If you want to take advantage of Casio’s many years of experience in manufacturing cost-effective digital pianos, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re a gig musician, recording artist, teacher, or a music lover looking to improve your keyboard skills, the Casio PX-860 is probably what you need.
This Casio PX-860 review covers all the factors you need to consider before deciding whether to make this piano. This is second only to the highly respected PX-850. Examine its features, aesthetics, sound quality, other features, and a summary list of strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, the weaknesses do not seem to be enough to discourage most potential buyers. Let’s start our complete Casio PX-860 review.
Features of Casio PX-850:
At the beginning of our Casio PX-860 review article let’s talk about its impressive features. As a successor to the PX-850, the Casio PX-860 had big shoes. More than that, at about the same price, you get improved sound quality, streamlined controls, and more reliable and natural button action.
To compare and investigate other options, you can also look at the PX-850 and PX-870 and compare them to the Casio PX-860 to see if they offer value on the market. So let’s dive right away without any further effort.
Aesthetics
The Casio PX-860 is a sleek, angular-looking keyboard that exudes class and finesses throughout its appearance. The wooden keyboard stand and construction look like home in a well-planned apartment or an expensive living room, but with a smart plan, even a small apartment can’t be mistaken.
This elegant keyboard measures 58 x 15 x 16 and weighs about 35 kg. The heavy and complex wooden structure of the Casio PX-860 requires assistance in transit, as with a similar class of piano. However, keep in mind that it is not as heavy as most pianos.
Models are available in three colors: black, brown, and white. Its sturdy wooden base gives it a sturdy and elegant look. Thanks to the furniture stand and design, it is often mistaken for an acoustic piano.
Their digital keyboard looks modern but follows Casio’s mantra of having its classic and sophisticated aura. The keys and display panel allow musicians to manage sound and tonality very easily using the streamlined interface of the keys, allowing viewers to realize that this is really a full-featured digital piano.
Sound quality
In our Casio PX-860 review, now let’s talk about its premium sound quality. The Casio PX-850 is known for its impressive sound quality, but that’s definitely where the new Casio PX-860 can show its strengths. When you plunk down before that dark advanced piano and hit that first note, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re sitting in front of an old grand piano.
The acoustic sound of the Casio PX-860 is very nice and seems to have more in common with the overall sound quality previously seen on the Casio PX-5S. It’s as if the Casio developers decided to sit down and make something that would give people the best of both worlds. For the individuals who need to feel like they are partaking in a genuine piano playing experience, this particular quality may be ignored.
The PX-5S model was known for its acoustic sound quality and was thought to be as close to playing a grand piano as old as a digital piano. Combine this with the sound quality of the PX-850 to create captivating and engaging melodies as soon as your finger touches the ebony and ivory keys.
Another eminent sound component is the reverb reenactment includes. This component permits players to reproduce the sound they would get on the off chance that they played music in a show lobby (like the Berlin Philharmoniker Orchestra in Germany) or an environment such as a stadium or cathedral. While many digital pianos can only produce a slight echo effect when trying to simulate a reverb setting, the Casio PX-860 can take things to the next level. Its reverb simulation was one of the first digital pianos to create a truly immersive reverb.
However, in most cases, the Casio PX-860 is impressive without any special features. If you want to play jazz or something other than classical music, you’ll surely enjoy this model, even with the great feel of a grand piano. No digital piano can perfectly reproduce the acoustic effects of a grand piano. However, the Casio PX-860 is so close that for many, this could be the reason why it’s worth buying this digital piano.
The Casio PX-860 is also so big that you don’t need to buy additional speakers to make it bigger. The piano has four powerful speakers already built into the instrument, so you can turn up the volume according to your mood and environment. Fortunately, Casio does not allow a fairly large sound level to compromise the overall sound clarity. This model has great sound effects, even when played at very loud volumes.
Build Quality
The build of this model is very similar to the PX-850 because it has the best of both worlds. Casio wants its digital keyboard to look modern yet classic. That’s certainly what happened with the Casio PX-860.
This instrument is beautiful and slim, with different buttons to activate different features (all very well shown), making it clear that this is the highest quality digital piano. At the same time, the polished pedals and body details make it look like an old grand piano. This is an astonishing accomplishment, particularly taking into account how much innovation introduced in the most recent advanced pianos.
Sound quality can be biased towards older traditional piano performances, but the accessibility of this model certainly has implications for the future. Like the PX-850, this new model allows you to record a performance on a USB stick or an external hard drive. This means that if you list what you think is great, you can keep it perpetually and share it with your loved ones. There are also ports to which you can connect your iPad or another mobile device. This is an extraordinary expansion for any individual who needs to get somewhat more out of playing the piano.
While these features make the Casio PX-860 build very impressive, the additional features it enables mean that this model can be very useful in the educational world. The capacity to record exhibitions and interface with advanced pianos through cell phones implies that music understudies can acquire significantly more from their playing experience and learn a lot quicker. Therefore, many schools (and parents as well) are looking for such a model to provide additional guidance when students first start playing the piano.
Touch And Feel
Like the PX-850, this model features a great lid that covers the piano keyboard. This doesn’t seem worth mentioning, but it’s one of the most attractive features of the Casio PX-860. There are not only digital pianos that sound like old grand pianos, but also key tops like grand pianos.
The ebony and ivory keys have a great feel and areas close to the real thing as you can ride a digital piano. Only the control panel that fits perfectly above the keyboard can spoil the vintage feel of the keyboard.
However, this is a very attractive feature for many. A significant number of digital piano makers tend to install control panels in corners that can be used before they start playing. However, because it’s right above the key, you may tend to enjoy a little more creative freedom and add sonic changes over time. It may weaken the overall outdated feel of the key, but if it can promote creativity, it’s certainly not a bad thing.
The only real disappointment with the Casio PX-860 is the built-in music library. Includes 10 classic tracks recorded in life, so playing with them can be a fun experience. However, if you don’t know how to read the score, you can slow it down a bit in the playback settings, but it can be difficult to keep up with the tracks.
The most important hassle even though is the wide variety of recordings. Having simply 10 saved withinside the virtual piano isn’t that many, even though you may of path use apps on cell gadgets or pc software programs to locate greater music. This isn`t off-installing the slightest even though. Perhaps this tiny flaw is the handiest substantial due to how magnificent the Casio PX-860 is.
When using the keyboard, you can change many elements to make the entire gaming experience more enjoyable. You can change the critical aversion to suit your playing style and speed. That, however, you can likewise empower a two-part harmony to include that permits you to play with others. This is particularly helpful if you are learning the piano and need somewhat more help from your mentor.
Key Sensitivity
In this part of our Casio PX-860 review article let’s talk about its key sensitivity. The keys of this 88-key model are made from synthetic ivory and ebony, freeing the piano from the “plastic” keys that digital pianos are often sold. The keys on the Casio PX-860 are weighted and graduated. Experts consider this to be one of the most important features of the keyboard.
It is also sweat resistant, absorbent and weight sensitive. High notes require a light touch and low notes require a heavier and stronger touch. Calibration of this key is a big plus for the Casio PX-860.
Key sensitivity can also be adjusted/changed to suit the player’s speed, style, and preferences. This flexibility only improves the playability and manageability of this model.
Video Overview of Casio PX-860!
Other features
The piano is loud and the included speakers allow you to pack powerful punches into small and medium-sized rooms without losing the clarity and detail of the sound and without the need for additional speakers.
The sound of the speakers can also be modulated, and many Casio-made pianos and the sounds within them are readily available. The controls are easy to use, and performers need to deal with them with minimal effort during the performance. A USB connection is also provided so you can record long sessions or upload piano tracks directly to your computer. The various features available include splitting and layering, tuning, and adding a metronome.
Pros and Cons Of Casio PX-860 Review:
- Sleek and elegant body
- Hall simulation feature
- Air sound technology
- Ivory and ebony based keys
- Close-to-acoustic sound quality
- A multitude of sounds and modulations
- Lighter than pianos in the similar category
- The sound quality is a little bit hollow
Conclusion
At the end of the Casio PX-860 review, we want to say that, as the truism goes, the proof is in the pudding. That is surely the situation with the Casio PX-860. It looks almost the same as the previous one, but the overall experience of playing this digital piano is completely different.
Gaming on the Casio PX-860 is a fun and consuming experience, immersing yourself in the joy of sitting and playing great music. Even if you can only play a display model at a nearby musical instrument store, an encounter can remain with you for some time. Some may find it a bit expensive (you can find it online for under $1,100 if you shop wisely), but if you want to experience playing the piano, the Casio PX-860 is definitely for you.
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Happy Playing!