Yamaha YDP143 Arius Review (2021): Yamaha’s Best Compact Console Piano?

The Yamaha YDP143 is a console piano in the iconic brand’s Arius line, which are made to simulate the feel and sound of acoustic pianos in a compact size, and at an affordable price.

This model has a lot of features that make it an attractive digital piano for beginners and experts alike. Let’s take a closer look!

Overview of the Yamaha Arius YDP143

The Yamaha Arius YDP143 is compact and lightweight for a console piano, easy to fit into even a small space. Unlike most portable digital pianos, it has three pedals that look, feel, and work like those on an acoustic piano.

It has a fully weighted keyboard for a realistic feel, and matte black keys that prevent slipping and promote good finger technique. But it also has special capabilities that are only possible with a digital piano, like the ability to change voices, layer instruments, playback and record, and easily interface with digital apps and devices using the USB port.

Yamaha Arius YDP143 Video Overview

Yamaha Arius YDP143 Specs

source

Specification	Description
Size	53.5 x 32 x 16.5 inches
Weight	83 pounds
Keyboard	88 keys Graded hammer standard weight system Matte black key tops Hard/medium/soft/fixed touch response
Sliding key cover	Yes
Built-in music rest	Yes
Pedals	3 pedals for sustain, sostenuto, soft Half pedal function
Demo Songs	10
Sound	Pure CF sound engine Damper resonance 192 max polyphony 10 voices
Preset Songs	50
Functions	Dual/Layers function Duo function Metronome function Transpose function Fine tuning function
Memory	Onboard memory for 1 song, 2 tracks
MIDI Playback	Yes, MIDI playback and recording
USB	USB to host connectivity
Headphone Jacks	2 stereo headphone jacks
Finish	Comes in Dark Rosewood or Black Walnut finish
Auto Power	Auto power off

Who the Yamaha YDP143 Is Most Suitable For

source

The  Yamaha YDP143 is a great choice for those who want the look, feel, and style of a piano in their home, classroom, or meeting space, without sacrificing too much space. It has a smaller footprint than other console pianos, with the attractive look of real wood and high-quality materials. 

It produces great sound and provides the feel and weight of playing an acoustic piano, along with rich tones and great sound. If you want a compact piano, with more style, substance, and resonance than an X-stand, the  Yamaha YDP143 is a great choice.

And it has lots of functions and features that make it friendly for learners, hobbyists, and casual performances, so it will fit into many environments. Adding an amplifier and external speakers can make the YDP143 sound even bigger, and fill a space with the rich sound of a grand piano, for a fraction of the cost in money and space.

 It’s also a great choice for learners who are getting started with the piano, teachers who are teaching the piano, and hugely popular with hobbyists who let their playing lapse over the years but are longing to play again. It’s sophisticated controls are headphone and low-volume optimized, so it can be played in a home or apartment without disturbing anyone.

What’s Included With the Yamaha YDP143?

The Yamaha YDP143 comes with a song book, “50 Greats for the Piano,” to accompany the 50 songs in the piano’s song library, so they can read and play along with iconic piano pieces.

 It also comes with a Yamaha bench for seating.

Yamaha YDP143’s Features

The Yamaha YDP143 has a lot of great features in a compact console piano. It gives big piano sound and authentic analogue piano key weight and pedal action, with convenient digital features.

FEATURE	DESCRIPTION
Graded hammer	The graded hammer standard for keyboard weighting in the Yamaha YDP143 uses a hammer system and springless mechanism based on the feel of a grand piano. It reproduces the touch of an acoustic piano, with heavier feeling in the lower register, to a lighter touch in the upper octaves.
CF Sound Engine	The Pure CF Sound Engine faithfully reproduces the sound of the famous Yamaha CFIIIS 9′ concert grand piano, for exceptional quality, dynamics, and expressiveness in a digital piano.
Matte finish.	Matte black key tops provide a non-slip, tactile surface for the black keys, reducing moisture and preventing slipping.
Acoustic Optimizer technology	The cabinet itself is designed with Acoustic Optimizer technology, that regulates the flow and control of sound as it moves from the instrument to the cabinet. It creates greater tonal richness and smoothness as you play.
Intelligent Acoustic Control	Intelligent Acoustic Control is an innovative, proprietary Yamaha technology. Without it, digital pianos can lose sound quality when played at a low volume (for example, practicing at home). IAC automatically adjusts speaker equalizer settings to compensate for speaker volume, and allows for more clarity and depth of sound, even when played quietly.
Stereophonic Optimizer	The Stereophonic Optimizer is another proprietary Yamaha technology that enhances the sound of the piano when played wearing headphones. It separates headphone sound from the piano sound, to create a spacious surround sound experience.
Three pedals.	To fully simulate the techniques and practice necessary for an analogue piano, the Yamaha YDP143 has three pedals. The sustain pedal (often called a damper pedal, although it does the opposite) removes all the dampers to allow the strings to continue to vibrate and sustain a note.
Transpose function	Transpose function allows you to adjust the tuning by semitones, and are great when accompanying a vocalist. Fine tuning allows you to adjust the overall tone of the instrument, which is great when playing along with other musicians or a pre-recorded song.
Compatible with Digital Piano App	The Yamaha YDP143 is compatible with the Digital Piano Controller app, and other digital piano apps, optimized for iOS touchscreen devices. It makes accessing and adjusting settings faster and easier, and streamlines recording and playback. It also stores your settings, so you can retrieve them quickly.

How to Get the Most out of the Yamaha YDP143

Here are a few things to remember to help you make the most of a Yamaha YDP143.

Test the keyboard before assembling the console

Because the console can be a challenge to put together, it’s best to test the keyboard first. While it is rare, there are sometimes audio or performance issues with the keyboard, and it is easier to return and manage a warranty repair before the console is assembled, than it is afterward.

Get high-quality headphones

While many people prefer to use their existing ear buds with their piano, it’s better to invest in high-quality over-the-ear headphones. Not only will headphones help you practice without disturbing anyone, the Yamaha YDP143 has features purpose-built for them. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x headphones are designed for professionals, with exceptional audio quality, durability, and sound separation. If those are a bit too pricey, consider the Roland RH-5 stereo headphones, designed for musicians.

Upgrade to a storage bench

While a standard piano bench is included with the purchase of a Yamaha YDP143, that bench doesn’t have storage. But keeping sheet music inside the bench simply makes good sense, and it’s an easy upgrade.

There are several high-quality storage benches that will match with your chosen finish on the YDP143, and make good use of your space, without costing too much. Consider the SONGMICS Padded Wooden Piano Bench with music storage, or the Griffin Premium Antique Piano Bench, which not only has storage, but is has an adjustable height for lasting comfort

Get a Bluetooth adaptor

While the USB out of the Yamaha YDP143 is an excellent feature, the USB port itself is beneath the keyboard, and a cable connection may be something of a hassle to manage. And, let’s face it, a USB cable dangling beneath the piano doesn’t look great. Consider getting the Yamaha Wireless USB to Host MIDI Adapter to use iOS apps with the piano easily and seamlessly.

Pros & Cons of the Yamaha YDP143

PROS

Excellent key weight and feel of the graded hammer standard system Authentic concert grand piano sound with a Pure CF sound engine Compact size and handsome, furniture finished console Key cover protects from dust Has built in music rest Matte black key tops prevent slipping 4 levels of touch response to suit any playing style Authentic analogue piano pedal functions 192 max polyphony A good range of up to 10 present voices 4 types of reverb Intelligent Acoustic Control for great sound at any volume Stereophonic Optimizer for fantastic sound in headphones Cabinet built with acoustic optimization Comes with 50 preset and 10 demo songs MIDI playback and recording Duo keyboard and metronome functions are great for teaching and learning Dual/layered function doubles voices for more complex performance Transpose and fine tuning functions let you customize and perfect notes 2 headphone jacks for great versatility Auto power off saves energy

cons
Headphone jacks and USB port are located beneath the console Not natively compatible with Android devices Console can be difficult and time-consuming to assemble

An Alternative Product to Consider

The Yamaha YDP143 happens to land in the middle of two different trajectories of Yamaha products.

On the one hand, the keyboard, features, playback, and audio qualities are virtually identical to the Yamaha P125, but that model is portable.

It can be quickly set up with an X stand, and is suitable for taking to practices and performances.

On the other hand, the Yamaha YDP143’s cabinet and console are virtually identical to the Yamaha YDP163B, but that model has a superior key weight system (the GH3 standard vs. the GHS standard) and synthetic ivory keys that more closely mimic the experience of playing a grand piano.

For a few hundred dollars less, you could have virtually the same digital keyboard experience in a portable package with the Yamaha P125.

 Or, for a few hundred dollars more, you could have a console piano that more closely replicates the sound and playing experience of a grand piano with the Yamaha YDP163B. The Yamaha YDP143 splits the difference between these two needs, placing a high-end portable digital keyboard into a compact cabinet with excellent acoustics.

Yamaha YDP143 – Buyers Guide Overview & Demo

Conclusion

The Yamaha YDP143 is a great choice for a console piano that is rich in features, has a great keyboard weight and feel, and the authentic tones of the best Yamaha concert grand pianos.

It also has advanced digital features and innovative Yamaha technologies to provide the best functions of a digital piano, along with USB capabilities that connect the piano to a computer for even more options for recording, playback, and mixing.

Yamaha Arius YDP-143(click image for more info)

The Yamaha YDP143 is a great choice for a console piano that is rich in features, has a great keyboard weight and feel, and the authentic tones of the best Yamaha concert grand pianos. It also has advanced digital features and innovative Yamaha technologies to provide the best functions of a digital piano, along with USB capabilities that connect the piano to a computer for even more options for recording, playback, and mixing.

And it has a compact, handsome console that adds style and substance to any room, without taking up too much space. It’s a great compromise between the best of analogue pianos and the best of digital technologies, in a small footprint at an affordable price.

The Yamaha YDP143 a great way to invite the handsome style of a piano, and the beauty of piano music, into your home, and make it a part of your daily experience, whether you are just beginning to learn, or are an experienced player.