Casio Celviano AP450 vs Yamaha YDP162

[altair80]

Hi,

I'm a beginner student.

I'm thinking to buy a digital piano, and after some research I'd choose between one of these (but if you have other advice please tell me):

Casio Celviano AP450

Yamaha YDP162

[trus]

I went for Casio , if you look at the specs, Casio has much more to offer at its level of price range. Polythony is one of the things.  Casio is 250 and Yamaha is about 120. I like the casio keybed better, I played tonnes of Yamaha and found the keys need to be pushed through some tiny ridge before producing a sound. The other day I had no problem doing a piano staccato passage on a casio privia but Yamaha (am sure it was Arius too) did not let me to keep the light touch , I had to press much harder on the keys.
on the  other hand, I think yamahas speakers are better.
as you are a beginner,  I woukd strongly recommend considering an option of a good acoustic piano.
Hope this all helps!
Trus

[lhorwinkle]

My experience with the Yamahas was quite different.  I found the keyboards to be very light.

Also, don't sweat the polyphony. It's just marketing nonsense. You'll do fine with 32 or 64 polyphony. But no pianos go that low anymore, so it's a moot point.  The polyphony figures are used to cater to more-is-better thinking.  In this case, more is simply not relevant.

I went for Casio , if you look at the specs, Casio has much more to offer at its level of price range. Polythony is one of the things.  Casio is 250 and Yamaha is about 120. I like the casio keybed better, I played tonnes of Yamaha and found the keys need to be pushed through some tiny ridge before producing a sound. The other day I had no problem doing a piano staccato passage on a casio privia but Yamaha (am sure it was Arius too) did not let me to keep the light touch , I had to press much harder on the keys.
on the  other hand, I think yamahas speakers are better.
as you are a beginner,  I woukd strongly recommend considering an option of a good acoustic piano.
Hope this all helps!
Trus

[schwartzer]

Do well with 32 notes polyphony? Sure, if you are a Bach only player.

You'll need at least 128.

[hfmadopter]

I like the casio keybed better, I played tonnes of Yamaha and found the keys need to be pushed through some tiny ridge before producing a sound.

Trus

That tiny ridge you mention is the grand action, you will find the same thing in virtually all acoustic grand pianos. That may be to some more or some lesser degree than the Yamaha you played but it will be there. I would want that in my digital piano and my Kawai digital has that, my acoustic grand has that as well.

[altair80]

Ok, now I increased my budget.

Casio Celviano AP450

Yamaha Clavinova CLP525

Kawai CN24

Yamaha Clavinova CLP535

Kawai CN34

Is there a real gain from Celviano to CLP525 and CN24???

CLP535 and CN34 would be over my budget. There is much difference from 525 and CN24???

I saw Kawai Cn 24 and 34 have the same mechanics. The Yamaha 535 has different mechanics compared to 525.

[trus]

That tiny ridge you mention is the grand action, you will find the same thing in virtually all acoustic grand pianos. That may be to some more or some lesser degree than the Yamaha you played but it will be there. I would want that in my digital piano and my Kawai digital has that, my acoustic grand has that as well.

I swear what I felt on digital yamahas is quite different to thr acoustic experience.  I have acoustic Kawai K 3 and Bentley upright and I regularly play on various grands (you name it!) and I never felt such plasticy ridge. I eventually can adjudt to it, but I don't like the control then, it is slightly limited.  My Bentley upright has very hard action,  but it is not the samy empty ridge. Hmmmm how can I describe a feeling? 

[trus]

Ok, now I increased my budget.

Casio Celviano AP450

Yamaha Clavinova CLP525

Kawai CN24

Yamaha Clavinova CLP535

Kawai CN34

Is there a real gain from Celviano to CLP525 and CN24???

CLP535 and CN34 would be over my budget. There is much difference from 525 and CN24???

I saw Kawai Cn 24 and 34 have the same mechanics. The Yamaha 535 has different mechanics compared to 525.

I quite like the  sound of digital Kawais but have not played much to remember the keybed. There are a few videos on youtube where guys compare Yamahas to Casio. Have a look. At the end of the day, if you want to get something to grt by for a couple of years, then you probably dont need 256 polythony just now. May be get something simple with a viee to change once you outgrow it. If you want to get something what  would last your years,  the porbably worth getting something decent. 

[jimbo320]

I will settle this. If it was a Yamaha you're looking for get one that really feels like a acoustic.
My preference which I love playing both for feel and sound is a CP5 stage piano. I strongly recommend
testing one out before you make a decision.
But which ever you choose good luck...

[altair80]

I swear what I felt on digital yamahas is quite different to thr acoustic experience.  I have acoustic Kawai K 3 and Bentley upright and I regularly play on various grands (you name it!) and I never felt such plasticy ridge. I eventually can adjudt to it, but I don't like the control then, it is slightly limited.  My Bentley upright has very hard action,  but it is not the samy empty ridge. Hmmmm how can I describe a feeling? 

The ridge you say may be the escapement, but Arius don't has escapement, some Clavinova has, from 535 model.
Kawai has double escapement. I never play an acoustic piano, so I don't know how much this digitals is like acoustic.

[lhorwinkle]

None of these pianos have escapement. Nor double escapement.

What they deceptively call "escapement" is really just rubbery click-click mechanism. That mimics the feel of escapement. But it is not an escapement.  There is no let off. None at all.

The ridge you say may be the escapement, but Arius don't has escapement, some Clavinova has, from 535 model.
Kawai has double escapement. I never play an acoustic piano, so I don't know how much this digitals is like acoustic.