Hello and welcome to another digital piano comparison video and article here at Merriam Pianos. Today we’ll be comparing two of the most popular digital piano models available for under $1,000 CAD on the planet.
On the one hand, we have the Yamaha P-125, which is a favorite here at Merriam Pianos as well as around the world. On the other hand, we have the Casio CDP-S350 which is a relatively new model from them meant to serve the entry-level 88-note weighted action digital piano market.
These portable keyboards are very close in price and appearance, so naturally, many people shopping in this general category, both beginners and experienced musicians, will end up comparing them during the decision-making process. Let’s jump in.
Yamaha P125 vs Casio CDP-S350 – Background
The Sub $1,000 Digital Piano Market
When we’re talking about weighted 88-note keyboards available for under $1,000 CAD that is worth serious musical consideration, there’s a fairly small set of instruments to choose from. When we say serious musical consideration, we specifically mean things like quality of tone, speakers, and action – basically, the features that should be top of mind if you’re considering a practice instrument for someone taking piano lessons.
This price range used to be a barren wasteland when it came to credible musical options, to the point that it was almost a cruel joke. If you were trying to get something that felt and sounded like a real piano even five years ago, you were in for a tall order, to the point that there wasn’t even much market demand.
Casio PX-160 – Game Changer
In many ways, Casio has led the way in driving more robust development in this price point by all manufacturers, especially with the release of the PX-160 which really redefined the landscape.
What we’re comparing today are two very prominent models in this price range that are absolutely worth musical consideration. The Yamaha P125 runs about $100 more than the Casio CDP-S350 compact digital piano, but nonetheless, these two pianos are sure to be endlessly compared.
That said, they are very different machines, and they deliver very different feature sets. Throughout the remainder of this review, we’ll be exploring those differences, and hopefully painting a picture for anyone looking at both of these pianos as to which one will better suit their needs.
Piano Sound: Yamaha P125 vs Casio CDP-S350
Casio’s Dynamic Stereo Sound Engine
The Casio CDP-S350 is poised to replace the Casio Privia PX-160, but if you went by appearances alone, you wouldn’t know it. The only thing that’s really similar between these two instruments is the price point – everything else looks totally different, including a fully redesigned user interface that consists of a super easy-to-use backlit LCD display that makes for great accessibility.
And the other big change – the CDP-S350 is loaded up with 700 instrument sounds. This is a real rarity for the category – typically, digital pianos available in this price range with 88-note weighted actions and quality sound engines tend to have very few sounds.
The sound engine, Casio’s Dynamic Stereo Sound Engine – is delivering a high level of authenticity pretty consistently across the 700 sounds. The acoustic piano sound is quite robust, especially due to the S350’s 16 watts of speaker power.
Yamaha Pure CF Sound Engine
Over on the P125 and we have Yamaha’s Pure CF Sound Engine. For people who are seeking a portable digital piano whose primary role is to be a piano, we think the P-125 has the edge here in terms of acoustic piano sound.
The tone, driven by the high-quality CFIIIS concert grand piano, has more subtlety, especially with things like damper resonance, string resonance, and various reverbs, and we suspect there are more sample layers going into the sample itself – likely a four-layered sample. There is 24 sound presets in total, and while they’re all quite useable (especially the electric pianos), this is of course much less of a selection than what the S350 is offering.
Speakers
Two of the onboard speakers on the P125, tweeters, are upward facing, which is a nice touch since it makes it a lot easier to actually hear what’s going on. There are two additional speakers, so we’re definitely hearing a more full-spectrum sound in terms of the onboard speaker system than what the S350 is delivering.
64 vs 192 Polyphony
Another important difference is polyphony. On the P125, there is 192 note polyphony compared to just 64 notes of maximum polyphony on the S350. If there’s one spec on the S350 that is a little puzzling, this would be it, especially since they offer a recording track that allows you to add multiple tracks – you’ll be running out of polyphony fairly quickly.
Having a stronger polyphony count is really important if you plan on getting into any arranging or layering, and even for more complex classical playing.
Quality vs Quantity of Sounds
Somebody looking primarily for an acoustic piano replacement is likely going to lean toward the P-125. Beyond a more complex piano tone, the P125 also offers things like Sound Boost, Stereophonic Optimizer, and Intelligent Acoustic Control which further help in refining the sound.
Somebody looking for a wider set of sounds and features, perhaps even for gigging, will probably find a better value on the S350.
Piano Action: Yamaha P125 vs Casio CDP-S350
Casio’s Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard vs Yamaha’s Graded Hammer Standard
The Casio CDP-S350 is using a new key action from Casio, which they’re calling their Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II. The P125 is using the Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) action, which is a staple throughout Yamaha’s lineup. Both of these actions feature 88 weighted keys so the crucial box is checked with the correct number of keys here.
Neither action features escapement, but there is a big difference between the two actions that are immediately apparent and that’s with regard to the texture on the key tops.
Key Tops
The GHS action has a glossy keytop as opposed to a textured keytop on the white keys and in some instances, it ends up providing too much grip which in turn can cause the skin on your fingers to peel back. Fortunately, there is a slight matte texture that eliminates this problem on the black keys.
The S350’s action has an exaggerated texture that provides a very nice level of glide, which is a definite advantage here. More expensive Yamaha pianos have actions with textures, so it’s a shame that Yamaha isn’t incorporating a texture into their GHS action.
Responsiveness
In terms of responsiveness, we’d also have to give the nod to the S350 here – the P125’s GHS action just feels a little bit too spongy. This is a super personal thing, and the GHS action has many loyal fans, but this just happens to be our observation.
The S350’s Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II feels like a slightly heavier version of Kawai’s RHC action found in the ES110, and in some ways, actually feels even more solid. The touch sensitivity also happens to feel better than the GHS here as well. It would work well as a synth or MIDI controller.
Ultimately, the GHS is a fine action, it’s just been out for quite a few years now and happens to feel a little bit dated when it comparing to a new action such as Casio’s Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II.
Features: Yamaha P125 vs Casio CDP-S350
Auto Accompaniment
Both pianos feature built-in auto-accompaniment, which is really great for the price point. Auto-accompaniment allows you to use your left hand to generate harmony, and it will add drums and other musical instruments as a sort of backing band, allowing you to play overtop with your right hand.
Both piano keyboards pull this off really well, though there are significantly more accompaniment rhythms and patterns on the S350, so if this feature is important to you, take note of that. The Casio CDP-S350 also gives you the option of running it with AA batteries and given its extremely slim frame and lightweight, it’s a very portable instrument in every sense of the word.
Other Functions
Other features like Split Mode, Duet, and Layer are covered on both pianos, as well as standards like a metronome and transpose. The S350 has a pitch bend wheel which adds to its potential appeal as an arranger-style instrument.
Both pianos also have a built-in MIDI recorder for recording and playback.
Connectivity: Yamaha P125 vs Casio CDP-S350
When it comes to connectivity, both pianos have class-compliant USB ports (USB MIDI), and this is how you’ll connect to your iOS device (iPad and iPhones), Android device, or computer since neither instrument has a Bluetooth connection, unfortunately. That said, you should definitely check out the free apps such as the Casio Chordana Play for Piano app and the Yamaha Smart Pianist App.
Both pianos have headphone stereo outputs as would be expected, but an area where the P125 excels is that Yamaha has included an AUX out port if you’d like to connect to an amplifier, you can do so without having to use the headphone jack and an adapter as you do on the S350. The S350 also has an audio input.
Pedals
Both pianos include basic footswitch sustain pedals, though we would recommend upgrading to nicer offerings from each company. Each also has the option to add a triple pedal unit, as well as a matching keyboard stand. Each piano includes a music rest and power adapter (power supply) in the box.
Closing Thoughts
This pretty much sums up our comparison of the Yamaha P125 vs Casio CDPS350. These instruments are close in price, with the P125 being slightly more expensive and offering a more piano-centric experience. The sound engine and speaker system on the P125 are geared toward people who are looking for an instrument to be primarily used as an acoustic piano substitute.
On the Casio side, the obvious immediate strength is the sheer number and variety of onboard tones since there’s simply nothing else in this price range with solid tone and touch that overs this range of sounds.
The interface is easy to navigate, which makes getting around the rhythm functionality, playing internal demo songs, or selecting from that huge amount of tone. From an action perspective, we do prefer the CDP-S350’s hammer action keys over the P125’s as well.
Ultimately, we’ve got an interesting mix of pros and cons on both sides. The P125 is going to be an enticing choice for many people simply by virtue of being a Yamaha product, and rightly so – it’s a very good instrument made by a very good company. But we would strongly recommend anyone intrigued by what they read about the S350 here, give it a shot – for many people, it will actually be a better fit.
Thanks for reading!
