Casio is a leading manufacturer of consumer electronics and electronic musical instruments, and is a well-established brand across the globe. It has been credited with providing some of the finest and most innovative musical instruments, that are equally favored by both beginners and professionals.

Casio‘s Privia line of digital pianos redefined the digital piano category with their incredibly realistic sound quality and performance, all offered in supremely portable models with elegant designs.

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The new Casio Privia PX160 is the latest addition to this impressive line up of Privia models, and an upgrade to their hugely successful digital piano, the PX150.

According to its makers, the PX160 is the most portable digital piano in the market and offers advanced technological functions that music lovers “actually” want. How well does the Casio PX160 fit this bill? Find out in our review below.

Casio Privia PX160 Key Features

1) AiR Technology – The Casio Privia PX160 is equipped with an Acoustic and Intelligent Resonator (AiR), which is Casio’s latest multi-dimensional sound production system. This processor allows the PX160 to deliver the sound of a 9-foot concert grand at 4 dynamic levels, with seamless dynamics and remarkable sound quality. It even simulates the Damper resonance to provide that wholesome and realistic sound, when the dampers are raised by the pedal. The result is a stunning and one of the finest reproduction of acoustic grand piano music.

2) Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II Keyboard – Casio’s latest keyboard mechanism, with the innovative Tri-Sensor technology provides that delicate feel and incredible sound whenever you play the keyboard. New simulated ebony and ivory textured keys, are equipped with three sensors that detect the intensity with which each of the keys are struck, and then reproduce the grand piano sound with the same dynamics and accuracy. Casio’s proprietary Hammer Action feature matches the speed of the PX160 key action with that of the hammers that move inside an acoustic grand piano, which provides the ultimate key-to-sound experience that is unmatched by the key actions of other brands.

3) Rear Ported 2×8 watts Speakers – The entire chassis of the Casio Privia PX160 has been redesigned to accommodate a new 2×8 watts speaker system, which provide you with an incredibly rich sound and high projection levels. While the speaker system is open in the front like before, they are also ported to the back giving you an amazing low-end response when placed against the wall. This feature also makes the PX160 ideal to be used in classrooms or halls, where the sound of the piano can be projected towards the audience for a better experience.

4) Split, Layer and Duet Mode – The Casio Privia PX160 features a unique Duet Mode which allows two people to play a duet or practice the keyboard simultaneously. With the Duet Mode, you can split the keyboard into two zones but with equal timbre and ranges. The Split Mode, meanwhile, divides the keyboard into two zones too but with different timbres. Using the Split Mode allows you to play bass with your left hand while using your right hand to play the piano or say vibraphone. The Layer Mode layers two timbres to produce soft piano sounds which are perfect to be used in the backdrop of ballads and slow, romantic songs.

5) New Sounds – In addition to the rich grand piano sounds, the PX160 also gives you new string ensemble sounds and electric piano tones. These lush sounds have been derived from Casio’s award-winning PX5S stage piano, and can be played separately or layered with the PX160’s grand piano sound, harpsichord or the electric piano tones. The PX160 also boasts of a 128-note Polyphony which means you can play passages that are lengthy and full of notes and need sustaining. You also get four Chorus and Reverb Effects in the PX160, which delivers a more vibrant, broader and much livelier sound experience.

6) USB Connectivity & Two Track Recorder – The Casio Privia PX160 continues the tradition of the Privia series, by allowing you to connect to computers or laptops using its USB port without the hassle of installing any drivers. So, once you are done recording your performance using the built-in Two-Track recorder, you can easily transfer it using the USB MIDI interface to your computer or any other device. The USB connectivity option even allows you to move songs from your computer/device backwards into Privia PX160’s flash ROM! There are two Headphone outputs located in the front of the piano, which you can use to plug in your headphones when you want to play without any disturbance.

Comparison with the PX150

Casio PX150 was a great digital piano, but it had a few shortcomings of its own. The latest PX160, launched as an upgrade to the PX150 tries to do away with those shortcomings. Customers complained about the PX150’s lackluster sound quality when playing the piano sound using the built-in speakers. Casio took heed of it and introduced a remarkable 2×8 watts, Rear ported speaker system to remedy that. The result is a much improved sound quality in the new Casio Privia PX160. There were also few consumer complaints about the keys of the PX150, where they had to be pressed a little harder, in order to get the full desired effect. The PX160’s new Ebony & Ivory texture keys have a built-in Tri-Sensor technology, that pretty much solves this issue and the key-to-sound experience is almost perfect to hear now.

Alternatives

There are two alternatives that are comparable to the PX-160, these are the Yamaha P45 and the Korg B1. Click on each one of the links to read their respective reviews and see how they compare to this digital piano.

Conclusion

The new Casio Privia PX160 is an amazing product for the features and experience it provides at $500. You will not find a better digital piano in this price range, and loaded with such remarkable features. Casio has once again nailed it by providing its customers with a high quality low-end piano, with features and technology comparable to that of much expensive models. The PX160 is ideally suited for beginners as well as professionals, who are looking for a cheaper companion for the real (acoustic) pianos for rehearsals. An excellent digital piano at $500!