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Are you perhaps trying to decide between the Yamaha YDP S54 and the Yamaha Arius YDP S34? Lets take a look at both of these pianos so that you can make the right decision on choosing the piano that is most suitable for you.
At first glance, both of these pianos look exactly the same..so what are the differences? Well firstly, the Arius YDPS54 has two 20-watt speakers, whereas the Yamaha YDP S34 has two 8-Watt speakers. This means you can get a bit more bite on the S54, a bit more umph especially on the lower end.
Another difference between these two pianos is the keys (which are very, very important). The Arius YDP S54 has the GH3 mechanism; so these keys are synthetic ebony and ivory finished. I do think that this makes all of the difference and does justify the price being a little bit higher on the S54. The Arius YDP S34 has a GHS mechanism; so the keys are not ebony or ivory. The YDP S34 is very good price wise if you’re perhaps pushed for cash. It really does do the job. As long as you’re playing that is the main thing. If you can stretch to a couple of hundred extra for the YDP S54 I would always recommend it just because of the keys. They do make a big difference.
Ultimately, both of these pianos are great instruments. I have to say the Arius YDP S54 definitely ticks a lot of the boxes, especially when it comes to the keys and the sound. Those speakers do make all the difference, but both fantastic instruments depending on your price range, and depending on the level you’re at.
If you have kids that are perhaps just starting out, possibly the Arius YDP S34 is your best option as you don’t want invest too much money into it yet. In terms of aesthetics, both of these pianos look fantastic. The design on both is really slick and modern.
Lets go through some of the main differences and the similarities between Yamaha YDP144 and the YDP164. Firstly these pianos both have 88 keys; they are full-sized just like a traditional acoustic piano. I am sure you will also be glad to hear that they both sound like real pianos as well.
Both of these instruments also have the Yamaha’s flagship CFX concert grand piano sound on them, which is a huge 9 foot grand piano worth over £100,000. With both the Arius YDP 144 and the Arius YDP 164 you have got this at your fingertips, and it really is a beautiful sound. I must add that the Arius YDP 144 has two 8 Watt speakers, whereas the YDP164 has two 20 Watt speakers. This means that you obviously get a little bit more depth on the YDP 164; especially in the low tone. In this respect I suppose its fair to say that the YDP164 is slightly superior to the YDP 144. They do both have that same beautiful classic CFX concert grand sound.
A really important part of anyone’s playing experience (whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been a professional for years), is of course the touch. How the keys actually feel when you play them. Now both of these pianos have weighted keys, and the YDP144 has the GHS mechanism. This stands for ‘Graded Hammer Standard’. Now what does this mean?
Essentially, on a real piano the lower end is heavier and as you go higher up the keyboard the keys get lighter as you get nearer to the top. On the Arius YDP164, it uses something called GH3 mechanism. The number three is really important; It stands for the third sensor which they have put into the YDP164. This essentially means in simple terms that this piano picks up the nuances, the light and shade, the hard and soft of your playing a lot better than the YDP144. The YDP144 only has two sensors (so it can’t pick up that authenticity that you will get when you’re playing on the Arius YDP164). The pianos are both very similar, but I do think that this makes all the difference.
Another great feature on both of these pianos is the integration they have with Yamaha smart pianist app. It is a fantastic app which has some really cool features for you to be able to use.
Something I must mention which is important is the actual design of the pianos, what the piano actually looks like. On the Arius YDP 144 the Yamaha logo is on the music rest it, and the lid pulls out. This is a really nice feature. However on the Arius YDP164 you have got a slightly more elegant upright raised front with the logo on. You still have the lid that pulls out (like on the YDP144). The YDP164 also has two sheet music clips, which essentially stop the sheet music from slipping off the music rest (which can get quite annoying when it does fall) so it’s nice that they have added this in.
In terms of colors available, both the Arius YDP144 and the Arius YDP164 come in black, white, and Rosewood. The Arius YDP164 also comes in a really nice White Ash finish as well. You can wear headphones on both of these instruments, which means that you don’t need to worry if you want to play and practice at night for example. You can just pop some headphones on and you won’t disturb the neighbors.
To conclude, I do think the Arius YDP 164 model is better than the Arius YDP 144. The synthetic ivory and Ebony keys make a big difference to the playing of the instrument; It just makes it feel a lot more like a real piano to play. That extra sensor is also really important; especially if you think in the long run, that extra sensor will make all the difference to the learning process.
The Arius YDP 164 also has bigger speakers too; those two 20 watt speakers just give it a bit more push with the sound. Especially in that lower end of the piano(which does make a big difference with that beautiful CFX Grand sound.
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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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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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