Casio Privia PX-150, 350 and 850 Digital Pianos

[Display Name]

I got a chance to spend some time on each of these at the recent NAMM show. It was fun exploring the differences between these and my PX-5S.

My favorite of the three was the PX-850 - it was just so elegant looking and the built in speakers are very rich and full sounding. The action and tone were as expected: excellent. I love my acoustic piano, but keeping it maintained and in tune costs a few hundred a year and I can't play it when the house is asleep. This is the reason I got the PX-5S... the synth section and deep editing were just incing on the cake for this old tweaker. But if I just wanted the basic keyboard tones and a cabinet that would fit in with the living room decor,  the PX-850 would top the list. I really like the USB recording feature as well. 

The PX-350 was also fun.  For those that want something portable with built-in rhythms / accompaniments and speakers, the PX-350 has a lot to offer. A ton of built-in tones, a 17 track (sequencing)  recorder, great action  and sound. The PX-350 also has the USB recorder. 

I really liked the simplicity of the PX-150. It has everything you need if you just want to play. Quality tones and keyboard action with a very clean control panel layout. If you are sure you wouldn't want to use rhythms or utilize the MIDI or USB recorder, the 150 is a smart way to get the Privia sound and action.

Of course, my favorite of the entire Privia line is my beloved PX-5S,    But not everyone wants or needs the features and depth of a board like that, so it's nice you can get that amazing Privia action and sound with different feature sets to match your digital piano requirements.
 

[dc2k]

Are the piano sounds and action the same on every model? For example is stage setting 0-0 on the px-5s the default piano sound on all the other models?

Is the action and feel of the keys the same too? Did you notice if any of them have a quieter action? like if you played them with the volume down, do they all make the same noise being pressed and released?

[Display Name]

The action is the same so they (the keys) all make the same sound. A real piano action is pretty loud as well (as are many other non-hammer action keyboard) - The reason you don't notice on an acoustic piano is you can't turn the volume down.   

As far as sound, the pianos pretty much sound the same through headphones... through the speakers the 850 sounds best. It has awesome speakers. 
I think the piano samples are the same on all, but DSP and editing is more advanced on the PX-5S.

[Jokeyman123]

Love my PX-350, really brings back my piano technique and upper registers are wonderful (all registers are but the high-end if very impressive where alot of digitals fall short).

 

Read my posts about key noise-I agree 100% with Scott that one notices the PX key noise since the full sound of an acoustic piano in an acoustic environment tends to draw your attention away from any key noise (IMO) while the digitals present it right in front of you-I have added felt under the keys to quiet the key bottom clunk and to make it easier physically on my hands.

 

It is one of the drawbacks of most digitals that acoustics have a much softer action on bottoming out-there is wiggle room after the hammer hits, although the Casio seems to mimic this better than other digitals I've played and has a nice "long" key throw-has more of a feeling of a fulcrum action.

 

I don't know how the 850 or PX5s could be better than this mechanism unless it is totally different inside. Definitely different than the Fatar actions used in just about every other digital piano.

[Display Name]

 

 

I don't know how the 850 or PX5s could be better than this mechanism unless it is totally different inside. 

 

The actions are 100% the same. Great action all across the board(s).