the YAMAHA digital pianos
Yamaha has a number of different pianos geared at different people and applications. These are some of their most popular from most elaborate to most basic.
Avant Grand N3
The N3 is the newest of Yamaha’s digital pianos and a giant step forward in the world of digital pianos. Aside from looking as awesome as many of their actual acoustic pianos it has an actual modified key action of an acoustic piano, their disklavier series to be specific. It also has their most advanced piano sample ever, using four separate microphones to take multiple samples of every note of one their CF III concert grands. Add to that twelve speakers and two subwoofers all with their own dedicated amplifiers and a vibrating system that simulates the vibrations of a real instrument and you get the most advanced, most authentic digital piano in history. It even uses their second generation Ivorite on the keys to replicate the feel and characteristics of Ivory. This is the same material that is used on their most elite concert grands. The pedals are also fashioned after a real grand piano to give players the same tension feeling of a real grand piano.
Designed for anyone who wants an instrument that very closely replicates the feel and sound of a concert grand piano. The bonus of how nice it looks is great but this instrument is meant to replace an actual acoustic grand piano in situations that do not allow for the size, weight and price of a real grand piano.
In the $20,000 range this instrument is not for everyone but is a bargain considering the acoustic piano it replicates cost over three times as much and weights well over 1000 pounds. Designed with mostly advanced players in mind the N3 would serve both those players right on down to a new player wanting the best possible digital piano available. Buying an Avant Grand product is as close as you can get to buying an actual high quality acoustic grand piano.
Click here to view the specifications from Yamaha Canada
Avant Grand N2
The N2 is the upright version of the flagship Avant Grand N3. It has all of the same features as its grand big brother with the exception of the speaker system which is smaller due to the smaller cabinet and the pedals which are not as elaborate as the N3’s pedals. Basically, the N2 was designed to play and feel like a concert grand piano but only take the space of a small upright piano. Make no mistake, even though it looks like an upright piano it has the same concert grand key action in it.
Again, designed for anyone wanting the most authentic playing experience possible in a digital piano. Its size lends itself to smaller homes, condos and teaching facilities.
In the $15,000 range this instrument would not typically be a starter instrument but if budget was not an issue would make an excellent long term investment for any level player.
Click here to view the specifications from Yamaha Canada
CLP 380
While no other model that Yamaha make sound or feel as good as the Avant Grand, the CLP 380 is the next best thing. It is the top of the CLP series with the best sounding piano and by far the best feeling non Avant Grand keyboard. Like the Avant Grand, it uses the ivorite key tops but an earlier version of them. It features the largest best sounding piano sample in the CLP line and a 3 way speaker system which deliver really good sounding piano tones. It has over 400 additional high quality sounds taken from Yamaha’s other pro synth instruments. It also includes a 16 track midi recorder with USB storage capability. It is available in polished mahogany or polished ebony. Both finishes look great making it by far the nicest looking mid priced digital piano Yamaha make.
Any level of player from beginner to advanced could enjoy this instrument. It is equipped with one of Yamaha’s best piano samples and fitted with their best digital piano keyboards so its price is the highest in the CLP line in the $5000 - $6000 range. Add to that its nice looks, you’ve got a piano that while excellent for anyone, not accessible to everyone. If you are comfortable with it’s price this piano is a great choice.
Click here to view the specifications from Yamaha Canada
CLP 370
This model is a small step down from the the CLP 380 in terms of functionality sporting essentially all of the same features. Where it is most notably different is in the piano sample and the speaker system. The piano sample is literally smaller meaning that while still very good sounding it does not sound as authentic as the CLP 380. The speaker system is a more basic 2 way system with less power the the CLP 380. As well, this instrument is not offered in any of the polished finishes which is good and bad. The bad would be if you wanted it in a polished finish. The good is that because (partially) it is only available in the standard finishes of Rosewood, Mahogany and Cherry it is considerably less expensive then the CLP 380 in the $3500 - $4000 range.
Again, almost anyone could enjoy this instrument from an experienced player right down to a first timer. Given its sound and feel quality it is definitely geared towards a better player but as I said would be an excellent long term choice for anyone. Still in the upper end of the price spectrum but much less expensive then is CLP 380 older brother.
Click here to view the specifications from Yamaha Canada
CLP 340
The CLP 340 is one of the most popular instruments in Yamaha’s line up. It combines a very good piano sample with their better GH3 keyboard at a very affordable price (around $3000) compared to the other models in the line up. What Yamaha has done is gone fairly light on additional features to keep this very nice feeling and sounding instrument less expensive then the 370 & 380 models. It only has a two track recorder and a much smaller display. The keys themselves are not finished with the preferred Ivorite which is a bummer but they still feel pretty good. As you can see, the cabinet is not as elaborate as the upper models but is still nice looking. It is also available in rosewood, mahogany, cherry and polish ebony (add a premium for this finish).
So, what you get with the CLP 340 is an good sounding piano with a great feeling keyboard with a few extra features in a pretty good looking cabinet. All in all, a great value geared more so at the newer player or someone on a bit tighter budget. I would consider this model the best of the lower priced models. While a more advanced player could play this instrument, I think that they would prefer the better feel and better sound of the upper models.
Click here to view the specifications from Yamaha Canada
CLP 330
The CLP 330 is basically a budget minded version of the CLP 340. When you compare the specifications you don’t notice many differences however there are a few very important differences including the price (around $2500). Firstly, the piano sample is again a notch down from the CLP 340. Still very good, it just lacks a bit of clarity that the CLP 340 offers. The speaker system is also a fair bit smaller which takes away from its overall sound performance. Having said that, it does have the same GH3 keyboard which is excellent and most of the same features as the CLP 340. It also looks pretty much identical to its more expensive cousin. It is available in rosewood, mahogany and cherry.
This model, like the CLP 340 is geared at a newer player with a budget in mind. If you have the extra few hundred dollars, I would recommend looking at the CLP 340 but if your budget is tugging at you, this is a very suitable compromise. For the savings in money you give up a bit of sound quality but are left with a very good sounding, feeling and looking digital piano.
Click here to view the specifications from Yamaha Canada
CLP 320
This model is excellent in the sense that it is really affordable (in the $1500 - $1700 range). Yamaha has outfitted it with a very usable piano sample and their tried and true first incarnation of the graded hammer keyboard action. While not nearly as good sounding as the above models, it provides players with a decent sounding and feeling experience. The cabinet is scaled down from the upper level models but it is still available in all three finishes of rosewood, mahogany and cherry. It still sports three pedals, two headphone jacks, 10 sounds, a song recorder and 50 built in preset songs to be used for fun or education. When compared to any other manufacturer at this price point, this instrument compares very favorably. The important thing at this price point is how good the instrument sounds and the CLP 320 sounds and feels very good for what would be considered an entry level instrument.
So, this model would have to be considered only for new players or someone needing a digital piano with a budget that didn’t exceed this price level. Great value at this price point. Having said that, if the player of this instrument progresses past a certain level, this instrument may need to be upgraded to a better feeling, better sounding instrument much sooner then many of the more expensive instruments in the line. If budget allowed, I would suggest looking at the better models for a longer term investment. If not, this makes a great, inexpensive starting instrument which will be easy to resell when its time to upgrade.
Click here to view the specifications from Yamaha Canada
YDP-160/YDP-140
This model is part of a line called the Arius. In the world of Yamaha dealers, not all dealers are entitled to carry all of Yamaha’s products. Yamaha has their products broken up into product categories. All of the CLP series for example are considered one product line. As such, some dealers are entitled to carry those products and some are not. The Arius line was created to service the dealers who are not entitled to carry CLP products as a substitute. For all intensive purposes, the YDP-160 is a comparable product to the CLP 320. The most notable difference is that the Arius series currently does not offer any color choices for its models, only dark rosewood. In most cases, you would find the YDP 160 for the same price as the CLP 320. The YDP 140 is a scaled down version of the YDP 160 with a slightly inferior feeling keyboard and a significantly smaller speaker system. It is offered in a dark alder type color.
The Arius series is definitely geared towards the budget minded, entry level player. The YDP 160 is basically the same as the CLP 320 which makes it a really good value. The YDP 140 is in our opinion scaled down a bit too much to make it a good choice. The feel of the keyboard is a bit questionable and the smaller speaker system hinders its sound. Having said that, it is the least expensive console type instrument that Yamaha offer making it perhaps the only choice for some. As we’ve said before, if you could afford it, we’d recommend the YDP 160 of these two models. If budget didn’t allow, we’d rather see you playing a YDP 140 then no piano at all.
Click here to view the specifications from Yamaha Canada
P-85
This model is quite popular as an entry level digital piano. Originally designed to be a stage piano, it has more commonly found it’s home in the living room and bedrooms of peoples houses. The reason it’s so popular is that it is very good sounding and feeling and quite inexpensive compared to the more console looking models. On the feature front, the P-85 is a fairly bare bones unit with only a handful of sounds and a single track recorder. The piano sound is the featured sound and is very good. It comes a la carte with the keyboard itself being sold separately from the stand and pedal board. This gives you the option of putting it on a portable stand or the pictured Yamaha stand. As well, you can use it with the supplied single pedal or add on the 3 pedal board assembly as shown. The P-85 itself typically sells for less then $800 and the stand and pedal board would cost approx. $250-$300 extra. So, all in all you would be spending around $1050 - $1100 on the whole package.
So, this model is geared towards either a performing musician needing a light, portable piano to use on gigs or someone wanting a very small 88 note keyboard. It’s inexpensive price tag make it very attractive to entry level people as well as people who do not have a lot of space in their home for an instrument. Quality wise, it is close in sound and feel to the CLP 320 but it’s smaller speaker system make it sound a bit smaller and less full. While this instrument in not as traditional looking as the CLP series instruments, it does sound great and at it’s lower price is a very viable option for many.
Click here to view the specifications from Yamaha Canada
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