Casio Privia PX870 Review

While many other review sites rank the PX870 console piano a bit lower than a 9.5, we think this flagship Privia model deserves a few more points! This home piano has a real wooden cabinet and fantastic feeling keys, and a commendably powerful sound system. 

We took just half a point off our rating because the instrument doesn’t have very much internal storage and minimal layering abilities when it comes to recording. 

Casio PX870 Overview

The Casio PX870 is the flagship model of the Privia line. The PX870 was first released in 2017 and continues to be an extremely popular home digital piano today. I’d imagine that we can be expecting an updated flagship from Casio in the next year or so. 

Despite being released over 6 years ago, the Casio PX870 is still a relevant and high-quality digital piano that offers a realistic playing experience and lots of features for the piece. Like other Privia’s before it, the PX870 is designed to replicate the touch and sound of an acoustic piano and feels amazing. I attribute the authenticity of the instrument to Casio’s astute attention to detail. 

This model features 88 weighted graded scaled hammer action keys, onboard recording, a wooden cabinet with a sliding key cover, and an extremely powerful sound system. 

According to Casio’s manufacturer’s description, the PX870 is revolutionary:   

“Casio: Creativity and Contribution. Breaking free from preconceptions and exceeding the world’s expectations – Casio leverages superior technologies and innovation to create products that deliver new value by meeting the latent needs of customers. The Casio Privia Digital Home Piano has been cultivated to deliver revolutionary piano sound with a dynamic new Sound Projection speaker system packed into a stylish slimline design. This keyboard features 8 scaled, weighted hammer-action keys with simulated ebony and ivory textures, a powerful new Sound Projection 4-speaker system, and versatile practice, performance, and MIDI/audio recording tools.” 

Let’s check out some features more in-depth! 

Features

The Casio Privia: One of My Favorite Keybeds

My favorite keybed in this price range is that of the Casio Privias. The simulated ebony and ivory are superior to the other textured keyboards I’ve tried in similar instruments. Plus, the weight is quite heavy, which I really enjoy. Countless digital feel too light, making them not quite as realistic as they could be. 

One of the standout features of the PX870’s keybed is its Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II. Casio’s technology here accurately replicates the feel of an acoustic piano, since the weighted keys get progressively heavier as you move up the keyboard. This realistic playing experience is one that both beginners to upper-intermediates will enjoy.

AiR Sound Engine 

In terms of sound quality, the PX870 is also impressive. It features Casio’s renowned AiR Sound Source technology. The AiR sound engine, which creates a rich and harmonically dynamic sound, mimics that of an acoustic piano. The digital home piano also comes with a variety of other built-in tones, like strings, organs, and harpsichords, allowing you to experiment with different genres and styles. 

Of all the tones on the PX870, the grand piano concert sound is my favorite (Check it out in Merriam’s PX-870 video below our ‘In Action’ header later in this article).

A Powerful Sound System 

This model has a newly designed 40-watt four-speaker sound system with two-way speakers. Because of the attention to detail that has gone into the speakers, you can fill your living room with your sound. 

Side note: Two-way speakers have something called a woofer, and a tweeter. Woofers help to amplify low frequencies in a clear manner, and tweeters help to amplify the high end. 

This sound system also has sound escapement chambers, which help to disperse tones in a more realistic manner. 

3 Colors, Consistent and Elegant Build

The Casio PX870 comes in black, white, and walnut, and has a sturdy cabinet made of real wood. This particular cabinet design is new to the PX870, and many musicians like it better than the previous build.

 One other aspect of the build that I really appreciate is the sliding key cover, which helps protect the piano from dings and crumbs if you’re in a high-traffic household or piano studio. The piano is also compatible with a 3-pedal unit. 

Other Features

• 17 types of temperament, octave shift, fine-tuning
• Casio’s Concert Play, Preset Songs
• Duo, Dual, Duet
• Built-in metronome
• Recorder
• 2 headphone jacks
• USB and Bluetooth
• Compatible with Casio’s Music Space app
• Rant-worthy build

Between the 60 preset songs, high editability of pitch, and standard duo, dual, and duet, Casio sets players up for success. The instrument is easy to navigate and has all the basics you’ll need for a beginner to intermediate classical player. 

The PX870 also offers features that are designed to make practice and performance easier. From the built-in metronome to a two-track recorder, and solid connectivity (with options for headphones, USB, and Bluetooth).

Specifications

• Weight: 76 lbs
• Piano Type: Digital Console Piano / Home Piano
• Dimensions: 
• Width: 54.75″
• Height: 31.5″
• Depth: 11.75″
• Effects: Reverb, chorus
• Keyboard Sensors: Triple-Sensor

Who is it suitable for?

Overall, the Casio PX870 is a versatile digital piano that can be suitable for a wide range of users, from classical composers to jazz cats, and beginners to professionals; The Casio Privia PX870 is a good fit for almost everybody.

For beginners, the PX870’s weighted keys and realistic touch can help provide an excellent foundation in order to learn proper technique. Plus the high-quality sound bank, and essential features, such as the metronome and recorder, make practicing easier to streamline, and more enjoyable.

Intermediate players who are into recording will likely appreciate the PX870’s connectivity, such as USB to host, and 2-track recorder. Some professional players may be able to use the PX870 as well, especially in the classroom or piano studio setting. 

If you want a moveable piano or something with experimental sounds, you likely won’t be happy with the PX870. Other than that, this Privia is suitable for pretty much everyone.. 

The Casio PX870 in Action

Check out this demo/review video by Merriam Music to get a better feel for this Privia.

Amazon and Sweetwater Reviews

The PX870 was rated 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon.com. A few customers were hoping for more of a grand piano look to the instrument, but they still gave the instrument good reviews, even when the cabinet wasn’t what they quite had in mind. 

Many customers on Amazon were blown away by the feel and sound, stating that the instrument has ‘excellent value’ and is ‘simple but great’.

The Casio PX870 isn’t rated so highly on Sweetwater– It only clocks in at 3 ½ stars. Let’s find out why!

First off, the piano has only been reviewed 4 times online on Sweetwater.  Three customers were critical of the instrument- One said that the keys are noisy, and the other was very unhappy that there wasn’t an instructional manual. As for the key noise, I did not notice any noise in any of the Privias that I’ve tried, so perhaps there was a manufacturing issue. The final critical customer supposedly received an instrument with a broken headphone jack.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The speakers are powerful and 2-way
• The scaled-hammer action keys have 3 sensors and a lovely textured feel
• The polyphony is high
• The weight of the keys is perfect (at least to me!)
• The instrument has been upgraded since the Casio PX-770 
• App compatibility with Casio’s Music Space
• Included bench on Amazon
• As a whole, it’s a well-rounded, great-feeling instrument for the price

This console piano 40-watt 4-speaker system will knock your socks off compared to the other models in this line. The polyphony is high, the touch is perfect, and there have been many tweaks made to the 870 as a whole. 

The piano tones, pedal decay time, and other features like their headphone mode has been updated in order to make the PX870 the best Privia thus far. 

Ps. The bench, which is included on Amazon.com, typically costs $160. When you shop instruments with Amazon bundles, you can save a bundle. 

Cons

• There’s not much internal storage
• It’s a home piano so it’s not very moveable
• It’s not that new and will likely be replaced by a new flagship soon
• No aux input options, no line out
• No pitch bend wheel

My biggest complaint about the PX870 is that there isn’t really much space to store your recorded ideas onboard- If you’re a composer or a songwriter, you’ll need to transfer the recordings via USB. Other, smaller cons are that the piano is quite heavy at 76 pounds, so you won’t be taking it to gigs or moving it very often. 

Another con that I would take into consideration is that this flagship has been around for a while- So it likely won’t be the flagship 2 years from now. Do with that what you will. If you already have a Privia, you might wait for the next one, because there’s bound to be one. Or, consider a more professional Clavinova.

Other cons that musicians might not be a fan of include the lack of aux input and pitch wheel. For me, these two aspects weren’t a big deal, though. I was more bummed to see that there wasn’t a line out. 

Comparable Instruments

• For a more economical home piano: Yamaha P-125 | $699.99
• For a close second: Other Casio Privias, like the PX-770 | $899.99
• For more bells: Roland F140R | $1499.99

The Yamaha P-125 is a top-selling digital piano that is often compared to the PX870, though it costs a fraction of the price of said Privia. While I believe it’s a good model in its own right, it’s not as good as the one we reviewed today. I much prefer the Casio PX870 over the P-125; it just feels better. But if the PX870 is out of budget, the P-125 still has a commendable amount of features, such as GHS weight, and the CF sound engine with grand piano samples. 

Other Casios, like the PX-770, are much more comparable to this model in feel and features than the P-125 is. The PX-770 is another step-down model from the PX-870. Though it has many of the same sounds, the PX-770 has a smaller, less powerful speaker system. The PX-870 has also had some of its tones updated since the 770. 

For an upgrade to a more ‘pro’  instrument, consider the Casio Clavinova line. For an instrument with more bells and whistles like drum loops and creative tones, try Roland. 

The takeaway: There’s a reason why the flagship is the flagship: These two comparable models are good, but not as good as the PX870.

Quick View 

Casio PX-870 Conclusion

Overall, the Casio PX870 is an excellent digital piano that offers a realistic playing experience and a wide range of features. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, this piano is sure to provide you with hours of enjoyment and a sound that is indistinguishable from an acoustic piano.

If you ask me, the PX-870 is a gem of a home piano. I would highly recommend the PX-870 to a wide range of pianists. 

Music quote of the week: 

 “Without music, life would be a mistake.“–Friedrich Nietzsche