Well, the Yamaha P-45 has been called "the best keyboard Yamaha has ever made" by a 30-year pianist, and I’ve owned one in my studio for two years now. But when a parent asks me how to choose a digital piano, I don’t start with that.
I start with the fact that most spec sheets are lies, and the marketing photos show a tablet that isn’t in the box.
After 25 years of teaching and testing every instrument with the same Bach prelude, Chopin nocturne, and blues improv, here are the seven things I actually check before I recommend anything.
Yamaha P45 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano + Sustain Pedal and Power Supply (Renewed)
You'll get everything you need to start playing right away—the P45 digital piano, power adapter, sustain pedal, and music rest are all included in the box.
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Donner OURA DDP-60 88 Key Digital Piano: Full Size Keyboard, Sensitive Touch, 8 Reverbs, Recording, 128 Voices. Includes Three Pedal, Electric Piano Keyboard for Beginners
𝑬𝒏𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 - 128 polyphony, 128 tones, 83 rhythms, 47 demo Songs and 8 reverb effects enrich the expressiveness of the playing, increase the accuracy and impact of the per
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Casio PX-870 Privia Digital Piano - Black Bundle with Furniture Bench, Headphones, Instructional Book, Online Lessons, Instructional DVD, and Austin Bazaar Polishing Cloth
The Privia PX-870 is the flagship of the world-renowned Privia line of console digital pianos, designed to give you a true grand piano experience. With authentic piano sound and feel, a stylish modern
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Yamaha YDP105 88-Key Weighted Action Upright Digital Piano for Beginner and Intermediate Players, Dynamic Response, Grand Piano Sound, 3-pedal Unit, Upright Design, Bench Included, White
Quality pick in this category.
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Donner DDP-300 Digital Piano with 88 Graded Hammer Action Weighted Keys, Record, Bluetooth, 10 Voices, 4 Reverb, Speakers, Professional Full Fize Key Keyboard Electric Dark Rose
The Privia PX-870 is the flagship of the world-renowned Privia line of console digital pianos, designed to give you a true grand piano experience. With authentic piano sound and feel, a stylish modern
Visit on Amazon →How I test
My studio has 30 students a week pounding on whatever I’m reviewing. My labradoodle, Mochi, sleeps on the floor and knocks into the stands. I keep a postal scale and a dB meter on the shelf to measure action weight and volume consistency.
I play the same three pieces on everything: Bach’s Prelude in C for trills and clarity, Chopin’s Nocturne in E-flat for legato and sustain, and a blues improv for rhythm and dynamics.
I don’t do first impressions. I want to know what a piano feels like in month eight, not hour one.
1. The action is the whole review
Weighted keys are non-negotiable. If you’re buying for a 10-year-old who might actually practice, a 61-key RockJam is a toy and it might die at month six anyway. The Yamaha P-45, at around ~$450, has a fully weighted action that feels incredibly solid.
One owner, Michael Mitchell, a 30-year pianist, wrote that it’s "still the best keyboard Yamaha has ever made." I agree.
But I also track the long-term timeline. Weston N. documented that around the four-year mark, the action degrades.
Keys get mushy, clicking sounds appear. That’s the real review. The P-45 is a great starter, not a lifetime purchase.
2. Speakers matter more than polyphony
Marketing loves "128-note polyphony." You will never use that. What matters is whether the built-in speakers can produce a believable piano sound at practice volume. The Donner OURA DDP-60 has a sensitive keyboard and a decent sound engine for the price, but buyers report an electrical hum or buzzing from the speakers that gets annoying in a quiet room.
I was worried about that hum too. My unit doesn’t hum, but the complaint pattern is real. If you’re mostly using headphones, it’s a non-issue.
If you want to fill a living room, test the speakers first.
3. The sustain pedal is a trap
Cheap bundles include a sustain pedal that’s so light you can’t control half-pedaling. The Yamaha P-45’s included pedal is a square switch that slides on the floor. I replaced mine with a proper pedal within a week.
Several owners note the same thing. The Casio PX-870 comes with a furniture bench and a better pedal, but the bundle price jumps to around ~$1,200.
For a beginner, the pedal matters less than the action. For an intermediate player, a bad pedal is a daily frustration.
4. Durability is the hidden spec
I’ve owned a dozen digital pianos. The ~$200 Casio sounded like a suitcase. The ~$6,000 slab didn’t play better than a ~$1,500 one. The RockJam worked perfectly for six months and then died completely.
The manufacturer told the owner they held no US stock and couldn’t help. That timeline is the real review.
The Donner Digital Piano with 88 Key Dynamic Graded Hammer Action is cheap at around ~$350, and the hammer action feels fine on day one.
But the buyer evidence is mixed. Some units hold up, some don’t. I’d rather spend the extra ~$100 on a P-45 and get a brand with a longer reliability track record.
5. Slab versus cabinet
A slab is a portable keyboard unit without furniture. The P-45 is 25 pounds and easy to move. The Casio PX-870 is a cabinet piano that looks like furniture, but it’s heavy and stays in one room. I teach on a slab because I move it between my studio and the living room.
For most families, a slab plus a decent stand wins on price and moving-day practicality. The Yamaha YDP105 is an upright cabinet piano that looks beautiful and feels solid, but it costs around ~$1,700.
You’re paying for the furniture and the brand name. The action is similar to the P-45.
6. The acoustic comparison
I own a used Yamaha U1 acoustic. It’s the best instrument I’ve ever had. The tone is bright and full, and you can play ppp notes all day long and hear the difference between pp and ppp. It’s like driving a 2007 Ford Focus versus a 2013 Mercedes Benz C300.
But it’s also a burden. Humidity swings require constant maintenance, and I have a tuner come more frequently in the summer.
A digital piano is the honest choice for most families. No tuning, no humidity anxiety, and you can practice with headphones at midnight.
The best instrument is the one that gets played.
7. The price-to-longevity math
I don’t track prices day to day, so I won’t pretend to know next week’s deals. But here’s the math that matters. A RockJam at ~$100 that dies at six months costs you about ~$16 a month. A P-45 at ~$450 that degrades at four years costs you about ~$9 a month. A Casio PX-870 at ~$1,200 that lasts a decade costs you ~$10 a month. The cheap option is often the most expensive per month of use.
Choose the Donner OURA DDP-60 if you’re on a tight budget, you’re mostly using headphones, and you accept the hum risk. Choose the Casio PX-870 if you want a piece of furniture that looks like a real piano and you don’t plan to move it.
Choose the Yamaha YDP105 if you want the cabinet look with the Yamaha name and you’re okay paying triple the price for similar action.
Choose the P-45 if you want the best action under ~$500 and you know you’ll upgrade in a few years if your kid sticks with it.
The bottom line
The Yamaha P-45 is still the best budget piano I’ve ever taught on. The action is right, the sound is believable, and the price is fair. It will go mushy around year four, and that’s okay. By then you’ll know if you’re still playing. If you are, you’ll be ready to upgrade. If you’re not, you’re out ~$450, not ~$1,500. That’s the honest math.