I'll start off by admitting I'm too picky about pianos. Whenever I have the chance to practice or perform on a well-maintained Steinway, it's pure enjoyment. Playing on anything else tends to be disappointing, because it's just not the same to me. I've spent most of my life wishing someone would produce a digital piano which could come "close enough" to the real thing, because a top-end acoustic just has never been in my budget.

I recently did a side by side comparison of the CLP170 and CLP175 at a local dealer. The CLP170 is impressive, but the CLP175 blew me away, and I will be purchasing one soon. This CLP175 is "close enough" for me, and it's by far the best digital piano ever to be produced, in my opinion. To me, it sounds and feels better than most acoustic pianos while costing less (and never needs to be tuned).

At first glance, the CLP175 looks impressive because it's a polished ebony grand instead of a vertical. To me, that is no reason to spend the extra money, but it is an added bonus for those who want something that looks good in the living room. The CLP170 and CLP175 have the same internal sound-producing electronics, functions, and user interface, but they are not equal in sound. The sound projecting up from under a wooden lid surpasses that of a vertical piano up against the wall, just like with an acoustic.

The most significant difference, and the reason I will spend more for the CLP175, is the feel of the keyboard action. The CLP170's "GH3" keyboard is nice, but it doesn't compete with the "Natural Keyboard" found on the CLP175. I don't know if it has anything to do with the real spruce wood keys, or if there is some other mechanical difference which gives the CLP175 more realistic depth to the action. The keys seem be more lively in returning after being depressed. The CLP170 seemed more sluggish in this respect, and the firmer, deeper feel and active return of the Natural Keyboard felt more like there were actual hammers bouncing off strings. This enhanced my ability to play difficult arpeggios and scales more cleanly and confidently.

This review is just my opinion, and opinions will vary widely. Anyone considering such an important investment should play a wide range of digitals and acoustics, and form an opinion based on individual taste. (I could not link directly to the CLP175 web page because Yamaha's URLs tend to be a mile long, and do not fit within the submission form. From the main page, click on the following links: USA, Pianos & Digital Pianos, Clavinova Digital Pianos, CLP Series, CLP175.)