I had a grand piano and also am incredibly impressed with how much digital keyboards have improved over the years in terms of touch and action. Again, repeated notes, trills, blues/jazz slurs and grace notes are all very responsive. In one dedicated article, we’ve covered the best keyboards in this price range, so feel free to give that a read before diving into this review. The USB- B port connects the Casio with the smartphone and also to the computer. Pairing it with the smartphone needs assistance from paired apps. Chordana Play also lets you control some functions on the keyboard, like switching between sounds and controlling metronome tempo. The keyboard element of the CDP-S100 comes with scaled hammer-action II technology that feels much more like a grand piano than a spring-based mechanism. As the name suggests the keyboard has a realistically firm feeling that starts out relatively heavy at the bottom and gradually gets lighter as you get to the top notes, just like the keys on a grand piano. The CDP-S100 also features synthetic ebony and ivory keytops making it an absolute joy to play.

Casio’s new Scaled Hammer Action II Keyboard has been designed to provide a more acoustic-piano like touch response. The key faces have also been upgraded with a simulated ebony and ivory textured finish. A lighter, more compact design The 3 electric pianos are a good selection of classic sounds, covering everything from classic Wurlitzers to FM synths. The CDP-S100 includes helpful guides on the keyboard to assist with navigation and setting changes, so the main advantage of using the app is that you can always see the tempo of your metronome.Chorus comes in 4 different types, along with the OFF option. The chorus ranges from a subtle stereo widening effect to a lush detuned flanging. There are some accessories that you get with your CDP–S100 such as a music rest, damper pedal, and power adapter. Still, you can add the following accessories to get it more adaptive. In short, a digital piano is meant to emulate an acoustic piano to the best of its ability. Good digital pianos do this well in the sound department and the feel department. Speaking from a more technical standpoint, Scaled Hammer Action has a third sensor that adds resistance when you’re pressing on it. Many (professional players, I have to add) did complain that this makes the sensation artificial compared to the naturalness of the Graded Hammer Action on Yamahas.

The CDP-S100 is fully compatible with iOS and Android devices and can be used with Casio’s own free Chordana Play Piano App.Personally, I recommend practicing with the standard preset, as it has the clearest tone of the bunch and allows you to pinpoint mistakes and weaknesses easily. Having weighted keys is a huge plus for this price range. A lot of options don’t offer the weighted keys, so this is something that Casio stepped the bar up on. Essentially, the sound palette on offer is decent enough for practice purposes, with attention clearly given to the piano tones. First of all, many of today’s digital pianos use stereo samples, which sometimes require two or even more notes for each key played. The same build quality can be found in the volume knob, which stays in place and does not wiggle around. A good amount of resistance is also present, allowing precise volume changes.

Touch sensitivity is also implemented nicely. The keys respond accurately to repeated key presses as well. With the new PX-S and CDP-S line of keyboards, Casio has added a new key action to the mix, and it’s different than the trusted Casio Tri Sensor Hammer Action found on the previous Privia line of digital pianos.Definitely a big selling point for this keyboard. It is extremely light and can be powered by 6 AA batteries. When I was younger and learning the piano, I wanted the freedom to take my keyboard outside and play. The problem was that I didn’t have the ability because I didn’t have power sources to make it happen. So, that being said, the S110 does have some advances made to its sound. Admittedly, when I played both of these pianos, it took me a few moments to realize that there was even a difference in their sound at all. From what I can hear, the extra bit of processing punch that the S110 has gives its notes a little bit of a more natural sound to them.