Yamaha P45 Vs P125 – Which Is Better?

This post was updated on: March 28th 2024

If you are looking for a piano for beginners, we are sure that you may stumble upon the two Yamaha P45 vs P125 once. These are the two models that are popular due to their versatile and compact.

There probably is some confusion when deciding which one is the right fit for you since their features and design are pretty alike.

Yet, don’t worry, as you can count on our comparison of Yamaha P125 vs P45 in this post to odd out the perfect one. Now, let’s get into the real review.

Last update on 2024-03-27 at 15:13 UTC - 4/ Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API


Yamaha P45 vs P125 - The Similarities

Dimensions

As you may not know, Yamaha P45 vs Yamaha P125 has the same width and depth. They both have similar sizes of 1,326mm wide and 295mm deep.

Yet, it is slightly different when it comes to their height since the Yamaha P125 is 8mm higher than the P45.

Design 

There is no difference in the design of Yamaha P125 vs P45, as their styles are like most pianos available in the market today. They come with white keyboards and a black cover around.

In our opinion, they all have an elegant, classic, and simplistic appearance. Additionally, above the keyboard, Yamaha P45 Vs. P125 is furnished with a mix of knobs, buttons, or sliders.

They also go along with an LCD screen.

yamaha p45 vs yamaha p125

P45

Number of keys

One more feature that Yamaha P45 vs Yamaha P125 having the same is their number of keys. They come equipped with 88 keys on board like other pianos.

Type of keys

Yamaha P45 vs P125’s keys are all plastic. Many reviews said that their tickets bring a well-weighted feeling and are pretty good at absorbing moisture.

Of course, the feeling is not as good as what other more expensive models provide, yet we ensure that these two still can please you at some points.

Additionally, the keys are in Graded Hammer Standard (GHS), which means they can produce heavier bass and lighter treble like a real piano.

The Yamaha P45 vs Yamaha P125 is a perfect fit for anyone desiring to upgrade their keyboard or buy an acoustic piano’s spare.

Touch Sensitivity

These two also come in 4 different presets that are changeable: Hard, medium, soft, and fixed. Although these actions are all old-fashioned, they are the most suitable for the beginner or intermediate pianist.

That is because they can help build up strength in both finger and hand while playing. Plus, these actions also can form a good music memory for these pianists.

Yamaha P45 88-Key Weighted Digital Piano
  • Includes the P45 Digital Piano, power adapter, sustain pedal and music rest
  • 88 fully weighted piano style keys simulate the feel of an acoustic piano and provide a quality playing experience

Last update on 2024-03-27 at 11:52 UTC - 4/ Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Yamaha P125 vs P45 - The Differences

Polyphony

First, let us explain to you what polyphony is. Polyphony is the number of notes that you can play at once. If you think you can only play ten notes simultaneously as you have only ten gingers, you are wrong in this case.

When you hit the pedal and press the key, a note produced will count as a polyphony. Yet, the Yamaha P125 has 192 messages polyphony, and the P45 has less with only 64 of them.

Therefore, when you want to go for thick textured music requiring lots of pedal pressing, it would be a disadvantage for the P45.

Recording

This feature is also a downside of the P45 since it doesn’t offer any recording ability. This rare situation may disappoint you if you are a beginning pianist.

As the recording ability can help you to playback your song and see what went wrong and improve it, you should think carefully before purchasing this piano.

Unlike the P45, its opponent-P125 provides two-track recording, something better than nothing even if it is the least compared to others.

You can also connect this device to your computer; it can benefit a lot as you can have more storage space.

yamaha p125 vs yamaha p45

P125

Connections

The Yamaha P125 once again wins the match with all the output it has. Not only can you get a sustain switch plug, a power jack, but you also can get a three-pedal unit’s jack as a real piano.

Additionally, this device comes with AUX OUT allowing you to connect to a PA system and a USB host.

Plus, compared to the P45 with only one headphone output, it is more beneficial for users of the P125 with two jacks fitting for teaching or duet playing.

Modes

The more modes you get, the more advantage you have in teaching, music-making, and learning the piano. Therefore, compared with the P45 only has two styles; it would be better to have the P125 with three modes. 

Apart from the two modes duo and layer that the P45 can provide, you can get an extra split mode, enabling you to split the piano in half. That means you can play a separate voice in either the left or the right.

If you are a composer, we would advise you to take the P125 since it can offer you more creativity in making your music with different voices included. 

yamaha p125 vs p45

Included Voices

The P125 will give you six different sections, including 24 voices in one device only.

You can get a pick among electric piano sounds, piano sounds, other keyboards (harpsichord, vibraphone, clavichord), a choir section, a string section, and an organ section.

And as expected, the sounds are all high quality like which Yamaha has promised to provide. However, it is a disappointment that the p45 only has 10 of them, so if you are a composer, sorry that it let you down. 

Sound Technology

The P125 goes with the Yamaha Pure CF sound engine, plus a smart acoustic control and damper sorority. This technology is a renovation from the old one to create a much more pure and articulate sound.

The P45, on the other hand, features the old AWM Sampling sound engine. We don’t say that this engine is bad, yet it will bring you a more digital sound feeling than the P125.

The P125 will give you a natural sound close to what you can have in a real piano; meanwhile, the P45 cannot reach that same level.

Speakers

The last feature that is different is the speaker. In the P125, Yamaha provides you with a 14W speaker, and on the P45 is a 12W of power speaker.

They both appear in good quality with no distortion or crackling when turning the max volume. Still, it would help if you used headphones to have a better experience.

Yamaha P45 vs P125 - Which is Better?

After testing and comparing the two models Yamaha P45 vs Yamaha P125, we have concluded that it is better to purchase the P125.

As we mentioned in all the features above, getting the P125 means you can get more polyphony and two recording tracks. Moreover, you can have better output connections, modes, and sound technology. Isn’t it great?

Yamaha P125 88-Key Weighted Action Digital Piano with Power Supply and Sustain Pedal, White
  • A fully weighted digital piano with 88 full-sized piano-style keys
  • GHS weighted action is heavier in the low keys and lighter in the high keys, just like an acoustic piano

Last update on 2024-03-27 at 15:13 UTC - 4/ Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

FAQs

How do you use MIDI on a Yamaha keyboard?

You can use MIDI on a Yamaha keyboard by following these given steps:

Step 1: Connect one port, called MIDI OUT, on your keyboard and the MIDI into another port on the sound modules of other devices with the MIDI cable.

Step 2: Set your keyboard mode to MIDI (sometimes, you can do this by switching off the Local mode instead).

It is betterer that you use the manual to know how to do it with different devices. Usually, this mode will be on the keyboard controls, a screen display, or the main menu.

Step 3: Set the keyboard now to be the controller so you can control another device.

Step 4: Set the sound module of the other to be Slave. You can use the sound module manual to find out how to do it.

Step 5: Connect the headphones or speakers so you can hear the result.

Which is good for beginners - P45 or P125?

As we have mentioned above, the P125 would be the best choice for the beginner with its versatile and compact features.

Do I need 88 keys to learn the piano?

As you may know, most piano keyboards appear with 66, 72, or 88 keys. If you are a beginner, 66 are enough for first learning how to play.

If you are looking for knowing how to play all the music, 72 keys will be a great choice. Still, if you are curious about playing classical piano, a full 88 keys are in our recommendation.

Final words

After reading, we hope you can find our review about Yamaha P45 vs P125 helpful in getting all the needy information before buying. Moreover, you can have the answer to some common questions in the FAQs part. 

Good luck with your shopping. Thank you for reading.

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