When it comes to popular digital piano brands, the big names that immediately come to mind are generally going to be the likes of Yamaha, Kawai, Roland, Casio and Korg. In the last few years, however, a couple more brands with intriguing models, particularly in the entry-level class, have started to emerge.
A successful example of this would be the company Donner, which primarily sell their instruments through Amazon where they’ve amassed a large number of positive reviews and a high sales volume.
Today we’ll be looking at the Donner DDP-300, which has been one of Donner’s best sellers, and one of the best-selling 88-note entry-level models on Amazon. But just because a model is popular, does that mean it should instantly be on your shopping list?
Not necessarily, so in this review we’re going to do a deep dive into the DDP-330 to find out if it is in fact worth the hype.
Donner DDP-300 – Background
DDP stands for Donner Digital Piano, and while they offer a number of keyboards and digital pianos, they actually got their start in the music industry making guitar accessories and other musical instruments but have since expanded into digital pianos.
The DDP-300 is a real standout in the market and has so gotten so popular due to what it offers for the price point, namely 88 full-size weighted keys, 128 note polyphony, a 20-watt speaker amplifier system and an integrated cabinet with triple pedal systems.
Seeing this specs sheet got us really curious to find out how the DDP-300 stacks up to similar options from Casio, Roland, Yamaha and Kawai since you need to double or triple the budget to get into a similar model from one of those manufacturers.
From a specs standpoint, it’s quite similar on paper to a Yamaha P-45 or Casio CDP-S100 on paper, but with the added bonus of a built-in stand and pedals. Let’s move to a discussion of the sound.
Digital Piano Sound
Playing the core grand piano sound, and it’s apparent that we’re working with a pretty decent acoustic piano sample here. It’s definitely single-layer, individual note sampling as it sounds like they’ve recorded every four notes or so and done sample stretching across the full range of the keyboard.
While the timbre of the piano tone is not at all bad, we would say that both the P-45 and CDP-S100 are delivering a more complex piano sound. That said, the DDP-300’s acoustic grand piano is definitely ahead of many of the other options in this price range.
The polyphony is very impressive at 128 notes, which means that it actually outguns the P-45 and CDP-S100 and other more expensive options. This is definitely nice to see.
The reverb is adjustable so there’s a little bit of control over the character of the sound.
Other Sounds
There are 10 built-in tones here, meaning something from most major categories is covered, including the ever-important electric piano, which isn’t bad, though is again limited due to a single sample layer.
The Rock organ is pretty decent as is the Church organ, though the strings definitely have an odd decay.
So, these sounds aren’t bad per se, but the highlight of the instrument is definitely the default grand piano tone.
Speaker System
The speaker system is a definite highlight of the DDP-300 since we have 20 watts of total power available here. This is more than enough power for anyone considering an entry-level digital piano.
Most entry-level digital pianos will offer somewhere in the 12-16 watt range for their speakers, so the extra power here is definitely welcome.
Digital Piano Action
The Donner DDP-300 is advertised as having the GHS action. It’s important to note up front that this is not the Yamaha GHS action (Graded Hammer Standard). Since GHS just means graded hammer standard, Yamaha likely was not able to trademark the acronym, so keep in mind that Donner produces this action.
This action also happens to be quite a bit heavier than Yamaha’s GHS action, which is quite uncommon for the entry-level range where most actions are quite light.
You can actually feel the hammer action return to its start position, and that alone makes it one of the best-weighted actions we’ve played in this price range.
Donner doesn’t disclose if the action features a triple or a dual sensor, but we can tell it’s definitely a dual sensor based on the dynamic range available. There aren’t any weird or wanted sensitivity spikes, so it’s definitely solid in that regard and would be suitable for beginner piano lessons.
In a lot of ways, the actions are reminiscent of playing a Roland HP series from 15 or so years ago. This is relative of course because a Roland HP from today will cost more than $3,000 and is a much more advanced, high-quality instrument.
Features & Connectivity
The DDP-300 is not a feature-heavy instrument, but there are some things worth noting in this regard, especially with regard to connectivity.
Connectors – AUX out, Bluetooth, MIDI & USB
A big surprise is that the DDP-300 is actually equipped with an AUX line out. It is a single 1/4” stereo line with a tapering sleeve, and it’s separate from the headphone jacks, of which there are two.
Having a line out is pretty unusual for the price range. It also has Bluetooth MIDI, which is also unusual for this price range. There will probably be some latency challenges, but you shouldn’t have big issues connecting your DDP-300 to various apps with wireless MIDI connectivity.
There’s also a USB MIDI port, and there’s of course also a port for the power adapter and the option to plug in a separate sustain pedal.
Additional Functions
There’s a basic built-in recorder that some people will find helpful for recording practice sessions or working on new pieces. You can also split the piano keyboard, transpose and there’s a built-in metronome function.
Appearance
The DDP-300 looks a lot like an upright piano that will be great in your living room with a built-in furniture stand and integrated triple pedal system offering damper, sostenuto and soft pedals.
The cabinet also includes a key cover and music stand. It weighs in around 86 lbs, so it’s by no means a portable keyboard and is rather meant to be a stationary instrument.
The Donner DEP-10, Donner DEP-20 and Donner DDP-80 are portable options for aspiring pianists that want to go that route.
The DDP-300 does ship with a piano bench in most markets so that is a nice bonus as well.
Closing Thoughts
On the whole, the DDP-300 really does provide a good experience for the price, and the inclusion of Bluetooth and upgraded action make it a better value buy than the less expensive Donner DDP-100.
If the price point that the DDP-300 is offered at is your limit, it’s probably the best option available with an 88-note weighted action.
Now, this begs the question; does it make sense to spend more if you have the room in the budget? This is where the real debate begins because as you jump into the entry-level models from the companies we mentioned above, you’re absolutely getting into a superior instrument with a better piano sound and action.
While the Donner DDP-300 is totally serviceable and would work for a beginner, a student will progress through lessons for longer with a better instrument that behaves more like a real piano.
Thanks for reading!
