Yamaha Arius Digital Piano
Last updated: July 26, 2021
Want the sound of a grand piano without the size? The Yamaha Arius Digital Piano is a wise choice. Yamaha developed it based on the sound specifications of the best concert pianos across the globe. The keys have a heavier touch as with a grand piano, so those who prefer the feel of a digital keyboard may not be as interested in it.
We looked at the top Digital Keyboards and dug through the reviews from some of the most popular review sites. Through this analysis, we've determined the best Digital Keyboard you should buy.
Product Details
Key Takeaway: If you love the look and sound of a grand piano, this digital keyboard is for you.
In our analysis of 49 expert reviews, the Yamaha Arius Digital Piano
placed 10th when we looked at the top 12 products in the category. For the full ranking,
see below.
From The Manufacturer
Perfect for more demanding students and experienced players alike, the ARIUS YDP181 provides a true piano experience. The Graded Hammer keyboard makes it a true joy to play, both in practice and in performance. Dual Voice capability lets you play two different instrument sounds at the same time, while a 3-track song recorder allows you to capture your original musical ideas and performances
Expert Reviews
What reviewers liked
Action and touch sensitivity surpass other models. Ideal for all skill levels. Comes from a reputable company.
There are 14 sounds on the Yamaha YDP-181, including grand pianos, electric pianos, harpsichords, a vibraphone, organs, strings, a choir, and a guitar.
The Graded Hammer action gives the piano the feel of an actual acoustic grand piano.
The YDP-181 has Yamaha's Graded Hammer action, one of the company's midrange quality actions, which emulates an acoustic grand piano by giving lower-range keys a heavier touch than higher-range.
The most impressive part of this piano is its sound quality. This 128-note polyphony piano uses a sound mechanism derived from Advanced Wave Memory recording techniques. Its 14 quality voices are simply amazing along with a good internal audio system.
The 128-note polyphony is the highest found on digital pianos. This allows for maximum note expression when keys are pressed in rapid succession or simultaneously.
There is a main grand piano sound based on powerful samples from some of Yamaha’s best and world-renowned concert grand pianos. This sound, combined with the sound engineering and tone generation, makes for an amazing experience.
The piano has good control over dynamics. Unlike acoustic pianos, with this Yamaha digital piano, it feels easier to control dynamics.
What reviewers didn't like
Expensive, but its high production quality and feature set make it worth the cost.
The build quality of the piano is great, but if a dark brown doesn’t fit the decor of your room, this might be a dealbreaker for you.
This piano doesn’t come with actual hammers like other Yamaha models with Graded Hammer action.
Our test's panelists thought the action felt good, though the amateur player found the action to be too quick.
YDP-181 has a great keyboard feel, movement, and response. However, many people have reported that keys on the YDP-181 do not press down easily as a good acoustic upright piano would, i.e. the key action becomes too stiff when you play softly. So this can be one of the drawbacks of this model.
he YDP181 lacks a USB to host feature, requiring the addition of a MIDI to USB line to connect the device to a computer.
However, we wish it was more portable as it is too heavy and would not be a good choice for people who need the piano for moving in out concerts or sessions.
Some users of the Yamaha ARIUS YDP-181 have complained that the bench is narrow, and the back panel is very thin. Others have expressed that the music rest is a bit narrow something which makes it a bit clumsy.
From our partners
