Yamaha DGX-650??

[BillTheSlink]

I am a total newbie. I briefly owned a Casio PX-350 but didn't like it much due to low volume produced by the three watt on board speakers, but it was destroyed by a cat before I really could do anything with it.

I had a look at the Yamaha DGX-650 in a store. It was used and we couldn't come to terms on a fair price. I was having fun with it, but I understand as a newbie I am in no position to judge quality. I was trying to find some professional reviews on line, (Harmony Central, Gear Heads) and no one has anything I can find on this keyboard. I can find plenty of glowing user reviews, but no professional reviews other than one blog that's run by a Casio dealer so he has a vested interest and I take it with a grain of salt. Perhaps my Google-Fu is failing me, but when I try to find the professional reviews I turn up people wanting to sell me the keyboard. Is there some reason there seems to be a void of reviews on this model? It has been out since 2013 so it's plenty old.

What concerns me is that I know that in most industries magiziens and such that do reviews if they feel something is total junk they just won't review it; they won't do a bad review of something. Can anyone find a professional review of the keyboard, or does anyone know if something is wrong with it?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

There's nothing "wrong" with the DGX-650, as far as I know. My understanding is that it's a good digital piano, although not as good as a stage piano would be. Plus, a lot of digital pianos seem to have a limited number of voices, but the DGX line is XGlite-compatible (I take it that "DGX" stands for "Digital Grand XGlite"), so it has plenty of voices to choose from.

I think most "professional" reviews are going to focus on higher-end models-- stage pianos and so forth. I don't think it's about whether or not something is "total junk," but more a desire to review instruments they think professional musicians will be more likely to buy. The DGX line is marketed more toward home users, and I don't think that very many professionals would be inclined to buy one-- they'd probably spend a lot more money and get a stage piano. Also, they'd probably already have a really good organ and a really good synth, so they probably wouldn't care whether or not the stage piano had a wide variety of sounds to choose from.

Have you looked for reviews of the earlier DGX models, such as the DGX-640?

 

[BillTheSlink]

Yes. I found a couple for the DGX-640. They were both overall good reviews. The user reviews on this model were excellent, but then again most people in this range don't have anything to compare it to side by side, aren't experienced, or are comparing it to a very old model they were replacing. It just would be nice to find a real review that really rung the thing out and gave all pros and cons before I buy. I think I am going to buy it anyway though. I was able to have fun with one and in the end, as long as it durable which judging by the number of old DGXs out there is likely, that's all that matters.

Thank you,
TheSlink

 

[SeaGtGruff]

You might want to see my response to your other question about styles and voices before you decide. I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't buy it, I just think you should know the facts beforehand. If you know about a keyboard's abilities and limitations when you decide to buy it, then you're more likely to feel happy with your purchase. But if you buy it without knowing what the keyboard's limitations are-- especially with regard to some specific feature that's particularly important to you-- then you're more likely to feel burned when you find out after the fact. Personally, I'd be very happy to add the DGX-650 to my little Yamaha collection.

 

[bill5]

I had a look at the Yamaha DGX-650 in a store. It was used and we couldn't come to terms on a fair price. I was having fun with it, but I understand as a newbie I am in no position to judge quality.

Whoever told you that is full of you-know-what. Being a "newbie" doesn't mean you can't tell a quality sound (course if you're tone deaf ignore all that ). I think experience more than anything else will help there...listening to diff ones, comparing to a real piano if possible etc.

I was trying to find some professional reviews on line, (Harmony Central, Gear Heads) and no one has anything I can find on this keyboard. I can find plenty of glowing user reviews, but no professional reviews

g/l with that. I've found few worthwhile reviews of ANY keyboard...most are just shills that tell you why it's so great and spit back info on specs that you could have found on your own. I hate the phoniness/cowardice of it, but it seems to come with the turf.

I am considering a 650 also, though I am underwhelmed by the action on the keys. Hopefully you got something that works for you, whether it's that or not.