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Digital Pianos: Yamaha P-225 $737.10/$755.10, Roland FP-30EX $733.50/$737.10 Delivered @ Kosmic Sound

1080

Edit: Slight price increases

Historic lows for these excellently rated mid range electric/digital pianos.
The Yamaha piano is a new release, FP-30X is a few years old but probably the best rated piano in this price range.

I had decided on the Roland, but then played the Yamaha in store and changed my mind. Seems I’ve gone against popular opinion but it just felt lighter and livelier to me.

Manny’s will price match but didn’t have any local stock of anything in Perth.

Yamaha P-225 Portable Piano – Black (P-225B) $737.10
Yamaha P-225 Portable Piano – White (P-225WH) $755.10
Roland FP-30X Digital Piano White (FP30XWH) $733.50
Roland FP-30X Digital Piano Black (FP30XBK) $737.10

Accessories (stands, pedals etc.) all also on sale.
I did find the Yamaha LP-1 3 Pedal Unit cheaper on Amazon at $124.59 delivered from Japan [Prime]

Related Stores

Kosmic Sound
Kosmic Sound

closed Comments

  • I was tossing up between those and the Kawai ES120B $850:
    https://www.pianoworld.com.au/eofy-specials/kawai-es120b-dig…

    Kawai has lighter key action and is better for classical.
    But I ended up getting Roland FP-30X because the speakers are better.

    Any deals on the Roland FP-30X petals and stand ?
    Currently using Z stand which is alright:
    https://www.amazon.com.au/RockJam-Adjustable-Portable-Electr…

  • Even with Eastern states equivalent store does not have the same offer.

  • Are the keys weighted?

    • Yes

  • Connect to Synthesia for self learning

    • +5

      Then quickly learn how to read music sheets. Don't get too reliant on Synthesia.

    • Ah, that's what it is. I have seen videos of it and was wonder what's the software.

      Do you just play it on laptop and follow along? Where do you find more songs?

      • +1

        Pm me and i can show you how to add songs. Laptop is ideal for a few reasons. I bought a licence as it's good software

      • Load up midi files. There are hundreds of thousands out there

  • +1

    Hi, I have always wanted to play piano, is this good for a beginner who is just starting out?

    • +1

      It wouldn't be bad, but you'd be paying for more than what you need. Korg B1 is good entry level I'd say. Make sure you get something with weighted keys and not just a clicky keyboard.

      • +7

        For anyone else reading, please don't get "semi-weighted" unless you specifically want to play synth. The key term that you can't muddy up is Hammer Action - that is, when you press a key, it literally strikes a hammer similar to how a piano would. That best replicates the piano feel, If you learn on a semi-weighted board and get in front of a piano, you will sound stupid. On the other hand, those that learned on hammer-action/ fully-weighted keyboards will be a little slow, but otherwise good on a semi-weighted/ spring-action/ synth-action keyboard.

        • thank you for clarifying!

        • +1

          This Yamaha P225 mentioned in the post should be fully weighted no? :)

          • +1

            @HeyJes: Yes, this P-line entry range Yamaha digital piano is fully weighted for several generations

    • I'm not a piano player but do like to noodle around on keyboard.
      If you're not sure and want to start out with something cheap but decent I'd recommend something like the Yamaha PSR E373. They're only about $300 and you get a lot of bang for buck. Don't expect to be doing concert recitals with it, and it's only 61 keys instead of 88, but it will get you started.

    • +1

      Casio Digital Piano if you want the weighted keys and feel of a real piano on a budget.

  • +3

    I've tried all of them and in terms of piano sound, kawai es120 was the best out of all of them… In fact the piano sounds are better than my fp 60 from Roland! Just go to the shop which is selling es120 and compare yourself… You would be surprised how good the sound is!

    • Well Kawai would be sampling their real pianos so this makes sense.
      It's one of the reasons I bought a CN35 years ago.

      • I personally like the sound of Kawai's analogue pianos over Yamaha's too. Yamahas sound too bright for me and so easy to get fatigue when listening.

      • +1

        +1 for Kawai. I went to a large piano store to sample all of them and ended up buying the CA401 for my daughter. Sounds amazing.

  • Far out I'm glad I got the Casio ap260 when I did got it for $1099 but comes by default with stand and seat.

  • +1

    Would it be worthwhile getting something better for a similar amount in the 2nd hand market?

    • +1

      I just missed out on the Kawai es120 mentioned above that sold for $400. If you buy second hand there is clearly no warranty but seems like good value. Keen to hear the thoughts of others.

    • +1

      It took me about 3 months of casual searching to find my Yamaha YDP-163 on the 2nd hand market. It was difficult to navigate people overvaluing their pianos, not tagging the model numbers in their posts and the overall low number of sellers nearby (Western Sydney not a hotspot for pianos, would have had more choice if I lived in Chatswood or Bondi). If you've got the patience and knowledge of what you're after it can be rewarding but it did take me a lot of work.

  • +2

    My kid is an intermediate player and she uses Korg B2. Would any of these be an upgrade?

    • +2

      Small upgrade

      • +1

        Thanks. Do you have any recommendations which would suit intermediate to advanced players for less than $1.3k?

        • +5

          You won't find anything much better than the entry tier Kawai's or Roland's at that price. Maybe the Korg D1 if your kid doesn't mind playing on just headphones or supplying your own speaker system. The next tier up is the Kawai ES920, and that is $1750

          • +1

            @melonfresh: Thanks for your input

          • @melonfresh: I just found out in Japan, Korg D1 is selling for about 500 AUD. Do you think it is better than the Roland FP-30X or Kawai ES120? I was thinking of buying the Korg D1 from Japan.

            • @poorguy: And I don't mind it does not come with a speaker. I have a better speaker system at home.

        • +2

          I bought the Roland FP30X setup nd it cost me 1230 all up (piano, stand, pedals), at the time is was the best price in Sydney and they were selling at other places for 1600. IMO you are getting a great deal at about 1k, and it would be highly unlikely that you are going to get something better unless you go second hand. The person who plays mine is very advanced and loves it.

          Having said that, the unit you have isn't too bad and I don't think just because someone goes from beginner to intermediate they suddenly need an upgrade.

  • +3

    Roland FP-30 user here (the model before the FP-30X). I'd say the FP-30's sound is really good, but the key perk of it is the Transpose function, which lets you change keys (Your middle C (C4) can become a D4 for example). Very useful if playing with friends and especially a singer. The best case of course is knowing all your scales in every key, but much harder to do on-the-fly on keys than say guitar, especially if you've got a melody line. Also my wife and I agree the FP-30 feels most like a piano in it's action

    • Also my wife and I agree the FP-30 feels most like a piano in it's action

      Our experience exactly

  • Did some research about these alternatives and recommended my friend Roland FP-30. Her comments are the action of the key is so good, the sound is not outstanding but can be solved by using headsets.

    In short, super worth the money.

    • +3

      The sound is because of the speakers on the FP-30. If you output to an amp, flat PA, headphones or audio interface it sounds fantastic.

      Which is a genius thing to skimp on to save costs, cos the sound is fine for practice, but if you want to bring it to play live you generally run it through a mixer and speakers. The feel is the most important thing IMO.

      Saying this as a guitarist who will happily play on a guitar with cheap pickups. I can't change the feel, I can easily change the sound.

  • Casio 650 is better.

    • +1

      Why? I've heard that Casio is easier to learn?

  • Nice deal. Got the older Yamaha model P125 + wooden stand for $950 last year. Tried Roland and Kawai as well and they are all very good.

  • I bought a Yamaha P105 many years ago. It was excellent and still sounds crystal clear and producing the reverbs I need. It has weighted keys too - now I think even the piano feels too soft for me lol
    P225 ant this price sounds like excellent value and would recommend!
    Love Yamaha!

    • +1

      "Love Yamaha"
      Yep, whether it's a keyboard/piano, a motorike, an outboard or an amplifier

      • +2

        The Yamaha outlet is great for when you need an electric guitar and decide to pick up a motorbike while you're there.

  • Hi, I am currently thinking about buying Yamaha P-135 / P-145 for my son that just about starting his piano lesson. Anyone can let me know whether it is ok to get this or something else for beginner? Thank you.

    • +1

      If you want to get down to the nitty gritty and arm yourself with some great knowledge, this site is good to start at:
      https://www.pianodreamers.com/piano-buying-guide/

      Real talk though, any of these on special or the P-145 will do just fine. It will take at least 4-5 years for your son to outgrow the capabilities of the beginner tier pianos :)

      • I'll have a look at the site. Let's hope he will still want to learn in 4-5years time. Thank you for your reply -much appreciated :)

      • +1

        I am curious as to why even an advanced player would need anything more than this? They are very full featured but also the action on the FP30X is the same as on their next two higher pianos at least, and the sound is great if output. Have a very advanced player at home and this was the piano they selected

        • As a beginner/novice … you've tipped me towards the Roland… seems like great value and room to grow. Would be for me to listen with headphones 99% of the time.

          • +1

            @timjohns: Selected by one of the most experienced musicians I know, so hard to go wrong in my estimate. In all honesty, all the pianos on sale would be fine, but the Roland has some additional great features and 2 separate apps you can use, one to select patches and another to help learn. Also Roland make some great gear, lots of old gear still going strong, hopefully the new stuff is made to similar standards

  • +2

    Great deals for great pianos, budding learners can't go wrong with either of these two

  • +1

    I've been "piano curious" for many years as a guitar player. This might get me over the line. This thread has had me watching a few YouTube videos this evening, one of which I found particularly useful for these two models side-by-side.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVOC3BGG6rQ

    Leaning towards the Roland.

    • The best would be if you go to the music store and compare and listen yourself…

      Also good comparison: https://youtu.be/PhuBux2wDWE?si=Y-K52HP-JiaYdmlr

    • I watched a tonne of that guys videos when I was purchasing, his videos are excellent IMO from the various ones I watched. Despite watching a tonne of videos everything kept pointing me back to the Roland

  • It is good.
    Bookmarked for future purchase!

  • I just bought a fp30x last week for my music school. Thanks. I'm going to buy another one or two. The action is amazing for the price range.

  • I was considering Roland FP10 for my 9 year old son who wants to learn piano. Is that a good entry level? Or I should be looking at something different. Thanks

    • I checked some youtube videos and they suggested that Roland FP 10 is best for beginners. But then I found FP 30X which has better speakers and some extra features so i decided to go for this. Waiting for eofy deals.

  • Just grabbed the FP30X with stand and pedals - total $1085.40 including free delivery. I have been looking for one of these for a while - previous best price I'd found was:
    https://www.angkormusic.com.au/roland-fp30x-digital-piano-bl…
    $1175 at Angkor Music - I called them and they weren't interested in a price match - which would've been handier as they are local to me.
    Anyway, very happy with this price - thanks to the OP for posting!

    • Note that the Roland KSC-70 stand is apparently out of stock - so they've sent me the keyboard and the pedals and will send the stand separately when they have stock.
      Bit of a bugger…

      • Same here.

      • Bloody slow to process the shipping - still "Awaiting Courier from Warehouse" - courier (Border Express) got the shipping details on Wednesday morning.
        It's now Friday afternoon… Great price and all, but let down by the process…

        • +1

          My shipping was pretty fast, only took 2 days for me to receive the keyboard and pedals. However, no update for the stand, not sure when I can get.

  • +4

    The FP-30X black seems to be up to $755?

  • Is it not really a good deal compared to this deal where the discount is larger? Plus, they are generally available around $800, so do you think it is worth waiting for a lower price? 😂😂

    • +2

      I am keeping an eye on Roland FP30X and these have been around 750 price for very long at many stores before going back to 850+. Therefore I decided to wait for EOFY sales. This is around $120-130 savings that I will hopefully be able to get on eofy sales if not better than this.

      • +2

        Not sure if you're going to find much more savings compared to now, these things at the entry tier level definitely have a price floor. The only times you see heavy discounting is when retailers are clearing old models to make way for the newer models. TBH I'd rather be playing now rather than waiting for maybe a $50 extra discount!

      • I rang my local piano shop this morning and asked them to price match. The salesman refused and advised me to buy it from there, as he said if he price match this one, the shop could make any profit.

    • +1

      Korg B2 while still a good piano, isn't as good as these two here. Feature limitations and a lower quality key action is the reason for the price difference.

      • Totally agree!

    • FP30X is worth the extra $200 over Korg B2.

      • FP would be easier to resell later on marketplace, better value, better brand, but I personally would go for Kawai as it sounds like a real piano! I looked into Korgs before, unfortunately the build quality is just not there… In that price point…

  • +1

    Are there electronic harpsichords too? I know harpsichords haven't been cool for 200 years (no way to vary the volume of different notes), but I like the sound. I'm enjoy listening to baroque music. I imagine a real harpsichord would cost a fortune and require frequent maintenance (not to mention gobbling up lost so precious floorspace). The ones with paintings on the lid and sides are awesome, like this: https://media.springernature.com/lw685/springer-static/image… . Or this one: https://www.facebook.com/mfaboston/posts/this-18th-century-f…

  • $733 for the roland fp-30x is actually crazy. I got mine for like $1099 a couple years back.

    • Yeah it is good to see that prices are coming down a bit…

  • +2

    Nice work JSJC! Wasn't looking for a digital piano, but ended up watching 2+ hours of reviews, so…
    Going to go with the ES120 + Stand + Pedal at $1047.95 delivered, and with Ebay Plus 5% voucher $995.55 delivered

    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/385698447237

  • for those of you trying to decide which method/approach (for starting) to learn piano is most suitable, i would strongly suggest - or rather even highly recommend - considering the Australian-developed Simply Music method, doing it for perhaps 2-3 years before moving to more traditional/classical education - it has some similar aspects to Suzuki, such as learning by ear, but occupies more of a middle ground between that and traditional/classical, making it easier to transition to reading music via the latter
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simply_Music
    https://simplymusic.com/

    • +1

      I learned with Simply Music for a few years. Tried classical as a child and hated it. Started again with Simply as an adult. All I can say is the style of learning encouraged more self expression and improvisation, while also building a fun repertoire of classics. Exactly what I was looking for personally. Might depend on teacher as well though?

  • I hesitated too long nd missed out on this deal - I"d been hoping to buy a Roland FP30X. It looks like it's now $840. If anyone can suggest a better value option I'd be interested but otherwise I think I just take it at this price.

    EDIT: Or I could get the Kawai ES120B for about $770 - some comments seem to suggest it's a better piano? Mostly playing jazz myself.

    • Kawai also sold out on Ebay….

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