Yamaha YDP163B Digital Piano Review

Yamaha YDP163B Digital Piano Review

Yamaha YDP163B Digital Piano Review

Digital pianos from the Yamaha Arius series have always ranked among the best digital pianos that are on the market. The Yamaha YDP163B Digital Piano is a digital piano which has all the features and quality of a high-quality digital piano with fantastic sound.

playground sessions

The Yamaha YDP163B Digital Piano has been designed and built with pianists of all levels in mind, making it a great choice for everyone who is serious about piano playing.

The YDP-163B model is an upgrade from the YDP-142 and the YDP-162 and it offers much better connectivity, better key sensitivity, and more polyphony. It has also been designed to use less power that its predecessors.

How does the Yamaha YDP163B Digital Piano compare with other digital pianos in a similar price range?

The Yamaha YDP163B is a full-size digital piano with 88 keys and Graded Hammer Standard piano keys that have been built to very closely mimic real ivory keys.  Yamaha has made significant upgrades from the previous models and this model has 192-note polyphony (the previous models only had 128-note polyphony).

It also comes with a beautiful piano stand which will grace any room where it is placed. It is finished in black walnut.

What are the main features that you can expect to enjoy when you buy the Yamaha YDP163B Digital Piano?

The Main Features of Yamaha YDP163B Digital Piano

Here is a list of the main features of the Yamaha YDP-163B:

  • Full-size 88-key digital piano
  • Graded Hammer 3 keyboard for an authentic feel
  • Keys that feel like real ivory
  • 3 pedals
  • 192-note polyphony
  • Hard, medium, soft, and fixed touch response
  • Sound sampled from the Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand piano
  • 10 voices in total
  • 20w stereo speakers
  • USB MIDI connection
  • Wireless Bluetooth connection (adapter required)
  • 50 piano preset songs
  • Built-in recorder
  • Built-in metronome
  • Apps available for iOS, including digital piano controller and a music recorder

In-depth Look at the Yamaha YDP163B

So, how does the latest digital piano in the Yamaha Arius series look and feel when playing?

Keyboard

Apart from the sound, the most important feature of a high-quality digital piano is to have keys that feel and play just like the best grand pianos.

To achieve this, Yamaha has made sure that the keys feel just like real ivory. However, the true feel of a top of the range digital piano is when you start playing it. And the Yamaha YDP163B digital piano feels as close as you can get to the ‘real thing.’ The Graded Hammer 3 keyboard means that there is more resistance on the bass notes and they gradually get lighter as you move up the keyboard.

The keys also have a fantastic response when you play them. There are settings for hard, medium, soft, and fixed modes.

The keyboard also has a split mode allowing you to play 2 different voices on the one keyboard. So, you could play the piano on one-half of the keyboard and accompany that with strings played on the other half. This feature is also helpful is you are learning to play the piano or if you want to play duets.

Sound quality

One of the major upgrades with the Yamaha YDP163B digital piano is giving 192-note polyphony to the sound. This allows for a much richer sound and it is very difficult to notice the difference between this and an acoustic piano.

As with most of Yamaha’s top of the range digital pianos, this model has their Pure CF Sound Technology. The piano sound sample has been taken from the famous Yamaha CFIIIS 9′ grand piano, which is one of the best acoustic grand pianos. This means that playing the YDP163B you get the feel and sound of a concert grand piano.

The piano also features Yamaha’s unique Intelligent Acoustic Control (IAC) which allows you to play songs quieter without compromising on treble and bass tones in the music. The IAC automatically adjusts the bass and treble to fit the volume. In this respect, it is far superior to playing an acoustic piano.

The sound quality is enhanced by stereo 20w speakers. What sets this model apart from other brands of digital pianos is Yamaha’s “Stereophonic Optimizer“. This greatly enhances piano playing through headphones. The result is a wide, spacious sound, but rather than think the music is coming from headphones, you have the feeling that it is still coming from the piano.

Playing the Yamaha YDP163B

When you sit down to play the Yamaha YDP163B piano you really get the feel that you are playing a top of the range piano.

Yamaha has included 3 pedals with this model. This allows you to use the half-damper pedal, sustain pedal, and the damper pedal. This allows you to play very intricate and technically challenging songs.

Yamaha has included 50 songs that you can play along with and learn on this piano.

Connectivity

The Yamaha YDP163B comes with a USB connection which allows you to connect it to a computer or mobile device. To enhance your enjoyment playing, Yamaha has developed apps for iOS devices and they can be turned into a controller for your digital piano, making it much easier to access your settings and record your performances.

The addition of the external recording device is a bonus because the internal recorder only allows you to record one 2-track song.

One nice addition to the connection possibilities is the inclusion of Bluetooth

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34FP9k6wvQI

The Verdict of the Yamaha YDP163B Digital Piano

The Yamaha YDP-163B digital piano is a high-quality digital piano which represents value for money. Even though the price tag is somewhat more expensive than other digital pianos, you definitely get what you pay for.

The sound quality from the Yamaha YDP163 is outstanding at all volume levels and the playing experience isn’t compromised if you enjoy playing with headphones on.

You have the feel that you are playing a top of the range concert grand piano.

Yamaha has made sure that this model has the features that any person who is serious about playing the piano will need.

Purchase This Product On Amazon

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*