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The new Yamaha Arius YDP-166 has arrived, and it does make this part of Yamaha’s range very interesting.
At first glance, there’s quite a bit of crossover between the YDP-166 and the Yamaha CLP-825. They sit close together in price, they’re both aimed at developing pianists, and both offer that lovely Yamaha piano sound.
But for me, the answer is still yes.
If you’re buying for a budding pianist, or you’re learning yourself and want something that will last you for years, I still think the Yamaha CLP-825 is the stronger long-term buy.
The most important difference is the key action.
The CLP-825 uses Yamaha’s GrandTouch-S keyboard action, and this is where it really starts to separate itself from the Arius YDP-166.
That matters because learning piano is not just about pressing the right notes. It’s about developing the right muscle memory in your fingers, wrists and forearms.
A good key action helps you learn how to control tone, move between notes, build strength, and play with more expression as your technique improves.
You may not feel a huge difference in the first two minutes of trying them side by side. But over five or ten years, that extra realism gives you more room to grow.
That’s why I often think of the CLP-825 as having a higher ceiling.
Another difference worth understanding is polyphony.
The Yamaha Arius YDP-166 offers 192-note polyphony, while the Yamaha CLP-825 gives you 256-note polyphony.
That number can be confusing, because people quite reasonably think, “Well, I’ve only got ten fingers, so why does it matter?”
But polyphony is not just about how many keys you physically press at once. It’s about how many notes the piano can keep sounding at the same time.
As soon as you use the sustain pedal, notes continue to ring while you play new ones. In more expressive pieces, especially as your playing develops, you can have far more sounds overlapping than you might expect.
Higher polyphony gives the piano more breathing room, so notes are less likely to disappear or decay unnaturally when the music gets more complex.
Again, this may not be essential on day one. But it becomes more useful as your playing grows.
There are also some physical differences that make the CLP-825 feel like a more premium instrument to live with.
The cabinet feels more elegant, with a larger music rest, more traditional detailing, and a more polished furniture-style appearance.
Even small things, like the Yamaha logo and the shape of the feet, give the CLP-825 more of that Clavinova feel.
It’s not just cosmetic either.
The cabinet design helps support how the sound reaches you while you’re playing. With the downward-facing speakers and the way the backboard is designed, the CLP-825 feels more thoughtful from the player’s position.
That’s the sort of thing you don’t always notice on a spec sheet, but you do notice when you sit down and play.
The Yamaha Arius YDP-166 is a good piano.
There’s no getting away from that. It sounds lovely, it has weighted keys, and for plenty of players it will do a very good job.
But if the prices are close, I would still lean towards the Yamaha CLP-825.
For me, it offers better long-term value because of the superior key action, higher polyphony, more refined cabinet design, and the extra room it gives a developing pianist to grow.
If you’re buying a piano for the next few months, the YDP-166 may be enough.
If you’re buying a piano for the next five to ten years, I think the CLP-825 is the one to go for.
If you’ve already got a digital piano at home and you’re thinking about upgrading, part exchange can be a really simple way to make the move easier.
Use our Part Exchange Form to tell us what you’ve got, and you can even upload photos so we can give you a fair and speedy quote.
Choosing between two similar digital pianos isn’t always straightforward.
If you’d like some friendly advice, give our team a call on 01295 266788 or visit our Banbury showroom. We’re always happy to help you find the right piano, whether you’re buying for today or for the years of playing that lie ahead.
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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".
If you have selected the option to receive a pre-loaded USB stick, then this will be dispatched via Royal Mail.
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.
Used items can also be purchased using either of the following options (minimum loan amount of £250 after deposit):
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.
*Cashback amount varies product to product, as indicated.
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