How to choose a digital piano? 10 things to check before buying

A practical list of ten things that genuinely decide whether a digital piano will be a good instrument for years: keyboard, sound system, pedals, connectivity and form.

Choosing your first digital piano can be confusing. Manufacturers gladly boast about the number of voices and rhythms, because that is easy to measure and print on the box. Meanwhile, whether the instrument serves you for years or ends up in the cellar after six months is decided by entirely different things — and almost always the same ten.

The list below is arranged by importance. The first three points matter most, and that is where the budget should go.

1. The keyboard — the most important part of the instrument

It is the only part of the piano you touch. If the keyboard is bad, no number of voices will fix it.

Look for the full range of 88 keys and for information about how the keys work. In practice you'll meet three levels:

• a touch-sensitive keyboard — it responds to how hard you strike, but the keys are light,
• a semi-weighted keyboard — noticeably heavier, teaches control of volume, still pleasant for a beginner,
• a weighted keyboard with hammer action — closest to an acoustic piano, offering real resistance.

In the Black Hawk Music range this difference is very clear to see. The Versoni V5N has 88 touch-sensitive semi-weighted keys — a good, accessible start. The Versoni V9N, V10NB and V11B models already have weighted hammer action, that is, the same working principle you'll find in an acoustic piano.

If you are planning lessons with a teacher, exams or playing an acoustic instrument later — choose hammer action. It is an outlay that pays back in technique.

2. The sound system, not the number of voices

A hundred voices played through weak speakers will sound worse than one good piano voice in a decent system. Pay attention to speaker power and to whether the manufacturer mentions a sound processor at all.

In the Versoni line the difference is concrete: the V5 has 2 × 10 Wof amplification, while the V9, V10 and V11 have 2 × 12 W and a 16 × 24-bit DSP. The stronger system in the higher models gives fuller bass and a calmer decay in quiet playing.

3. Pedals — three, not one

Many cheap instruments come with a single pedal thrown in on a cable, which slides across the floor. That is enough for the first few weeks and starts getting in the way in the third month.

A full pedal unit means sustain (prolonging the sound), soft (quietening and changing the tone) and sostenuto (holding selected notes). All Versoni pianos — including the basic V5WN — have the full set of three pedals in a fixed pedal unit.

4. The option of quiet practice

This is the argument that, in a block of flats, often settles the choice of a digital piano over an acoustic one. Check whether the instrument has a headphone output — and how many.

One output is enough for practising alone. Two let you play together with a teacher or parent, both in headphones. The V9NB, V10NB and V11B models have two headphone outputs, the V5 — one.

5. Bluetooth: audio and MIDI are two different things

This distinction escapes most buyers, yet it matters.

• Bluetooth Audio sends sound to the piano. You play a backing track from your phone through the instrument's speakers and play along with it.
• Bluetooth MIDI sends information about the keys you press from the piano to an app. Thanks to that, learning software sees what you play and can correct mistakes.

All Versoni pianos support both modes. If you plan to learn with an app, Bluetooth MIDI is the one you really need.

6. USB sockets — to a computer and for a memory stick

USB MIDI connects the piano to a computer and to music software. USB Memory is a separate socket for a memory stick — it lets you play your own files without connecting a phone. The Versoni line has both sockets.

7. Dimensions and where the instrument will stand

A full-size digital piano is around 130–136 cm wide. Measure the space before you buy, remembering to allow room for the bench and a gap from the wall.

For comparison: the V5N and V9N measure 132 × 28 × 80 cm, while the V10NB — 135.5 × 35.5 × 79.5 cm, because it adds a closing lid.

8. The form of the instrument in a home

A piano stands in the room all the time, not only while you play. If it jars visually, it will be a source of tension.

Here it is worth knowing two solutions from the Versoni line. V10NB has a closing lid — once closed, the keyboard disappears under a wooden panel and the instrument looks like a piece of furniture. V11B goes further: it has a sliding keyboard, a full desktop and a swivelling music rest with a mirror, so it doubles as a desk or a dressing table.

9. Recording and metronome

A metronome is the basic tool for working on tempo. Recording is often dismissed, yet it is one of the most effective learning methods — a recording brutally reveals what the ear misses while playing. The whole Versoni line has both functions.

10. The bench — don't leave it for later

Playing on a kitchen chair ruins your posture, and with a child it can put them off practising within weeks. A bench should be at the right height and steady.

The range includes the HS1K, HS1B and HS1W benches in finishes matched to the piano cabinets.

Summary: where not to economise

If the budget is limited, the order is simple. First the keyboard, then the sound system, then the pedals. The number of voices and accompaniments is a pleasant extra, but nobody gives up learning because they have "only" 127 tones instead of 500.

You'll find the full range of pianos with their specifications in the digital pianos.