Yamaha S90XS Review: Is It Worth the Price?

When trying to choose the best digital piano or synthesizer for your home music system, it can be difficult with all of the many choices on the market today. But if you are not willing to compromise and you want the full sound of a grand piano in a portable, 88-key system, then the Yamaha S90XS Synthesizer may just be what you are looking for.

 
 
 
 
 

Yamaha S90XS: Why Is It So Popular?

The S90XS is one of the highest-rated digital pianos available not only because of the wide range of features that it has, but also because the sound and functionality is simply incredible. Its claim to fame is the 88-key balanced hammer weighted action, which any real piano player will tell you is very important. Although you will be playing an electric model, it will feel just like the real thing.

 
This also has a new handcrafted grand piano sample that will enable you to create sounds that you just won’t get on any other synthesizer or electric piano of its kind.

 

What Other Features Does It Have?

This Yamaha synthesizer has a very handy product called the “Performance Creator.” This enables you to use the piano just like a full-featured recording studio, even to the point where you can overdub vocals or layers of instruments on top of your existing tracks. It is a full-featured synthesizer, too, so you can use it to produce sounds from all kinds of instruments, from drums to strings.

 

“This is an easy to use synth and one that really does provide some quality sound.”

- Alex, CT

 

Here’s a video that shows off the S90XS:

 

Yamaha S90XS Spec Chart:

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	Yamaha S90XS
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General
Weight	49 lbs, 6 oz
Height	6.8 in.
Depth	15.2 in.
Width	58 in.
Main Features
# of Keys	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
Polyphony Polyphony: The number of notes or sounds the piano can play simultaneously	128-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
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
Connections
USB Port
MIDI Connector
Headphone Jack
Line-Out Jack
Accessories
Footswitch Included
Power Supply Included
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	Yamaha S90XS

 

Who Is This For?

Some people will say that the S90XS Synthesizer is aimed at the professional musician or at least someone who is performing on a regular basis, but it is also ideal for anyone with a home music recording studio or who just likes to play at home. As mentioned in this Yamaha S90XS review, this electronic keyboard has all of the features that you could want for live performing, including the ability to create your own back-up tracks for a “one man band” kind of set-up, but it also has all of the features that you could want in any home recording studio.

It has four knobs, 16-backlit LEDs (perfect for performing in dark venues) and more buttons than you could possibly use to change instruments and adjust the tone of each.

 

Inputs and Specs

The Yamaha S90XS Synthesizer has a ¼” combo jack (A/D input) with full front panel controls so you can plug in a mic or guitar and run the whole band through the onboard speakers, or send the sound to your own set of custom external speakers.

The S90XS weighs just 49 pounds, which means that it is more than light enough to take on the road, while it is also heavy enough for you to feel free to pound away while you are performing.

 

“I like it because the keys feel real and the grand piano sound is as close to the real thing as you will ever get.”

- Benji, CA

 

Is This the One for You?

Whether you are a home music enthusiast or someone who likes to perform on a regular basis, this is one keyboard synthesizer that will be sturdy enough for road travel, but still has all the features that you would need for home recording.

(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)