Korg B2 Review

As an old-school jazz pianist and teacher, I’m not necessarily interested in crazily high-tech keyboards. I prefer simplicity and authenticity. I’ve been on the lookout for a new temporary piano until the repair in my studio is over. I’ve tested a lot of digital pianos, and it is always interesting to review some fresh model. This time I chose Korg B2.

Korg B2 in the interior
Korg B2 in the interior

I’d seen a review online about the Korg’s new B2, and thought it might be well suited for me because of its simplicity. Yes, it’s a digital piano, so there are obviously a few technical elements to the piano. That’s what makes it digital after all. However, Korg say they’ve paid ‘special attention to the experience of playing a real piano’ with their new B2 release – which was only released in September 2019 (I am writing this review in October). That’s exactly what I wanted: a cheaper, more flexible piano with the same feel as an acoustic.
I wanted to see if Korg were being truthful. From time to time, companies can make up this sort of fluff about their new instrument being ‘the best on the market’, or ‘perfect for you’, or ‘feel as if you are playing acoustic instrument’. And another thing I wanted to check is how Korg upgraded the previous B1 model, which I used to check some time ago at my student’s house. I didn’t want to invest money without trying it out first. So I headed down to my local music store to try out the new model.

Korg B2 Main Specs

  Korg B2
Release Date 2019
Color variations Black (B2-BK), White (B2-WH)
Keyboard 88 key (A0–C8), NH (Natural Weighted Hammer Action) Keyboard
Polyphony 120
Sound engine Stereo PCM
Voices 12
Rhythms
Demo songs 12
User songs
Effects Reverb, Chorus
Dual mode
Split mode
Other features Transpose, Fine tuning, Metronome
Pedal included 1 sustain pedal
Built-in speakers Yes (2×15 W)
Connections

  • USB TYPE B
  • Pedal input
  • Headphone/Line OUT (combined)
  • Audio In
  • Power Adapter input

Power Supply DC 15 V
Can be battery powered
Dimensions (without stand) 1312 x 336 x 117 mm
(51.65″ x 13.23″ x 4.61″)
Weight 25.13 lbs/11.4 kg
Check Price

The Keyboard

The first thing I noticed about the piano is its lack of ‘fiddly bits’, if you like. Perfect for my purposes but limiting for more adventurous pianists. They’ve used the rest of the gaping space above the keybed (where said fiddly bits would usually go) and inserted a set of 15w speakers which really do make all the difference. Play a few major 7th chords through those speakers and you’ll be whipping your credit card out in no time. So far so good.

B2 Keyboard

Like I said, it’s really important that any new piano I buy has an acoustic feel to the keys. The Korg B2 has 88 weighted hammer action keys. If you don’t want those heavy weighted keys, the Korg B2N offers a lighter-key version. Later on, I’ll talk a little more about the Korg B2N, as well as the Korg B2SP. Both are variations of the Korg B2.

I’ll be honest and tell you that I did notice a difference between the feel of this Korg and my old acoustic at home when I tried them out in the store. The Korg keys don’t quite have the same amount of authenticity. However, that’s what I expected. I don’t think a digital will ever perfectly replicate the feel of an acoustic. Sure, some makers will get close, and Korg have come pretty close with this B2 model. It’s clear they’ve spent a good portion of their development time on trying to replicate the experience of playing a real piano and I applaud them for that.

12 sounds – a mixture of good… and a a couple of not so good

What they have replicated quite well is the sound of an acoustic. The Korg B2 comes with 12 built in sounds and voices, four of which are acoustic piano sounds. The German Concert Piano sound is very grand, perfect for a jazz player like me. I love my extended chords and low bass lines, and this sound accommodates that perfectly. I also love the Ballad Piano sound. It’s a lot softer than the German Concert Piano but also adds a lot of warmth to your playing. I’m not too keen on the Italian Concert Piano sound. Personally, its a little bit too tinny and harsh. I like my piano sound to be a little softer.

The remaining eight sounds on the Korg B2 are electric sounds. I haven’t dabbled in electric sounds a lot since I was in school! It was a lot of fun to play around with them and to bring back some memories. This Korg B2 features a stage electric piano sound, a 1960s electric piano, a digital electric piano, a harpsichord, a pipe organ, an electric organ and strings.
My favourite digital sound? I would say the digital electric piano. It takes me back to the days of Whitney Houston and Luther Van Dross. What an era of music that was. I was thrilled to see that Korg want to keep the memory of that era alive with the inclusion of this sound. It’s of vital importance that we make sure we teach our piano students, and ourselves, about the whole spectrum of music. The electric sounds on this new Korg model definitely support that.

If you are going to be using this Korg in piano lessons I think the addition of these digital sounds will add another level of fun and creativity to the sessions. As you will see below, some of the competitors have much more voices included into their instruments, so this is not the best side of B2. But I need to pay tribute, the quality of the voices is decent.

B2 control buttons
Korg B2 control buttons

Thanks to Korg, B2 at least has built-in metronome with a separate button which you can to play along to without having to purchase a separate one.

Any other B2 additional features?

I like to play live at my local jazz bar a couple of times a month, and I’m considering bring this Korg B2 to my next gig as it allows me to switch between sounds so easily. All I need to do is press the ‘piano play’ button and one of the labelled lower notes together, and I can switch sounds in a second. This feature is super handy for any of you planning on performing a live set and need to switch between sounds quickly.

This same system of pressing the ‘piano play’ button and holding a note down together at the same time can also be used to change other settings as well, such as the speed of the metronome, the amount of chorus and reverb, and transposition. The system is very simple to use if I want to switch sounds. I am able to switch from the Ballad Piano to the Stage Electric Piano in a second. On the other hand, the feature is quite frustrating if I’m looking to speed the beat of the metronome up. It would be much more convenient if Korg had built in a separate controller for the metronome.

There is an additional feature that allows you to connect your mobile phone or tablet to the piano using a jack cable. This enables you to play your music through Korg’s set of 15w speakers. I have been doing this a lot in my lessons when I am required to show a student some band backtrack of the new piece they will be learning.

B2 Piano Learning Bonus

You can find a lot of online piano lessons on the Internet – I’ve reviewed some of them here. What Korg B2 gives you is the software bundle for enhanced tuition and creativity that comes with the purchase, including a three-month trial to an app called Scoove. Scoove claim they can offer the ‘easiest way to learn piano’. So far, I like it. There are hundreds of different pieces that you can learn through the Scoove app. It will talk you through exactly how to play the piece in a very visual way, as you can see below.

What you’ll lack a little here though, is a deep understanding of the theory of music which we all know is absolutely vital if you plan to study seriously. The app gives you a basic understanding, but not enough of a foundation. If you simply want to learn some of your favourite songs without getting to grips with the foundation of the music, you will enjoy the app.

The other pieces of software included are the Korg Module LE and the Korg Gadget LE. I haven’t yet tried these out, so you’ll have to see for yourself!

Connectivity

Korg B2 can not boast of a large number of connections onboard. This model can transmit audio and MIDI via USB directly into your computer. Annoyingly, however, the headphone output and the stereo output are shared. Unfortunately this means you are unable to use both features at the same time unless you have a splitter. Hopefully, Korg can improve on this feature in any future model releases.

Korg B2 back panel connections
Korg B2 back panel connections

The Audio In input allows you to play music from your device on Korg’s speakers and play along with it – sounds like a usual function, but the competitors of the same class don’t have it.

Korg B2N and B2SP variations: are they any better?

As mentioned before, the Korg B2N features a lighter-touch keyboard for those who aren’t looking for a full-weighted digital piano. I am impressed with Korg’s flexibility here as I haven’t noticed many other piano makers doing the same. So B2N is the lightest keyboard of these – it weighs only 9.3 kg (20.5 lbs). But I always recommend fully weighted keyboard, so B2N is not my choice.

Korg B2SP
Korg B2SP

The B2SP variation maintains the fully-weighted keys but also comes with a stand and a three-pedal unit. This variation is perfect for more advanced players who are looking for the ‘full package’. Also note that B2N uses 12V power adapter, while B2 and B2SP – 15V.

  Korg B2 Korg B2SP Korg B2N
Keyboard 88 key (A0–C8), NH (Natural Weighted Hammer Action) Keyboard 88 key (A0–C8), NH (Natural Weighted Hammer Action) Keyboard 88 key (A0–C8), NT(Natural Touch) Keyboard
Weight 25.13 lbs/11.4 kg 46.30 lbs/21 kg 20.50 lbs/9.3 kg
Dimensions (without stand) 1312 x 336 x 117 mm
(51.65″ x 13.23″ x 4.61″)
1312 × 336 × 750 mm
(51.65 × 13.23 × 29.53″)
1312 x 336 x 117 mm
(51.65″ x 13.23″ x 4.61″)
Polyphony 120 120 120
Built-in speakers 2×15 W 2×15 W 2×9 W
Included items AC adapter, Music stand, Damper pedal, Owner’s Manual AC adapter (), Music stand, Stand (for use with B2SP only) with pedal unit (supports half-pedaling), Owner’s Manual AC adapter, Music stand, Damper pedal, Owner’s Manual
Power Supply DC 15V DC 15V DC 12V
Price $$$ $$$$ $$

Korg B2 vs Korg B1

I managed to have a play of the previous Korg B1 model previously. I can’t say that Korg have stepped it much up with the new model. The exterior is almost the same. But as expected of the updated model B2 has some improvements. Most important differences is the number of voices and USB connection. Please see the comparison table below.

  Korg B2 Korg B1
Keyboard 88 key, NH (Natural Weighted Hammer Action) Keyboard 88 key NH (Natural Weighted Hammer Action) Keyboard
Weight 25.13 lbs/11.4 kg 26.01 lbs/11.8 kg
Dimensions (without stand) 1312 x 336 x 117 mm
(51.65″ x 13.23″ x 4.61″)
1312 mm x 336 mm x 117 mm
(51.65″ x 13.23″ x 4.61″)
Polyphony 120 120
Voices 12 8
Demo Songs 12 8
Built-in speakers 2×15 W 2×9 W
Included items AC adapter, Music stand, Damper pedal, Owner’s Manual AC adapter (), Music stand, Stand (for use with B2SP only) with pedal unit (supports half-pedaling), Owner’s Manual
Power Supply DC 15V DC 12V
Connections

  • USB TYPE B
  • Pedal input
  • Headphone/Line OUT (combined)
  • Audio In
  • Power Adapter input

  • Headphones/Line out Jack
  • Pedal connector
  • Power Adapter Input
Check Price

I’ve also noticed that B1 has a much lower build-quality as it features a lot of hard plastics.  Another issue with this previous model is that the sustain pedal came with its own propriety connector. You are not able to use any other third party sustain pedal. You were forced to use Korg’s, which is very limiting. Now B2 features universal jack as a sustain pedal connector, which is very pleasing.

Korg B2 vs Yamaha P-125 vs Casio PX-160 vs Roland FP-10 – Piano Comparison

The Korg B2 wasn’t the only model that I checked out. I also explored Roland’s new FP10, Casio’s PX-160 and my favorite Yamaha’s P125. The difference between Korg B2 and Roland FP-10 is an extended number of extra sounds the Roland model is equipped with: it has 15 (36 with Roland piano app) voices (B2 has 12). But the polyphony is a bit lower – only 96 voices. I prefer Roland’s keyboard action (PHA-4 Standard Keyboard with Escapement) and sound engine, as per me it is more “natural”. Roland’s drawback is its’ speakers – they are quite weak compared to competitors, but this can be solved by connecting the external acoustic system. It’s worth mentioning that the FP-10 has a fairly modern Bluetooth function, although it can only be used for transmitting MIDI data, not for audio streaming. But Korg B2 is the only model among these 4 which has a line input and allows to connect your external audio source to the internal Korg’s speakers.

Korg B2 vs Yamaha P125 vs Casio PX-160 vs Roland FP-10
Korg B2 vs Yamaha P125 vs Casio PX-160 vs Roland FP-10

And another thing that I didn’t like in Korg B2 (same as in Korg B1) is lack of split/layer modes, while competitors have it. For those of you who don’t know, Split mode splits keyboard into two parts, each playing different voice (for example Bass in the left hand, and Piano in the right). And layer mode allows to select two voices playing simultaneously (for example Piano+Strings).

Instead B2 has so called Partner mode, which can split the keyboard into two equal parts and allows teacher to play along with the student with the same sound. Partner mode is similar to Split mode, the difference is that in Partner mode you can’t select different voices for left and right keyboard zones.

  Yamaha P-125 Korg B2 Casio PX-160 Roland FP-10
Release Date 2018 2019 2015 2019
Color variations Black, White Black, White Black, White, Gold Black
Weight 26 lbs/11.8 kg 25.13 lbs/11.4 kg 25.5 lbs/11.6 kg 27.8 lbs/12.6 kg
Dimensions (without stand) 1326 x 295 x 166 mm (52-3/16” x 11-5/8” x 6-9/16”) 1312 x 336 x 117 mm
(51.65″ x 13.23″ x 4.61″)
1322 x 293 x 141 mm
(52″ x 11.5″ x 5.6″)
1284 x 258 x 140 mm
(50-9/16″ x 10-3/16″ x 5-9/16″)
Keyboard 88 key weighted (Graded Hammer Standart) with touch sensivity 88 key (A0–C8), NH (Natural Weighted Hammer Action) Keyboard 88 key weighted SHA 3 (Scaled Hammer Action 3) keyboard with touch sensitivity 88 weighted keys (PHA-4 Standard Keyboard: with Escapement and Ivory Feel)
Polyphony 192 120 128 96
Voices 24 12 18 36 (15 on front panel, all 36 available on Roland Piano App)
Rhythms 20
Demo songs 12 songs + 50 piano songs 12 60 songs 17 songs + 15 tone demo songs
User songs 1 1
Effects Reverb (4), Sound Boost, table EQ, IAC, Stereophonic Optimizer Reverb, Chorus Reverb (4), Chorus (4) Ambience (0–10)
Brilliance (-10–+10)
Dual mode Yes Yes Yes
Split mode Yes Yes (Low range Bass tone only) Yes
Other features Transpose, Fine tuning, Metronome Transpose, Fine tuning, Metronome Transpose, Fine tuning, Metronome, Temperament, Octave shift Bluetooth Ver 4.0 (for MIDI)
Transpose, Master Tuning, Metronome, Built-in piano-effects: String Resonance, Damper Resonance, Key Off Resonance
Pedal included 1 sustain pedal 1 sustain pedal 1 sustain pedal (SP-3) 1 sustain pedal
Built-in speakers Yes (2×7 W) Yes (2×15 W) Yes (2×8 W) Yes (2×6 W)
Connections

  • USB-to-Host
  • Sustain pedal input (1/4”)
  • Headphone output (2×1/4”)
  • Aux out (2×1/4”)
  • Pedal unit connector
  • Power adapter input

  • USB TYPE B
  • Pedal input
  • Headphone/Line OUT (combined)
  • Audio In
  • Power Adapter input

  • USB Type B
  • Pedal input
  • 2 Headphone Jacks (2×1/8″)
  • 2 Line out Jacks (2×1/4″)
  • Pedal unit connector
  • Power adapter input

  • USB Type B
  • USB Type A (update port)
  • Sustain Pedal Input
  • Bluetooth Ver 4.0 (for MIDI)
  • Headphone Jack/Line out (combined) – Stereo miniature phone type x1
  • Power adapter input
Check Price

The Yamaha P125 is a little more expensive but is more feature rich, it includes more voices, have internal rhythms to play along (Korg doesn’t have any). So does the Casio PX-160: though developed back in 2015 it still is very popular because of it’s features and price. I think that Casio will release updated model of their PX-160 soon, I’m looking forward to try it.

Nice feature in PX-160: if you are learning some demo song from the piano internal bank, you can turn off left or right hand of the performance and play it yourself – very useful while studying.

My personal winner in this comparison is Yamaha, but it is also the most expensive among competitors. If you are on budget – I recommend Korg B2, this is the cheapest option. Casio is good also, but I expect it to release the updated PX piano soon, so maybe you should wait a little and check it. Roland FP-10 is actually the golden mean offering great keyboard action and sound engine for the average price.

To finish…

If you’re on the lookout for a cheap digital piano, and you are looking for simplicity, I’d recommend to try Korg B2. It’s a ‘no fuss’ option. The lack of complexion does make it limiting for more advanced and adventurous players, but it is that very lack of mass complexion that makes this model suited to me as a jazz player. And it is cheaper than competitors.am

As I mentioned above, the piano sounds are mostly gorgeous (albeit with one not-so-good Italian Piano sound thrown in there), and the electric sounds are simple but not overly simplistic.

The included software – Scoove, Korg Module LE and the Korg Gadget LE – make this model good for piano learning, as do the built-in metronome.

If you are a budding producer, this probably isn’t the model for you. There just isn’t enough variation in tone, sound, and feel for you. But that’s ok, because not every model can be built for every single type of player.

Korg B2SP White
Korg B2SP White

Main Pros/Cons

Pros

  • 120 polyphony voices
  • Audio In
  • Good build quality
  • 2 colors to choose from
  • Half-pedaling supported with Optional Pedal unit PU-2
  • Reasonable price

Cons

  • Only 12 instrument voices
  • Limited number of effects

Final Verdict

Korg B2 is a renewed version of B1. This is rather stylish piano with minimum set of features and is pretty much suitable for beginners as well as for advanced travelling pianists, as it is very compact and lightweight. Don’t expect much from it, but if you are looking for a simple and not very expensive piano Korg B2 can be your choice.

Check Korg B2 price on Amazon here.

If you liked the review please Share or Tweet it with the button below. This way I will know that I do something useful)

Official Korg B2 page: https://www.korg.com/us/products/digitalpianos/b2/

Summary
Review Date
Reviewed Item
Korg B2
Author Rating
41star1star1star1stargray
Product Name
Korg B2

Tags: , , , , , ,

19 comments Add yours
  1. Thanks for this review.
    I mostly care about realistic key touch, you mentioned you prefer Roland FP10 keys “I also prefer Roland’s keyboard action, as per me it is more “natural”, but then you didn’t had the FP10 on the comparison tables ?
    Thanks.

    1. Hi Emanuel! Thank you for reading! For now I’ve added only most popular pianos by Casio and Yamaha to comparison tables. But you are right, I will add FP10 for sure, because it is also worth seeing.

  2. Hello and thanks for the review.
    I am looking to buy a digital piano and I am currently debating between the Korg B2 and the Roland FP 30. Authentic sound and touch are very important to me. And it is important to note that where I live, the Korg B2 is much cheaper than the Fp 30.
    Which one would you recommend?
    Thanks!

    1. Hi Ruth!
      Thank you for reading)
      Are you sure that you are talking about FP 30, not FP 10?
      It is better to compare Korg B2 to Roland FP 10 which are same class devices. The price for these two is similar, and personally I would choose FP 10 if I were choosing between them. As I mentioned in the article I liked FP 10 for more natural keyboard and piano sound, it also offers a little more voices.
      The only thing that could be better in FP 10 is polyphony.
      FP-30 has more onboard voices, more polyphony, but sound engine and keyboard action is the same as in FP-10, so I don’t think you should overpay for it if you are on budget.
      Do you have a chance to try Korg and Roland in some music shop near you? This would help you to find “your” piano. Don’t listen to others advice, listen to your feelings:)

  3. It’s impossible to tell by watching videos, but the fp-10 speakers are much weaker than the Korg and I can’t imagine there put out a comparable sound without external speakers. But in terms of feel (and escapement, string resonance, etc), everyone likes the Roland.

  4. Hey John,
    Thanks for the review.
    Did you notice a slight hissing sound in the Korg B2 as soon as you turned it on?
    I’ve never owned a digital piano before but this is the second B2 I’ve had now from two different retailers and the sound is audible when learning to play.
    Wondering if you noticed it at all and whether others like the Yamaha have less of it. It’s driving me nuts!

    1. Hi Amanda,
      I didn’t notice anything like this on my B2, probably your device is defective. But if you say you tried two different B2’s, than I would contact Korg to clarify the issue.
      Do you hear this sound in headphones also? Also check that no other electronic devices are connected to the same outlet – they can make noise.

    2. Hi,
      Just bought my B2 and it is making the hissing sound as well. A bit from the speakers (only when I put my ears very close to piano) but a lot more noticeable on my sensitive IEM earphones. Saw somewhere that this might be a common issue on lower tier digital pianos. Not sure if this was because of a cost effective design or if it was simply a factory defect.

      Could very well be a bad batch from the factory as we are seeing it at about the same time. Will update if I find out anything from the dealer.

      FYI – as John suggested, I did try using a few different electrical outlets in the house, all without any other devices with the same result. And this is more like a white noise sound not a ground loop hum sort of sound.

      Thanks

      1. Update:
        Unfortunately the B2 on display at the store I went to has the same hissing noise from the headphone jack as well. The exact same thing too with the more expensive Yamaha P125 and DGX-660 in the similar price range. The only one I tried that did not generate much noticeable hissing noise from the headphone jack was the Yamaha P515 which was three times the price of the B2. So I would guess that this is a more common feature for pianos in around this or lower price range.

        Couldn’t really check the hissing sound from the speakers at the store as it was too noisy there but for my B2 it was not that noticeable in a quite room unless I came very close to one of the speakers (maybe within six inches or less). Note that from what I have read the hissing sound or “noise” does seem to be common property of any sound systems as long as it is well controlled and not excessive. It cannot be eliminated entirely but controlled, surely.

        So if, like me you are sensitive to this noise from the B2 the solution could be to consider a different piano model with better “noise” control or continue using the B2 with a pair of bigger headphones, like the over-ear ones. As someone suggested on another website smaller headphones like the earbuds and in-ear headphones are more sensitive to “noise” due to higher sensitivity and low impedance. I have verified with my own headphones that this is true. I could hardly hear the hiss with a larger on-ear headphones but it was very very obvious with a pair of small and sensitive IEM’s.

        Hope this helps 🙂

        1. Thanks a lot for your update! I’m sure it will help others. I will update the post with that information.
          I usually use big headphones and never earbuds, that’s why I think I didn’t notice the noise.
          Of course every acoustic system generates some hissing sound, but usually it is hardly noticeable if the system is not the cheapest one.

  5. I also have a new B2 purchased within the last few weeks. The hissing sound is not insignificant. I can clearly hear it from a seated position. Hiss is constant, unaffected by the volume setting. My guess is that this is a bad batch from the factory as a number of reports are appearing online at the same time. Considering returning it because it’s incredibly distracting.

    1. I recently ordered a B2SP (Feb 2021) and it has the low hissing sound. I called Korg and was informed that this would be considered ‘in spec’ for that model. So it seems this is considered by the manufacturer to come with the territory at that price point. Quite disappointing

    1. As I said I like Roland’s SuperNATURAL sound engine more than Korg’s. Roland’s keyboard is a bit more “comfortable” for me also. BUT this is very subjective. I talked to a couple of my friends who also tested both of these pianos and one of them gave his voice for Korg, and another one for Roland. These are one class devices, I recommend you to try both of them!

  6. its worth pointing out the Roland FP10 does not have Audio in or Bluetooth Audio (only BT Midi). Thus you cant stream your own music to the speakers and play along with it. However the Korg B2 has the Audio in that allows this which is a big plus for beginners

  7. Hey, just to let you know, you CAN split the keyboard into two for teacher and student. It is easily done.

    1. Hi, thanks for noticing! This is my fault and the terminology issue. You can really split the keyboard for teacher and student (“Partner mode”), but you can’t split it in the usual way – for using different voices for the left and right hand. I’ve updated the article with this in mind.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *