REVIEW - Yamaha YDP141 (Now Discontinued), YDP135R, & P95 Digital Pianos - Basic but nice

UPDATED REVIEW- June 1, 2013 - Recommended - The Yamaha YDP141 is now discontinued and the new YDP142 ($1099 internet price) has taken its place. The new Yamaha P105 has taken the place of the older P95 and the P95 price has been reduced to just $499 which is a real bargain. The YDP142 has significant new upgrades and you can read about that new models on my blog review Yamaha YDP142 Review.

Yamaha some nice 88-key digital pianos under $1000 including the Arius YDP135R (left pic) at $999 internet price (incl bench), a portable model called the P95 ($499 internet price - lower left), and the new Yamaha P105...go here for my review on that model: Yamaha P105 Review. The YDP135R and P95 digital technology has been out for a few years and they are essentially the same pianos with the same touch key action (GHS basic keyboard action), same sampling technology (6 basic instrument sounds on the YDP135R & YDP141 and 10 instrument sounds on the P95), 64-note polyphony, 12 watt speaker system/audio power, and other features incl reverb, layering, etc. The P95 can also be connected to a specially made Yamaha piano stand and 3-pedal system (for $175 more) that makes it operate and look more like a cabinet piano. The P95 also comes in two colors, black & silver for the same price. 

There are only minor changes from previous models and they would include matte black key tops on the P95 and some minor changes to the sounds, but that's about it. The minor changes to the tones also include the piano sound being re-sampled by Yamaha and put into the newer instrument, but you may or may not hear a difference but the sound is very nice. I have played Yamaha digital pianos for many years and like them very much. They are generally reliable, sound good and are fun to play.

Yamaha P95

However, there are three things I wish these Yamaha pianos had such as a USB high speed connection to iPad or computer for interactive play with piano apps & programs, a key touch with less physical key noise and better dynamic response for increased natural expression (like the higher priced Arius series, 128 note polyphony piano sound memory with increased dynamic range for intermediate to advanced music, and dual audio outputs (necessary to connect to additional speakers or sound systems if desired) which would be useful in the P95 because many people like to connect to external speaker systems with portable pianos. The new Yamaha P105 & YDP142 does have some of these upgrades and in my opinion are definitely worth the extra money to get them.

Casio PX750

There is another nice instrument which competes with the lower priced Yamaha's called the Casio Privia PX750 (new 2013 model) in a compact cabinet and it utilizes a 4-level stereo sample as opposed to a 3-level on the YDP135. Also, the new Casio acoustic piano sound has much better dynamic range than the Yamaha in this price range with longer natural pedal sustain/decay time due to its new digital technology. This translates to the things that piano teachers and musicians want which is the ability to have full dynamic expression in your music. That kind of digital piano technology is usually reserved for models priced at $1000 minimum. If you compare all of the specifications of both the Casio PX750 and the Yamaha YDP135R cabinet models, it would appear that the Casio wins out...and at just $799 internet discount price, it's $200 less than the Yamaha YDP135R. I think the Casio should be a definite consideration and it comes with a 3 year parts & labor factory warranty. Not only does the Casio PX750 beat out the YDP135R in terms of sound and key action in my opinion, it has the new ivory & ebony feel keys not found on the Arius series until the $1499 YDP162. When it comes to the furniture cabinet color, my favorite color is satin black and Casio is offering that color in the PX750. Yamaha also offers the satin black color on its YDP142 but that model is $1099. Casio also has an upgraded model called the PX850 (internet price of $1099 which I also recommend. Take a look at my reviews for more detailed info.
Casio PX750 Review
Casio PX850 Review

I also recommend looking at the new Yamaha P105 portable piano (as I mentioned earlier) over the Yamaha P95 ($599 internet price for P105 - left picture with optional stand & pedals) because for just $100 more you get 128-note polyphony(twice as much memory as the P95), better tones, drum rhythm patterns for rhythm training and play along, a much improved acoustic piano sound similar to the Yamaha P155 ($999 internet price), dual 1/4" audio outputs, and a USB 2.0 MIDI compliant connection to computers and iPad.

Yamaha is a great brand and I recommend them highly and in fact in the sub $1000 price range, only Yamaha & Casio are worth considering at this point. The other great brands like Kawai & Roland don't compete in this price range (yet) and the off-brands that have cheap prices (like Williams, Suzuki, & Adagio) just aren't very good as musical instruments in my opinion and I don't usually recommend them. So that leaves Yamaha & Casio...both companies highly respected, both from Japan, and both with a long history of producing good digital pianos. But right now for the money, I am recommending Casio Privia PX750 or PX850 over Yamaha YDP135R cabinet models in the (approx) $1000 price range or less. But at the end of the day, you can be happy on any of these fine instruments because it's all about making music and enjoying the playing experience!