Strengths: Excellent action and robust volume with ample room for adjustment to your taste.
Weakness: None, truly none.
With every product, we reach the point in which spending more money provides less and less improvement - yet less money is not always a bargain. This piano is at that point in the Yamaha line. It is at this model point that the higher power and larger speakers provide a full robust sound. Plus this model features the right balance of controls and features is right for the vast majority of pianists.
To go downward in the Yamaha line, you loose the room filling sound of this and higher Yamama models. To go upward, you gain composing and ensemble features that most pianists have little need for.
A plus found on this model is the ability for the unit to remember your settings - or - reset to factory settings each time, your choice. Every voice is outstanding, and the piano is truly a pleasure to play - or listen to.
What truly impressed me about this piano in the 2+ years I owned it came about in an experience I had one day. After decades, I returned to taking lessons. My instructor had several pianos, each with a different action, and one was a top-end Yamaha composing model. The action was the same. The piano sound was THE SAME! As a simple piano, it simply gained the ability to play louder... really the same volume but in a large room.
As I said in my title, this is that level in the Yamaha lineup where spending more money gives you little more in terms of staright-up piano action and sound. I highly recommend this model.
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TopStrengths: Beautiful rich sound. Never needs tuning.
Weakness: Can't think of any.
I first heard this amazing piano at my son's home in Austria. He had purchased one for his children as it was highly recommended by their piano instructor. I was taken with the quality of the sound, the feel of the keys and the attractive appearance of an electronic instrument.
After returning home I decided to purchase one for my own use and have been extremely pleased in every way. It was very reasonably priced, arrived on time, was easy to assemble and has been a joy to play.
I would recommend it to anyone.
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TopStrengths: - 2 recording tracks - various 'instruments' - can play 2 instruments together! - headphone jacks (TWO of them!) - pre-recorded songs and songbook
Weakness: - a little wobbly on carpet...just a teeny-tiny bit...probably not noticable to most! - The back panel is painted cardboard. Cheesy. - Um...I'm scraping the barrell here to find another weakness!!!
I just bought this piano. wow. wow. wow. I can't keep my hands off of it! it came with a great song book which will keep beginners as well as advanced players quite busy. The finish is beautiful, the sound rocks, and the feel of the keys is configurable (soft, med, hard) and feels and plays just like a real grand piano. When I set it to 'organ' I noticed the keyboard responded just like a huge pipe organ, which I have played before. And the flaws are there just like a real piano...i.e. strings buzzing some times, etc. The harpsichord is divine and the chorus (voices) when played with the orchestra is like angels singing!!! Try playing 'Wing Beneath my Wings' (Beaches) with those 2 settings. I'm loving it!!
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TopStrengths: Small footprint, 64-polyphony, 20Wx2 output, Has a cover, great price for available feature
Weakness: No lighted keys for guided practice
Generally speaking, I had a real accoustic piano before. And I was clueless when I first went shopping for a digital piano, so I would like to share some of my knowledge/experience with those who is looking.
Digital pianos are very nice because most models these days have naturally graded hammer keys to simulate the feel of the keys of a real accoustic piano (keys are heaviest on left and become gradually lighter towards the right). It requires no maintenance. No regular tuning is needed. No need for a separate metronome to keep the beats as it is built-in. And a lot of digital controls, built-in songs, PC connections, LCD, customization, etc. And of course you can play with the piano at late night using your headphone so that the music will not disturb others.
Basically, the price of a piano is mostly determined by the polyphony it supports. Polyphony is how many concurrent sound the digital signal processing chip inside the piano could process simultaneously. Most digital pianos are either 32, 64 or the highest end 128 polyphony!
For 32 polyphony, price range is $500-$1000
For 64 polyphony, price range is $1000-$2500
For 128 polyphony, very few models, usually > $3000
I have been playing piano since I was 6 years old, and I think 64 polyphony should be enough for even the pros, and the Yamaha YDP223 fits right in this category at a good price. The 32-polyphony models are definitely cheaper, but if you are planning to play a very fast piece of music with the pedal, the DSP chip may not be able to output more than 32 concurrent notes, so some earlier notes played may be cut off. So it is one thing to keep in mind.
I have thought about the Casio Privia PX500L too. The Casio model is cute, small, light-weight and it has lighted keys for practicing too. But I prefer a piano with a real cover for the keys to avoid dust. Another nice thing about the Yamaha YDP223 is that the pedals are attached to the bottom frame of the piano. Since i use the pedals quite a lot, built-in pedals feels sturdier and more durable. With the Casio Privia PX500L, you will have to put a pedal on the floor and it may move if you step on it often.
YDP223 has two 20W speaker output. If you are doing comparison shopping with other models, be sure to check the specification of other models too. Some other sub-$1000 models have two 8W outputs only. I think the YDP223 output is great enough for a big living room.
With all digital pianos from different brands, the available features are mostly comparible, like built-in songs, metronome, volume, sounds from multiple instruments, etc. The YDP223 does not have lighted keys for guided practice, but I personally don't need it. The YDP223 has a Brilliance control to adjust the sound from Mellow to Bright. This is another feature I don't see in other models. Some keyboards will feel heavier (like some of the Casio digital pianos) and other would feel too light. I went to the local Guitar Center store to have a feel, and find that Yamaha keyboards is in the middle, not too heavy or light. But it is really a personal preference, so I strongly suggest that you stop by a local store to feel it yourself.
I was seriously considering whether to buy either the Roland MP60 or Yamaha YDP223, but I ended up buying the Yamaha YDP223 because of its brand and also the attractive cherry wood (cappuccino) color. The Roland MP60 is pure black and it is also very popular among buyers. There is a newer YDP323, but the control panel is gone, so I don't like it. The YDP223 box comes with a Yamaha bench for free, but if you prefer to shop for a bench with adjustable height, then you will need to spend another $100.
In general, I like the YDP223 a lot, and I strongly recommend that to any serious digital piano buyers.
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TopStrengths: Loaded with special features. Keys feel very much like an acoustic piano. Extremely easy assembly and initial setup. Awesome sound.
Weakness: Wood laminate construction(not solid wood) Back panel not wood(Carboard, or cardboard like material).
Overall very pleased with performance, sound, look and feel of this piano. Fit well in our family room, due to limited space. Really like the fact that it has a sliding keyboard cover that many digital pianos that we looked at did not have. The manufacturer's warranty was what sealed the deal for me.
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TopStrengths: Sound, Stability/Build Ease, Graded Hammer Effect, Other Voice Quality, Pedal Realism, and just about everything else!
Weakness: For picky people: If something is slightly loose, you may hear a slight metallic rattle on a high G note. (Please, see if it's on your's too!)
--THIS PIANO IS GREAT!--
I always knew that if you want a digital piano that is focussed on piano sound & feel realism, you have to go with a Kawai or Yamaha. I tried a Kawai -- wasn't impressed. Tried this Yamaha that was half the cost -- my jaws dropped. Yamaha does it again with the YDP223 home piano.
Great sound -- I can hear the naaaaaawwwwwww of the strings resonating like a real piano. So realistic you can here FLAWS that a real piano has. It also has 13 other good voices including organs, harpsichords, strings, choir, and dual voices (combine 2 at once.)
It also has some good features that do apply to every skill level -- a metronome with emphasis, 2-track recorder, 7 OTHER TUNING SCALES from equal temperament to pythagorean! Learn to play the piano a whole new way!
What impressed me was 50 built-in full classical songs -- with the music book included. Wow, Yamaha you rock.
I'd recommend this piano to anyone from a pro, to a newbie. I myself am a "by-ear" pianist, and this suits my needs more than a 100%!
To conclude; please, I beg you...don't waste your time with other companies, GET YAMAHA AND BE HAPPY! :)
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TopStrengths: acoustic like feel and sounds, pedals works very well
Weakness: no light guided key for practice, most of the build materials for the body is not real wood
If you play with your eyes closed, you won't know it is a digital. The sound and feel of the keys are just like its acoustic siblings. Actually it even sounds much better if you think about the price.
Mine came in a big cartoon box, the setup isn't difficult and took me only half an hour to set up, with great help from my wife and three year old son :) It weights about 120 lbs, you can lift it by yourself, but better find a helper just to avoid the chance of any accident since it is quit bulky.
One of the reviewer had problem of the piano stop working after sometime. Mine is working so far. Just in case, Yamaha is offering five years warranty if you buy from authorized dealer. Most of the dealer I talked to only aware of one year warranty, but here is the URL from yamaha's website yamaha.com/warranties/... . Maybe the dealers are trying make couple extra bucks for selling extended warranty themselves or maybe they don't know, since the warranty problem just start this year and covers the products sold after 1/1/2007
As other reviewer complained, the materials for the back panel is cheap. but if you put the unit back against the wall, you won't notice the cheap back panel unless you bend over and do an underneath inspection
Only thing, I wish I could have with this unit, is the lighted key for helping practice.
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TopStrengths: Awesome sound, great price, realistic keys, keyboard cover.
Weakness: None noted so far.
We spent quite a while looking for a piano for our daughter to learn on. Most places we looked were trying to sell us very expensive pianos that we knew we were not ready for. That led us to searches online and the Yamaha YDP223. After all our searching we never found another piano in this price range that matches this one in terms of sound, realism, quality and features. The 3 year warranty closed the deal.
Not sure why some people were complaining about the back panel. If the back is facing a wall, as ours does, it hardly matters.
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TopStrengths: Cost, Compact, Quality
Weakness: None so far
Bought this digital piano for daughter. Key action is appropriately weighted and feels like a real piano. Instrument sounds are limited (as compared to other digital pianos in the market) but sufficient for what we need. Piano teacher friend loved the feel and especially the price for the amount of functions. Can be connected to computer through MIDI interface but have not used it yet.
If you don't want to spend an arm and a leg for a piano for learning, this is the way to go. Even I am getting interested in learning piano again (after 20 years).
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TopStrengths: Beautiful sound, compact size, reasonable price
Weakness: None so far
I ordered this digital piano from Kraft Music (www.kraftmusic.com..., Sales Rep Dave McCullough x222 was the most courteous and helpful sales person I've ever met ).
I have been very happy with my purchase. All the sounds are beautiful. My favorites are grand piano 1&2, choir, string, and guitar. The keys are perfectly weighted, and dynamics (loud vs. soft) work well, too. It's a very nice piece of instrument, and I can see myself enjoying it for the years to come.
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TopStrengths: Great if it works
Weakness: for no reason, there is no sound
My Yamaha YDP 223 now has no sound at all coming from it. All the lights work, and I have played it less than 50 hours but it is not working! I'd like to see more reviews on the problems!
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TopYahama keyboards typically have a switch near the headphones jack that shuts off the speakers.
Yamaha YDP223 Digital Piano Rosewood
Strengths: Superb sound of a real piano
Weakness: I agree with the other buyer about the back being a rather poor quality material.
Love the hammer action keys, the pedals of a regular piano, and the fact that it is light-weight in comparison to a regular piano. It doesn't have the beauty (appearance-wise) of a regular piano , but the trade off will be worth it on moving day. I suppose they could have thrown in more "bells and whistles" (sounds of other musical instruments) as this is somewhat limited, but you want a piano sound - you get a piano sound with the YDP223.
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Mar 4, 2006
About that cardboard material:
I saw it at a music store on clearence, and didn't notice that. Is the carbboard like material so cheap it will break easily -- or is it just low quality so the price can be lower?
-Stpehen