Yamaha ARIUS YDP-161 Digital Piano with Bench (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

UPDATE: 12/13/18 - This piano, which gets a LOT of use is still going strong!!! And 6 years later, our youngest daughter has excelled at lessons on this, and is now writing and publishing her own music. She attends an arts high school now, and hopes to break into the entertainment industry in the near future. Thank you, Yamaha!! ;)ORIGINAL REVIEW:We purchased this piano for our children who are beginning piano lessons. And wow, were we ever amazed by the wonderful sound that came out of this Yamaha Arius YDP-161! It filled the house with a beautiful sound that could easily be confused for a grand piano! There are different voice settings (2 different grand piano sounds), and while I prefer the sound of the first (default sound) grand piano, I found that the two highest keys barely barely seemed to work, or sounded a little muffled. Using the 2nd grand piano setting, it does not seem to have that issue. I am not sure if this is the way all of these Yamaha Arius YDP-161's are, or if we just got a bad one. But I would really hate to go through the hassle of returning it, so we are keeping it.The appearance was not cheap-looking at all (we were sort of afraid of that since we ordered online and never saw it in person). While it is not solid wood throughout, the laminated "rosewood" finish is surprisingly quite beautiful, and looks like a solid wood piece of furniture. We were happy because it actually matches some of our expensive rosewood-toned Thomasville furniture. The only thing that does look cheap (and not sure why they would even do this), is the back panel if you crawl under and look at it very closely (which is the only way you really notice). It is actually a black plastic-type panel, which could be a bit higher, as it does not run all the way up the entire height of the piano. Thus, you see a big space, like a cut-out, under the keyboard part of the piano, where any cords are not hidden. It would look SO much nicer with a full matching "rosewood finish" panel (with no spaces). Other than that, it is a very nice-looking piano. The gold-tone pedals are nice looking too (and not cheap-looking at all).Now, on to the response. The key action in no way feels anything like an electric keyboard. You would think you are playing a standard acoustic piano. It really has a great feel to it! And there are SO many settings we haven't even gotten into all of them yet. We are just enjoying it as "a regular ol' grand piano" for now. ;) It came with a manual which appears to be very well written, and music book, and the bench is nice and sturdy. We would have liked a full-size bench (with wood top, rather than vinyl padded top), but it is quite comfortable. The bench does not have storage, so we are missing that too, and will probably end up ordering another bench from a third party (I know...good luck trying to match the beautiful rosewood color, huh?). As far as assembling this piano, it could not be easier!!! We were prepared for hours of assembly, but it was so easy it only took less than an hour. We really like that it has a volume knob and the ability to plug in headphones too! Can't get a standard acoustic piano to do that. We feel this is perfect for the kids, and anyone else who wants to learn/play, and definitely a worthwhile purchase for years to come!!!UPDATE (3/23/12): After searching high and low, I finally did find a duet size bench with storage that actually matches this piano!!!!!! I must have looked at every bench in the world, as this is apparently a pretty hard wood tone to match! But the one I found goes perfect with it! It is very sturdy & well-made, with beautiful solid wood legs. It even fits 2 pairs of headphones inside, along with some music books!! I purchased it from a seller on eBay, and it was under $100 incl. expedited shipping from Canada. Just search for "rosewood piano bench" (seller from Canada), and you should be able to find it (while supply lasts I imagine). Hope this helps someone who is also looking for a larger matching bench.

Like the product but it was defective on receipt. How can you fix this issue. It't kind of a hassle to send it back (return).

Third time's a charm - or is it?Did not got it from Amazon but rather from a local store - ordered online, delivered to store for pick up.Only the third was okay to use. First time - box damaged, declined. Second time - a crack in the pedal MDF board, returned. The third one looks good and sound excellent.

Easy to assemble with clear instructions. Piano and bench look very nice. Sounds and feels like a real piano, except for the plastic keyboard. Would receive 5 stars if Yamaha used wood for the keybords. Anyways, I would recommend purchase to a friend.

I love this digital piano! After some research, I decided to purchase the Arius YDP-161, and I'm so glad I did. The keys are weighted so you get the feel of a real piano. The tone is great and there are options for other instrument sounds, as well as a built-in metronome. Also has double stereo headphone jacks- really helpful if you have neighbors close-by.As a beginner, this is great for me, and it is the same model used at the studio where I take lessons, so it is also good for those much more advanced. I was able to put it together by myself in a little over an hour (the actual keyboard unit is pretty heavy so be careful or have someone help you lift it). Mine came with a bench that was even easier to assemble (just screwed on the legs). Also, I ordered the rosewood version and it blends in with the rest of the furniture well and is actually quite attractive and very compact depth-wise. When the keyboard cover is closed, it almost looks like a table.Summary: great quality, reasonable price (given the high-quality), easy assembly and unobtrusive look & feel. There are so many choices, but you won't go wrong with the Arius.

Bought one recently after reading other people's review with high expectation. I was very satisfied with the protection of packing. After I opened the box for installation, I found that there was a clear crack on the board with pedals. Apparently not due to shipping. It didn't bother me at beginning, I thought that I could to ask a replacement of this piece. But, it is not that easy. I had to repack all items up and ship back, just like refund. The problem is the repacking is really hard. Never thought of returning, too fast unboxing to remember how each piece exactly stays together in box. I don't want to repack them in a wrong way that may damage the items, it is not a cheap stuff. For a "huge" Piano, why no choice of a replacement of the broken piece instead of the whole item? There is no other flexible choice, refund or replacement of whole item, either way need to repack everything. It made me kind of disappointed. The manufacturer should also show how to repack the piece after unboxing if their product is not always 100% perfect. have to re-order another one or other model. As to the quality of the piano, no chance to know yet. I will update it late.2012/10/11/ After returning the crack one, we ordered another. This time, I was very disappointed to the packing. Both the box and the inside support are broken. Some pieces were held with tapes in a way looks so cheap, indicating that the set we received is not a brand new one! At least some devices of them are not. It seemed to be not OK for me to buy a "used one" with a full price. But I am tired of thinking if i should return again although AMAZON provides a very convenient return procedure. I gave one star temporarily and will update later based on what will happen.2012/11/24 I am pretty satisfied with both the piano and packing except for the late deliver, which however was due to Fedex. So, I would like to use 4 stars this time to replace the previous one star.