I am a poor graduate student, with a profound love for the creation of music. I have been saving for years for "a" professional digital piano under the $1000 mark, and as a result, I have had the opportunity to try out just about every make and model on the market. When it finally became possible for me to comfortably afford one, this became my instrument. Anyone with this same desire should make it your instrument as well. Roland, Korg, Kurzweil, General Music, all make competitors that are, I feel, quality instruments. Yamaha has introduced other models (120 and 200) that are nice as well. But this is the gold standard. The Bach Strad of trumpets; the Taylor 310 of guitars (can you tell what other instruments I play)? This instrument is not for MIDI junkies, "phat" DJ's, or anyone else desiring lots of fun sounds, rhythms, and loops. I doubt my MIDI connections will ever be used. This instrument is for piano enthusiasts with a discriminating ear who need portability without sacrificing quality. This isn't a keyboard, it's a piano. It feels like a piano, it responds to touch like a piano, and man, does it sound like a piano. Go to Mars, or Guitar Center, try the Grand with the brightness setting just below the half notch, and reverb on Hall2. See if you aren't convinced. But please, please, do not give your money to them. One online retailer is practically giving these things away right now for $850, no tax, & free shipping...but I probably shouldn't mention who. Do some internet research, you'll find them. If you are in the market for a more expensive instrument, buy this one instead, and take your family on a nice vacation with the leftovers. You deserve this piano, they deserve a vacation. I give "features" a 3 because it could include a nice vibe sound, and the rock piano, and harpsicord are weak. I could care less truthfully. Doubt the voice setting will ever leave the Grand Piano (though I do like to hammer out some blues with the Jazz Piano voice). Hey, and the acoustic bass is fun too. One last thing, if anyone could reccommend a great pair of high-quality headphones (50-150$ range), please do so in your subsequent reviews of this product. This is by far the best way to appreciate this piano on a limited budget (until I can afford my near-field studio monitors). However, a nice set of cambridge soundworks digital computer speakers aren't bad in a pinch.

This keyboard is an incredible value. I bought it here four months ago and am amazed daily with the true-to-life acoutic piano sounds and the completely authentic touch of the keys. The only drawbacks are the cheesy pipe organ voice and lack of a good reverb effect. Yamaha clearly put the engineering into the sound and feel of the instrument, not the vast selection of extra sounds. However, if you're looking for a synth, then buy one. If you're looking to get the best damn keyboard for under 1K that sounds and feels like an acoustic grand piano, buy this.

This is practically an acoustic piano. And not just your average used acoustic, but a really nice one. I looked at many keyboards, some costing almost twice as much as this (including the p200 and the new Korg sp500) and the P80 won over. It is almost breathtaking to play. It has very realistic hammer action. I grew up with a steinway baby grand, and when I moved out of my parent's house I had to get a keyboard. I started out with a Roland rd150, which is a good one, but it is NOTHING like this. With the Roland I always felt like I had to upgrade, like something was missing, but with this keyboard I finally feel satisfied. For piano players out there that dont have access to a real piano, and you miss the touch and the sound, consider this one...and wait a second, its cheap...

Awesome acoustic piano sounds, great Rhodes and strings sounds. Extremely light weight. Plays just like a real piano. Although the key action is a bit on the heavy side. It was a tough decision between this and the Roland RD-150. RD-150 has more sound patches, it has great clavinet sound, the key action is also lighter than the Yamaha but the P-80 won big time on weight ( only 37 lbs.)and sound quality. I just wished that the P-80 has a little lighter key action and Yamaha should have also added more sound patches like a greawt clavinet and vibes sound.

This instrument is wonderful. I perform on it regularly, several times a week. The keyboard still isn't up to the level of a good acoustic piano but the sound is better than many and better than ANY that isn't in tune, which this one always is. It's not a chore to carry around, is actually lighter than the speakers I carry with it. The first piano sound is about the only one I use except when I perform Latin music I combine the two electronic sounds. I personally have no use for any of the other features except the transpose (which needs work). I have some other pianos and keyboards. My Alesis 8.1 is full of wonderful electronics but doesn't make very good music. If Yamaha improves the P80 keyboard, gets rid of some useless features and installs non-volatile memory for the settings, I'll get one.
The piano sound is good enough;
don't mess with it.

This keyboard is amazing for those of us who just want an awesome piano sound without emptying our bank accounts or filling up a whole room. The feel is perfect and the grand piano sound is amazing. The other sounds are fun, but not nearly as realistic as the grand. The built in sequencer works great for quick recordings without hooking it up to an external recording system. As far as cost goes, I don't think anything comes close to a $1000 that is 88-key, fully weighted, and high quality. I have a very picky ear, but when I put on some headphones and get into the music I feel like I'm in a hall with a yamaha concert grand at my fingertips (yet my roomate doesn't hear a thing). I would definitely recommend the P80 for anyone who just wants to play piano

It's been a year of heavenly gigging with my P-80...she hasn't done me wrong yet, under the most demanding of conditions, in any respect (have you ever played with a blues band in the garage of a motorcycle shop for a bevy of drunken Harley riders? It's a true test!). Her beautiful, deep sound enraptures the audiences time and again. Even just the "Brilliance" slider affords you the versatility for most any piece. It needs to be stressed that the P-80 is first and foremost a PIANO keyboard. If you're looking for the best darn piano sound out there, this is it folks. I've heard a few naysayers at Harmony Central...it seems their ears are tuned to the crap that you get in today's "piano" samples in synths. Or perhaps they're listening through tin cans. Sure, I do sometimes wish the B-3 and e. piano sounds were better. But that piano is just so nice to work with. A good friend of mine has a Roland XV-88...nothing to be scoffed at, but...the P-80 beats the pants off of its built-in piano, AND, he even got the 64MB pure piano upgrade card, and to me, even that just doesn't sound as natural and full as the P-80's internal engine. Not to mention the action...heavy at first, but your hands get stronger and you find yourself able to hammer away with ease. "She" and I now reside in Maine where I'm in college, and I happily tote her across campus on a regular basis. Got to love her!

Feature:
A few too many but for the price it is not a concern

Value:
Great sound, action, and feel for a very good price.

Desirability:
Great package. No frills just pure performance and ability.

Overall:
I'll be adding on additional hardware and software but this keyboard is now the heart of my studio.

I just got this piano last night, and I've been playing on it since! This Yamaha has the most lush, rich, deep piano sample I've heard. I've played Rolands, Kurzweils, all manner of acoustics, and I've yet to hear a piano as dynamic and powerful as this one. The other patches are nice, especially E. Piano 2, which offers a soft Rhodes, and the E. Piano 2 variation, which adds a little overdrive. Nice touch. The Hammond patch is better than expected, but still not awe-inspiring. However, the variation offers a leslie sim, complete with ramp up and down (albeit a little slow to accelerate and brake). All 12 sounds come with individual variations, most of which are fun and useful. More Hammond patches would have been nice, but oh well. The only caveat I have is that the touch, while very realistic, is quite heavy. I wouldn't recommend this board for learning children or casual players. It takes some chops to play this board, which little fingers might not be able to handle in large doses. The keys of the P80 remind me very much of the hard action on my old piano teacher's Steinway grand...stiff, responsive. Indeed, I give Yamaha kudos for the "graded hammer" action (heavier in the bass, lighter in the treble, like a real piano). Overall, this is one killer piano. If you're a gigger or a pro who needs THE SOUND, don't think twice! The P80 is it.