Hi all,

I'm looking for a portable piano (digital I guess) with headphones for practice.
Just an instrument that focuses on an acoustic piano-like feel and sound as much as possible, but can be carried around like a keyboard.
There are many options around, but I don't need other features apart from realistic piano sound/feel and silent practice combined with portability.
Which ones do you think focus on those features and are reasonably priced? (i.e. Yamaha, Kawai, Roland etc).

Thanks!

Hi. I bought the Yamaha P 155 last year for my holiday apartment. I am very happy with it. The keys feel like real piano keys & with decent headphones the sound is amazing. I have the BOSE headphones. There is a small speaker on the keyboard but it does not sound as great. Obviously it will never be exactly the same as a good acoustic piano. I play a Grotian Steinweg baby grand at home & you cannot truly compare the two but for practicing the Yamaha is more than adequate. The Roland F 7 is also very close to the feel of an acoustic but it is very expensive. You must try out both & see what feels right for you.

Hi!
The Yamaha P 155 is a great choice. If you want more options then take a look at these other portable grand piano made by the same company (Yamaha DGX 640 and Yamaha YPG 535). All three digital portable grand pianos carry an output for headphones and an input for a sustain pedal. They sound great and the keys feel great too. I have used them at several concerts and I had no regrets. You can go to a music store that is close to you and play them for yourself and make you decision. You can also go to Youtube.com and search for videos with demos and reviews on each instrument.

Have a happy music day!

I just bought a Yamaha YPG235 76 key portable grand piano. It has an amazing piano sound. The touch of the keys have 3 adjustments from soft to hard depending on how close to a real piano feel you want. The keys are not weighted so are much lighter in touch than a real piano, but for me it makes it easier to play than a real piano. I am new to piano playing. I have played a harmonium for years which has small and easy to play keys. This unit is light but is still close to 4 feet long, so not that portable but could be if you don't mind the size, about 16" wide. Has very good harpsichord and stringed instruments sounds too. (500 voices in all).At $250 US $ it's a pretty good deal.

Yamaha Clavinova CPL 950 is a great choice.
So the CLP950 is available in a selection of three beautiful woodgrain cabinets, Dark Rosewood (CLP-950 shown), Mahogany ( 2149 LNK CLP-950M ) or Cherry ( 2150 LNK CLP-950C ), to further enhance the value and enjoyment of these superb instruments. • Woodgrain cabinet with dark rosewood finish • 88-key GH (Graded Hammer Effect) keyboard • 4-position touch sensitivity • New Dynamic Stereo Sampling AWM (Advanced Wave Memory) tone generation with Stereo Sustain Samples, Key-Off Samples and Soundboard Reverb • Twelve voices • 64-note polyphony (maximum) • PC interface • Split voice • Dual voice • Digital reverb • Digital effects • Brilliance • Performance memory • Seven temperaments • 60W x 2 amplifier • Metronome • Three foot pedals • MIDI • New sliding key cover • Dual headphone jacks • 50 built-in demonstration songs with sheet music

I have spent a lot of time on this subject i my time. I don't have a whole lot of money - but I play quite a lot of live music.
I play different styles (jazz, rock, I've even done accompanist for some classical singing and solo instruments).

I bought an m-audio 88 key piano. I have to say I am disappointed. The keys feel stiff and very synthetic. The action isn't quick enough (feels slow when I am playing jazz).

In a way I have to say - the more you spend, the more you will get. And I see a load (and quite a wide range) of Yamaha's in this list.

I think I agree that Yamaha's a really good. I prefer them to Rolland's - I like the sound more overall.

I have tried the Korg Stage pianos. They feel good and sound great.

At the cheaper end though - don't ignore the casios. The may not make the greatest sound - but they are robust - and in many cases good enough.

One more thing you need to consider - amplification.
Do you want something stand alone with its own built in speakers? Or will you always be plugging into some sort of PA or Amp?
Don't forget, the way your piano is amplified and the speakers will have a large effect on how it sounds overall.

In gigs I play, I am usually part of a larger set (with singers, mics and PA's) so in general I just use a Korg SP.

I am going to play in a gig this Friday where I will try a Nord Stage Piano for the first time. I'm looking forward to it - they get great reviews. I'll let you know how it goes.

Right .. as promised - I played a Nord Stage 2 88 last night in a trad plus dixieland jazz gig.

It was ok - but I would not say much more than ok.

I found the action very light - and the keys felt really really plastic: as bad as my own M-Audio 88 stage piano (and there's a big price difference to get up to the Nord). I had a littel play with the organ sounds before the gig - they were incredible.

The actual piano sounds were good - much better than the M-Adio - especially the sustain ends of the notes.

Now the Nord has fabulous organ and other features that will make it a fantastic general keyboard - but for a piano, I wouldn't rate it as highly as a good Korg, Yamaha or Roland.