Casio PX-770 Review

We rated the Casio PX-770 a 7.5/10, because of this Privia’s updates, value for the money, lovely medium action, and rich grand piano tone. It suits the needs of many pianists. The onboard buttons are accessible for beginners, because they are easy to learn, but I also think that the PX-770 suits intermediates very well. I also appreciate the minimalist soundbank, which has excellent piano sounds. 

I did end up taking off two and a half points, one because the connectivity could stand to be better (No Bluetooth, or flash drive slot), and the other because the sounds aren’t very customizable when we compare it to other beginning-to-intermediate models. The last half a point was just because this instrument is a bit older and has fewer updates than say, the S3100.

PX770: Overview

The Casio PX770 BK Privia is an under-$1000 home/console piano with 88 full-sized keys, hammer action, and a slimline design. The PX-770 was first released in the fall of 2017. Casio’s Privias have been around since 2003, and aim to offer musicians a budget piano keyboard without sacrificing quality. 

The piano also has 19 different instrument sounds, including grand piano, electric piano, organ, and strings, among others. It has a triple pedal, built-in speakers, and a headphone jack for private practice. Overall, the Casio PX-770 is a solid digital piano with good features and a very reasonable price point. It has received positive reviews from many Amazon users and is a popular choice for those looking for a reliable instrument to practice and perform on!

Casio PX-770 Features

AiR Tone Generator

The Air sound engine inside this model has 19 total tones, including 5 grand pianos, such as the upgraded grand piano tone. Other keyboard sounds on this instrument include electric pianos, organs, harpsichord, and vibraphones. Non-keyboard instruments include bass and strings. Some intermediate models add winds when they shouldn’t have- Oftentimes, wind sounds on budget keyboards are unconvincing. I’m glad Casio stuck to the basics and kept their quality high. 

Gorgeous Action, Textured Keys

The 88-full-sized keys are weighted with real hammers, rather than springs like many other budget keyboards have, so the weight of the keys is very realistic. Plus, with the synthetic ebony and ivory, along with the triple sensor keyboard, we find that the keyboard is highly sensitive and responsive. 

Side note: Many pianos in this price range only have textured synthetic ivory, without the synthetic ebony. I was quite happy to see that all the keys are textured in the Casio PX-770. 

MIDI Recorder 

This Privia has a two-track MIDI recorder that allows you to record and playback your practice and musical ideas. While 2 tracks probably aren’t enough for composers and arrangers, it’s a great place to start. The PX-770 model allows for a max of 5,000 notes. 

Concert Play

Concert play is a feature that lets you play along to 10 orchestral pieces, with lush backing tracks. The prerecorded tracks are actually live-strings, which I love. You can either silence the piano part so you can play it yourself or play along with the pre-recorded melodies in order to further your practice. According to Casio’s website, you can also slow down these tracks without any wonky pitch warping. 

Song Library

Another enjoyable feature for pianists the 60-song music library. This library leaves 10 slots empty so you can put in your own tracks, too. 

Other Features Include:

• Split
• Layer
• Duet mode
• 17 types of temperament
• Octave shift (up to 2 octaves)
• 10 user song slots
• Double headphone jacks
• Chordana app compatibility
• An onboard lesson function

Specifications

• Weight: 69.4 lbs
• Dimensions: 54.5 x 11.8 x 31.4 inches 
• Keyboard type: Home piano, digital console
• Colors Available: White, black, oak

Who is it suitable for?

The Casio PX-770 is best suited for beginners to early intermediates, or anyone else who is looking for a budget home piano. For those who don’t want to get into piano tuning, a digital piano like this one is far less hassle than an acoustic upright. This particular Privia is best suited to those who are interested in piano tones. 

The PX-770 in Action

Don’t just take my word for it! Let’s see the Casio PX-770 in action with this demo and review video from the professionals at Merriam.

Before I got a chance to play the instrument, I watched this video. The vibraphone sound and E. piano tones really took me by surprise, as they have a full stack of overtones and are very pleasing to the ears. These are two sounds that I am typically pretty picky about, since budget pianos with these tones usually end up sounding tinny, or (even worse) sonically flat. However,  Casio has done a lovely job, and really sold me on this small but mighty soundbank. 

Amazon Ratings:

The PX-770 was rated 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon. So what did musicians have to say? 

Here are some of the rave reviews and comments:

• “Nice little piano!”
• A great piano 
• ”Sounds perfect” and even has 3 pedals

Many of the positive reviews about the PX-770 were about the sound, and how great of a price this instrument is for the quality of tones you end up getting. 

And here are some constructive criticisms:

• One customer said the speaker quality was just ‘ok’ and wished they had started out with a higher grade instrument
• Another commented that the instrument is nice, but that the balance of the keys isn’t quite what the expected. 
• The music stand is a bit flimsy

There was only one outlier who said this instrument wasn’t good ‘bang for your buck’. Apart from that, minor complaints such as not liking the feel of the keys were the only other comments I spotted. 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• It’s budget-friendly
• The textured keys feel lovely
• The quality of the speaker boxes in this model is very high
• The keyboard has triple sensors  
• The cabinet has been updated since the previous model (PX-760)
• This instrument has resonant, full tones; especially when it comes to the piano tones
• The onboard buttons make it super easy to navigate
• It has two acoustic simulator features 
• There are 10 built-in songs with orchestral accompaniment to learn with 
• Aside from the orchestral tunes, there is also a 60-song song bank
• The stand and pedals are included

It is difficult to find a piano with all-textured keys in this price range. Pair that with the real hammers and triple sensor keyboard with touch sensitivity, and I think we have a real winner. And while the speakers may not have a ton of power, the high-end that they offer is truly beautiful. 

Since the PX-760, Casio has updated the cabinet, and also added an effect called brilliance. The high-quality yet basic sound effects really shine with this instrument, because it has such gorgeous piano tones already. The two acoustic simulator features (hammer response and damper resonance) further fine-tune the sound. 

Another big pro in my book is that it is intuitive to use. Unlike the new touch-controlled Casio I just reviewed the other week, the PX-770’s navigation is 100% no-nonsense. 

Lastly, it has well-rounded features. The orchestral backing tracks and songs will keep you busy even if you don’t have much sheet music around. Plus, the stand and triple pedal is included, so you save even more cash. 

Cons

• The speakers don’t have a lot of wattage
• Similarly, the bass end of the sound can be a bit thin
• The polyphony could stand to be higher
• It’s not super portable
• Some musicians refer to it as a lesser version of the PX-870
• Sound editing is minimal (no hall simulator, Eqing etc)
• The connectivity is bare bones
• There are newer instruments out there
• There is no display
• There isn’t any Bluetooth

One drawback we see a lot of the time with budget pianos is that the polyphony doesn’t usually get above 192 notes. In this case, we have 128, which is pretty good, but some (more advanced) players will likely want more. And, since this is a home piano, it’s not going to be portable like the ever-popular Roland FP-30. I didn’t let this feature affect the score in this review, though, because a home piano isn’t meant to move!

A bigger con is that the PX-770 is a parred-down PX-870. The 770 simply doesn’t have much speaker power, especially compared to its newer, shinier siblings. It’s also given that it doesn’t have the newest sounds or FX. 

A medium-sized con with the 770 is that there aren’t a ton of ways to tweak your sound. If you are looking into this instrument, make sure you are happy with the presets before you click to purchase. 

Like the other Casio Privia’s I’ve been reviewing, this one doesn’t have a display. These are the compromises we have to weigh when considering whether to get a budget piano, or something a little fancier. For me, a large display isn’t a dealbreaker, especially if I like the sounds. I was less disappointed in seeing the PX-770’s lack of screen than I was with the newer display-less models. With the newer slimlines, it seemed like something was missing, but I oddly enough, I didn’t miss it too much in the 770. 

Comparable Models

• Casio PX-760 (for a used model)
• Casio PX-870 (for an upgraded cabinet, better, richer piano tones)
• Celviano AP-270 (For higher polyphony, more grand piano tones)
• Yamaha P-125 (For different timbre piano tones, more overall tones, more polyphony, and similar action)
• Korg B2/B2SP (For great European piano tones)
• Roland FP-30  (For more tones) 

If you are looking for an older model to get used, the Casio PX-760 is a good candidate. The PX-760 is the predecessor to the PX-700. Its features include 18 total voices (including grand piano samples) as well as FX-like reverb, weighted keys, and MIDI compatibility. The main drawbacks, on the other hand, are that 1. You are not going to get the cabinet update 2. The 760 is rated significantly lower than the 770. In short, it’s simply not as new. 

If you are looking for a few steps up from the PX-770, try out the PX-860. Again, Casio has updated the cabinet. They have also redone the sampling on the piano tones- One of which has 4 layers now. The 870 model also has 40-watt speakers (compared to the 770’s double 8-watts) meaning it has loads more power, or “Umph”!

If you want something even more realistic-feeling, try the Celviano AP-270. The Celviano line is also made by Casio but aims to make pro-grade instruments, rather than budget digitals. The AP-270 has more polyphony and a nicer key feel but is roughly twice the price. Other features you’ll get include a sound chip with a sample for a Steinway grand, a stellar European Concert grand sound, and triple sensors in the keybed.

Two other pianos that always seem to make it to my comparison sections are the Korg B2 and Roland FP-30. You’re probably wondering why that is! 

I find that both of these models by these two brands are extremely versatile and feature-packed. Unfortunately, the B2 doesn’t have onboard speakers. If this isn’t a dealbreaker for you, I think the Italian and German piano sounds are exquisite. The FP-30 is comparable in many features but offers a bigger sound library. 

Quick View 

Casio PX-770: Conclusion

In conclusion, the PX-770 is a solid piano that has been popular for a while, and for good reason. And while it might be considered an ‘oldie’ in the music tech world, it’s still a goodie. We hope you’ve enjoyed with Casio PX770 review! Come back soon for more reviews, curiosities, and everything else piano.

Music quote of the week: 

“Music is the moonlight in the gloomy night of life” -John Paul Fredrich Richter 

7.5Expert Score

We rated the Casio PX-770 a 7.5/10, because of this Privia’s updates, value for the money, lovely medium action, and rich grand piano tone. It suits the needs of many pianists. The onboard buttons are accessible for beginners, because they are easy to learn, but I also think that the PX-770 suits intermediates very well. I also appreciate the minimalist soundbank, which has excellent piano sounds. I did end up taking off two and a half points, one because the connectivity could stand to be better (No Bluetooth, or flash drive slot), and the other because the sounds aren’t very customizable when we compare it to other beginning-to-intermediate models. The last half a point was just because this instrument is a bit older and has fewer updates than say, the S3100.

PROS

• It’s budget-friendly
• The textured keys feel lovely
• The quality of the speaker boxes in this model is very high
• The keyboard has triple sensors
• The cabinet has been updated since the previous model (PX-760)
• This instrument has resonant, full tones; especially when it comes to the piano tones
• The onboard buttons make it super easy to navigate
• It has two acoustic simulator features
• There are 10 built-in songs with orchestral accompaniment to learn with
• Aside from the orchestral tunes, there is also a 60-song song bank
• The stand and pedals are included

CONS

• The speakers don’t have a lot of wattage
• Similarly, the bass end of the sound can be a bit thin
• The polyphony could stand to be higher
• It’s not super portable
• Some musicians refer to it as a lesser version of the PX-870
• Sound editing is minimal (no hall simulator, Eqing etc)
• The connectivity is bare bones
• There are newer instruments out there
• There is no display
• There isn’t any Bluetooth