Casio Privia PX 160 Digital Piano

If you are looking for an 88-key digital piano with weighted action and built-in speakers, the Casio Privia PX-160 is it. Casio surprised the digital piano marketplace with the Privia keyboard in 2003. Since then, Casio has been offering consistent value and quality in weighted-key digital pianos. The Casio PX-160 is the least expensive of the Privia models, and also one of the most popular. It has 88 weighted keys, 18 sounds and powerful built-in speakers. All of this in a portable, 25 lb. chassis. It comes with a power supply, owner’s manual and a music rest.

PX-160 Sounds

The Casio PX-160 piano voice comes from stereo recordings of a nine-foot grand piano. It captures many details of grand piano sounds that are important to a piano realism. You hear subtle hammer resonance with every strike, and you even hear damper pedal noise and string resonance when you use the pedal. Casio’s AiR technology makes this all possible. Long sampling times and careful attention to data quality make the Casio PX-160’s grand piano sound as good as any musical keyboard in its price range.

But the PX-160 keyboard does not live by grand piano alone. It has 17 other tones, including four other acoustic grand piano sounds. Four electric pianos, four distinct organ sounds, two string patches, harpsichord and vibraphone are also included. You can also assign a bass sound to the left hand alongside any voice on the keyboard. You can layer together any two sounds.

Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II Keyboard

When Casio burst onto the digital piano market in 2003, it wasn’t the great sound that surprised everyone. That was expected. It was the quality of the keyboard action that was so impressive. Improving the quality and value of the previous generation of Privia keyboards has been a focus ever since.

The PX-160 features Casio’s Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II Keyboard. This system mimics the weight of different-sized hammers in a piano. It also matches their differing speeds. In addition to a nuanced playing action, the keys have a textured feel. Teachers, students, musicians and industry writers praise how it feels. The thrilling sound, the playing action and the feel of the keys all combine to deliver a rich and enjoyable playing experience.

A Powerful Sound System

The sound you hear on a keyboard with built-in speakers is only as good as the speakers. Casio’s PX-160 sound system has two 8-watt power amps designed for stereo reproduction of the AiR sound banks. It has a pair of full-range speakers. Thanks to the speakers' wide dynamic levels, they won’t distort, even at full volume. The speakers aim at the player, but the chassis ports are on the rear. This makes it perfect for classrooms or performance. It also creates a warm bass presence when you place the PX-160 against a wall.

The Casio PX-160 as a MIDI Keyboard

The Casio PX-160 sends MIDI messages over USB, and works as a MIDI controller in home studios. It transmits on all 16 MIDI channels, so you can use it as a control device for virtual instruments online or in your computer.