Casio CDP-100 versus Yamaha NP-30 – Digital Piano Comparison

There are many people who would like to play the piano in their own homes. However, traditional acoustic pianos have many drawbacks. They are big, heavy, expensive and out of tune. Instead of an acoustic piano, an obvious alternative would be to purchase a digital piano. They offer none of these drawbacks and also have additional features like more than one piano tone and headphone jacks for silent practice.

If you are a beginner, there are two obvious candidates to choose from. They are the Casio CDP-100 and the Yamaha NP-30. In this article, I set out to explain some of their differences and their pros and cons, allowing you to make a better informed decision if you want to buy one.

Keyboard

A standard modern piano keyboard has 88 keys (that is, 7 octaves). The CDP-100 has 88 stepped hammer action weighted keys, while the NP-30 has only 76 graduated soft touch keys (lower keys are heavy; upper keys are light). The general consensus of opinion among musicians is that Casio provides the most realistic action and comes closest to the real feeling of playing a real piano.

Dream

The CDP-100 has 5 different piano tones built in while the NP-30 has 10. Both are capable of producing a realistic grand piano sound from one of these tones. In addition, the CDP-100 has 5 demo songs, while the NP-30 has 10. These songs are great for playing to gain practice. The CDP-100 has a 2x 8W speaker system while the NP-30 has 2x 6W. Despite this, the NP-30 is considered to produce slightly higher quality sound through its speakers.

Portability and construction

Both instruments are extremely portable due to their light weight, although the CDP-100 is physically slightly larger due to its larger keyboard. Aesthetically they both look very attractive. The CDP-100 has a black / gray finish, while the NP-30 is available in a black or silver finish. Also, the CDP-100 is available with a matching stand that can make it look more attractive in your home.

Conclution

Whichever keyboard you choose to buy, all you get is fantastic value for money. However, the one you choose will be the one that best suits your needs. In favor of the CDP-100 is the 88-note keyboard with its superior realism and feel. On the other hand, the NP-30 offers more songs and built-in piano tones, and the quality of the sound output is better.

CDP-100 is significantly more expensive than NP-30 by a factor of approximately 50%. However, the NP-30 is not actually intended to be a digital piano (Yamaha refers to it as a digital keyboard in their marketing collateral, probably due to the less capable keyboard). If you are really looking for an acoustic piano replacement, then the CDP-100 might be a better option.