Yamaha P155 Review

I have yet to review a digital piano that costs $1000. Most have been entry-level pianos. But for today, I will be talking about a $1000 digital piano – the Yamaha P-155.

Lets use an analogy to help explain this piano. Hopefully, you are an NBA fan. Michael Jordan is widely considered to be the best basketball player of all-time. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant is considered to be one of the best players of all-time but not the best. Actually, he’s almost unanimously considered to be the second best shooting guard of all-time (behind Michael Jordan). Despite many people considering Michael Jordan to be better than Kobe Bryant, most will not say that he’s better by a wide margin. He’s better, but it’s close.

With that said, remember how I praised the Yamaha P95, Korg SP-250, and other digital pianos? Yes, they are great. They sound amazing, and the feel of the pianos are good. However, the Yamaha P155 sounds even better. It feels even better. Overall, it’s just better.

The Yamaha P155 is for:

• All music producers whether you do it as a hobby or as a job
• Piano players ranging from beginners to advanced
• Acoustic piano lovers without the space for an acoustic piano
• Acoustic piano lovers who don’t want to disturb others with their piano playing

Pros	Cons
Stunning sound. Implements the GH action keyboard to give you beautiful action Arguably the best portable key simulation of an acoustic piano 128-note polyphony, allowing you to play complex compositions	The P155 comes with the FC4 pedal and not the FC3. This means that the packaged pedal does not support the half-damper effect so you would need to purchase a new pedal to take advantage of the half-damper effect

 

Yamaha P155 Video Sample:

Click here for more information on the Yamaha P155

Yamaha P155: Feel and Sound

The Yamaha P155 has the full 88 keyboards, which is the number of keys on an acoustic piano. It also supports the graded hammer action keyboard. This is one of Yamaha’s best action keyboards. To clarify, it feels even more realistic than the GHS (Graded Hammer Standard) on the Yamaha P85 or P95. If you liked the GHS keys, you will love the GH keys. Most mid-to-high end stage pianos use the GH keys. It’s heavier, which helps simulate an acoustic piano more accurately. Trust me when I say that you will be very happy with the GH action keyboard. If you can afford it, I will at least go for a GH keyboard. The GHS keyboard is not bad, but it’s more for beginners or people who want a lighter, more portable keyboard.

The Yamaha P155 also sounds amazing. I try many pianos whenever I stop by the shop, but the sound quality on this one is probably the best for its price. You need to be using headphones to do it some justice. Of course, it sounds nice with the built-in speakers, but in order to truly get the quality you want for any digital pianos, I recommend getting some good headphones.

Anyway, the sound comes with 4 sampling layers. To put it simply, this means that the notes sound different depending on how hard it is struck. Different velocity equals different sound. That means a whole new substance when it comes to playing the digital piano. You have so much more expression and control over the way your composition sounds. Depending on your budget, I would really consider the Yamaha P155. You won’t be disappointed.

Yamaha P155: Portability and Durability

Unlike all previous Yamaha models that I have reviewed so far, this one is not really portable. It weighs 41 pounds so if you’re a tiny, petite woman, you might struggle lugging this around. This makes sense because the Yamaha P155 uses the GH action keyboard. It’s heavier and closer to the feel of the acoustic piano. Generally, the more higher-end models are heavier.

Durability is not an issue. Yamaha pianos are known for their durability. I know some people that still use 12-year-old digital pianos made by Yamaha.

Yamaha P155: Other Features

The speakers of the Yamaha P155 are definitely better than the older Yamaha P140. Still, like for any digital piano, having headphones or external speakers is much better. It allows you to truly enjoy and experience the music.

The sound power and sound quality are  truly superb for its price. With 4 levels of sampling, you are given more freedom in your musical compositions. Since it supports the half-damper effect, that only adds to the amount of musical freedom you are given. With 128-note polyphony, you can compose any masterpiece without fear of dropping a single sound.

There are 17 voices, which might not sound like a lot, but it’s worth it for the piano alone.

What Other Reviewers Think

• “I still say somebody made a mistake pricing this thing, because I LOVE it.”
• “It’s incredible.”
• “There’s no better piano for the price.”

Click here for more Musician’s Friend reviews

Conclusion

For $1000, you can’t find a better digital piano than the Yamaha P155. Period. It goes in my “best digital piano for under $1000″. Actually, maybe I’ll write an entry on that soon.

This little baby sounds better than even most acoustic pianos while relatively inexpensive. You’re probably thinking, “Hey wait a minute! How can a copy sound better than the original?” Well, most acoustic pianos are out of tune. It rarely stays in that perfect condition while the Yamaha P155 emulates an acoustic piano at its BEST. Nothing more needs to be said.

Cheapest Prices

Price	Buy Now	Other
$999.99		- Free M-Audio Oxygen 25 - Free shipping - Choose between 3 different colors
$999.99		- Free M-Audio Oxygen 25 (offer ends 10/17/11) - Choose between 3 different colors

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