Electronic Keyboard Reviews
I’ve done thorough research into many electronic keyboards. You will find my reviews of them on the right-side menu or in the chart below. So even if you’re looking for a low-end keyboard, one that is in the middle of the pack, or something superior, you’ll learn what you need to know about each one in order to make an informed decision going forward.
With so many types of keyboards available, the features that I write about on this page are what you should be looking for before making your final decision. You can also use the electronic keyboard features chart below to compare different models.
When you come to a decision, you can use the vendor price comparison lists located in each review to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible.
Here’s a Comparison of Electronic Keyboards Currently On the Market:
(refresh this page to see other models)
| #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | |
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Yamaha S90XS
 | Yamaha NP30
 | Yamaha P155
 | Yamaha CP33
 | Yamaha P95
 | Korg SP250
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| General | ||||||
| Weight | 49 lbs, 6 oz | 11 lbs, 14 oz | 37 lbs, 1 oz | 39 lbs, 11 oz | 26 lbs, 7 oz | 41.9 lbs |
| Height | 6.8 in. | 4 in. | 5-1/2 in. | 5-15/16 in. | 5-15/16 in | 5.5 in. |
| Depth | 15.2 in. | 10-1/4 in. | 13-13/16 in. | 13 in. | 11-5/8 in | 15 in. |
| Width | 58 in. | 49 in. | 52-1/2 in. | 51-2/3 in. | 52-3/16 in | 51 in. |
| Main Features | ||||||
| # of Keys | 88 | 76 | 88 | 88 | 88 | 88 |
| Weighted Keys Weighted Keys: Weighted keys mimic the keys of an acoustic piano. They will be lighter on the lower notes, heavier on the higher ones |  |  | | | | |
| Touch Sensitivity Touch Sensitivity: Touch sensitivity means the harder or softer a key is pressed, the louder or softer the sound will be. Conversely, a piano with no sensitivity will have the same degree of loudness no matter how hard the keys are pressed. | | | | | | |
| Built-In Speakers Built-In Speakers: For pianos without speakers, either a pair of headphones must be used, or amplified speakers must be connected via the line-out jack | No | 6W x 2 | 12W x 2 | No | 6W x 2 | 11W x 2 |
| Polyphony Polyphony: The number of notes or sounds the piano can play simultaneously | 128-notes | 32-notes | 128-notes | 64-notes | 64-notes | 60-notes |
| # of Voices # of Voices: Voices are the different types of pianos or other musical instruments (such as harp, organ, etc) that the piano can play | 128 | 10 | 17 | 28 | 10 | 30 |
| Reverb Effects Reverb Effects: Echo effects that can simulate playing the piano in different venues, such as a hall or an auditorium | | | | | | |
| Built-in Songs | | | | | | |
| Built-in Recorder Built-in Recorder: Does the device have built-in storage to save songs? If not, the piano can still save songs to a computer using either a MIDI or USB port | | | | | | |
| Metronome | | | | | | |
| Available Colors | Black | Black | Mahogany, Ebony, or Cherry | Black | Black or Silver | Black or White |
| Connections | ||||||
| USB Port | | | | | | |
| MIDI Connector | | | | | | |
| Headphone Jack | | | | | | |
| Line-Out Jack | | | | | | |
| Accessories | ||||||
| Footswitch Included | | | | | | |
| Power Supply Included | | | | | | |
| . | ||||||
| Yamaha S90XS
| Yamaha NP30
| Yamaha P155
| Yamaha CP33
| Yamaha P95
| Korg SP250
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What’s So Special About an Electric Keyboard?
The majority of people will be looking for an electric keyboard to bring the richness and sound of a regular piano into their lives, and electronic keyboards provide that, and much more compared to an acoustic:
- A keyboard won’t break the bank – a good real acoustic piano can run you more than $25,000!
- An electric keyboard doesn’t require shelling out money for tuning
- Got limited space? No problem – the keyboard can pretty much fit anywhere. The same can’t be said of a huge grand piano
- In the same vein, your average keyboard will be under 50 pounds, so it’s easy to move and take anywhere. Try lugging a full-sized grand around
Here’s a video sample of an electronic keyboard, the Yamaha NP30, in action:
Hammer Action Keys
A good deal of keyboards will have keys that are weighted, meaning that they have the same feel as a regular piano. The low-end note keys are heavier than the higher. If you ever play on an acoustic, your fingers won’t know the difference.
You’ll also find that a lot of them have keys that can be adjusted to your touch, meaning they can be set up to emit different amounts of volume depending how hard you press them.
Have the Keyboard Teach You to Play
A real good electric keyboard will be able to show you how to play piano. A lot of keyboards have their own built-in songs with which you can be taught to play along to and learn the various key presses and such. Save the money allocated for piano lessons!
Play Other Instruments Other Than the Piano
Pretty much any keyboard can be played as another instrument. Most offer digital representations of, for example, a grand piano, bass guitar, or strings among others, with just a button press.
Change Your Venue
Likewise, a good electronic keyboard will present you with the ability to re-engineer the sound, meaning you can play the keyboard in your living room, yet have it sound as if you’re playing in a large concert hall or auditorium. Another feature that can be present is the ability to either make the sound brighter or more softened depending on your mood.
Compose and Record Your Own Music
A lot of the keyboards out there give you the ability to mix in multiple instruments while you play, and to be able to record your performance as well. With a keyboard such as the Yamaha S90XS synthesizer, you’ll learn and be able to compose your own music and sound like a true professional.
Almost any keyboard will have special jacks, either MIDI or USB, that you can hook up to your PC, which will let you save your play to your hard drive to be edited further. You’ll be able to play your songs whenever you like or share them with others.
Other Things to Look For
I’m pretty sure they all have one, but make sure your keyboard has a jack for a set of headphones, which will let you play your keyboard at all hours without bothering others.
Another nice feature is an external jack for hooking up additional speakers or an amp, which can really be helpful if you’re playing in a large area and the built-in speakers aren’t powerful enough to be heard.
What Are the Best Keyboards?
I’ve found after doing the legwork on these keyboards that Yamaha, Casio, and Korg make the best ones. The features mentioned above can be found in most of their models, and affordably as well.
Owner Reviews
I’ve gone through many reviews from owners of these types of keyboards. Here are ones that stood out:
“I think this is the perfect keyboard since I can put on my headphones in when I practice and not disturb my roommates.”
“It is extremely good value for money…”
“The keyboard feel is *so much more* than I would expect…”
“It’s also very lightweight and genuinely portable.”
Cons
Well, actually only one con per se. At the end of the day, all things being equal, electronic keyboards will never TRULY match the sound and feel of a grand acoustic.
But an electric keyboard gets pretty darn CLOSE. It will require a very trained ear to be able to differentiate between the two if you were blindfolded A great majority of people will never notice, nor care either, because all the added advantages of an electronic keyboard far surpass an acoustic.
(some links here are sponsored affiliate links. The owner makes commission if you buy after clicking these links. The owner is not a bona fide user of this product, but has thoroughly researched it and provided his personal opinion only)