Yamaha P525 vs. P515 Comparison [HD Sound]

An informal comparison between Yamaha P525 vs. P515 performed across multiple pieces and short demonstrations.
0:00 - Intro
0:06 - [P525] Ballad No. 1 in G Minor by Chopin
1:13 - [P515] Ballad No. 1 in G Minor by Chopin
2:23 - [P525] Scherzo No. 2 in Bb Minor by Chopin, Clip 1
3:25 - [P515] Scherzo No. 2 in Bb Minor by Chopin, Clip 1
4:29 - [P525] Scherzo No. 2 in Bb Minor by Chopin, Clip 2
6:08 - [P515] Scherzo No. 2 in Bb Minor by Chopin, Clip 2
7:44 - [P525] Etude Op. 10, No. 5 "Black Keys" by Chopin
8:24 - [P515] Etude Op. 10, No. 5 "Black Keys" by Chopin
9:04 - [P525] Jazzy Riff (Mezzo-Forte)
9:08 - [P515] Jazzy Riff (Mezzo-Forte)
9:14 - [P525] Chromatic Descending (Piano)
9:21 - [P515] Chromatic Descending (Piano)
9:30 - [P525] Secret Piano Battle 2 - Waltz Op. 64, No. 2 by Chopin, Clip 1
9:35 - [P515] Secret Piano Battle 2 - Waltz Op. 64, No. 2 by Chopin, Clip 1
9:41 - [P525] Gentle Riff (Pianissimo)
9:53 - [P515] Gentle Riff (Pianissimo)
10:04 - [P525] Secret Piano Battle 2 - Waltz Op. 64, No. 2 by Chopin, Clip 2
10:12 - [P515] Secret Piano Battle 2 - Waltz Op. 64, No. 2 by Chopin, Clip 2
10:20 - [P525] Scherzo No. 2 in Bb Minor by Chopin, Clip 3
10:23 - [P515] Scherzo No. 2 in Bb Minor by Chopin, Clip 3
Piano Performance by Ben.
Piano(s): Yamaha P525, Yamaha P515
Sound: iPhone 14 + Zoom H6 (Binaural)
Video: iPhone 14
Pieces Performed:
Ballad No. 1 in G Minor by Chopin
Scherzo No. 2 in Bb Minor by Chopin
Etude Op. 10, No. 5 "Black Keys" by Chopin
Secret Piano Battle 2 - Waltz Op. 64, No. 2 by Chopin
Courtesy to @janehongmusic for the Yamaha P515.

[@bobbygadourymusic5476]

Thanks for your comparison video! Love the Chopin!

[@mfurman]

Yamaha P-515’s NWX action is very heavy - much heavier than any Yamaha grand piano (I know C7 the best). I returned it because its action started to hurt my fingers Here are the numbers: NWX Action: 84g to move middle C (C4) C7 - 70g C6 - >75g C2 - >~90g C3 - 90g GrandTouch-S (P-525) Middle C (C4) -

[@BenpaiPiano]

This is great, thanks a lot for the numbers!

[@domenicantoniotricarico2965]

Which action Is more similar to an acustic piano? P515 or P525? Is tru that the action of,P525 it's to lighter to practice classic Music?

[@mfurman]

@@domenicantoniotricarico2965 Absolutely not. Yamaha C7 grad piano is light (~50g on middle C). P-515 action is unreasonably heavy and I never played any acoustic piano (unless it was a very misadjusted upright piano) with such heavy action. Here are the downweights for GrandTouch-S of P-525 again Middle C (C4) - ~58g C7 - 45g C6 - ~54.5g C2 - 67.5g C3 - 61g C4# - ~52g - ~62.5g (middle of black key)

[@domenicantoniotricarico2965]

Which action Is to noising, P515 or P525 ?

[@mfurman]

@@domenicantoniotricarico2965 Both are relatively quiet. The white keys are wooden.

[@elwafi2001]

I have both p515 and 525 and I can confirm that the Yamaha CFX on p525 is brighter and the treble sounds way better than p515, also you have more control in dynamic compared to p515. The key action in p525 is lighter and personally I prefer it over the heavy keys action in p515.

[@miguelangelgutierrez123]

POR QUÉ DICES CFX SI ESTOS PIANOS NO SON CFX EL CFX ES EL YAMAHA 670, ENTONCES COMO SABE

[@NickMasonPiano-yg4hx]

Would you say the key action is still heavier than the P125?

[@mts2]

@@NickMasonPiano-yg4hx Yes, I am pretty sure it is heavier than P125, it is another tier, another price range too

[@robshrock-shirakbari1862]

P-525 sounds bright and edgy aggressive, even on softer notes. Yes, it sounds clearer, but I don't know that I prefer it. It's kinda harsh.

[@amirprog]

What are the differences in keyboard action between fp90x and p525? Which do you prefer of the two in terms of action? I play virtuosic classical music.

[@BenpaiPiano]

I remember the fp90x had a slightly heavier action than p525, but a more linear actuation characteristic - so it doesn't have such an obvious initial weight resistance when first pressing a key down, as the p515/p525 do (although the effect is lesser in the p525). I think I felt a more control with the fp90x, both at slower and faster speed. I also remember the fp90x feeling more tactile, and possibly just a little more "sophisticated" - although maybe I am confusing this with the more tactile response. Overall I preferred the fp90x action as I found it more "balanced" across action characteristics. The reason I went with the p525 was because I wanted a lighter action, and preferred the p525 cfx sound over the fp90x sound (through speakers at least). Cheers!

[@amirprog]

@@BenpaiPiano Are the black keys as heavy to press as the white keys in p-525?

[@brucer5462]

It's very hard to distinguish the difference on a video, I wish you could have at least added some commentary with it.

[@Lucid9216]

Which action did you prefer the p515 or the 525

[@BenpaiPiano]

Personally, P525 since I prefer light action :).

[@kakasvk]

Hey, excellent video and playing! P515 sounds nicer, darker, more powerful, energic. I've owned P515, but I was forced to return it because of rusting/buzzing noises it was making, especially when playing with speakers, that were unbearable to my ears. (Have tried 3 different P515 units and it was present on all of them). Recently bought P525 and this issue has been significantly reduced, so I'm keeping P525. Are you using Yamaha CFX in this video? I rarely play on CFX, only for few pieces and general finger practice, but when I play most of classical music, or record something (with USB recording), I use Bosendorfer (with some EQ/boost,..). My issue with CFX is that, compared to Bosendorfer, feels so weak, less energic, less powerful, too light (especially when listening to recordings). What's your take on this? Although acoustic grand pianos vary in action heaviness, do you find P525 action closer to average acoustic grand? Do you think 525 is better for practicing to transfer over to acoustic? It certainly feels better for playing fast. Although I'm used to heavy action from my old P60 and I liked P515s action, it felt solid, I think lighter 525s action could, over time, potentially suit me better, if I get used to playing it more often as the time goes, will see. I really liked PHA50 on Roland FP90-X and Roland RD2000 when I played them and P525 kind of resembles the action (although there was like 8 months of difference between when I tried Rolands and p525, so I can't tell details, but they feel similar, they felt excellent when I tried fast pieces).

[@BenpaiPiano]

So my P525 actually had the same issue - buzzing around the left speaker-ish area when playing certain notes. In my case, the buzzing thankfully disappeared after tightening some visible screws on the bottom (which felt a bit loose). In this video, yes I am using Yamaha CFX for all recordings, on default sound settings (albeit different acoustic environments). For now I find myself using the CFX almost exclusively for its clarity, although I agree, it feels a bit too clinical at times. I feel that neither the P515 or P525 alone really target the feel of the "average" acoustic piano. If I really had to choose one, it would be the P515 - I find it easier (or rather, more natural) to control the P515 musically than the P525, having played predominantly on a heavier Kawai grand for the last few years. That said, IMO the ideal scenario would be to practice on one piano with heavier action, and one with a lighter action. Personally I really did enjoy the Roland PHA-4 and PHA-50 actions. I found PHA-4 actions more variable across pianos, but the the good ones felt amazing to me. It was a very close call for me between the Roland Fp10 and Yamaha P525, as different as they are. But I am fully enjoying my P525.

[@kakasvk]

@@BenpaiPiano Interesting that you feel better with controlling P515 better, having played Kawai that I suppose was closer to P525 if we talk in terms of how heavy the action is (Heavy P515 vs generally lighter Kawai). Or wasn't it? Do you think it's really that far from acoustic pianos as for real feel? I feel like P525 is pretty close to acoustic grand Petrof that I get to like once a month. I'll get back to it soon, having played P525 over 30 hours now, I'll be able to tell how the transition will feel. I owned Yamaha P60 before my P525, which action was heavy and when I got to Petrof grand, I needed a lot of time to get used to different action. I think it's going to need less time with P525, because its action is closer, but I'm really curious to find out. Well Roland Fp10 is like 4 times cheaper than P525, I don't think it's fair to compare them. Fp-90X would be a closer competitor. But I didn't like anything other than action in Fp-90X, sound quality wasn't too good, piano voices neither and quality of USB .wav recordings was trash, especially compared to amazing Yamaha's recordings. And I use this recording option very often, so it's very important for me.

[@BenpaiPiano]

​@@kakasvk In terms of action heaviness, I feel the P515's heavier action to be significantly more similar, than the P525 action, to the typical 'heavier' Kawai acoustic grand actions that I've experienced. I do feel that the distinction is still very clear between most digital pianos vs. Yamaha, Kawai, or Steinway acoustic grands. But that said, I also feel that every piano, whether digital or acoustic, is inherently unique and the performer will always have to adapt to a new piano. I feel this is a fact to embrace! Diversity is the spice of life. Please do let us know of your experience with the P525! Although the sound, amount of features etc. are different between lower-end Fp10 vs. something more mid-high tier like P525, I feel the action can be compared regardless of the price - The Roland Fp10, Fp30, and Fp60 supposedly share the same/similar PHA-4 action. But as for the Fp90x, I also preferred the sound of many other keyboards over it, such as the P525/515, Kawai ES920, and even the lower Roland models like the Fp10, Fp30 etc. Maybe because the Fp90x sound is purely modelling instead of some mixture of sampling? But ah, important to note, I haven't demo'd any of the pianos through USB or line-in, only their original speakers.

[@drchrisdavies2941]

I certainly agree with your comment regarding the Bosendorfer sample, I use it far more than the CFX. I much prefer the richer darker tones. As far as the comparison, they both sounded very good

[@drchrisdavies2941]

Having listened again, I think the P515 has a richer darker tone, which is more lifelike and less clinical. Both are absolutely excellent, as was your playing

[@pcflyer2680]

I recently purchased the P525 and the sound thru headphones is very good. However, the sound thru the onboard speakers sucks. It sounds tinny and like a very cheap instrument. I haven't had a chance to listen thru an amp of any kind and am wondering if the would sound more realistic? Anyone else have this issue with a p525? Solutions?

[@jG-jd8wg]

Hi! Do you know if the NWX (P515) action has individually graded keys? (one by one)

[@slimshekar]

I have the P225 and I'm thinking of upgrading to the P525.

[@Sloimer]

Thanks for sharing.

[@Zoco101]

Wow, so soon after the P-225 came out! Perhaps you can share what you are unhappy with since many viewers won't have tried a P-225 yet.

[@kaleimaile]

I have the 125 and plan to upgrade to the 525.

[@Gunbardo]

@@Zoco101 Mostly because it feels too plasticky and the key is too short, it gets harder to press near towards the board. Lacks the CFX sound. But if u r on a budget, definitely get the 225 over anything else in this price range.

[@Zoco101]

@@Gunbardo Have you tried the actions on the FP-10 and FP-30X? Supposedly, their PHA4 actions are better than the P-225's GHC. And I understand that the P-225 does have the CFX patches, but maybe they sound better on the P-525. Also, the Alesis Prestige Artist is good value for money IMO. I like my pianos to be very portable, and I need at least semi-pro quality on my main board, so I would get either an RD-88 or an ES920 if my wonderful P-255 stops working.

[@amusic9825]

Good playing.

[@Zoco101]

Can somebody comment on the black notes of the P-525. Does the weight seem natural?

[@BenpaiPiano]

I remember reading about some reports of the black keys feeling lighter than the white keys - I do feel this is the case, most/only noticeable in the upper registers. However, the effect is quite small enough that it does not bother me at all. I only notice it when I look for it. If I had to try and quantify the effect, I would say the black keys in the upper registry feel maybe 5% lighter than the white keys. Cheers!

[@Zoco101]

@@BenpaiPiano Thanks

[@BenpaiPiano]

@@Zoco101Sorry would like to correct myself after focusing on this today - maybe closer to 10-15% lighter black keys, compared to the white keys, and a bit more linearly across the registers than I stated earlier.

[@diogoqueiroz4726]

Você conhece a key action rh3 da korg ? Será uma ação melhor que o Yamaha?

[@BenpaiPiano]

Unfortunately I do not know Korg as well, I have not tried their keyboards. I have only tried Korg synthesizers. But I do like their synthesizers, seems to be excellent quality and great sounds.

[@alpay389]

how do you protect the keys from dust? any tips?

[@buries_r]

dust cover

[@Sloimer]

What kind of dumbass question is this?

[@Sloimer]

Use your brain dude lol

[@adriantovias8681]

use your brain man

[@thestorysongsnl9397]

@@adriantovias8681 be kind is not that hard!

[@miguelangelgutierrez123]

HOLA LE FELICITO POR SU PRESENTACIÓN, AYUDA MUCHO A DECIDIR ENTRE EL P515 Y EL P525, Y ME PODRÍA DECIR SI EL P250 DE YAMAHA SUENA CO ESTOS 2 PIANOS Y SI SU TECLADO SE SIENTE COMO ESTOS TECLADOS, SI NO HA TOCADO UN PIANO DIGITAL P250, OJALA Y LO PUDIERA CONSEGUIR Y PLATICARNOS QUE TAN BUENOS SON EN COMPARACIÓN AL P515 Y EL P525, YA QUE EL P250 ES AUTÉNTICAMENTE UN PIANO DE ECENARIO, POR FAVOR MUCHO SE LE VOY A AGRDECER, Y FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!!!

[@BenpaiPiano]

Thank you Miguel, Unfortunately I have not had the chance to try the P250. If I get the chance soon I will come reply. If Roland FP10 is in a similar price range, I can say that, for myself, Roland does not sound like as good as P515 or P525, but the keyboard feel is excellent and reminds me of a typical Kawai grand piano action.

[@miguelangelgutierrez123]

@@BenpaiPiano ESTÁ BIEN LE AGRADEZCO MUCHO HABERME CONTESTADO, Y SIGA ADELANTE!

[@franco5919]

Mah...a parte il fatto che io ho il P515,ma nella comparazione,il P515 mi sembra ancora migliore,ha un suono più rotondo,direi che tira più al suono del KAWAI.Ovviamente è la mia impressione,magari per altri non è così.

[@miguelangelgutierrez123]

@@BenpaiPiano MUCHAS GRACIAS POR CONTESTAR, SALUDOS

[@franco5919]

​@@miguelangelgutierrez123De nada amigo,un saludo de Italia.

[@sbstreet1509]

If only these skills can transfer into arena

[@RabbitConfirmed]

wth? why do I like the 515 moreeee?????? WHAT

[@AndreaDePaola74]

Because p-515 is better) I have both and I am selling p-525

[@RabbitConfirmed]

@@AndreaDePaola74 so sad, nothing has quality anymore these days.. smh

[@borodach6789]

I liked p515 more🤷🏻‍♂️

[@hcho8164]

You play well. So why not play something famous so we can hear if the piano sounds can reproduce the famous sounds from famous masterpieces like revolutionary etude or liebestraum no. 3. We are not going to judge you, only the piano sounds. We already have our favorite performers of these masterpieces. That is not the point. We want a quality piano that can inspire us to play like you, van cliburn, Gershwin, and Debussy. Although I prefer Entremont playing Debussy over Debussy playing Debussy, if you know what I mean.

[@BenpaiPiano]

Hey sorry, this vid is more of an informal comparison, not an experiment or test. The reason for these songs is simply because I forgot how to play the others 😅 as I do not play often anymore. But mfurman has commented here some key actuation weight numbers just today, in case it helps.

[@Sloimer]

Dude shut up lol

[@bernamej]

Damn, you are a real pianist ! Excellent playing.

[@t.w.6424]

Thanks for the great presentation! Recently tried both P-525 and P-515 in a shop and liked both the keybed (GrandTouch-S vs NWX) and the sound (clarity) on the P-525 better. But as you wrote below for the sound, clinical is the word. I still prefer the Dexibell Platinum Sounds for their warmth and liveliness, see here some classical examples. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIGwqKmVjrqWjdU The best sample there in my opinion is the Bechstein for Debussy's Claire de lune. Yes, it is not an exact comparison to your recording, as you seem to use speaker out with a mike, while Dexibell's examples are direct line out recordings. With speaker out, the Dexibell keybed noise might even be more prominent than with Yamaha. As I don't like Dexibell's Fatar Actions, I am thinking about buying or renting Yamaha P-525 as a controller and playing my Dexibell Vivo S7 Pro with it. One could also use Dexibell's Sound Module with Yamaha P-525.

[@denny8360]

what's your opinion on the 525 vs 515 action? Is one "better" than the other, or is it simply a bit different?

[@t.w.6424]

@@denny8360 I like the P-525 action better. It's also an upgrade and the more expensive one of the two (GrandTouch-S in the P-525 vs NWX in the P-515). But when I recently had a chance to compare the P525 action to the Kawai MP11-SE and the Kawai VPC1, it felt frail in comparison. So I decided to go for a Kawai VPC1 as soon as I can afford it, which is a pure Midi Controller / Master Keyboard , and to play my Dexibell Vivo S7 Pro with it, as I like the Dexibell Platinum sounds but hate its Fatar TP40 Graded Hammer Action. I would recommend to never buy a digital piano without trying its action and comparing several actions, that was the mistake I made when buying the Dexibell.

[@Zoco101]

​@@t.w.6424I'm surprised you dislike Fatar actions so much, but I can understand you buying the VPC1 as a controller. It makes sense for high grade home/studio applications, probably better as a controller than the P-525, and softer on the wallet.

[@Хотятлирусскиевойны-н2г]

​@@Zoco101 Это менее затратно, только если вы до этого понесли несоизмеримо большие затраты на компьютер, програмное обеспечение, кабели соединения, педали, и звуковые колонки с усилителям. При всём том это ещё должно и хорошо сочетаться друг с другом, а что касается этого контроллера в частности, то там с качеством большие проблемы, о чём люди пишут. И его уже тысячу лет не обновляют.

[@Хотятлирусскиевойны-н2г]

Отличие Дексибелл от всех остальных в том, что они воспроизводят сэмплы записанные с 24 бит звучанием, что в конкретном случае позволяет делать более длинные звуковые петли, что как я понимаю даёт правильное затухание басов например. Поэтому их сэмплы вы не сможете воспроизвести на любой Ямахе или любом другом цифровом инструменте, так как вы их слышите в записи или непосредственно в игре на Дексибелл. И ещё, 24 бит позволяют им на порядок больше записывать информации в свои сэмплы, но вот воспроизвести их ТАК как на Дексибелл вы не сможете по озвученной мною выше причине. Помимо этого тот же Дексибелл имеет ещё целый ряд экслюзивных плюсов и тембров, которые отсутствуют у других их конкурентов. Но действие... Возможно тут они не первые, не пробовал, да и не пианист вообще😊

[@SharkilarDunyasi]

Hello, good time, do you think the p 525 piano is better than the p 515 in terms of sound, sample and keyboard action?

[@BenpaiPiano]

In terms of sound, within the acoustic environments I have tested them in, I personally enjoyed the P515 more for its darker/mellower sound. I'm not sure if they should sound so different, but they did even on supposedly default settings for both (as you can likely hear in the video). Samples seem similar enough besides the sound characteristic I mentioned. I mainly play in CFX on both pianos and don't switch often to other samples. The keyboard action appears to be the biggest difference between the two pianos. It feels like they have the same action-pattern (slightly more force needed to get the key moving initially, when pressing downward, compared with Kawai or Roland digital pianos I've tried), but the P525 keys just feel lighter overall than the P515. They both feel equally less "linear" when pressing their keys down compared with Roland or Kawai pianos - so personally I actually prefer the Roland PHA-4 action over either P525 or P515 due to this. Feels like I have more control. But between the P525 vs P515; I like the P525 for action speed and tactile feel (less "mushy" feeling in faster passages) resembling a lighter Steinway or typical Yamaha grand, while I like the P515 for better control of musical dynamics resembling a heavier Steinway, and also bit "mushier" or perhaps softer feel resembling typical Kawai grand. Since I prefer Kawai grand sound but Yamaha grand action, I would choose P525 action and EQ the sound to something a tad darker than the P515. Cheers!

[@JitinMisra]

@@BenpaiPiano did you ever try or consider the es 920 ?

[@BenpaiPiano]

​@@JitinMisra Yes actually, I was able to AB test between it and the Roland (which I was able to later directly compare with the P515 and P525). As far as sound is concerned, for me the ES920 takes the prize hands down, well above the 'modelled' sound of the Roland FP90x, and the highly clinical sound of the Yamahas. The ES920 was passionate. The bass especially, made its colourful and dominant, yet controlled presence. Unfortunately on one of the ES920's I've tried, some of the bass notes could trigger a bit of plastic vibration noise around the left speaker. In general, the ES920 didn't feel as solid as any of the Rolands (i.e., FP10, 30, 60, 90), nor the P515/P525. The action itself I remember being very light - the lighter keys allowed for great speed compared with P515, P525, and Rolands. However, coming from the P515 and Kawai grand, I felt almost like I had to really baby the keys and hold myself back to maintain control - it seems I've been so used to having the piano action itself slow me down tempo-wise, that I've had to sortof learn to slow myself down endogenously with this keyboard. The ES920 action did seem a bit less realistic in terms of its downward movement in comparison to acoustic grands. It felt like a more linear resistance pressing down compared with Roland or Yamahas, probably due to the lighter action. But the keyboard did allow for excellent dynamic control especially in the softer end, maybe even better than the P515/525. For reasons like this, an opinion of mine that a greater similarity between a 'practice' digital keyboard and a 'target/performance' acoustic piano doesn't always result in easier adaptation between the two. Anyway, ultimately I loved the ES920 for its sound - best sound of the bunch. Very much enjoyed the action for the sheer technical speed it allows when performing, and IMO very useful for learning self-inhibition of tempo as opposed to relying on a keyboard's mechanical delays to do so. However, the vibration caused by bass notes I've experienced in 1/2 ES920's I've tried caused me a bit of concern for quality. And in my area, the price for the units were significantly higher than for P525. Thus, despite having to wait for a P525 vs. not having to wait for an ES920, I've went with the P525. I can't say I regret my decision at all, or that I'm left wanting more (well ok, maybe the sound :P).

[@Justin_collier]

Love the music, i own the kawai mp7se, i feel it’s still the best keyboard out there and by far more hands on. The nord grand uses similar action, haven’t found a better keyboard yet for the pricing. Japanese companies like kawai put more effort into their action and sampling than yahama and i think when it comes to pianos kawai comes out on top. The sk shigeru has way more resonance, and is comparable to keyscape in many aspects as i have BOTH and when i compare the sk EX to my keyscape plugin at home they have very similar sounds!!

[@AndreaDePaola74]

P-515 is better