection technology for note repetition and expressiveness.
The touch has 88 full-sized keys. For a nice textured feel, the keys have ivory and ebony finish. Its surface also helps it absorb moisture from your fingers, enhancing control.
The piano’s sound is incredible because it features 4-speakers sound projection system sampled from a 9-foot concert.
It also has sustained pedal and power so one can play anything on a regular piano. Additionally, the piano’s lid allows open and use it to change the tone manually.
Perhaps the highlight of Px-870’s features is the concert play mode. In this mode, you can play up to 10 different tunes with real recordings of a symphony orchestra.
You can practice them in pieces before playing along with the orchestra.
The PX-870 has a metronome, transpose, dual modes and recording capabilities among others make it one of the best. During the performance, one can record the actual sound and share it.
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- Hammer action keys
- Amazing sound quality, a 40W sound projection system
- Built-in MIDI and Audio recorder
- Slim with stylish design
- Improved piano tone
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- Not portable
- No preset rhythms
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2. YAHAMA YDP-143 Digital Piano – Solid Digital Piano from a Reputable Brand
The YAHAMA YDP-143 primarily targets intermediate piano players looking to improve their playing experience. First things first, it comes with 3 pedals and a cabinet. Besides being the heaviest digital piano compared to others on this list, it is slightly deeper.
YAHAMA YDP-143 Touch
Like other Yamaha products, this model comes with Yamaha’s fully weighted action, equipped with 88 full-size touch sensitive play keys. These GHS keys provide a realistic feel with a heavier lower range touch and lighter upper range touch. The piano’s white keys have shiny keytops as the black have a black matte finish, which makes them less slippery.
YAHAMA YDP-143 Sound
Like other top models, the YAHAMA YDP-143 digital piano is equipped with Pure CF sound engine that provides 3 varying piano tones. This is possible thanks to its high-quality 192-note polyphony with Yamaha’s latest sound optimization technology.
This provides rich and realistic sound production for both headphones and onboard speakers. As for the features, there is nothing to complain about the YAHAMA YDP-143. Its metronome, duet functionality, layering mode, 2-track recorder and lesson function ability with 50 preset songs makes it easy to practice independently.
Being a modern piano, you can connect the piano to your computer or iPad via the USB port. When connected, you can use it as a MIDI-controller, allowing the use of various learning and music-making apps. You can also load a maximum of 10 songs and use them as preset songs.
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- Black matte finish keys
- High-quality instrument sounds
- Built-in library with several songs
- Lesson function
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- Quite heavy
- Limited sound options
- Lacks preset temperaments
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3. KORG C1 AIR Digital Piano – Best Balanced Digital Piano
KORG C1 AIR Digital Piano features high-end keyboard action equivalent to the Real Weighted Hammer Action. As a result, this makes the piano play lighter than Yamaha and Casio, but super smooth and responsive.
This digital piano shines when it comes to its sound. Its exceptional 50W speaker ascertains the piano’s big sound, sampled from Japanese and German grand pianos. Users experience a recreated damper resonance with a key-off simulation that adds to the intriguing playing experience.
Compared to other models in our list, this piano might have the least features. However, its great Bluetooth connectivity using expands its capabilities. If you are looking for a well-balanced digital piano, the KORG C1 is a great choice.
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- 30 preset sounds
- High-quality RH3 sound
- Slim and stylish design
- Rich and natural sound with German and Japanese grand piano simulation
- Powerful speaker system
- Bluetooth connectivity
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- Lacks USB port
- Lacks MIDI transfer via Bluetooth
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4. ROLAND RP-102 Digital Piano – Best Affordable Console Piano
Before this, Roland didn’t have a digital piano at this price range, except for the FP-30. This makes this model a favorite for beginners and intermediate players.
This model is nearly identical to the FP-30, except for the cabinet, 3-pedals and several preset songs. Despite the fact that this model doesn’t offer much bells and whistles, it does an excellent job recreating the sound with an acoustic feeling.
That’s why it is considered to be the best affordable digital piano. As for the touch, the ROLAND RP-102 Digital Piano comes with a PHA-4 standard keyboard with ivory feel keys and an escapement mechanism. This is the latest of Roland’s hammer actions, which are less noisy and more realistic compared to the previous models.
What Else Makes It One of The Best Digital Pianos?
The triple sensor detection system provides for enhanced, accurate sensing of key repetition and better expression.
On the other hand, the escapement mechanism allows for a simulated clicking sensation at the end of a keystroke. Ivory textured keys increase key control and absorb moisture from the player’s fingers. ROLAND RP-102 Digital Piano uses a supernatural modeling technology that delivers a full and rich piano sound with seamless dynamics.
Furthermore, it combines the sympathetic string resonance present in old models delivering medium bright and metallic sound.
The Piano provides both USB and Bluetooth connectivity. In addition, you can connect through the Piano Partner app to Android and iOS devices to get access to all functions and songs. That makes it one of the best digital pianos today.
- Supernatural modeling technology
- Over 200 built-in songs
- Wireless connectivity
- Ivory feel keys
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- Quite heavy
- Lacks lesson function
- Lacks preset temperaments
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5. KORG LP-380 Digital Piano – Best Compact Digital Piano
Maybe it’s not the best digital piano on the market, but it is a worthy piano for music enthusiasts on a limited budget. To begin, the piano comes with an RH3 keyboard, similar to the C1 model keyboard.
It also comes with PCM sound engine with 120-note polyphony and 30 built-in sounds. This model, just like the C1 is produced in Japan. This means that you will get exceptional Japanese quality at an affordable price.
There are 30 built-in songs encompassing of 20 piano songs and 10 demos. You can playback and play along with the songs, but can’t turn off the tracks or change the sound. Connectivity is something the KORG LP-380 Digital Piano isn’t good at. This is because it lacks USB and Bluetooth support. However, there is a MIDI in and out ports that allow users to exchange MIDI data with your computer.
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- Slim, sleek design
- 30 preset sounds
- Natural piano sound
- 9 preset temperaments
- Made in Japan
- Powerful speaker system
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- Lacks built-in recorder
- Lacks lesson function
- Poor connectivity – no USB or Bluetooth function
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Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Digital Piano
The key to enjoying great music is finding the best digital piano for sale. There are numerous digital pianos under $1000 that can make you happy.
Manufacturers often like including some bells and whistles to modern models that are less likely to be of use.
Even better, duplicate the features of your current piano. For an enjoyable experience, consider purchasing a piano by taking great consideration of the following features.
Playing the piano over a long time can be detrimental with a bare hand. If you are a pianist you might have suffers from pain and numbness in the hand due to repetitive activities. Before buying the digital piano you should also consider the right carpal tunnel wrist brace which is incredibly important to avoid such pain.
Piano Quality
As mentioned, a digital piano should be of excellent quality. This involves both the interior and exterior components. This is because both components play a significant role in the instrument’s performance.
Digital pianos with high-quality soundboard and strings enhance resonance and range. Furthermore, you should also take into consideration its tuning range because it will affect the instrument’s longevity.
Number of Keys
The more the number of keys, the happier you will be. That’s because you will be able to play more tunes. Ideally, modern digital pianos have 88 keys. However, other models have less, even 76 or 52 keys. All in all, 76 keys are enough for an expert to play modern pieces. Avoid settling for a keyboard with less than 5 octaves because you will lack flexibility.
Width of the Keys
Not all keys on digital pianos are of the same size, which is the standard norm. However, some manufacturers provide small keys in a bid to cut down the instrument’s size and weight. These pianos are large compared to a standard keyboard and they are usually as long as acoustic pianos using 88 keys.
Small keys make it hard to transfer knowledge gained to the physical piano. Therefore, ensure that all keys measure approximately 22mm across.
Volume Control
Some digital pianos lack volume control knobs. This makes it hard to regulate the piano’s volume, which is of immense importance when training or playing the piano at home. Volume control enables you to enjoy playing the instrument without causing disturbance to anyone. It is also of immense importance to control the instrument’s volume when using headphones.
Speakers
Today, there are a lot of speaker options for digital pianos you can purchase separately. Nevertheless, you are advised to go for a piano that has built-in speakers. This will help in producing the desired sound quality and prevent you from making the wrong speaker choice.
Also, note if the piano has input and output slots for speakers. This will be good if you love playing your piano with loud sounds.
Digital Piano Polyphony
Polyphony defines the maximum number of sounds the digital piano can produce at once. For instance, a piano with 32-note polyphony produces up to 32 notes at once. For an intermediate pianist, consider an instrument with at least 64-note polyphony. An advanced pianist will find the 128-note instrument much desirable.
Also, pay attention to layering and sequencing. By recording and including various voice and tone tracks, you can get a greater polyphony on your piano. That’s why you should choose a digital piano that allows you to include numerous tracks.
Touch Sensitivity
Also called velocity sensitivity or touch response, it is an important feature for any digital piano keyboard.
With this feature, the volume produced by the instrument depends on how hard or soft you play the keys. Just as with real pianos, you need to hit the key harder in order to produce a louder sound, and vice versa.
Make sure your digital piano doesn’t skimp on this feature. Lack of touch sensitivity is one of the main reasons people switch from an electric to a real keyboard.
Modes
Besides the standard keyboard modes, digital pianos often come with various additional modes. This allows the pianist to use two instruments sounds similarly or play four hands. Some of the popular modes include the split, dual/layering, and duet modes.
Split mode divides the keyboard into two parts allowing the pianist to play different sounds at the same time. Dual or layering mode allows the player to layer two different sounds simultaneously while duet mode divides the keyboard to two identical halves allowing people to play the same notes at the same time.
Best Digital Pianos FAQs
Are Digital Pianos Good for Beginners?
As a beginner, your best choice is to start with acoustic pianos from a reputable manufacturer like Yamaha. They can surpass even the best digital pianos in just about every aspect, from polyphony to feel to sound quality. A real acoustic piano also allows you to develop the feel for the volume and keyboard.
Do Digital Pianos Require Maintenance and Servicing?
Digital pianos have numerous advantages over acoustic instruments. Unlike the real pianos, most of their features are adjustable or automated. So they are not as demanding as their acoustic counterparts when it comes to maintenance and servicing.
Even so, they still need maintenance from time to time just like any other electronic devices. You need to keep your digital piano in excellent condition all the time to serve you at its best and last you a lifetime.
Can a Digital Piano Sound Like a Real One?
Digital piano is actually a mix of an electronic keyboard and acoustic piano. As such, it provides a greater sound variation. In most cases, digital pianos offer better sound quality than keyboards.
That’s because of the built-in speakers. However, this affects the portability on the other hand. Thanks to the ‘weighted keys,’ digital pianos sound like acoustic ones while playing.
Can I Plug My Headphones or Earphones Into a Digital piano?
The best digital pianos come with at least two headphone jacks – one for the listener and the other for the player. So, make sure to choose a digital piano that allows you to use your headphones or earphones when playing.
Avoid Future Regrets
When it comes to musical instruments, you get what you pay for. Therefore, make sure that you get a high-quality piano to avoid future regrets. Our list above outlines some of the best digital pianos under $1000 you can consider on the current market.
Regardless of the model, ensure that the piano suits your needs. Always watch out for specific features such as piano quality, number of keys, key sensitivity and volume control.
You can also look at additional features such as polyphony and piano modes for all-around playing experience. If you are the kind of person who loves to experience musical instruments comes with different sounds and peculiarities, consider giving a try on beginner mandolin. From our list above, which one do you think is your favorite? Share with us in the comments section below!
