What is the best digital piano under $500? The answer may be dependent on your needs.
Many people are interested in a digital piano to learn how to play or have an accessible instrument for their home. Owning a piano in the past could be problematic; it would need regular tuning by a professional, and it could take up a great deal of space. However, both of those issues are no longer a problem if you invest in a new digital piano. These instruments have many useful features to help you learn and play the piano better. What’s more, a modern digital piano doesn’t require tuning, they don’t take up a lot of space, and there are some very affordable instruments available.
In this article, we will look at five of the best digital pianos available for under $500.
- Yamaha YPG535 Portable Grand Piano
- Alesis Recital Pro
- Yamaha P71
- LAGRIMA Digital Piano
- Casio Privia PX-160BK
By the way, kindly remind that, feel free to check our previous review of best digital piano under $2000, under $1000, and under $300.
1. Yamaha YPG535 Portable Grand Piano
This a semi-portable digital piano with built-in speakers and a matching stand. The Yamaha YPG 535 is a fantastic option for players that have limited space, it isn’t as portable as some of the other digital pianos on this list because it weighs 37 lbs and it is a bulky instrument. However, this is is a feature rich instrument; if you don’t plan on moving any time soon or playing live often, it’s a very playable compact digital piano.
The well laid out control panel has more than 40 dedicated buttons to adjust the settings to get the exact sound you want. Meanwhile, a built-in monochromatic display screen helps the player to navigate through each function. What’s more, there are educational features to learn how to play or simply play better. This particular Yamaha digital piano does not have a battery powered option. As a result, the player will need a power outlet nearby.
The Yamaha YPG535 has a “Graded Soft Touch” keyboard that provides a semi-weighted action to give the place some resistance when playing. This doesn’t feel like a real hammer action piano, but it does feel much more authentic than most other entry level digital pianos. There are 361 sounds to explore, including the signature “Portable Grand,” 127 voices, and 32 notes of polyphony. In conclution, this is an excellent digital piano for players that want a home piano with extra features that they don’t move too often.
2. Alesis Recital Pro
This is a great digital piano for beginners because it’s supplied with a subscription for three months interactive online piano lessons. So, if you want to get professional tuition, this is a great way to get a good grounding in playing the piano. The Alesis Recital Pro has a USB connection for MIDI so you can connect the instrument to your computer. With this feature, it is useful to play along during lessons and to connect to software instruments.
There are 12 built-in basic voices to choose from, including a pair of variations on electric piano, piano, synthesizer, harpsichord, organ, and acoustic bass. But this isn’t as limiting as it may appear because you can layer two sounds together to create interesting new tones to play. Switching voices is simple; there are dedicated buttons for each instrument; they turn blue when activated and red if pressed again for a variation. The name of the current instrument selected is displayed on a screen for easy reference.
The Alesis Recital Pro has 88 semi-weighted keys with an adjustable touch response. As well as the aforementioned layering capability, it’s also possible to split the keyboard and play two different sounds with each hand. Besides, there is a useful “Lesson Mode” that allows a student to play along with a tutor when learning. What’s more, this digital piano is portable, it runs on batteries, and this makes it a good choice if you want to play live outdoors.
3. Yamaha P71
This digital piano is an Amazon exclusive that has ten different tones and 88 weighted keys to play. It’s also possible to layer a pair of voices together and play as your own band if you get proficient. Meanwhile, the Yamaha P71 has a light and compact design. So, it’s easy to store the keyboard anywhere until you are ready to play. Additionally, this digital piano has a USB port for easy connection to your computer to compose in your favorite software.
The Yamaha P71 plays like a real piano thanks to the weighted action keys which deliver an authentic playing experience. These keys are “Yamaha Graded Hammer Action,” and they are certainly a step above other brands at this price point. The included sounds are excellent; these are premium acoustic piano voices that have been sampled from some wonderful pianos to deliver rich tones with plenty of resonance.
Once you become comfortable with the Yamaha P71, it has even more to offer an advanced player. A duel mode allows the player to play other sounds alongside their own music to fill out their performance. This is achieved by recording loops of sound to create expansive soundscapes that can be as simple or complicated as the player wants. All of these features and the portability make the P71 a standout digital piano at this price point.
4. LAGRIMA Digital Piano
The LAGRIMA digital piano is an attractive home instrument that’s packed with useful features. This digital piano resembles a traditional spinet, and it’s not hard to imagine a family gathering around for some group singing. This is a great choice for a beginner because there are 88 fully weighted keys that deliver an authentic piano playing experience. There are also fully functional pedals that mirror those found on an authentic analog piano. But, the LAGRIMA also has modern functionality, so the player gets the best of both worlds at an entry level price point.
This digital piano is designed for players that need a console style piano that encourages finger technique and encourages playing with weighted keys. This a great way to transition to an acoustic piano later because the LAGRIMA will help a new player to gain the finger strength and precision that they will need to play a real piano well. An LCD screen, demo songs, and a duo mode will also help beginners to master this excellent digital piano.
The LAGRIMA digital piano has built-in speakers and a handy headphone input. So, you can play without disturbing other people in your home. This instrument sounds great; the sounds are clear and vivid with an LCD screen to help customize the tones. There are 64 levels of polyphony, with chord, transpose sync, and fill-in features to round out the functionality. To accompany your playing, there are 200 preset rhythms, 80 sample songs, and 408 tones to customize to get the perfect sound. This is an excellent digital piano for users that want a compact piano to learn and play at home.
5. Casio Privia PX-160BK
The Casio Privia PX-160BK is a great substitute for a traditional acoustic piano. It has a full 88 keys, 18 different tones to choose from, and an excellent built-in speaker system. It’s available in two different finishes, standard black or champagne, to fit your decor. This digital piano has a USB connection for MIDI or to connect to a tablet. Besides, there is a three year manufacturers warranty for extra peace of mind.
For those familiar with the Casio Privia PX-150, this digital piano shares many features with that older model. This includes the “Multi Dimensional Air Sound Source” that delivers high quality tones that are accurate and expressive. However, the Privia PX-160BK has new features that really make it stand out from its predecessor.
This is a genuinely portable digital piano option for those players that want to play live or practice with other players in a band. The Casio Privia PX-160BK only weighs 25 lbs. So all you need is a padded gig bag, and you’re ready to hit the road. This portability is very impressive when you consider that this digital piano has 88 full action hammer keys. But this portability is only possible because of the plastic construction materials used. Despite this, the Privia PX-160BK feels sturdy, and it very nice to use in the home or on stage. The control panel is simple to navigate; there are dedicated buttons for the most commonly used settings and functions. Overall this is an excellent choice for players that want a portable and yet authentic feeling digital piano to play.
Which is the Best Digital Piano?
It’s fair to say that one digital piano is not likely to satisfy the needs of every single player. Some players need a highly portable digital piano, and others may want an instrument that’s better suited to learning. Every digital piano on our list sounds great, but some other a more authentic playing experience with 88 hammer action keys and full foot pedals for extra expression. We favor the LAGRIMA Digital Piano for these exact reasons, but other players that need a more portable instrument may prefer the Yamaha P71 or the Casio Privia PX-160BK instead. The Alesis Recital Pro is probably the best learning instrument here because of the access to 3 months of online tuition and the general beginner friendly functionality of the instrument.