Buying a digital piano? Casio CDP-100 review

If you're looking for a piano but don't have the space then this digital piano is perfect. With 88 fully weighted, hammer action keys it feels just like a real piano and the built in stereo speakers sound just like a real grand piano and all this is under £300.

This is a full size piano keyboard with 88 keys, and the weight of the keys is scaled from end to end giving a realistic touch depending on the note played and a realistic sound depending on how hard the note is played.

The built in amplifier and speakers are ample loud enough and the quality of sound produced is as close as you can get to the real thing. The piano comes with free headphones which give a much richer sound and allow you to practice at 3 am without keeping anyone awake.

Also supplied is a plug in sustain pedal. This part is not the best pedal I have seen but it does the job and it does it well. It is not a simple on/off pedal, it is graded to affect the sound depending on how much the pedal is depressed. That said, should you wish to upgrade the pedal, a more contemporary looking sustain pedal can be found for as little as £12.

The syntheizer has a choice of sounds including 2 grand piano settings, electric piano, harpsichord and strings plus the option or reverb and chorus although I only ever use the grand piano sounds myself. The reverb and chorus settings adjust the feedback and can make the piano sound like an upright in a small room, or a grand piano in a concert hall depending on your preference.

Stands do not come supplied as standard. You can either purchase a purpose built wooden stand from casio at a cost of around £80, or you can opt for the cheaper universal adjustable scissor action X-stand which can be found for under £17.

Some people claim that the Casio CDP-100 has keys which are too noisy, but in my experience, you can only hear the keys if the volume is turned right down. I haven't had any problems at all from noisy keys. In my opinion, they are not too noisy at all.

In summation, compared to other digital pianos, the Casio CDP-100 provides the best value for money by far at only £300. It may be a low end entry level digital piano, but it performs as well as others of a much higher cost and I for one, am not having any second thoughts at all about my purchase.