Casio PX160 Vs Yamaha P115 – Detailed Comparison

Today we’ll be looking at two mid-range digital pianos produced by two of the biggest manufacturers in the digital piano space. We’ll be comparing- Casio PX160 Vs Yamaha P115.

Click here to buy the Casio PX160 on Amazon now.
Click here to buy the Yamaha P115 on Amazon now.

If you do not have the time to read through this review, then check the next three sections. In these three sections (Comparison Overview, Comparison Table, What Scenario Is What Piano Suited For?), you would find enough information to help you make the right choice.

Comparison Overview

The Casio PX160 is known for having the best feeling in this price range, while the Yamaha P115 is known to carry the best sound engine in this price range. Ultimately, that would be the deciding factor for most people.

So, if you want a piano that feels as close to an acoustic piano as possible, then the Casio PX160 is the one you should go for. If on the other hand, you don’t really care about the feel of the instrument, or perhaps you are just more interested in its sound, then the Yamaha P115 is the one for you.

That is not to say that the only difference between these two pianos is sound and feel, but those are the most noticeable difference. Other differences are highlighted in the table below, so be sure to check those out first.

Cost To Performance Ratio — Casio PX160 Vs Yamaha P115

Both of these pianos cost almost the same as at the time of this review. For the quality they offer, these pianos are very affordable. You would hardly get a piano similarly priced to either of these that can do what they do best, better.

So, getting either of these should be an excellent economic choice.

However, if you’re just a beginner and you’re unsure whether you would continue being a musician in the long run, then it’s not wise to go out and spend all this money first. We suggest that you check out the Yamaha P45 first. That’s the budget-friendly option in Yamaha’s P series.

Brand Comparative Advantage

Both Casio and Yamaha are Japanese multinational companies. While Casio is more focused on consumer and commercial electronics, it’s countryman, Yamaha, has a much wider spectrum.

Coming down to pianos, Yamaha has been in the game far longer than Casio and in fact, is the largest piano manufacturer in the world. A feet not easy to reach.

The reason why they can get the best sounding digital pianos is that in the past, they’ve already created some of the best sounding acoustic pianos. So, it’s not such a great task to convert those sounds from the acoustic piano, into the digital piano.

So, if you’re going to choose a company based on its experience, then you might as well get ready to buy only Yamaha pianos for the rest of your life.

However, Casio produces really popular digital pianos and that’s because of the niche they’ve carved out for themselves. We think the thought behind this is “if we can’t beat Yamaha for its sound, then let’s create digital pianos with the best feel” and that’s exactly what they did. In the market right now, there are few digital piano manufacturing companies that can stand Casio in terms of feel.

Click here to buy the Casio PX 160 on Amazon now.
Click here to buy the Yamaha P115 on Amazon now.

Comparison Table — Casio PX160 Vs Yamaha P115

 

Casio PX160

Yamaha P115

Key Action Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II Graded Hammer Standard Action
Sound Multi-dimensional Morphing Air Sound Source Pure CF Sound Engine
Polyphony 128 notes 192 notes
Number of Voices 18 (5 pianos) 14 (3 pianos)
Preset Piano Songs 60 50 + 14 demo songs
App Integration No Yes
Modes Split (only low-range bass tone), Dual, Duo Split, Dual, Duo.
Speakers 8W + 8W (12 centimeters each) 7W + 7W (12 cm X 2 + 4 cm X2)
Dimensions 132.2 x 29.3 x 14.1 (centimeter) 52 x 11.5 x 5.5 (inches) 132.6 x 29.5 x 16.3 (centimeter) 52.2 x 11.6 x 6.4 (inches)
Weight 11.1 kilograms 11.8 kilograms
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What Scenario Is What Piano Best Suited For?

Casio PX160

Yamaha P115

 Both of these pianos would be ideal for any beginner. However, if you’re looking for something that feels as close to an acoustic piano as possible, then you definitely want this piano.  

The keys are weighted, the hammer action has a triple-sensor system to detect the velocity and intensity of each keystroke and adjusts the volume accordingly.  

This means that the harder and faster you play, the louder the sound, and vice versa. Just like an acoustic piano.   Also, the keys were finished with a material that feels like ebony and ivory, to give you that authentic key feel.  
Although this doesn’t feel exactly like an acoustic piano, it doesn’t feel terrible. The white keys have a glossy, plastic finish.  

However, the black keys have a matte finish to give them that extra grip. But the feel of this piano is definitely not its selling point.  

This piano shines best when you actually play it. Its 001 Grand Piano sound was recorded from the Yamaha CFIIS 9’ Concert Grand, using the Pure CF Sound Engine.   This sound engine is Yamaha’s flagship for digital pianos and is definitely the best sounding you would hear at under $1000.
Click here to buy the Casio PX 160 on Amazon now.
Click here to buy the Yamaha P115 on Amazon now.

Features Common To Both Pianos

Although both of these pianos are made by different companies, is that they are both digital pianos in the same price range, they do share a number of similar features.

In this section, we would be looking at all the features that you can find in both the Casio PX160 and the Yamaha P115. Of course, because they are made by different companies, there is bound to be different implementations of certain features. We would highlight all of those where they appear. Let’s go!

88- weighted Keys With Hammer Action      

The first similarity between these two pianos is that they come with the same number of keys. This is expected as both of these pianos are digital pianos. With digital pianos, the aim of the manufacturer (in this case, Casio and Yamaha) is to produce something as close to the acoustic piano as possible.

This is why most, if not all, digital pianos come with 88 keys. Because acoustic pianos also come with 88 keys. This way, you get the exact same number of keys, pitch range, and notes playable on these pianos and an acoustic piano.

The keys of these pianos are also weighted to mimic the feel of the keys of an acoustic piano. When you try the key of an acoustic piano, you activate a lever system which pushes down on a hammer. This hammer then strikes a string, releasing the sound to the atmosphere.

Because of that hammer action, the keys on an acoustic piano are quite heavy to the touch. On the other hand, on a digital piano, the sound is produced digitally, so there is no need for a hammer to hit on any strings.

However, manufacturers like Yamaha and Casio still put small hammers underneath each key in their digital pianos. This is known as “key action” and each company has a different approach to it, although, they end up with similar results. Let’s see the key action of these two pianos.

Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II

This hammer action system has three sensors under each hammer, which is one more than you would normally get. It’s great because it allows you to press each note more than once without the key returning to its original position.

With this hammer action system, you get a realist feel and response from the keys. It also gives you a wide dynamic range that allows you to play from the softest pianissimo all the way through to the loudest fortissimo.

See also  Yamaha P105 Vs P115 – Detailed Comparison

Furthermore, the triple sensors on each key of this piano allow for it to be “velocity-sensitive”. This is what puts this hammer action a step above the competition today. Because on an acoustic piano, the intensity of the hammer striking the string determines the volume of the sound produced.

So, what this sensor system does is that it detects the velocity and intensity of each keystroke, and then alters the volume of the output accordingly. So, the harder (or faster) you play, the louder the output.

Finally, the term “scaled” is the same thing as the term “graded” on the hammer action of the Yamaha P115. It simply means that it simulates the feel of an acoustic piano where the lower-ends are heavier and more resistant than the higher notes.

Graded Hammer Standard (GHS)

First off, this is the most affordable hammer action produced by Yamaha in this day and age. It’s the hammer action that you would find on Yamaha’s digital pianos that cost under $1000. However, that shouldn’t make you feel bad. It might be affordable, but it still feels pretty premium.

GHS has quite a heavy touch that weighs and feels close to a real acoustic piano. This is good as it’ll help you build finger strength and endurance for when you start playing the acoustic piano.

Furthermore, it’s graded, which we have explained is the same thing as “scaled” earlier. So, lower notes are heavier, higher notes are lighter.

Unlike the sensor system on the Casio that automatically adjusts the volume according to the intensity of each stroke, this piano has 4 preset settings of touch sensitivity.

Click here to buy the Casio PX 160 on Amazon now.
Click here to buy the Yamaha P115 on Amazon now.

Touch Sensitivity

Both of these digital pianos come with touch sensitivity. However, the touch sensitivity on these two pianos works quite differently.

On the Casio PX160, you have 3 levels of touch sensitivity, and an “OFF” option to turn off the touch sensitivity completely. These 3 levels determine how much you have to touch the piano before the sound is produced. It is in order of increasing intensity from 1-3.

So, if you choose 1, you would only need to press down lightly for the sound to be produced. And on the other end, if you choose 3, you would need to press down extremely hard before the sound is produced. This does not change affect the triple-sensor system.

That means, if your touch sensitivity is set at one, it won’t take as much effort to produce a loud sound by hitting hard on the keys as it would if it’s set at three.

On the Yamaha P115, the touch sensitivity, solely, determines the response of your piano to your touch. You have 4 settings- Soft, Medium (which is the default), Hard, and Fixed.

With soft, you have a small dynamic range to play with in terms of sound produced. With hard, you have the widest dynamic range. However, you would need to play with great intensity to get the loudest sounds.

Fixed here is similar to “OFF” on the Casio. Once this setting is chosen, all forms of touch sensitivity seize. So, your piano would produce the same volume of output, regardless of how soft or hard you strike the keys.

Recording

Both of these pianos allow you to record yourself playing and play it back so you can hear what you sound like. They also only allow for two recordings, at most.

With this, you can record your first track, and then play it back while recording the other one. This is very useful for music production. You can easily record the melody first, and then record the harmony or just fill up the music on the second recording.

Once you’re done recording, you can then playback what you’ve recorded. These two pianos allow you to either playback the single tracks or play them together as one.

To save your recording permanently, you would need to transfer the file to a computer, phone, or tablet. Note, the file you’re transferring would not be an audio file. It would be a MIDI file. A MIDI file is not the actual sound of the instrument but rather a sequence of notes, their lengths, and their velocity.

So, you would need an app on these devices that can read MIDI data to be able to playback what you stored. Or, you could just use them as storage and transfer them back into the piano when you want to rehearse next time.

Note. Recording a new song will delete the old one.

Transpose, Octave Shift And Fine Tuning

These functions help you to alter the pitch of the piano to match a vocalist or another instrument, and also assist you to play songs written in “difficult keys”.

The function “transpose” basically changes the pitch of the whole keyboard, increasing it or decreasing it in steps of semitones. With this, you can easily play all songs ever written on C Major, by simply transposing the piano to the point where the pitch matches that of the original song.

It’s great for beginners who do not yet know how to play on all 12 keys. Sometimes it can be annoying that you want to play your favorite song but the key it was composed on is just too difficult. With this, you can play on a simpler key and have the piano sounded like that complicated key.

The function “octave shift” moves the pitch of the piano from one octave to another. So, if you move one octave, when you play the middle C, you’ll hear a tenor C instead.

Finally, the function “Fine-tuning” allows you to increase or decrease the pitch of the whole piano. This allows you to match the pitch of your piano to that of other instruments. On the Casio PX160, this pitch changes in 0.1Hz steps. On the Yamaha P115, it’s done in 02Hz steps.

Metronome

A metronome is a device that gives off beats at regular intervals measured in “beats per minute (bpm)”. It is used to practice timing in music and enables the music to develop a steady tempo.

On either of these pianos, you can adjust the beat (time-signature), the tempo, and the volume of the metronome. Also, because the sound of the metronome is coming out from the piano’s speakers, it will be difficult to drown it out, thereby keeping you in time.

One feature that the Yamaha P115 has, though, that is lacking in the Casio PX160 is the ability to remove the traditional “click” of the metronome and replace it with rhythms. More on “Rhythms” in our unique features below.

Click here to buy the Casio PX 160 on Amazon now.
Click here to buy the Yamaha P115 on Amazon now.

Auto Power Off Function

Both of these pianos come with an auto power-off function that helps save power by turning of the instrument if an amount of time has exceeded without it being used. For the Casio PX160, that time is 4 hours, while on the Yamaha P115, it’s 30 minutes.

Of course, you can switch this function off if you want. But we suggest you leave it on. It can save you a lot of power in the long run.

Connections

Both of these pianos come with the same port types for connectivity. On the fronts of these pianos, you would find two headphone jacks. The Casio PX 160 does a lot better, though, featuring regular-sized 3.5mm headphone jacks.

The Yamaha P115, on the other hand, features 6.35mm (1/4 inches) headphone jacks. This means that you use this with most headphones that you’ll find out there, you would need to buy a 3.5 mm to ¼ inches stereo plug adapter.

USB port- Moving to the back of the pianos, you find the remaining ports. The first being the USB to Host port. This is what you use to connect your piano to a computer or other smart devices. You would have to play a USB A to B cable, though.

AUX Out Port- This port basically allows you to connect your piano to external sound systems like speakers, monitors, and amplifiers. This is best when you’re playing with other musicians in a studio, or you’re going out to play at gigs.

The Yamaha P115 comes with two of these ports, while the Casio PX160 comes with just one.

Sustain Pedal Jack- Just like the name implies, it allows you to connect a sustain pedal to your piano. Apart from the standard sustain pedals, this jack can also be used by the 3-pedal unit jack. Each company has their own, so be sure to check out those before making a purchase.

Accessories Included In The Box

Finally, both of these pianos come with the same accessories, which are:

  • An AC Power Adapter and cord.
  • A Music Rest.
  • A Sustain Pedal (footswitch).
  • And an Owner’s manual.

Modes- Split, Dual, Duo

These are different modes and functions that make the digital piano a more versatile instrument than the acoustic piano. Some of these are fun and entertaining, others are very practical. Let’s see them:

Split Mode

Although both of these pianos come with split mode, they function differently. On the Yamaha P115, “split mode” divides the piano into two parts, with two different instrument sounds. So, on the left side, you can play strings, and play grand piano on the right.

See also  Yamaha P105 Vs P115 – Detailed Comparison

The difference with the Casio PX160 is that you can only do this with the bass sound. In fact, while the Yamaha P115 allows you to pick your preferred two instruments when you select “split mode”, the Casio PX 160 automatically assigns the left-hand to the bass sound. This leaves you with just the right-hand section to select an instrument of your choice.

Another drawback with “split mode” on the Casio PX160 is that you cannot change the split point. There is an unchangeable split point which is set at about 1/3rd of the width of the piano. On the Yamaha, you have the ability to change this split point to wherever you prefer.

Dual Mode

Dual-mode, otherwise known as “layering” or “layer mode”, allows you to layer one instrument sound over another. So, out of all the voices (instrument sounds) available on both of these pianos, you have the ability to set two that you want to sound simultaneously.

Once these two sounds are selected, whatever key you stroke across the piano will produce a note in those two sounds. The most popular use of this is layering a piano sound on top of strings. It has a very rich and beautiful tune. You can also mess around with the different voices to find one that works for you.

Duo Mode

Duo mode, otherwise known as “duet mode”, splits the piano into two equal halves. However, unlike split where you have different sounds on either side of the piano, duo mode divides the piano into two identical halves, in both sound and pitch range.

This means that you have two middle Cs. This way two people can sit side by side and play the keyboard together using the same pitch range.

The perfect use of this is in learning. The teacher and student can sit side by side with the student, play a particular tune and the student can simply follow along on the other side of the piano.

Click here to buy the Casio PX 160 on Amazon now.
Click here to buy the Yamaha P115 on Amazon now.

Casio PX160 Vs Yamaha P115 – Features Unique To Each Piano

Features Unique To The Casio PX160

Ivory/Ebony Feel Keys

This is a really small feature in the grand scheme of things, but one that we cannot forget to mention. In traditional acoustic pianos, the black keys were made of ebony, while the white keys were made of strips of ivory.

Although the keys on this piano are made of plastic, they are finished with a material that makes them feel very similar to Ebony & Ivory. If you’re a beginner, you won’t notice the difference too much. However, if you’re stepping down from an acoustic piano, you definitely want something that feels as close to the touch and feels as possible. This finish gets you there.

Apart from the feeling of nostalgia, this finish provides you with an excellent grip. Such that, even when your hands are moist from playing for so long, they wouldn’t start slipping off.

Sound

Casio is a really popular brand, and so is their sound engine. The Casio PX160 uses Casio’s popular Multi-Dimensional Morphing Air Sound Source. Compared to the previous version, this has some significant improvements.

First, the storage memory of the sampled sounds was increased thrice. That means that you get to clearly hear even the smallest nuances of the grand piano, because of the higher quality of the samples.

Second, it uses lossless audio compression. This produces a sound that isn’t accompanied by distortion. This is much better than compressing in lossy formats such as AAC, MP3, and so on. 

Different Instrument Sounds

This piano comes with 18 different instrument sounds (otherwise known as voices), which you can play with. It’s not a lot, but it’s 4 more than you get with the Yamaha P115. The 18 voices are:

  • 5 Grand Pianos.
  • 4 Electric Pianos.
  • 2 Strings.
  • 5 Organs.
  • Harpsichord.
  • Bass.

Although having a variety of sounds to choose from is great, it does not negate the fact that the most important sound on a digital piano is the piano sound.

All of the piano sounds on this piano are stereo sampled sound of high-quality, taken from a real grand piano. Because they are taken from different grand pianos, they have slightly different timbres. So, picking the one that suits you best will definitely be a thing of taste.

To get the sound sounding exactly how you want it to, there are a few sound effects for your perusal.

Sound Effects

The first is the Reverb Effect. Reverb changes the resonance of the notes you play according to the acoustic environment you select. There are 4 acoustic environments to choose from, which are- Room, Large hall, Small, hall, and Stadium.

Chorus Effect is the next one. This makes the sound produced by the piano a lot richer and louder. It makes it sound as if different but similar sounds are playing at once. Like the reverb effect, there are also four options for this- light, deep, medium, and flanger. Flanger is also called the “whooshing effect”.

Finally, you can adjust the Brilliance of the sound produced. This can either make the piano “mellow and soft” or “bright and hard”.

Speakers

Casio definitely listened to feedback from its customers on this one. The previous-generation model the PX150s had bad speakers. A lot of customers complained. We are glad to say that the cries of the customers were heard, and the speakers have improved a lot.

This piano comes with 2 X 12cm speakers with an 8 Watt amplifier, each. From this alone, you can tell the quality of the sound is not sub-par. In fact, the P115 only comes with 7 Watt speakers.

These speakers produce fine output with good resonance. They are loud enough to be played in small spaces (like a living room), without needing external amps or speakers.

More Built-in Songs

This piano comes with a staggering 60 demo songs to play with. This is 10 more than is available on the Yamaha P115. You have the option to play all the songs in sequential order or go straight to the song you want to pick (see user manual on how to correctly select a song).

These songs are not just for listening to, they also aid practice. Which is why you can play along to every song, reduce the tempo of the song to get the hang of it, and even rehearse each hand separately.

So, you can turn off the left-hand of the song so it plays back only the right-hand part, while you rehearse then, and then change it up once you’ve gotten the right-hand part.

Apart from these 60 available songs, Casio gives you the opportunity to add 10 songs of your choice, into the piano. Remember, though, these songs have to be in MIDI format, not audio. Once you have your songs in MIDI format, you can easily transfer them from your computer to your piano, using a USB cable.

Click here to buy the Casio PX 160 on Amazon now.
Click here to buy the Yamaha P115 on Amazon now.

Features Unique To The Yamaha P115

14 Built-in Rhythms

You can switch up the clicks of the metronome for one of the 14 rhythms available to you. These rhythms give you a drum pattern that you can play over. It’s a lot better than following just a metronome as it gives you a feel of what it would sound like playing with a drummer.

These rhythms include- Disco, Swing, Samba, Jazz Waltz, Latin Pop, and so on.

Auto-accompaniment

If you don’t want a rhythm backing but an arpeggio backing, the P115 comes with an accompaniment function, otherwise known as, pianist style. This gives you a rhythmic arpeggio that is based on the chord progression of your left hand.

This leaves your right hand free to play whatever you want on top of the arpeggio. It’s great for learning and practice. You have 10 different Pianist styles including, Swing, Blues, Boogie, Arpeggio, Rag, Slow Rock, and so on.

Sound

This piano is fully equipped with Yamaha’s Pure CF Sound Engine. This is Yamaha’s flagship-level sound engine for its digital pianos, so, you can expect top-quality sound.

The default sound on this piano (the 001 Grand Piano) was sampled from Yamaha’s CFIIS 9’ Concert Grand Piano. And that’s the thing about Yamaha’s digital pianos. They have excellent sound because of Yamaha’s wealth of experience in creating acoustic pianos.

So, the sounds on their digital pianos are sampled using the best of the best acoustic instruments. Furthermore, these are recorded at different volume levels for all the notes. This is what gives that flair and tonal differences at different sensitivity levels.

See also  Yamaha P115 Vs P125 – Detailed Comparison

The tone of the Grand Piano is really clear and sounds pretty close to an acoustic piano. It has good decay and resonance. The low-ends are also pretty good. However, to get the best sounding bass as possible, we suggest you get a good pair of headphones.

The Pure CF Sound Engine sounds better than the sound engine on the Casio PX160. Although, the difference is not that much. Many people believe that P115 has some of the best piano sounds you can get in this price range.

Instrument Sounds (Voices)

Where the Yamaha P115 does not do as well as the Casio PX160 is in the number of voices available for you to play. While the Casio PX160 has 18, this piano has just 14. Which are:

  • 3 Grand Pianos.
  • 3 Electric Pianos.
  • 3 Organs.
  • Vibraphone.
  • Strings.
  • Harpsichord.
  • Wood Bass, and Electric Bass.
Sound Effects

There is just one sound effect on this piano which is Reverberation. This effect makes the sound larger and more expressive, by simulating how it would sound in different acoustic environments.

There are four acoustic environments you can simulate- Recital hall, Chamber, Club, and Concert Hall.

You can also adjust the depth of this effect ranging from 0 to 20.

Higher Polyphony Number

Polyphony basically refers to the number of notes playable at the same time. Now some people just immediately think “well, 10, because I have ten fingers”. That’s false because while pressing down on the sustain pedal, you can add a lot of other notes.

The benefit of having a higher polyphony number is that you can play numerous notes while holding the sustain pedal, without the initial notes fading off. On an acoustic piano, there is no limit to how long the string can vibrate. However, digital pianos are limited by their memory. Hence, the need for a higher polyphony.

Apart from holding down the sustain pedal, you also have to think of layering and multi-track recording. When you layer a sound on top of another, one keystroke registers as two notes. This means your polyphony fills up much faster and notes fall out rather quickly which isn’t pleasing.

As a beginner or even an intermediate player, you might not notice the difference. However, as an advanced player, especially if you’ve just come from an acoustic piano, you can definitely tell. Just think about it like a painter having access to a lot more colors. He can create more magic.

The P115 has a polyphony number of 192, which is 64 more than is available with the Casio PX160.

Sound Boost

This is important for when you’re playing with other musicians. If you’ve done that before, you would notice that piano sounds tend to get lost in the potpourri of different sounds.

This feature helps to adjust the EQ, such that it cuts right across the mix of different sounds. This makes that even notes played softly will be clearly audible.

Click here to buy the Casio PX 160 on Amazon now.
Click here to buy the Yamaha P115 on Amazon now.

Casio PX160 Vs Yamaha P115 – Unique Pros

Casio PX160

  • With their Ebony & Ivory finish, the texture of these keys make them feel authentic and also add grip, even when your fingers are moist.
  • With 4 more instrument sounds than is available on the P115, you get more creativity and variety out of this piano’s voices.
  • Sound effects such as reverb, chorus, and brilliance, help you to tweak the tone the way you want.
  • The piano comes with 60 preset songs and allows you to add 10 songs of your choice. This makes 70 song options that are more than enough for learning.

Yamaha P115

  • Rhythms serve as more fun and creative way to learn time signatures and tempo than traditional metronome clicks.
  • With auto-accompaniment, you get a melodious tune you can play on top of.
  • The Pure CF sound engine is one of the best you can get out there for this price.
  • A higher polyphony number gives you much more creative freedom in terms of notes you can play at once.
  • Sound boost helps your piano to sound clearly and audibly out of a mix of other instruments.
Click here to buy the Casio PX 160 on Amazon now.
Click here to buy the Yamaha P115 on Amazon now.

Casio PX160 Vs Yamaha P115 – Unique Cons

Casio PX160

  • No sound boost feature. That means your piano can easily get lost when playing in a live band.
  • Without rhythms, you’re stuck with old and boring metronome clicks.
  • No auto-accompaniment feature.

Yamaha P115

  • The white keys have a glossy finish. This would make your hands begin to slip off when they get very moist.
  • Only 50 built-in songs are available.
  • Only 14 instrument sounds and one sound effect available.

Casio PX160 Vs Yamaha P115 – Common Pros

  Casio PX160 Yamaha P115
Number And Feel Of keys Are Great Both of these pianos come with 88 keys that are weight with a hammer action.  

This is great as it mimics the acoustic piano very closely, which is the ultimate goal of digital pianos.  

In fact, this piano goes a bit farther than the Yamaha P115. It has an Ebony & Ivory feel, which makes it feel exactly like an acoustic piano.  

Originally, acoustic pianos were made of Ebony and Ivory.
Although this doesn’t have the Ebony & Ivory feel, it still feels pretty close to an acoustic piano, because of its hammer action.
Recording & Playback With this feature, learning because a lot easier and more enjoyable.  

Also, for a professional, it becomes easier to make music on this and then transfer that data to a computer for production.
Same as the Casio PX160.
Pitch Flexibility There are three different features that both of these pianos come with that provide you with enough pitch flexibility.  

With transpose, you can change the pitch of one key to match another key.  

With octave shift, you can move the pitch of the whole piano in octaves.  

With fine-tuning, you can increase or decrease the pitch of the piano to match another instrument.
Same as the Casio PX160.
Metronome It might look like a small feature but for a beginner, this would really help you to learn timing and rhythms. This piano does a lot better by not just providing you with metronome clicks, but giving you the ability to pick from 14 different rhythms, a drum pattern to play over.
Power Saving This piano automatically shuts off after 4 hours without use.   This helps you to save power. This piano automatically shuts off after 30 minutes without use.
Click here to buy the Casio PX 160 on Amazon now.
Click here to buy the Yamaha P115 on Amazon now.

Casio PX160 Vs Yamaha P115 – Common Cons

 

Casio PX160

Yamaha P115

Fragile Sustain Pedal Most of the pianos in this price range come with very fragile sustain pedals.  

In fact, it’s even worse with this piano, compared to the Yamaha P115.
Although slightly better than the Casio PX160, it’s still a fragile sustain pedal
No USB type A port Although this comes with a USB port, that’s a USB type B port.

We would have preferred a type A port to which you can connect a USB drive directly.
Same as the Casio PX160.
No Display Neither of these pianos have a display. So, you’re basically operating the piano blind.   A display would have made it easier to navigate through the settings. This also doesn’t have a display. However, it makes up for this with the Digital Piano Controller App. This lets you use your smartphone or tablet as a visual controller for your piano.

What Do People Think About Them?

Casio PX160

Yamaha P115

The first thing people commended about this piano was that it feels like the real thing. Many people who have played acoustic pianos in the past said that when they played this, they didn’t notice any difference. The customers share a lot of our sentiments as unlike the Casio PX160, the first thing people complimented about this piano is its sound.    
Customers also mentioned that the keys on this piano come with a nice grip to them. This is great as you won’t have your fingers slipping off when they get moist. In fact, one customer went as far as making a bold statement saying “if you use your ears, it’s perfect”. Although it might not be true, it does tell you a lot.
Moving this from one place to another wasn’t any trouble for customers, because of how lightweight the instrument is.  

They said it’s easy to move this piano away from its stand, into a vehicle, and straight to a gig.
People didn’t really like the keys, though. While beginners felt like they had to get used to the weight, professionals felt like the keys were too “plasticky”.
Now it wasn’t all joy as some customers didn’t fail to mention their disappointments with the piano.  

First, there is an abnormally large gap between the black and white keys. While this does not necessarily affect playing, you have to be careful, especially with long fingernails.
Furthermore, a few people felt like the headphone jack should have been a 3.5mm jack. And we share their sentiments.  

Because with a ¼ inch audio jack, you have to go get an adapter before you can use a headphone with a 3.5mm jack, which is almost every headphone out there today.
Second, the accessories that come in the box seem kind of cheap- the music stand and the sustain pedal. Much like the Casio PX160, the accessories that come in this box feel a little too flimsy.

What Do We Think?

We think that both of these pianos are really good, especially being under $1000. They both work well, depending on what you’re looking for. As a beginner, either of these pianos would be absolutely fine. They feel great, they sound sublime, and they have enough feature to keep your learning process interesting.

However, if you’re an advanced player, especially someone who has come from an acoustic piano, then picking between one of these pianos is no longer just a guessing game. You have to decide what is more important for you- authentic feel or authentic sound?

The Casio PX160 has a triple sensor system that detects the intensity and velocity of keystrokes brilliantly. It is also finished with a material that gives it an Ebony/Ivory feel. Both of these features add up to make the Casio PX160 closer to an acoustic piano, in terms of feel.

So, if you want to best feel, something that would grip your fingers just like an acoustic would and give you flair, then you definitely want the Casio PX160.

On the other hand, at this price point, no sound engine can beat Yamaha’s Pure CF. So, if you want something that would sound exactly like an acoustic instrument, then the Yamaha P115 is the piano that you definitely need to get.

It also has sound effects like sound boost, reverberation, and intelligent acoustic control, to push that acoustic sound some steps higher.

Either way, both of these instruments are great, and you definitely should get one for yourself, no matter the skill level.

Click here to buy the Casio PX 160 on Amazon now.
Click here to buy the Yamaha P115 on Amazon now.

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