Best Digital Grand Piano - Concert Hall Sound in a Living Room Package

Written by: Leslie Carmichael
Updated:

There is something enticing and enthralling about the lush sound of an acoustic grand piano filling the auditorium with music. But since we can’t all fit an entire concert hall into our living rooms, we might just prefer to look for a digital version that still gives us a beautiful musical experience but at a fraction of the size and cost. 

Digital grand pianos are designed to emulate the sound and feel of an acoustic grand piano – and sometimes, the appearance, as well. If you’re looking for a digital grand piano for your home or studio, great! We’ve compiled a list of some of the most exciting digital grand pianos that will entice you to get playing even without the concert hall. 

Quick glance at the best digital grand pianos:

Related: 

Best Digital Grand Pianos Reviewed for Your Living Room 

Suzuki Digital Piano - Best High-End Digital Grand Piano

Suzuki, 88-Key Digital Pianos-Home (MDG-400 bl)

Amazon 

Features

  • This piano is shaped like an acoustic grand piano but in a smaller size 
  • Blue-tooth compatible 
  • 88 Keys, with Graded Hammer Standard
  • 128 Key Polyphony 
  • 122 voices, 100 rhythms
  • USB port, MIDI ports, and SD card
  • Graphic faders 
  • Graded Hammer Action Standard

Summary 

The MDG-400 is a beautifully packaged digital grand piano with stunningly good sound. Not only does it sound like an acoustic grand, it looks like one, too. This is a very expensive – but also very beautiful – instrument. 

Suzuki uses Sound Imaging Technology to create a realistic grand piano sound with depth and expression, delivered through a powerful onboard sound system. 

This model features a 4.3-inch display screen, demo songs, and play-along songs. You can connect almost any wireless device via Bluetooth for lessons, music, and extra speakers. If you like, create and record your own music with the piano’s 3-track sequencer and save them to an SD card. 

Also included is a matching piano bench. The piano lid opens to reveal its six powerful speakers. 

We love this acoustic grand for any musician looking for a beautiful instrument that makes a realistic piano sound. 

Pros

  • It offers a variety of connectivity options 
  • Uses the graded Hammer Standard 
  • 88 keys 
  • Plenty of voices to try 
  • A beautiful representation of an acoustic grand 

Cons 

  • Short Power cord 
  • Only has 128 key polyphony 

Yamaha Arius YDP 184 - Best All-Around Digital Grand Piano

Yamaha YDP184 Arius Series Console Digital Piano with Bench, Dark Rosewood

Amazon 

Features 

  • Grand piano sound modeled after the CF Concert Grand Piano 
  • 24 instrument voices 
  • Use Virtual resonance Modeling and Stereophonic optimization to create a realistic acoustic piano sound 
  • Built-in rhythms
  • Built-in MIDI recorder 
  • LCD display 
  • 128 Max polyphony

Summary 

The Yamaha Arius line is one of the most advanced digital pianos that Yamaha makes. We love this digital piano for its realistic grand piano sound without taking up the space that an acoustic grand piano would require. It’s an all-around quality digital grand piano. 

The Arius line uses weighted keys to produce an authentic, grand piano feel, giving you control over your musical expression. In addition, virtual Resonance Modeling digitally recreates the sound and feel of the reverberations of an acoustic piano. 

This instrument might be a good choice if you are a beginner or professional musician looking for a digital instrument that fits well in a smaller space. In addition, it doesn’t compromise on sound or feel at a modest price. 

Check out our top choices for the best Yamaha digital piano

Pros

  • Realistic grand piano sound and feel 
  • LCD Display 
  • Small footprint 

Cons

  • This instrument is heavy 
  • It does not have the look of a grand piano 
  • It does not have Bluetooth connectivity 

Kurzweil Home KAG100 88-Note Digital Grand Piano, Black (KAG-100) - Best Looking Digital Grand Piano

Kurzweil Home KAG100 88-Note Digital Grand Piano, Black (KAG-100)

Amazon 

Features 

  • Weighted actions keys with adjustable touch sensitivity 
  • 200 presets 
  • Recording features 
  • 100 styles of accompaniment 
  • Bluetooth connectivity 
  • USB drive

Summary 

Kurzweil’s KAG100 looks like a miniature grand piano but gives you a full range of features for a fully-digital grand piano experience. So the Kurzweil might be the piano for you if you want an elegant-looking machine that doesn’t take up a lot of space. 

There is plenty to explore with this digital piano, from its beautifully created grand piano voice to over 200 sounds and 100 accompaniments that you can use to create, express, and delight. You can record, transpose, and pull up the metronome with just a few buttons on the central control panel, then store your creations on the USB drive. 

Don’t forget the built-in lesson songs for the beginner pianist and the standard three-pedal package for the advanced pianist. 

Pros

  • Excellent Grand Piano sound 
  • Easily connect to devices or speakers using Bluetooth 
  • It offers plenty of options for sounds, recording, and playing
  • Looks beautiful 

Cons

  • No general MIDI 
  • 64 note polyphony 
  • Expensive 

Korg G1 Air- Best Digital Grand Piano for Musical Expression

Korg G1 Air 88-Key Digital Piano (Black)

Amazon 

Features 

  • The sound of 3 of the world's finest concert grand pianos 
  • Multiple-layer samples & digital recreation of grand piano string & damper resonance for ultimate realism 
  • RH3 keyboard accurately simulates acoustic piano touch & response, well-developed amplification & speaker system 
  • Contemporary design cabinet available in 4 color options, Bluetooth audio playback 
  • Stand, 3-pedal system (Damper, Soft, Sostenuto), and AC adapter included

Summary 

The Korg G1 Air combines impressive sound quality and a realistic piano feel, giving the player every opportunity for advanced musical expression. This digital piano gives you a grand piano feel and sound in a much more compact digital package. We love this piano for anyone whose main focus is on musical expression and realistic sound and feel. 

The Korg 1 Air features the sounds of three of the world’s best acoustic grand pianos, most likely a Bosendorfer, Yamaha, and of course, Steinway. Korg used multi-layered sampling to create a fully immersive musical experience that imitates the damper and resonance of actual acoustic pianos. And, of course, the graded hammer standard provides the realistic feeling of an acoustic grand, as well. 

This digital piano isn’t weighed down with frivolous features so you’ll get a nice stream-lined performance machine so you can put the focus on your musical nuance and expression. It also won’t weigh you down with price, either, since it is a moderately priced instrument and a good value for the impressive sounds that it can create. 

Pros 

  • Three different sampled acoustic grand piano sounds 
  • Realistic 88 note, graded hammer standard acoustic piano feel 
  • Moderately priced for its features 

Cons 

  • Bluetooth does not support midi functions 
  • Only 128 note polyphony 

Roland F-140R – Best Digital Grand Piano for the Budget

Roland F-140R Compact 88 Console Digital Piano with Bluetooth MIDI/USB and Weighted Hammer-Action Keyboard with Ivory Feel, Stereo Speakers, Key Cover, Contemporary Black Finish (F-140R-CB)

Amazon 

Features 

  • It offers the tone of an acoustic grand piano in a smaller package 
  • Bluetooth, headphones, and USB connectivity 
  • Advanced sensing technology provides a wide range of touch sensitivity
  • 305 sounds 
  • Pedals can be set to turn digital sheet music pages 
  • Dual and split keyboard modes

Summary 

The Roland F-140R is at the forefront of music technology with its touch sensitivity and layered piano tones. It gives you plenty of voicings, including 11 acoustic piano sounds, to enjoy in such a small package. In addition, there are built-in stereo speakers and a 3D ambiance effect if you’re using headphones to listen to the Roland’s bright, warm piano tones. 

There are plenty of built-in sounds and rhythms to make music fun. Don’t forget the onboard recorder and Bluetooth connectivity. You can use Bluetooth to connect to a sheet music app and then use the digital piano pedals to turn its pages wirelessly. 

Maybe the best part of the Roland Digital grand piano is its price. It’s a quality instrument that really won’t break your budget. 

Pros

  • Budget price 
  • Excellent touch sensitivity for musical expression
  • 11 piano sounds to choose from 

Cons 

  • The simplistic recording device will only record a single track
  • The visual display is very basic 
  • No customizable effects for sounds 

Criteria for Choosing the Best Digital Grand Piano to Bring the Concert Hall to Your Living Room 

Grand Piano Sound

If you are looking for a digital grand piano, you probably imagine a rich, expressive sound like you would hear in a concert hall. On our list, we looked for digital pianos that intentionally recreated the sound of an actual acoustic grand piano. Different companies will recreate this in different ways, either using a representation of the sound or by using actual recorded sounds.

You may also want to look for an instrument that also mimics the resonance produced by an acoustic grand piano. This added layer of sound will give you an even richer experience as the digital piano imitates the sympathetic vibrations of the surrounding strings that are played, as well as the vibrations, felt in the wooden cabinet. 

Extra speakers will give additional resonance to the sound, so if the onboard speakers don’t give you enough oomph, make sure there is a means of connecting additional speakers. You don’t want your amazing piano sounds to get lost in poor speakers. 

Grand Piano Feel: Weighted Action Keys and Graded Hammer Standards 

One of the most critical sticking points for choosing a digital grand piano is not so much what it looks like but what the piano actually feels like and how it responds to your playing. To get the feeling of a grand piano, you’ll want to look for weighted keys with the graded hammer standard. 

On a generic keyboard, you’ll be able to easily push down the key to turn on the note and let go of the key to turn off the note with very little physical resistance. On the other hand, a digital grand piano should have both weighted keys, which make the key and the instrument feel heavy, and it should have the graded hammer standard. This means the keys at the lower end are harder to press, just like in an acoustic grand piano. When you press the key, it should respond to how hard or fast you press it to make the digital piano sound louder or softer – just like you would find in an acoustic grand piano. 

Weighted action and graded hammer action are essential for budding musicians who need to gain hand strength. They are also important for advanced and professional musicians practicing their expression and nuance. 

Grand Piano Look 

Some digital grand pianos will give you a little bit of that grand piano ‘look.’ Typically, these will be in a black or white cabinet. It will only be a little bit larger than a typical digital piano, but it will have that telltale acoustic grand piano shape. This size and shape are part of an intentional design to make the instrument more manageable and friendlier for smaller spaces. In addition, these types of digital grands generally include their own padded piano bend and set of three pedals. 

However, some digital pianos will have excellent grand piano sound and feel but will just look like a typical digital piano. This smaller-sized digital piano is for space-saving purposes – if people had the finances and the space for an acoustic grand, that’s probably what they would purchase. 

Polyphony 

Polyphony is another important aspect of a digital grand piano.

Max polyphony is usually either 128, 192, or 256. The higher the polyphony, the more realistic the sound because the tones can continue to ring out slightly even after you have stopped playing the note.

The lower the polyphony, the more likely it is for the piano to cut off the sound early if you play too many notes at a time. There will be less reverberation of notes you have stopped playing. A very low number for polyphony can mean a choppy, computer-like sound. 

When possible, choose the highest number available for max polyphony for a more realistic, prettier sound.

On-Board Sound System 

A digital piano can produce an amazing replica of a grand piano sound, but if it is being played on poor speakers, you won’t be able to tell just how good it is. Many digital pianos are available with relatively good, on-board speakers. More speakers with higher watts are better. However, you might want to consider being able to link to additional speakers. 

Some digital pianos are able to create a rich concert hall experience if you use a piano with a high-quality pair of headphones or with a high-quality set of external speakers.

Connectivity for a Digital Grand Piano

In our digital age, connectivity is key. Bluetooth connectivity is a great addition to a digital grand piano. This way, you can connect to Bluetooth speakers, cell phones, tablets, and other Bluetooth devices for recording, playback, access to lessons, and even sheet music. There are a wide variety of apps you can use with Bluetooth connectivity to your digital piano. 

If your digital piano does not have Bluetooth, it may have other means of connecting to devices such as USB or MIDI interfaces. 

You may also want additional means of saving your recordings, such as SD cards and USB ports. 

At the very least, your Digital Piano will include a headphone jack so that you can practice without disturbing others. Most of these will use a ¼ inch jack, but some may use a mini-jack instead. 

What is the Cost of a Digital Grand Piano? 

Budget is always a consideration when purchasing an instrument. If you spend too little, you risk bringing home an inferior digital piano that doesn’t meet your needs. On the other hand, you can pay excessive amounts of money for features that you don’t really want or need. So you’ll need to figure out what works for your budget. 

Our Pick for the Best Digital Acoustic Piano 

Although the Korg G1 Air doesn’t look like a traditional acoustic grand piano, it provides the most realistic and dynamic acoustic grand piano sounds, making it our first choice for a digital acoustic grand. 

If you’re someone who is primarily concerned with finding the most realistic sound and feel of an acoustic grand in a digital package, then this might be the best choice for you. The Korg G1Air won’t overwhelm you with needless features. Still, it does give you a wide dynamic range, graded hammer standard, an excellent onboard and headphone audio system, and all at a very reasonable cost. 

Our only disappointment with the Korg G1 Air is the low polyphony. However, this is less noticeable with piano tones than with other instrument sounds. If you don't like the onboard sound system, you can easily connect to external Bluetooth speakers for a more immersive sound experience. Or plug in the headphones for some private practice time. Either way, Korg’s method of layering sound samples and recreating string resonance will provide you with a beautiful, rich, acoustic grand piano sound. 

If you’re serious about bringing concert hall sound to your living room, you’ll want to consider the Korg G1 Air for its price, size, and realistic sound and feel. 

Written By:
If anyone knows a thing or two about pianos, it's Leslie. Having played piano for the past 25 years and teaching for the past 15 years, she has vast experience compared to most. She loves to share her honest opinions about the brands and manufacturers in the industry. In her free time, Leslie loves to play with her dogs and go on hikes.

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