Casio Privia PX-860 Review

I love playing piano, and I decided to try Casio Privia PX-860. It is a piano I can recommend to anybody who would like to enjoy playing beautiful music. First time I saw PX-860 at my friend’s place where he had bought it as a gift for his wife. After playing a couple of songs and trying different effects, I decided to buy mine so that I can play anytime I’m free. After using the piano over a year, I can definitely recommend it to you. It has everything which makes it a great musical instrument you can have. Some of the features I loved about the piano are the instructional manuals provided. It has all the details you need to sort out the controls and make your own personal sound. Many useful accessories such as headphones, polishing cloth, instrument cables and Austin Bazaar instructional DVD makes the system great.

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Why Casio PX-860 remained my piano of choice for long

There are several features which I love in PX-860.

• A superior grand piano experience: Great piano sound and keyboard

Every time I’m playing the piano, I feel comfortable. It makes each press on the keyboard impressive and enjoyable. The piano is made to suit the needs of both professionals as well as beginner musicians. Before I choose any piano in the market, I have to test everything, especially the keyboard. The 88 scaled weighted hammer action keys which go with simulated ebony and ivory textures make the system stand out. Fingers don’t slip even after long playing sessions. The newest 3-level sensor is under each key which provides an excellent dynamic response and, as a result, the most realistic tactile sensations. Grown up playing on an acoustic upright piano I can tell you that the feel of playing PX-860 is just like you are playing a real acoustic piano. I enjoy each time I’m playing my favorite music on PX-860. 

• Sounds and effects

The dynamic range of volume changes in PX-860 is much wider than that of alternative models of other manufacturers. 256-note polyphony is able to satisfy the needs of even a virtuoso pianist. When performing complex chords and fast passages, all articulations are clearly audible. Another interesting feature of the piano is the new Hall Simulation reverberation parameters, which simulate the acoustics of different concert halls. Now you can not leave the apartment to hear how the “Moonlight Sonata” by Beethoven sounds in the famous Carnegie Hall. In addition to reverb, the user can choose from four types of chorus effects and control sound clarity.

Though I mostly often use only piano sounds of PX-860, the instrument has a total of 18 instrument tones, which include strings, basses and electric pianos. It has split, layer, dual mode.

• Interface and controls

Most popular parameters are controlled with the help of special buttons on the control panel. All additional functions are called by a combination of function keys. The only drawback is the lack of a screen, since there is no way to monitor the status of additional parameters. PX-860 has stereo outputs for connecting to external audio sources, 2 headphone outputs, a USB port for connecting to a computer and MIDI connectors.

• Size, weight and design

The piano came in a huge and heavy box (45 kg/90 lbs). But unpacking it one piece at a time is no problem for one person, each part is not very heavy to handle. The only difficult thing to do alone is to place the keyboard to the stand, so if possible ask someone to help you. But a managed to do it myself. The assembly instruction is in the manual, so there was no problem putting all parts of the instrument together. When assembled PX-860 looks as good as a digital piano can without spending a fortune. It feels very solid and doesn’t shake while you play, thanks to it’s furniture-style stand. PX-860 is available in three colors: black, white, and walnut.

• Additional features

The built-in audio recorder allows you to record your own songs and then save them in WAV-format to a USB storage device. Plus the ability to play WAV audio files. Privia PX-860 sound system has four broadband speakers, two of which are installed under the cover. The built-in gain provides 40 watts of output power, which is quite enough for medium-sized rooms. Opening the top cover allows you to radically change the nature of the sound, make it more open and bright.
The piano is equipped with a traditional pedal system – a damper with a half-pedal function, soft, sostenuto.

Conclusion

Casio Privia PX-860 – a stylish instrument with excellent sound, which will be interesting especially for those who need a constant playing practice (students of music schools and professional pianists). If you are looking for a variety of musical timbres, synth effects and many extra features, then the Casio PX-860 is not for you. This is an excellent “workhorse”, which deservedly stays on one of the leading positions in its price category. If I had unlimited budget I would probably look for top Yamaha models. But for the price of about $1000 this piano is great.

 PX-860 Main Specifications

• Keyboard: 88 key weighted (SHA II) 3-sensor
• Tones: 18 Built-in tones
• Songs: 60
• User songs: 10 (900 Kb)
• Polyphony: 256
• Metronome: Yes
• Midi Recorder: 2 Tracks/1 song
• Duet Mode: Yes (Duet Pan On/Off)
• Layer: Yes
• Split: Yes
• Pedals included: 3 built-in
• Built-in Speakers: Total 40 W (4 speakers: 4.7″ x 2 + 2.0″ x 2)
• Dimensions: 53.8″ x 11.8″ x 33.0″ (without score stand and top lid closed)
• Dimensions: 1,367 x 299 x 83 7mm (without score stand and top lid closed)
• Weight: 78.3 lbs/35.5 kg
• Connections:
  • Usb port (to Host)
  • Usb flash drive port
  • Optional 3-pedal unit connector (SP-33)
  • Line Out
  • Phones (2 Stereo Standard outputs)

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Tags: 500-1000 USD, 88-key, Casio, onboard speakers, polyphony 256, weighted keys