The speakers on this Korg are absolutely fantastic and are possibly the best of all the keyboards we’ve reviewed. MFB servo technology and a passive radiator mean that the B1SP does a fantastic job of reproducing the deep, full and crisp sounds of an authentic grand piano. Quality isn’t bad at all despite the low price. The keys feel quite nice, without any finishing issues. The whole unit feels well screwed together. Using what they call harmonic imaging technology, the samples that Kawai use are an extremely faithful representation of how their grand pianos sound, delivering a rich, vibrant and warm tone.

There’s nothing overly special about this keyboard in terms of its looks, but all of the components are well laid-out, and the LCD screen looks good. You can try the Yamaha YPG235 as an alternative. The Alesis Recital Pro keyboard comes with three levels of touch sensitivity. This makes it a great option for beginners since it helps the player get comfortable with the keys at multiple levels of sensitivity. The Alesis Recital Pro also comes with a fixed velocity setting, which is a feature usually only reserved for premium-quality digital pianos. Fully Weighted KeysThe ES110 is going to cost you more than most of the other digital keyboards on this list, and you can get the same functionality for quite a bit less, so this one might not be considered great value for money unless you’re willing to pay a premium for class-leading ability. The Alesis Recital Pro boasts of an 88-key keyboard. What makes this keyboard unique is that the keys have been fully weighted. This means that the player gets to enjoy the same level of responsiveness as when playing an acoustic piano. Pros & Cons Pros This isn’t a cheap option, but it’s not hugely expensive either. It’s also available as a superb bundle which really helps the value factor. If your budget stretches this far, then you should certainly take a look. The Alesis Melody 61 MKII offers a versatile design and a stylish appearance. But, more importantly, the MKII is a well thought out unit with a lightweight and portable footprint making it easier to carry and store away. The MKII also comes with add on features, which makes it a great choice for all those who are looking for an affordable beginner digital piano that comes with all the bells and whistles of a big name brand. 300 Auto Accompaniment Rhythms The next Yamaha on the list is the affordable and excellent Yamaha P71. It’s one of Yamaha’s more basic options, but that’s mainly by design - this is a slimline and lightweight keyboard that’s clearly been designed for those that travel, or that don’t have a lot of storage space. That said, it’s still a full size 88key weighted digital keyboard that offers much of what most players will need.

The final Yamaha on our list is the P115, which is a mid to high end digital piano that will appeal to those looking for a really good, all round performer. It’s still classed as being a lightweight and portable keyboards, but it has plenty of good features, and is one of the more premium options on our list. Let’s take a look at why the Yamaha P115 comes well recommended. This is a no-frills keyboard with no-frills design, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a clean look, though the switches and sliders, which are located on the left of the board, do look a little cheap in comparison with some of the other keyboards we’ve reviewed. Finally, when purchasing this piano you get a free 3 months subscription to Skoove so you can learn online with their interactive tutorials. Price Piano keyboard outputs: ¼ Inch (6.35 mm) stereo headphone output for private practice (headphones not included), stereo Aux output to connect to an external recording desk, mixing device, amplifier, or sound system.Of all of the digital keyboards on our list, this might be the best one at replicating the sound and feel of a real acoustic grand piano. With 192 not polyphony and damper resonance, it does a fantastic job of sounding both full, and authentic. Exclusive access to content within the Simply piano application for both iOS and Android devices to assist in learning piano for beginners. It has 88 full sized keys, neatly arranged, to provide you with a natural piano feel. It is small enough to transport around when needed, but large enough to play most music. Great appearance and sound For a MIDI keyboard of full size with 88 semiweighted keys, this is a great price, and is one of the cheapest available, but do be aware of course that unlike the normal keyboards on this list, it has not built in speakers or anything like that, so you will need to invest in other areas. There are some pros and cons we'd like to inform you of!

Inputs on these 88 key weighted keyboards include ¼ Inch (6.35 mm) sustain pedal input (pedal not included), ¼ Inch (6.35 mm) soft-pedal input (pedal not included), 7 pin sostenuto pedal input (pedal not included), and ¼ Inch (6.35 mm) microphone connector (microphone not included.) This awesome music keyboard set includes a sturdy keyboard stand and can be adjusted to suit pianists young and old This is a premium product with premium build quality, though Kawai has also done a very good job of keeping things nice and light. This is a very good value 88key digital piano. Sure, it doesn’t have lots of built in features, but it’s very good at emulating a piano, both in feel and sound - so if that’s what you are looking for, then the price will be very attractive indeed.

Alesis Recital 88 key digital piano review

Keyboard players who are also looking to move over to the piano will find this a great addition too, as keyboards are often not weighted at all. Features

Another great feature which I use all the time is the ‘lesson mode’. This allows you to split the piano in two, but keep the same pitch in both halves. This is great for a teacher to show a student how to play something without them having to keep swapping.

It’s a sleek design, with all of the buttons constrained to one strip on the left, and the speaker strip runs elegantly across the top of the board. We like it a lot.