most people will still buy yamaha 88 keys(YPGs)because of the look and reputation(since yam make high end EPs)so it's hardly a competition for over $500 market.

even new yam like e 403 selling for around $250,it's hard to compete with yam.

too bad yam always leave out modulation wheel(Casio is great for doing that,and SM card input).

If Casio want to beat yam,this is what it has to do(other than changing the name)for sub $500 keyboards.

-increase polyphorny to 64
-still keep mod wheel/sm card
-add 4 variations(remember you could get psr1000-1100 for $650 a while ago)
-4 fills will be great
-must have a simple user style maker/and basic seq to write SMFs

if they want to compete in sub $ 1000 market,they have to do really hard since there is KORG PA50/and psr 1500.

Or better, they should buy "Technics" name and start the war!



[This message has been edited by jamman (edited 07-16-2006).]

I don't think we're going to see many (any?) new products using SM (SmartMedia); it's been surpassed. The memory card Casio and several others have moved to is SD (Secure Digital); it's faster, available in larger capacity, has a built-in controller (an advantage mainly for the equipment manufacturer).




[This message has been edited by quietDIN (edited 07-17-2006).]

No speakers!?!?!?

I wouldn't call the PX-575R a head on contender with the YPG-625 if it doesn't have speakers. To me, that's the exciting thing about the 625 -- you can gig with it in a small hall and it weighs 40 lbs. Other keyboards in the sub 40 lbs category DO NOT HAVE ADEQUATE SPEAKERS, with the possible exception of the P70 which has only 10 sounds.

I searched the 575R features and specs for any mention of its speakers -- no dice. Yet it costs about the same as a YPG-625.

On the polyphony, the 575R gets 32 max, but for some tones, it's 10! That means if you dual up, it can be 5?

I think you're right that Casio is trying to compete with Yamaha. Maybe they're trying too hard.

Rick

OK, I was wrong. I guess it does have speakers. There is no mention whatsoever of the speakers on www.priviapiano.com, but on the casio.com link Squeak provided above, it says: "Powerful 2-way bass reflex speakers provide high-quality professional–level sound." But there's still no mention of the speakers on the specs page. We don't know the size or wattage of these speakers.

I will say that if they use the same speaker system as on the PX-555R, it's not going to make it. Side by side against a Yamaha DGX, the 555R sounds sickly -- and it's 80% a speaker issue.

But I hope they keep trying. Competition is good for everybody.

R.

It's good to get opinions from professionals who can touch both worlds (Yamaha and Casio). From what I read Casio still manufacture cheap keyboards.

10 poly is very close to my PSR-260 (now < $100) which had 8 poly when I played the good quality voices.

As for my DGX-305. In some of my sequences there is polyphony drop when the keyboard plays < 16 notes simultaneously.

Anyway, it's too bad that the new casios are not true contenders to yamaha. A serious competition in the low-end market would force Yamaha to do significant improvements to the DGX line and make me feel interested in purchasing a new keyboard.

George