I started learning piano a few months ago on a cheap Yamaha E383 keyboard and recently decided to upgrade to a proper 88-key digital piano. After watching countless YouTube comparisons, here's what I went through.
Yamaha P-225 – My first pick was actually the budget P-145, but I figured I'd spend a bit more and get something that would last longer, so I ordered the P-225 during a local sale. Big disappointment. I play almost exclusively with headphones (Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro 250Ω) and the sound was muffled and distant — almost like a cheap Casio toy. There was also a constant static noise taking up a noticeable chunk of the sound. On top of that, one of the speaker grilles was visibly misaligned, which is hard to accept from Yamaha. I returned it.
Kawai ES60 – While browsing Thomann I spotted the ES60 on sale for nearly half the price of the P-225. Low expectations after the Yamaha disaster, but it actually surprised me — no hissing through the headphones, sound was decent. Downsides: the key action felt very light and synth-like (similar to my E383), and more annoyingly, keys would wobble 1–2mm sideways when pressed down hard, like an ice-skating feeling underfoot. Also no USB audio interface, which matters if you use apps like Flowkey or Skoove with headphones. Returned it too.
Roland FP-30X – Based on Reddit consensus this seemed like the safest bet, so I went to a local store to try it. Headphones sounded fine. Key action was lighter than I expected from all the comments saying Roland has the heaviest action — heavier than the Kawai but noticeably lighter than my (first) P-225, with a much slower key rebound than either.
That got me thinking. I went back and re-read P-225 reviews and something didn't add up — why was mine so bad? I suspected I got a defective unit.
I ordered a second P-225. No hissing, sound was clean and natural, key sensitivity felt great across all settings, and the build quality was fine. Completely different experience.
Bottom line: I'm keeping the P-225. If you're considering it and headphone use is important to you, don't let one bad unit put you off — QC issues happen, and the replacement was night and day. Just make sure you can return it if something feels off.