Introduction
We’re back with another piano review and today we’ll be focusing on the Casio PX-770. This is an 88 key digital piano built for home use and the least expensive furniture style model in the Casio Privia lineup.
There’s a nice cabinet, integrated triple pedal, and lots of other things to like about the PX-770.
Let’s dive into the Casio PX-770 review and see where it stands among the rest of the very crowded mid-range home digital piano class.
Powerful Stereo Amplification System
The PX-770 uses several of the same components and processing that you’ll find in other parts of Casio’s broader digital piano lineup.
The PX-770’s award-winning Multi-Dimensional Morphing AiR Sound Source with 128 notes of polyphony has been used in several Privia models and is widely regarded as a very solid piano sound engine with adjustable reverb and brilliance.
Casio’s been continually developing the AiR Sound Source and improving it, and the current version represents Casio’s true arrival as a big player in the mid-range digital piano market. The sample is well recorded and generates a beautiful new stereo sound, and there’s an extra synthesis on top of the sound in the form of realistic damper resonance and hammer response.
The PX-770 is equipped with a very capable eight watt per side speaker system output for 16 watts in total. The speaker boxes are on the bottom and there’s some venting going on at the top, so you get some high-end frequencies coming through the ports.
This approach is a less expensive way to simulate having a set of small tweeters at the front. We’re quite impressed with the quality of the sound that comes out of these on the PX-770 even if 16 watts isn’t enough to create a true grand piano experience – a more powerful stereo amplification system is required for that truly immersive audio spectrum spanning experience.
In terms of other instrument tones, there are 19 in total, including 4 other grand piano sounds. The default patch is clearly the focus and likely the most versatile, but the remainder of the sounds, including some electric pianos, organs, strings, and others are generally pretty decent.
Tri-Sensor II Scaled Hammer Action
The action on this Casio Privia PX-770 is probably one of the strongest parts of this instrument. Casio’s scaled hammer actions have been steadily evolving over the last few years as they’ve been playing a little bit of catch-up against Yamaha, Kawai, and Roland.
It was only a few years ago that Casio digital pianos didn’t really have an action design that was durable or considered a reasonable substitute for an acoustic piano action. Those days are gone and we’re now dealing with a company that’s building good innovative hammer actions, which can actually be spoken about and debated in the same breath as the Yamaha and Roland actions of the class.
The PX-770s’ Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II uses a triple sensor as the name would suggest which makes it a really interesting choice to use as an input device for recorded MIDI data due to its solid touch sensitivity.
There are nice simulated ebony and ivory textures on the piano keys that deliver a pretty natural feel. It’s not as extreme as the ivory keys of old, but you’re definitely getting some additional grip here for when your hands get sweaty.
The key spacing is nice and consistent and in general, we feel like this action is a more advanced, better-designed action than what you’ll find in the PX-S1000 for example. There are also 3 levels of adjustable touch sensitivity so you can have a comfortable touch regardless of your playing style.
We wouldn’t call the Tri-Sensor II the best action for the price, but it’s close.
Features/Connectivity – USB, MIDI & Chordana Play App
The first feature we’ll look at that the PX-770 is equipped with is the Concert Play function. Basically, they have 10 famous orchestral pieces preloaded into the piano and you have the ability to play along with the full orchestra recording of the piece. Super fun. You also have the option to turn off the piano part as well.
Then we’ve got a Music Library, which features MIDI files of 60 other well-known works for a fun listening experience or for playing along with, plus you can add 10 additional songs of your choice. The PX-770’s convenient features also include a Metronome, Transpose (changes the pitch of the entire key range), and a Master Tuning function.
There are also some alternate playing modes like Duet mode (divides the keyboard into 2 equal pitch ranges), and a built-in 2-track MIDI recorder. The PX-770’s two-track MIDI recorder is more than you usually get for this price point. This is a decently impressive features list for a home digital piano when you consider the cost of the instrument.
The cabinet of the PX-770 features a really slick modern design and includes a built-in keyboard cover and integrated triple pedal unit with damper, sostenuto, and soft pedals.
Connectivity includes two headphone ports so you can connect 2 sets of headphones at once and class-compliant USB to host for connecting to apps for Mac and Android.
The PX-770 is available in Black (PX-770BK), White (PX-770WE), and Brown (PX-770BN).
Closing Thoughts
For people who are looking for a new piano around $1,000 Canadian dollars or so, the PX-770 is a really compelling option, and definitely, more than holds its own against a competing Yamaha YDP model.
Considering you don’t need to add a stand or pedals, the overall value makes the PX-770 ideal for those shopping within a $1,000 budget.
You just might have trouble finding one in stock as the PX-770 has been a huge seller over the past few years – another brilliant instrument for the price from Casio. Thanks for reading our Casio PX-770 review and stay tuned for the next review!
