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If you are looking around the £1,000 to £1,200 mark for a new Yamaha keyboard, two very different instruments might end up on your shortlist.
The Yamaha PSR-SX720 and the Yamaha MODX M6.
At the time of writing, the PSR-SX720 is around £965 and the MODX M6 is around £1,200, so there is only roughly £235 between them. Close enough to compare, definitely. But they are not really trying to do the same job.
One is an arranger keyboard designed to help you sound like a full band almost instantly.
The other is a synthesizer workstation designed for deep sounds, creative performance and music production.
So the question is not really, “Which one is better?”
The better question is, “How do you actually want to make music?”
The PSR-SX720: For Players Who Want A Complete Song
The PSR-SX720 is what I would call a proper player’s keyboard.
It is built around styles, accompaniments, registrations and live control. You choose a style, play a chord with your left hand, and suddenly you have drums, bass, guitars, pads and backing parts following you.
For a lot of home players, that is the magic.
You might only know a few chords, but the keyboard makes the whole thing feel musical. It encourages you to finish songs, try different styles and enjoy playing without needing to build everything from scratch.
If you are coming from an older Yamaha arranger, a Tyros, a PSR model, or even a more basic home keyboard, the PSR-SX720 will feel like a natural step up.
I’ve included my PSR-SX600 vs PSR-SX700 comparison here because it is still a really useful watch if you are considering the PSR-SX720. In that video, I talk quite a lot about why the SX700 was such a worthwhile step up from the SX600, and that helps explain the appeal of this level of PSR-SX keyboard.
It is where the range starts to feel more serious, more flexible and more rewarding for players who want proper accompaniment features rather than just a basic home keyboard.
That is the world the PSR-SX720 belongs to.
The MODX M6: For Players Who Want To Explore Sound
The MODX M6 is a very different kind of instrument.
This is not mainly about pressing a chord and getting a backing band. It is about sound design, layers, motion, synth textures, expressive control and building performances that can be huge, strange, beautiful, cinematic or completely unexpected.
The MODX M6 is the one I would point you towards if you like creating sounds, writing music, recording, playing in a band, working with a computer, or building layered performances that change as you play.
It can do realistic sounds, synth sounds, pads, leads, basses, electric pianos and atmospheric textures. But it is more of a creative workstation than a “sit down and play a complete song with backing” keyboard.
If you want instant ballroom, big band, country, 60s pop or organ-style backing, the MODX M6 is probably not the natural choice.
If you want to disappear into sounds for twenty minutes and come out with a new musical idea, it starts to make a lot more sense.
The MODX M6 video above is worth watching because it shows the instrument in the way I think it makes most sense. Not as a list of features, but as something you explore.
You hear a sound, it suggests an idea, then that idea leads somewhere else.
That is where the MODX M6 can be really inspiring.
So Which One Should You Choose?
If you want to play songs with backing, look at the PSR-SX720.
If you want styles, intros, endings, fills, registrations and a keyboard that helps you sound like a full arrangement, the PSR-SX720 is the obvious one.
If you want to create sounds and produce music, look at the MODX M6.
If you are drawn to synth sounds, film-style textures, layered performances, band work, recording, or just the joy of shaping sound, the MODX M6 is probably the more exciting instrument.
The PSR-SX720 helps you create a finished performance.
The MODX M6 helps you create a world of sound.
That is the difference.
Still Not Sure? Book A One-To-One Appointment
This is exactly where it helps to talk it through with someone.
Our appointment system is now live, so if you are choosing between models like the PSR-SX720 and MODX M6, you can request a one-to-one piano and keyboard appointment with a real expert.
You can choose a WhatsApp video appointment from anywhere in the UK, or visit us face-to-face in our Banbury showroom.
Too far to visit? A WhatsApp video appointment means you can ask questions, see the models live on video and get proper buying advice without needing to travel.
Prefer to visit in person? An in-store appointment is the best way to hear, feel and compare instruments properly. Our showroom is in Banbury, just off Junction 11 of the M40, with free parking right outside, customer toilets, and complimentary teas and coffees.
Part exchanges are available too. So if you already have a keyboard or digital piano you are thinking of moving on from, we may be able to take it in against either the Yamaha PSR-SX720 or Yamaha MODX M6.
Final Thought
If you want the keyboard to help you perform songs, choose the PSR-SX720.
If you want the keyboard to help you discover sounds, choose the MODX M6.
They are similar money, yes. But they are built for very different players.
And that is why comparing them is useful. Not because one beats the other, but because it helps you ask the most important question:
What sort of player are you trying to become?
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These items are sold on behalf of Yamaha, and are sent to us on a per-order basis, typically within 5-7 working days, unless an ETA is otherwise stated.
We'll contact you the moment your purchase arrives with us to organise delivery, based on your selected option.
Example products: Yamaha DGX670, Yamaha P-525, Yamaha YDP-S55, Yamaha Clavinova.
These items must be sent with a heavy-goods courier (typically APC or FedEx). On occasion, depending on which is fastest, we will drop-ship directly from Yamaha to your address via Dachser.
Tracking will be provided by the haulier, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
*If you have included the optional £180 "Yamaha Premium Service" home delivery & setup option offered on selected products, we will contact you regarding arrangements after purchase.
**The Yamaha CSP Series, Yamaha CVP905 & CVP909, Yamaha CLP875, 885 & 895GP, and Yamaha NU1Xa are all sold on behalf of Yamaha and arrive with us on a per-order basis. As soon as your piano has arrived, we will contact you to organise the appropriate dispatch method. ETA for stock is shown on the product page for those items.
***If you have included the optional £99 home delivery & setup option offered on selected products, we will send your details direct to the installation team, who will contact you within 48 hours to make arrangements.
Depending on which option is most appropriate, we will either contact you to discuss a bespoke ePianos delivery surcharge for goods we can’t package for a 3rd party courier, or otherwise dispatch goods via FedEx or APC.
If a courier is used, tracking will be provided by them directly, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
Example products: Yamaha PSR-SX920, Yamaha P-225, Yamaha NP-15.
These items will be sent via courier (typically APC or FedEx). On occasion, depending on which is fastest, we will drop-ship directly from Yamaha to your address via UPS or Parcelforce.
Tracking will be provided by the courier, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
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After purchase, you can download the file either from the order confirmation page or the "Downloads" tab in "My Account".
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We will contact you regarding any pre-ordered items, and let you know when they arrive so as to arrange delivery with you at a convenient time.
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Total amount payable: £893.32
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We are closed on all bank holidays, therefore the processing of sales and deliveries will be delayed.
For orders of any stock displaying a 7-10 day lead time, we will contact you as soon as the item arrives with us to schedule a delivery with you.
Occasionally, there may be availability issues with our suppliers, in which case we'll get in touch with you to see if you're happy to wait, or if you'd like to cancel the order and receive a full refund.
This is a special order "agency" item, and comes to us directly from Yamaha on a per-order basis.
It typically takes 7-10 days for this item to arrive with us, whereupon we'll contact you to discuss the arrangement of delivery.
For any pre-orders, we will contact you as soon as the item arrives with us to schedule a delivery with you, and update you with an ETA.
Occasionally, there may be availability issues with our suppliers, in which case we'll get in touch with you to see if you're happy to wait, or if you'd like to cancel the order and receive a full refund.
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