Yamaha P-145 Portable Digital Piano

Most reviews say that the P-145 offers “great value” — you get strong performance and authentic feel at an affordable price, especially considering its upgraded sound, action, and build. It’s well suited to people who are serious about learning, but don’t want to spend a fortune.

What makes the P-145 so great:

More compact & lighter build

The P-145 has a slimmer body and is shorter than many previous models, making it easier to transport or fit into home spaces. Despite being lighter/slimmer, it maintains a solid build so it doesn’t feel flimsy.

Graded Hammer Compact (GHC) keyboard action

It uses the GHC keyboard, which is a weighted hammer action. This gives a more realistic “piano feel” (keys resist like in an acoustic piano) compared to non-weighted or semi-weighted keyboards. Even with the more compact mechanism, Yamaha claim it gives a feel similar to their previous (heavier) actions.

Grand piano sound & damper resonance

The P-145 uses Yamaha’s CFIIIS concert grand piano sample, which is high quality. It includes damper resonance, which adds realistic resonance when the sustain pedal is pressed (so notes linger in a more natural way). This adds a lot to the expressiveness.

Balanced speaker design + “Sound Boost”

The speakers are positioned and angled to better replicate how sound would reflect from a grand piano’s soundboard/lid, particularly at mid-to-high frequency ranges. This helps when the piano is near walls, or in smaller rooms. There is a Sound Boost function, which makes the sound punchier / more powerful when needed (e.g. when playing in a band setting or needing more presence).

Good selection of features for learners / convenience

• It has 10 voices (i.e. different instrument sounds) including piano, electric piano, some keyboard voices etc.
• Useful practice tools like a metronome are built in.
• Connectivity: you can use Yamaha’s Smart Pianist app to control & adjust settings, view scores or demo songs etc. This makes it more usable and friendly, especially for beginners.
• Optional 3-pedal unit can be used (so you can add sustain, soft, sostenuto pedals later if needed) for more expressive playing.

Some limitations / what to watch out for:

Some of the trade-offs with the P-145:

• The speakers, while improved, are still only so powerful. In larger venues or if you want very loud output you’ll likely need external amps or speakers.
• Polyphony is limited (64 notes). If you do very complex layering, sustain, etc., sometimes notes might cut off.
• The number of voices (instrument sounds) is modest (10). If you want lots of different tones / effects, you may want a more advanced model.
• Key surface finish: some users find the white keys a bit shiny / slippery, so during fast or delicate playing it takes a little adaptation.
• To be fair, no instrument is perfect. If for you the cons outweigh the pros, then consider the next piano up in the range, in this case the P-223.

Verdict / who this is especially good for:

If you’re looking for “feature-rich” stage piano with lots of effects, huge polyphony, or ultra-high-end speaker systems, then it is likely you’ll outgrow this fairly quickly. But for many players, it hits a sweet spot, particularly if you want something that:

• Feels more like a “real” piano in touch and sound (weighted keys, good samples, damper resonance)
• Is compact and portable (for home, lessons, maybe small gigs)
• Gives enough features for learning & practice without over-complexity
• Has good build quality and will last

Key Specifications:

Width: 1326mm
Height: 129mm
Depth: 268mm
Weight: 11.1kg

Compare the specs of the P Series Range by clicking here