If you are looking for the best digital piano under 2000 you are either pretty serious about music or you just have a bundle of cash to spend. If you identify yourself as a passionate, seasoned musician, you have filtered your search to the right price range. No matter if you are buying a digital piano for the first time or the instrument you currently own no longer meets your level of expertise, you should not compromise with the quality. After all spending $2000 on a digital piano means you need to find a model that is simply flawless in terms of playability, quality and additional features.
Unfortunately, the market is oversaturated with low-quality models pretending to be among the most realistic digital pianos. Of course, there are some brands – Casio, Yamaha, Roland, Korg, to name a few, that offer a decent quality-price ratio. These brands have a spotless reputation, and their names have turned into a synonym of reliability and versatility. Nevertheless, you should not let the brand be the main reason why you choose a particular model. It is more about the features of the digital piano itself. Those who search for a high-end digital piano without having any experience in the field are few. Still, if you are not quite sure which are the main characteristics of the best digital piano under 2000 USD, check out the guidelines below as well as the models outlined as the most relevant in this price range.
Best Digital Piano Under 2000 USD Buying Guide
If you are an intermediate pianist, you would be able to tell the difference between a low-quality piano and an instrument that has enhanced features. In brief, the standard digital piano keyboards have 88 keys, but the more compact models have 76 keys or fewer. The standard keyboard has 52 white and 36 black keys. The best digital piano under $2000 has at least 128-note polyphony, so do not settle for anything less than that. The polyphony refers to the number of tones that can be produced at the same time. The best models also have weighted keys that accurately replicate their acoustic counterparts. In order to mimic the acoustic pianos, the keys of the digital pianos are weighed by a hammer mechanism. Hammer action keys are known for producing the most realistic sounds. The touch response is yet another essential feature you need to take into account. Under no circumstances should you purchase a digital piano with no touch response. Some exceptions apply, though. If you are looking for a digital workstation or a synthesizer, the touch response is not that important.
However, not every digital piano under 2000 USD is worth the money and provides the vast array of features expected from an upper-class product. Have a look at a few models and compare and contrast their features.
Kawai CE220
Kawai might not be the most popular digital piano brand out there, but the CE220 model has a lot to offer. It is not packed with plenty of cool features, but every sound it produces is authentic, and that authenticity is attributed to the PHI technology. The model comes with 22 preset sounds, and the best of all is that you can play more than once sound at the same time. CE220 has Split, Dual and Duet modes. The 192-note polyphony makes it a decent choice as it enables you to play advanced patterns and eliminates the risk of note-slipping. The Tremolo, Rotary, Reverb, Chorus and Delay effects further contribute to the impression that the CE220 is among the most realistic digital pianos under 2000 USD. As for the connectivity, you have a USB port at your disposal, allowing you to record music directly on a flash drive.
Overall, if you do not have the money or the space to get an acoustic piano, the Kawai is an excellent substitute, if you consider a best digital piano under 2000 USD. As mentioned earlier, you will be a bit disappointed if you are looking for many thrills. However, if you are more concerned about the quality and your objective is to get a solid, reliable instrument, CE220 is worth your attention.
Kurzweil Artis
Kurzweil Artis is a typical stage piano, and you will fall in love with its features. It comes with a full-size keyboard, and the full weighted hammer action is tailored to eliminate the difference in playing a digital piano and an acoustic one. The model has a 128-note polyphony and provides natural sounds even when the notes start dropping off. It is packed with a number of effects including but not limited to Chorus, Reverb, Phasers, Delays, and Flangers.
Roland F-130R
Roland is a household name in the digital piano industry, and the F-130R model earned a spot in the list of the best digital piano under 2000 USD as it offers everything an intermediate or advanced pianist needs for an impeccable performance. Roland F-130R is known for the incredible versatility and sleek design. In addition, you get 11 grand tones and 305 other tones. Once you make the initial settings, you can immediately start practicing. There is no need to look for separate stands or pedals.
Yamaha P-255
Frankly, Yamaha P-255 model does not offer anything superior to the other models the review is comprised of, but it is included because of its lightweight design. If you need a good-quality digital piano and portability is your top concern, P-255 will get your problem solved as its approximate weight is 38 lbs. The Controlled application can be downloaded to your media device, and it acts as a guide to all features the P-255 model has.
Casio PX5S
Casio PX5S blows away all models in its price range as a best digital piano under 2000 USD. Bearing in mind the quality and the additional features, it can easily be included in a list of digital pianos over $2000. The good news is that Casio keeps the PX5S price quite reasonable without compromising on quality. What makes the model stand out from the crowd is the AiR technology that makes it one of the most realistic digital pianos on the market. Advanced pianists will be delighted to find out that the model comes with hex layer options that allow them to create one unified hex tone.
As you can expect from a top-quality product, it offers all standard features an intermediate or advanced player can be looking for. The connectivity issue is solved via the availability of a USB port. The model also has recording and playback capabilities. Carrying Casio PX5S around would not be a bother because its weight is a bit more than 30 pounds. To sum up, Casio PX5S is a great value for money and the inbuilt features combined with the fantastic portability make it competitive to the models mentioned above.
Yamaha ARIUS YDP V240
According to users, Yamaha ARIUS YDP V240 is worth every penny you spend on it. One of the most attractive features each and every Yamaha digital piano has is the incredible sound quality. Even if you opt for a less expensive model, you will make a great deal. That is largely attributed to the Advanced Wave Memory sampling technology that perfectly recreates the rich sounds of a grand piano instrument. Let’s focus on the YDP V240, though. It is one of Yamaha’s signature models, and it has as many as 130 voice options and 12 percussion sets. Although fans of Casio models question the voice options of the YDP V240, you may rest assured they meet the criteria for quality of both intermediate and advanced pianists. The instrument offers a lot of effects you can apply to the voices. Unlike some other models that require you to buy pedals separately, YDP V240 comes with a standard package of pedals.
Korg KROME Music Workstation
Korg KROME model is a decent choice for every stage performer who has a limited budget and is looking for the happy medium between quality, affordability and versatility. There is a pretty good reason why the Korg KROME is a top choice of seasoned musicians and music producers. As a best digital piano under 2000 USD, it offers a wide range of realistic sounds – organs, synth, strings, percussion to name a few. There is one important factor to keep in mind, though. Korg KROME’s keyboard is quite complex. While that feature would be highly appreciated by professionals and advanced pianists, beginners might find themselves a bit confused at first. The touchscreen interface is a way superior to what some other brands offer. Although it provides a great convenience, some users are resentful towards the highly intuitive touchscreen and prefer the button alternatives. Well, the model has plenty of levers and knobs, so do not worry about the touchscreen interaction.
Korg SV 1BK Stage Vintage Piano
If you find the vintage style pianos fascinating, you will be impressed by the Korg SV 1BK. It features 76 keys instead of the standard 88, but if you are more focused on the sound quality, you do not have a reason to worry. The model is designed to give you the feel of the vintage pianos from the 80s. Although it is frequently referred to as a blast from the past, the model does have a bunch of advanced features including USB connectivity, a MIDI jack, and space for 3 pedals. It is one of the most user-friendly instruments as the main control knobs are located on the front panel, which ensures easy access. The additional parameters that are not available on the front panel can be controlled via the Editor/ Librarian software. The authentic sound is achieved by the velocity sensitive real weighted hammer action keyboard. The maximum polyphony is 90 notes, and the model comes with 32 preset voices.
Roland RD 300X
Roland might not be as popular as Yamaha and Casio, but it seems the company has achieved its goal to provide customers with top-notch products at a reasonable price. The RD 300X model is a high-quality instrument equipped with the SuperNATURAL Piano sound engine technology. The latter is found exclusively in Roland models. The sound engine is competitive yo Casio’s AiR technology and Yamaha’s Advanced Wave Memory. Roland RD 300X gives you the chance to replicate all classic electric piano sounds. The ivory-topped keyboard is a bonus, but users outline the lack of a stand and a damper pedal as a slight disadvantage. Plus, some more experienced musicians emphasize that the system misses the mark a bit more than the majority of the best digital piano under 2000 USD. Overall, the impression is that Roland RD 300X is that it is a good quality product with decent features.
Yamaha the YDP-160
As you already know, Yamaha is a reputable brand in the industry, and it seems they have poured all their creativity into the assembling of the YDP-160 and the Arius series, in general. As for the YDP-160 model, it enables the user to produce a rich, authentic sound and express every small nuance of the notes with an impressive precision. Needless to say, the best digital piano under 2000 USD model comes with an Advanced Wave Memory and Graded Hammer keyboard. The other features that earned it a spot in the best digital pianos under $2000 list are the 64-note polyphony, the 50 preset songs as well as the 10 preset voices. It is also equipped with a MIDI jack, Dual/ Layer mode functionality and four types of Reverb effects. You will not need to purchase pedals separately as the piano comes with a soft, damper and sostenuto pedals that can be set in accordance with your preferences.
Yamaha YDP-181
The Yamaha YDP-181 rounds out the list as the last best digital piano under 2000 USD we recommend. According to users, it is a pure joy to have an instrument that produces such genuine sounds that it should deservedly be regarded as the most realistic digital piano in this price category.
The YDP-181 has a standard 88-key weighted hammer action keyboard and adjustable touch sensitivity. The Advanced Wave Memory, the 128-note polyphony, and the 14 preset voices leave users under the impression that the YDP-181 model is suitable for intermediate players who are going to make a transition to the advanced pianists’ team. The Damper Resonance effect is provided through the 3-foot pedal. If you wish, you can enrich the sound by using the Chorus, Reverb, and Brilliance effects. As far as connectivity is concerned, the piano features a USB port as well as a built-in two-track recording option.
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