James NugentFinding the best digital piano/keyboard piano under $1000 is easier said than done.
It’s a fairly significant investment, so you should probably be an intermediate player or at least a very serious beginner.
Identifying the level you’re at will help you get the most out of your money.
To make it even easier, we have made a list of our best picks under $1000. Our choices represent what we consider to be the best mix of quality and value for money.
These are the best digital pianos and keyboard pianos under $1000:
- Kawai ES110
- Korg LP-180
- Kawai KDP75
- Kurzweil SP1
- Casio PX-S1100
- Yamaha YDP-103
- Casio PX-780
- Roland FP-30X
Kawai ES110
A luxury piano sound
In this price range, you’ll struggle to find a more luxurious-sounding piano. We love the ES110 for its stellar sound and its portability. This keyboard could be the perfect choice if you are all about the piano sound.
The Kawai ES110 is a reasonably compact keyboard piano with 88 graded hammer-action keys.
In our opinion, the ES110 delivers possibly the most realistic, responsive, and articulate piano sounds in its class. It sounds incredible and has a max polyphony of 192 notes.
The graded hammer-action keys are slightly less impressive than the sound but still amongst the best for the money. The weight and action of the keys perfectly complement the expressive grand piano sound.
The ES110 has few features, but the ones it has are geared towards improving the realism of the keyboard. It has onboard Classical music lessons, which are fantastic for learners of any age. It also features a built-in recorder to capture your practice/playing.
Check out our full Kawai ES110 review
Korg LP-180
Outstanding value for money
The Korg LP-180 is one of the best compact digital pianos for the money. It’s considerably cheaper than most of our list but still has lots to offer. The keyboard feel is slightly lacking, but the sound and compact size make up for that.
Korg’s LP-180 is a fantastic digital piano when you want to buy from a high-end brand on a budget. It has a compact/slim stand that won’t be too intrusive wherever you position it.
As expected from Korg, sound quality isn’t an issue, although, with just 10 voices, it’s not the most comprehensive selection. In this price range, Korg delivers better electric piano voices, and the LP-180 showcases that.
The built-in speaker system is impressive for a digital piano of this physical stature. While the feature set is minimal, like the design, it’s fair to say it functions very well. It’s very easy to use and very enjoyable to play.
Connectivity is a little limited, but again, features like dual headphone jacks add useful functionality.
Check out our full Korg LP-180 review
Kawai KDP75
Realism on a budget
The Kawai KDP75 might be the entry-level to that range, but it’s not lacking in sound quality. In our opinion, it’s one of the best-sounding digital pianos in its class.
Although it’s a nice-looking piano, it does lack some of the premium touches of a high-end Kawai product. But, at this price, that’s not really a complaint.
Kawai’s KDP75 is a straightforward digital piano that demonstrates what Kawai does best, and that’s sound great.
It doesn’t have the abundance of sounds like some other digital pianos; it has 15 in total, with four acoustic piano voices.
As the focus is on the quality of the grand piano experience (Shigeru Kawai SK-EX Concert Grand), it’s no surprise it has a max polyphony of 192 notes.
It also demonstrates a much-improved hammer-action compared to previous models (which were already good). The keys have a matte finish too, which provides extra grip and control.
It’s not packed with features, but it offers a 3-track recorder, 55 built-in songs, and six reverb types.
Surprisingly, despite a lack of features, it comes with access to a couple of extremely useful apps: PianoRemote and PiaBookPlayer.
Check out our full Kawai KDP75 review
Kurzweil SP1
Simplicity at its best
The Kurzweil SP1 might not be the household name that some others are, but it’s always worth a look.
It has some stunning piano voices along with hundreds of other sounds. To top it off, it has an intuitive interface, and it’s built to last.
The SP1 is a full-size, 88-key keyboard piano with hammer-action keys. It’s an entry-level model but has all the essential features of the more expensive models.
The SP1 has a total of 12 sounds, including four acoustic pianos. It has a max polyphony of 256 notes which is just about the best in class.
It also comes with pitch-bend and modulation wheels, which are often missing from keyboard pianos at this price.
Kurzweil’s SP1 is very much a performance instrument because it has a highly intuitive interface. The clever interface has dedicated sections for each sound category and even for external MIDI control.
It features built-in effects, impressive connectivity, and a robust build quality despite its low weight.
Check out our full Kurzweil SP1 review
Casio Privia PX-S1100
The most versatile and portable
The Casio Privia PX-1100 offers something a little cheaper without sacrificing too much quality. If you want a lightweight, portable keyboard piano on a budget, it’s perfect.
As the world’s slimmest keyboard piano with weighted keys, the touch/feel is surprisingly realistic.
The Privia PX-1100 is an ultra-sleep, portable keyboard piano. It has 88 scaled hammer-action keys, which is remarkable given its size.
It comes with 18 tones and a max polyphony of 192 notes. The onboard voices include a lovely German Concert Grand, although the more expensive PX-S3100 offers far more sounds.
Casio’s PX-1100 features a redesigned and vastly improved speaker system. The built-in speaker system delivers excellent clarity and is great for streaming music via Bluetooth.
If there is an area where the PX-S1100 struggles a little, it could be build quality. It looks fantastic but isn’t the most robust on our list. In fairness, that’s the trade-off for being so slim and light.
Check out our full Casio Privia PX-S1100/3100 review
Yamaha Arius YDP-103
The beginners digital piano
The Yamaha Arius YDP-103 has been around for a while, and it’s still standing the test of time. It has lasted so well because it’s perfectly priced for everything it provides.
It’s an ideal digital piano for any beginners or intermediate players who aren’t ready for the high-end yet.
Similar to Casio’s Privia range, it’s hard to make a list with at least one Arius. We have gone for the YDP-103 because it’s a fantastic choice for under $1000.
The YDP-103 has a very nice graded hammer-action keyboard. You might find a more realistic feel from another piano, but this one is perfectly-weighted for beginners and will help develop touch and expression.
Yamaha’s AWM Sampling provides dynamic and expressive acoustic piano voices that are amongst the best in class.
It comes with 10 voices, which isn’t many, but the emphasis is undoubtedly on the grand piano sound. A slight downside is the low max polyphony of 64 notes.
The YDP-103 has four reverb types and 10 preset/demo songs. It’s more about essential features than fancy features, but that’s often a good thing for those who simply want a piano.
Check out our full Yamaha Arius YDP-103 review
Casio Privia PX-780
A reliable choice for all playing levels
The Casio Privia PX-780 is a great digital piano for beginner or intermediate players. It has a very nice feel/action, and it has enough features to make practice both productive and fun.
With some lovely grand piano voices, it will even keep some more advanced players happy.
It would be difficult to make this list without including a Casio Privia digital piano. One thing that makes Privia digital pianos so good is that they bridge the gap between beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
The PX-780 is a perfect example because it provides a quality sound/feel with versatility and value.
It has 88 scaled hammer-action keys that deliver a realistic touch. The sound comes from Casio’s AiR Processor, which always provides excellent piano tones.
The versatility we mentioned comes in the form of 250 voices (128-note max polyphony) and 180 rhythms. Projecting the sound is a built-in speaker system with two 20 W amplifiers.
The PX-780 also boasts some onboard effects, a 17-track sequencer, and ample connectivity.
Check out our full Casio Privia PX-780 review
Roland FP-30X
Great Roland sound in a lightweight package
The FP-30X is deceptively good, and we say that for a couple of reasons. The build quality and other non-musical aspects dramatically lowered our overall score.
But, if it was just based on sound and feel, the FP-30X competes with most under $1000.
Roland FP keyboard pianos are typically a pretty safe bet. They have been around for years and consistently deliver an easy-to-use keyboard with a great sound.
The impressive sound comes from Roland’s iconic SuperNATURAL sound engine, and that all but assures quality. There are over 50 total voices, including 12 acoustic pianos. Complimenting the impressive sound is a max polyphony of 256 notes.
Roland’s Piano Partner app is an excellent tool for beginners and an excellent way to have fun while learning. A built-in recorder allows recording up to 70,000 notes, which is a great way to monitor progress.
The FP-30X has a Desktop Placement feature that you don’t see often. It optimizes the sound for desktop placement and minimal vibration.
While the FP-30X is attractive as a portable keyboard piano, you can get a three-pedal stand at an additional cost.
Check out our full Roland FP-30X review
Conclusion
Heading towards $1000 is a tricky price range; it’s no longer a small purchase. The instruments we have chosen offer fantastic value and highlight some of the best quality available for the money.
The only thing left for you to do is decide which of them best suits your individual needs. Think about what matters most to you, is it the piano voice? Versatility? Portability? Do that, and you can’t go wrong.
