Introduction - 2:21
Piano Sound - 3:25
Action Comparison - 26:04
Piano Features - 32:27
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Alternative Options - Comparable Digital Pianos
🛒 Roland FP-60X ▸geni.us/Roland-FP30
🛒 Kawai ES110 ▸geni.us/Kawai-ES110
🛒 Kawai ES920 ▸geni.us/Kawai-ES920
🛒 Korg B2 ▸geni.us/Korg-B2
🛒 Yamaha P-45 ▸geni.us/Yamaha-P45
🛒 Yamaha DGX-660 ▸geni.us/yamaha-DGX-660
🛒 Yamaha YPG-535 ▸geni.us/Yamaha-YPG535
#P125 #FP30X #DigitalPiano
Welcome to Merriam Pianos on KZfaq. Today we’ll be comparing two of the most popular mid-range all-in-one portable digital pianos with the Yamaha P-125 and Roland PHA4.
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Piano Background
We’ve done a number of videos on the recently released Roland FP-30X, as well as several on the Yamaha P-125, but we have yet to actually compare these two pianos side by side.
Both are very solid instruments, and you can’t really make a bad choice going with one or the other.
Piano Sound
On paper, the FP-30X’s 22 watts of power pumping through it’s dual speaker system led us to assume it would have a more powerful bass and stronger treble presence than the P-125’s 14 watt system. While the FP-30X does have a fuller bass, the P-125 actually manages to have a clearer, more defined treble due to it’s 4 speaker system that utilizes a pair of tweeters.
Now, this is a bit of a moot conversation since both of these pianos are built for professional applications where you’ll surely need to use the line out to connect to an amp for more juice. That said, comparing the on-board speakers is still a worthy endeavor.
What are the respective sound engines behind these speaker systems? In the case of the FP-30X, Roland has incorporated their new BMC processing chip to power the SuperNATURAL engine, resulting in a higher fidelity, more complex tone than what the FP-30 was capable of. The polyphony has been upped to 256 notes as well.
The P-125 uses Yamaha’s Pure CF sound engines, which is a 4 sample layer based engine derived from their CFIIIS concert grand piano. This is no longer their flagship concert grand having been replaced by the new CFX, but it’s still an excellent piano.
As far as the number of on-board tones available on each piano, the FP-30X is the obvious winner here with 56 total sounds, and access to the entire GM2 sound bank via Roland’s app.
The P-125 comparatively has 24 sounds. This is still a good selection for the price point, but it’s important to note that the FP-30X more than doubles it up, even without getting into the GM2.
The default grand piano tone is great on the P-125, but once you get into the other tones, the P-125 shows its age - the FP30X’s e. pianos, organs and strings simply sound better, with the exception of a few of the sounds on the P-125 that are rendered exceptionally well.
Piano Action
The FP-30X brings back the venerable PHA4 action that can be found pretty frequently throughout the lower half of Roland’s lineup. This action has a triple sensor, escapement, a nice key texture and a really nicely firm return pressure. We love this action, and think it’s hands down the best action at this price point.
Roland has also improved the dynamic response when playing at lower volume levels due to the new BMC chip, giving the impression of more sensitivity.
The P-125 is using Yamaha’s Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) action, which has been on the market for several years now.
This action uses a dual sensor and does not have escapement, which might not matter depending on your experience level and the type of music you play.
The repetition speed is great, but oddly, the key return feels sluggish and delayed.
The GHS isn’t a bad action by any means, but the PHA4 is simply impossible to beat in this price category.
Summary
These pianos compare really well, with a lot of similar specs and features. The FP-30X is very tough to beat as a total package, but it does cost more, and the P-125 is still a powerhouse in the category for a reason.
Thanks for watching!
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