Customer Reviews

Casio PX-800 Privia Digital Piano with Weighted Scaled Hammer Action Keys

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Casio PX800 Privia Digital Piano with Weighted Scaled Hammer Action Keys

My wife and I own a large Steinway grand piano and a small harpsichord in our living room. We bought this digital piano as a replacement of our old MIDI keyboard and for nighttime practice.

Casio PX800 has an excellent speaker set and a realistic keyboard. Although its tuning isn't perfect (like any acoustic piano and harpsichord), it produces a great sound. As a piano with a full size keyboard and three pedals, its footprint is surprisingly, and pleasantly, small.

Its USB-MIDI functionality is also fantastic and extremely easy to use. Thanks to ferland.francois, this Casio keyboard is now Mac compatible. (Casio supports Windows only.)

Not only does this piano function as a great stand-alone musical instrument with an ample set of features and realistic touch, but also it works as an excellent input device for Apple's GarageBand.

I got the PX800 this summer and it is absolutely perfect for me! I am a music major with an emphasis in piano and I needed something small enough to practice on that would fit in my apartment and that felt and sounded as close to a real piano as I could possibly get. After much searching online and comparing many different models and brands, I finally found the PX800 and ordered it. The shipping only took a couple of weeks, and the set up wasn't too hard. (It is a good idea to have two people put it together.)

I am amazed at how much it sounds like a real piano! The speakers have a wonderful clean sound (although the sound comes from under the piano instead of the top). The keys are weighted and very touch-sensitive, allowing you to achieve the softest and loudest sounds as you play. The three pedals work just like the pedals on a normal piano, and although they are plastic they feel quite sturdy.

As for the features, there are a variety of different instrument sounds, including organ, electric piano, harpsichord, and strings, that are easily programmable by pushing a button on the side and then pressing a key that corresponds with each sound. There is also a built in metronome, a wonderful feature for a piano major like me as I am learning my music. And one of the most practical features, in my opinion, is the VOLUME CONTROL! (That way I can practice late at night without bothering the neighbors!) And there are many more features, including a slot to insert a memory card and transfer it to your computer.

It also adds a nice decorative touch to any room. I was a little concerned at how orange the wood looked in the picture and that it might clash with the dark wood furnishings that I already had, but it looks very nice! Also, I love the key cover that slides down to protect the keys!

All in all, this is a fabulous digital piano (for a great price) and one that I cannot say enough good things about! Perfect to fit in small spaces where a real piano can't! I am very happy with the decision that I made when I chose this piano! You won't be disappointed!!!

I had been eying the PX-320, but I have no need to move it around and I really wanted something that was nicer looking in the house, without seeing all the cables etc. I prefer this to the 320 because of the 3 pedals, which work quite nicely, and ascetics of it. I had actually gone into the store thinking I was going to buy the Yamaha YDP-213, because of the console look, but saw the PX-800 and after playing both the choice was clear. I prefer the action of keys, sound, and speakers all above the Yamaha - and I like the look better. Plus because this is a newer model it has 128 polyphony, SD card, USB connections, and all the things I wanted in the 320. For me this was the perfect digital piano to have in the house, and it was easy to assemble, took about 1/2 hour by myself. I highly recommend it!

I played the piano from the age of about 5 up to around 15 or so, now returning after a further 25 years. I searched the net to find a decent piano which would not take up much space and would still perform to a high level, as well as look good. I am very happy to have made this selection. The sound, the touch of the keys, the pedals are all very authentic to me. I had been a little worried about any possible digital sound that might not sound like hammers on strings, but there was no need to worry. Now I am playing again those same pieces I used to play as a kid, and thanks to youtube I am finding inspiring good video performances which are pointing to new music for me to learn in the future, such as Debussy'd Clare de Lune and Schuberts Ave Maria. All in all an excellent purchase and I highly recommend it.

I have had this piano for almost a week, and it is wonderful. Those before me have praised its good qualities, so this will not be a long winded review, just the main points I feel have not been addressed.

PROS:
Exceptional sound quality
Real piano feel, with the advantages of a keyboard

CONS:
Although most of the piano is of exceptional quality, some things are a bit chincy. Out of the box the foot pedal support bar (spanning from bottom side to side) had a stress fracture. I am still undecided about whether I want to deal with getting it fixed.

This foot pedal bar is the biggest skimp on quality I can see with this instrument. The bar is plastic, and is very light. The foot pedals feel sturdy during use, that is not the issue, only the support bar that the foot pedals are mounted on to.

The second, and far less important con, is the sliding cover for the keys. The rest of the piano (aside from the foot bar) is made of very heavy, sturdy, quality wood. However, this sliding cover is very thin and seems to be veneer.

Lastly, is the depth of the piano. Not depth of sound, or anything technical, actually how far it extends from the wall. Don't misunderstand this, it is very minimal and extends little over a foot from the wall. In my opinion, too little. Behind the music stand are maybe two inches of shelf. Now, not everyone may feel the same, but I enjoy having a lamp right behind my music, not off to the side which this instrument pretty much forces on you. Right now I have a lamp half way behind my music stand, and half way leaning against the wall, and it seems to be working well. But if you plan on not putting this against a wall, that obviously won't fly.

Overall, I still highly recommend this to anyone. Only a handful of pieces to assemble, which is easily manageable with two people. The minor cons listed earlier are the only I have found as of yet, and I don't anticipate finding anything else.

This product was purchased with every intention of an upgrade being needed in 2 years. Let's just say that upgrade is not needed! This piano takes digital to a whole new level. Sounds and feels just like the real thing.

Roland, Yamaha, and Kawai had better watch out. Casio has put together a great product.

Let me start by saying that I'm not a pianist, I'm a guitarist. I like to tinker around on piano and like to have one available in case a real pianist/keyboardist shows up. For years, I had owned a console piano, but got rid of it for several reasons: it took up too much space, it needed to be tuned and it was too hard to move.

After many years with nothing except a MIDI keyboard connected to my computer, I decided it was time to get a piano for the living room. I knew I wanted a digital piano and I wanted a good one, but it was hard to justify spending a lot of money on one. (Remember how I said I'm not a pianist?) When I started doing my research online, I took a look at the brands that I thought were probably the best: Yamaha and Kawai. They may very well be the best, but that carries a price with it. When I found this Casio, the reviews (here and at other sites) convinced me that this would be the best choice for the price range I was interested in.

The piano assembles fairly quickly and easily. When I finally turned it on and played, I was astounded. The sound through the built-in amp and speakers is amazing! I knew from reading about it (I never got a chance to play one in person before buying) that it would sound at least pretty good. What I couldn't believe is just how much it sounds like a real piano. I figured the lowest notes would probably be mediocre at best, but I was wrong. The lowest note still sounds like a real piano, even through the built-in sound system. Truly astonishing.

The action is also great. It feels like playing a good acoustic piano. I thought the plastic pedals might feel cheap. When I was putting it together, I was disappointed in how the pedals looked and felt. However, once it was put together, I have to say that they look okay and feel sturdy. Not spectacular, but more than adequate.

I've only briefly checked out some of the other sounds and none of them impressed me. This unit knows its strength, though, and is designed to immediately get you back to a great piano sound with the dedicated Grand Piano button.

I am sure there are better digital pianos out there, but they will cost you more money (significantly more, I would imagine). I can't imagine anyone playing this piano and not being impressed with the Grand Piano sound and the action. If you are looking for a good digital piano and don't want to pay an arm and a leg, you owe it to yourself to try one of these.

And if you buy one, you will not regret it.

As a student new to the piano I would humbly say that this instrument accomplishes its goal to play and feel like a full size manual piano with its hammer-action keys. This is the best feature along with its diminutive size to fit into a small space with a full-size keyboard. I have not yet tested all the many other sound and accompaniment features yet but they're all there to use as my skill improves.

I researched many different digital piano options before settling on this one. This piano has a great sound and feel. The wood frame also makes it an attractive furniture piece. It is also fairly easy for two people to assemble. It's rather heavy, so I couldn't have put it together by myself.

One thing that I would recommend prior to assembling the piano, however, is inspection of each piece that it is not broken or cracked. Amazon.com's returns policy is great if the piano is defective, but it's a pain to assemble a piano and then determine it won't work, which requires disassembling and repackaging the broken piano to send it back. The first piano that I received was defective - the lowest note on the keyboard was stuck in the down position. I returned this piano to receive a replacement that had a cracked foot pedal and a speaker box that didn't work. Thankfully, the third piano I received works beautifully!

I bought this digital piano to replace an older model after extensive searching on the internet. I must say, so far I have not been disappointed. I have only used the piano on the grand piano setting, but the sound quality is outstanding and it feels and plays almost exactly like an acoustic piano. I have been playing piano for 20+ years, and love how it sounds.
The pedals also function well. I was a little nervous about the looks of the piano, but it fits in nicely with my contemporary decorated apartment, and if you want something that doesn't take up a lot of space, this is great, because it extends very little off the wall while still boasting a full size 88-key keyboard
If I could chagne anything about this, I would say that some of the wood is a little cheap looking, especially the bar at the bottom with the pedals, and it's a little frustrating having so little room on the top (I haven't found a lamp that I can easily use on it), but I would definitely purchase it again for the sound/feel, and it is a great value for the money.