Yamaha YDP-S30 Review

by Jerry Cecere
(Folsom, CA USA)

Yamaha YDP-S30

Recently I purchased this new, feature-loaded model and I'm very pleased with it. The appearance is definitely modern/contemporary, and it sounds the same as the YAMAHA N-100, which clearly is being discontinued. My YDP-S30 cost $799 from Andy's Music on line and there was no tax and no charge for shipping. The more traditional N-100 costs almost three times the advertised cost of a YDP-S30.

Using one of the two headphone jacks, I connected a really super SONY external, self-powered speaker system. The YDP sounds like an enormous grand with that speaker system, while the on-board speaker system of the YDP-S30 is, intentionally, I'm sure, a bit wimpy.

Given my musical interests, the YDP-S30 is very satisfying, compact, attractive and good enough for my modest talent. Were I to "graduate" to another digital piano, I'd probably select a low end CLP model, like the CLP230.