The piano was once considered the king of instruments. Its commanding voice, stately presence, and high versatility made it the favored instrument for composition. Many innovations in technology separate us from the time of Mozart, and the piano has grown with them. Computer circuitry has fused with the king of instruments to give us many modern marvels of music making. Today, we will examine a shining example of that fusion in our Yamaha P115 review.
There have been a lot of positive reviews surrounding the Yamaha P115, but we wanted to know if all the hype is well-deserved. We set out to answer that question in this Yamaha P115 review. We narrowed the Yamaha P115's competition down to three worthy competitors and then compared the four models.
Each entry was scored based on its price, key features, performance, design quality, and warranty. We even summarized these points in an at-a-glance pros and cons lists. We will soon dive into our scores, but first, let us analyze the standard against which the digital pianos must measure.
WHAT IS THE YAMAHA P115?
With 88 gloriously designed keys, the Yamaha P115 brings top-of-the-line quality at a middle-of-the-road price. This digital piano uses the Pure CF Sound Engine to deliver an incredibly clear piano sound. It even includes the sound of Yamaha's CFIIIS 9' grand piano, meaning you can sound like a virtuoso without having to make space for a concert piano.
The built-in voices and rhythms allow for endless variation and exploration. The keyboard can even be controlled by an app, making pre-sets and other quick changes available through your iPad or iPhone.
In our Yamaha P115 review process, we found that this model appeals to beginners just as much as it does experts. The duo mode, which splits the keys into two equal parts with two middle C's, is great for people learning to play. It can also make for excellent duets on the 88 keys.
Besides the features and high-quality sound, the keys themselves produced just the right amount of weighted action. One could easily transition from traditional keys to this digital keyboard or vice versa.
PRODUCT SPECS
The Yamaha P115 utilizes Yamaha's GHS (Graded Hammer Standard) weighted action to produce a heavier touch in the low end and a lighter touch in the high end. This means that your digital keyboard reacts like the hammers inside an analog acoustic piano. Even the matte black finish on the black keys feels like a traditional piano. This has the added benefit of making them less slippery even after extended play.
Yamaha recently tweaked their tweeter design so that the high end better aligns with the ears of the user. Compared to earlier models, you can hear how the instrument sparkles in the high range.
We've mentioned the app in our summary, but the "Digital Piano Controller" really expands and enhances the functionality of your digital piano. From basic rock to shuffle and swing beats, the built-in rhythms allow you to simulate a whole band at your disposal. You don't have to share groupies with a virtual drummer.
The port game is on point with the Yamaha P115. This keyboard comes with the essential AUX jacks and a USB host port which means the keyboard can be directly hooked up to your PC or iPad.
The Yamaha P115 weighs about twenty-six pounds and measures 58.2 by 16.1 by 11.8 inches.
YAMAHA P115 REVIEW PRICING
This full 88-key digital piano can be purchased for around $400. Competitors generally fall within this same price range, although some ask around a hundred more or less. This amount can make a big difference when deciding which is the right piano for you in this Yamaha P115 review.
HOW IT COMPARES
We picked a few similar products available on the market to see how they compare.
YAMAHA P115
- A fully weighted digital piano with 88 full sized piano style keys
- GHS weighted action is heavier in the low keys and lighter in the high keys, just like an acoustic piano
- The pure CF sound engine faithfully reproduces the tone of the acclaimed Yamaha 9 feet CFIIIS Concert grand piano; Tempo...
Features:
Duo piano mode, several voice types, all the right plug-ins, and an app to boot: the Yamaha P115 gets a 5-star score for features.
Performance:
The keys have just the right weight to give your performances that swing.
Design Quality:
We were blown away by the look and feel of this digital piano.
Warranty:
Good luck finding a better warranty on a digital piano than the three-year parts and labor limited warranty the Yamaha P115 comes with.
PROS
CONS
KORG B1SP 88 WEIGHTED KEY DIGITAL PIANO
Though many of the classic Korg digital pianos come in a garish red, the Korg B1SP 88 Weighted Key Digital Piano looks striking in black. A fitting competitor, our Yamaha p115 review would not be complete without mention of this Korg.
Few digital pianos nail the weighting of their keys, but Korg has with their B1SP. The built-in stereo sounds great and the 8 naturally recorded voices do a great job competing with an acoustic piano. Unfortunately, it does not provide as many features as the Yamaha P115, and it asks up to two hundred dollars more.
Features:
The features offered by the Korg are great; there just aren't many of them.
Performance:
If emulating a traditional piano with a few extra features is your game, then the Korg will perform excellently.
Design Quality:
This is really a handsome digital piano.
Warranty:
Korg is vague about their warranty, which is a bit concerning.
PROS
CONS
ROLAND COMPACT 88-KEY DIGITAL PIANO
- Roland’s industry-leading piano technologies in a stylish, affordable instrument for smaller living spaces
- SuperNATURAL Piano delivers the rich, authentic tone of a real acoustic grand
- Connect your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth technology for wireless remote control, learning games, and digital...
The Roland Compact 88-key Digital Piano almost sounds like a contradiction of terms. Having 88 keys and being “compact” might seem impossible. After trying this piano out, we know that it is.
This piano is so pretty in both its black and white varieties, that you might wish it took up more room. Its proprietary voice technology allows it to capture an unprecedented range of a concert piano's sound.
The built-in speaker of the Roland Compact 88-key Digital Piano is unparalleled for 88-key digital pianos. Not only can this model imitate an acoustic piano, but it comes packed with 305 additional voices. That means it can produce the sound of electric pianos, strings, guitars, organs brass, synthesizers, drums, bells, and even more.
So what's the catch? The Roland Compact 88-key Digital Piano costs up to three times more than the Yamaha P115.
Features:
The Roland Compact 88-key Digital Piano comes stuffed to the brim with features. The only thing it doesn't have is a dedicated app.
Performance:
This piano sounds as good as it looks, and you will look and sound great playing it.
Design Quality:
We have to hand it to Roland for meeting the height of design quality with this piano.
Warranty:
Roland provides 5-year parts and 1-year labor warranty on this digital piano.
PROS
CONS
No products found.
CASIO PX860 BK PRIVIA DIGITAL HOME PIANO
- Keys: 88 Ebony and Ivory feel
- Keyboard - Action: Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II; Touch Response: 3 sensitivity levels, off; Key Off...
- Sound - Source: Multi Dimensional Morphing Air
Whereas our last entry attempted to slim down the 88-key design, the Casio PX860 BK Privia Digital Home Piano did not. This piece of digital piano technology has an impressive stance, and an impressive sound to match. The whole thing fits into most home spaces, but it also weighs nearly 100 pounds.
The name of the game with the Casio PX860 BK Privia Digital Home Piano is the subtlety of sound. The sound quality ought to please the harshest critics and audiophiles. The problem is, to get these features, you will have to pay about twice what Yamaha asks for their excellent sounding P115.
Features:
Casio does not fall short on its overall features, but you'll pay for them.
Performance:
The Casio PX860 BK Privia Digital Home Piano can transform your home into a concert hall.
Design Quality:
This is an impressive piano with a great ebony and ivory feel.
Warranty:
Casio only provides a 1-year warranty on this product.
PROS
CONS
CONCLUSION
Image Source: Unsplash.com
Overall, we gave the Yamaha P115 a 5-star rating. Other digital pianos in the same price range could not compare to the Yamaha P115 in terms of features. Digital pianos that offered comparable features cost at least twice as much as the Yamaha P115. The Yamaha P115 is a great value and a solid choice in digital pianos.
Featured Image: CC BY-SA 4.0, Semmendinger, via Wikimedia Commons
Last update on 2021-11-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
