Top ‘mid-range’ digital pianos for players looking for rich piano sounds, authentic feel, better looks, and the convenience of a portable instrument. Most of these are available for around 1000-1200 dollars. Until a few years back, most of the options in this category were available from Yamaha and Casio but there are now more offerings (some in the classic upright design too).
Introduction
We have already reviewed a few budget portable pianos that are commonly used by beginners/intermediate players. Beginners who are serious about piano playing may consider the best budget portable 88-key pianos or the best 76-keys electronic piano keyboards.
The digital pianos that we are going to review here are a category above the ones mentioned above.
Most digital pianos come with weighted keys, but even among those, some have better touch, texture, and overall piano action. Also, these pianos are more robust and come with additional features such as higher polyphony, better sound samples, better looks (available as consoles), etc. And that is the reason these are priced a bit higher.
So here are the best mid-ranged digital pianos (most of these are available around 1000-1200 dollars). You may skip directly to the best Mid-Range Digital Piano on Amazon.
Best Mid-Range Digital Pianos ($1000-$1200)
Yamaha YDP-144 Arius Console Digital Piano
This is a perfect example of how digital pianos have become affordable over the years. For this price, you can now buy the Yamaha YDP-144 Arius, which is a console digital piano.
YDP 144 provides authentic piano touch and tone, and looks that will inspire any aspiring pianist. The 42 inches cabinet makes it look like a classic piano. Its available in rosewood or black walnut finishes.
Want something cheaper? Checkout the Yamaha ARIUS YDP-103R.
- Yamaha YDP-103R: Buy on Amazon | Buy on zZounds
Casio Privia PX-870 Digital Piano
The Casio PX-870 is the top model in the popular Privia series of pianos from Casio.
Featuring an upright design, the Casio PX-870 comes with several features, and feels like a real piano, in terms of touch, feel and the tonal quality.
The ONE Smart Keyboard Pro (88-Keys)
The ONE Smart Keyboard Pro is making the right kinds of sounds in the market, every since it was launched. This keyboard offers severall learning options and also has an app (wit detailed learning options); it also has lighted keys which makes it easie to learn songs.
Yamaha DGX-660 Grand Keyboard
Yamaha DGX-660 is the flagship piano in the DGX series, a very popular model, and has undergone several improvements in the last few years.
A great combination of piano sounds and styles. The DGX-660 is Yamaha’s most piano-like Portable Grand ever, with its weighted Graded Hammer Standard keyboard action and wide selection of piano Voices. Selecting a sound is as easy as keying in a number, and recording virtuoso performances is simple with the built-in recorder. The Yamaha Education Suite and USB connectivity add functionality.
Korg SP-280 88-Key Piano
The Korg SP-280 digital piano has a nice, heavy Natural Weighted Hammer Action (NH) keyboard and a great set of piano & electric piano sounds (suited for for live performance). Read more…
The design is minimal (less clutter) and the piano has a compact, portable design. Comes with stereo audio input that lets you play along to music played from external audio sources. Great piano for practicing.
Kawai ES-110 88-Key Digital Piano
Kawai ES-110 piano features the classic Kawai grand piano tone, Graded hammer key action, built-in speakers, exceptional Piano Sounds (doesn’t come with lot of instrument sounds though).
This piano offers Bluetooth MIDI connectivity (I guess few years down the line Bluetooth will be the norm). Read more…
Optional stand and triple pedals. Built-in Alfred piano lessons for those learning to play the piano. Use it for practicing or for gigging.
Casio PX360 88-Key Piano
The Casio PX360 comes with big, expressive piano sounds, has touchscreen, and features hundreds of more sounds. Read more…
- Buy on Amazon | Buy on zZounds
Casio PX-5 Privia Digital Piano
The Casio Privia PX-5 piano can be used as a practice piano as well as for stage performances for the occasional gigs. It comes with excellent sound quality and performance features in a lightweight design that is supremely portable. Featuring tone editing, insert effects, MIDI controller capabilities, an Ivory Touch 88 note scaled hammer action keyboard, the Privia PX3 is ready to take onstage. Read more here…
Flychord DP330 88 key Fully Weighted Console Digital Piano
The Flychord DP330 is fully weighted 88-key digital console piano with several educational features built in. The keyboard comes with Synthetic Ivory tops for authentic piano feel. 500 voices, 200 preset styles, recording feature, MIDI, and more. USB MIDI connectivity also allows easy integration with computers and let you explore several useful software.
- [easyazon_link identifier=”B01LEX4UPW” locale=”US” tag=”keytarhq04-20″ cart=”n”]User reviews on Amazon[/easyazon_link]
Buying Guide
Who Is This For?
Looking for a digital piano with rich pianos sounds, and authentic key action…something that can be used for onstage performances as well? Here we take a look at the top digital pianos sold by various manufacturers, that have better sound, feel, and features compared to the entry level digital pianos.
Who is this for?
- Serious piano learners who want better keyboard touch (the higher the price, the more authentic the keyboard touch)
- Those looking for a digital piano that can be used for performing (gigs, functions and entertainment)
- Piano teachers or keyboard players who wants to upgrade to a superior piano from a music keyboard
- Those who have an old acoustic piano and don’t like its maintenance costs (couple of hundreds on annual tuning), and want to upgrade to a digital piano.
- Experienced piano players who want an ensemble piano (with accompaniments and other features) that helps in songwriting and composing
What Can You Expect at this Price
Features that you’re likely to get at this price:
- Better keyboard touch, fully weighted keys
- Great piano sounds (and few other instrument sounds), few backing styles/rhythms
- Some may offer multiple headphone jacks (allows two people to practice silently)
- Layer and split feature
- On-board recorder (may be one or two-tracks)
- USB to host connectivity
Every top brand (Yamaha, Casio, Korg, Roland, Kawai) owns a series of digital pianos, and these pianos are usually placed higher than the entry level pianos in those series.
Closing Thoughts
These pianos are less likely to focus on learning related features and focus more on providing a better piano playing experience. Most piano players look for weighted keys in the piano, but even in this price range you’re less likely to get a hammer action keyboard. No doubt the sound samples will be much better than most entry level pianos. These come with several connectivity options – pedals, ins /outs, etc. The portability factor is another advanatge as these pianos are easy to move around, and a good portable alternative to an acoustic piano, which usually is bulky and costs more.
Best digital stage Pianos for budget conscious performers (around $1500)
Read about more Best Keyboards & Pianos for various prices
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KeytarHQ editorial team includes musicians who write and review products for pianists, keyboardists, guitarists & other musicians. KeytarHQ is the best online resource for information on keyboards, pianos, synths, keytars, guitars and music gear for musicians of all abilities, ages and interests.
My top picks for digital pianos under $1000 would be either a Yamaha or a Casio digita piano.
In Yamaha, it would be either the Yamaha DGX-660 or Yamaha P-115. Both are excellent pianos. The Yamaha P-255 is also very good but its priced a few hundred dollars over thousand.
From Casio, my choice would be Casio-PX560, which is an excellent piano. In fact, all the pianos from its Privia piano series are good.
These pianos have great sound and are perfect for practice or for performances. All of these models come with built-in speakers, and have many nice features.