Are you wondering which digital piano to buy?
Are you looking to understand which digital piano to buy? Whether you want to begin the process of learning to play the piano or would like to sharpen your playing after time away, a digital piano is a good place to start. Even seasoned players can struggle when it comes to buying a piano, and it is easy to be misled by online reviews. So, to help you start your journey, we have put together a simple guide on finding the best digital piano for your needs.
Why choose a digital piano?
The biggest reason to choose a digital piano is the cost. Any piano is an investment, but if you are just starting or trying to improve your playing, it is better to work your way up to bigger and better pianos and start with a digital. However, that’s not the only reason why we so regularly recommend digital pianos.
They are incredibly convenient to use, allowing you to plug in your headphones and practice whenever you like and are much more compact to house your piano in smaller spaces. Digital pianos are also perfect for pianists looking to avoid the costly maintenance fees that come with owning an acoustic piano.
Modern digital pianos offer high-quality speakers, incredible processing power and an incredibly authentic sound and realistic touch. To top it off, newer digital pianos now look just as good as acoustic pianos and many well-known brands have released some great designs in recent years.
What should I be looking for?
Once you have an idea of what sized digital piano you are looking for and the budget you have available, you can start to search for your perfect instrument. When choosing a digital piano, we would argue that there are two key areas you should be looking at; touch and sound. A good quality digital piano should have an authentic touch and realism of sound, but why do these features matter?
Quality Touch
Any professional pianist will tell you that key action is, in fact, key! When you press down the key on a grand or acoustic piano, an internal mechanism allows the hammer to strike the string, which produces a sound. This mechanism adds weight and allows the piano key to feel much firmer and rest differently, enabling pianists to have better control.
In recent years, digital pianos have advanced dramatically, and their key mechanisms have been able to follow a remarkably similar process to acoustic pianos. We are proud at Markson Pianos to provide Digital Pianos from both Yamaha and Kawai pianos, who both offer models which use a whole action taken from their classic acoustic pianos.
There are less costly models on the market which try to simulate this ‘real piano’, but they aren’t quite the same, and any professional pianist will attest to this. A realistic action is integral for any good piano as pianists want it to be as close to the real thing as possible. A great example of this is the Kawai CA99 with its Grand Feel III action that provides a more realistic touch.
Sound Quality
The next key thing to look for is the sound quality of a digital piano, which is created by how the instrument generates and amplifies the sound. As a first time buyer of a digital piano, you may think that you won’t need a powerful piano, especially if you’ll just be practising in a small space at home.
However, it can be beneficial to have an instrument that has this level of functionality as if and when you advance to an acoustic piano, you will find the fingers control the volume. So, having a digital piano capable of recreating the dynamic range of an acoustic piano will help teach pianists this vital skill.
Having a powerful piano will not only help achieve this dynamic range of sound, but it will also ensure you have a better quality of sound. Any digital piano can sound loud when a key is pressed, but the quality will suffer if the amplifier is straining. We would advise looking for a digital piano that, when pressed, produces a much fuller, richer and more powerful sound that can be sustained. So, which digital pianos would you recommend?
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a quality piano with good touch and sound. There are countless digital pianos we could recommend, but the two standout brands mentioned are Yamaha and Kawai. These are some of the key models we think are worth considering.
Kawai CN29
The CN29 is a great entry-level model and is perfect for someone who wants a solid first piano. The responsive hammer III produces a more realistic movement that emulates the experience of playing a real piano. It also offers Bluetooth connectivity and has a stunning OLED pixel display. Overall it is a good starter piano for beginner to intermediate levels.
Kawai CA49
This Kawai CA49 is an incredibly popular model and, for many, offers an unparalleled digital piano experience. This model has the advantage of a compact grand feel wooden-key keyboard action and incorporates technologies developed in collaboration with premium audio equipment manufacturer Onkyo. It features a new motherboard and amplification system designed to deliver richer, higher quality sound. Another excellent digital piano option that we highly recommend.
Yamaha CLP-725
You are always guaranteed to get a quality product when purchasing from Yamaha and the CLP 725 a digital piano is no exception. This model is built to replicate the concert sound of Yamahas grand pianos and is equipped with a wide range of great sound voices, smart device connectivity and weighted keys. This is a great choice for anyone looking for that coveted acoustic sound and portability.
We hope that this guide has helped give you a better understanding of what to look for when buying a digital piano, but if you need more guidance, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. We will be more than happy to assist you in finding the right piano that matches your ability as well as your size and budget requirements.
You can also take a look at our range of Digital Pianos featured on our website from world-renowned brands such as Yamaha and Kawai!