Casio AP-S200 review: True Celviano but much cheaper

Casio’s flagship Celviano series includes gorgeous digital pianos, but many are too expensive for the average student. The AP-S200 is Casio’s new entry-level model, bringing Celviano quality to a more affordable instrument for the first time.

Final verdict 4.7

Surprisingly, the compact design and lightweight stature of the Casio AP-S200 come with very few compromises. The new Hamburg Grand sound is beautiful, and the smart keyboard feels more premium than expected. It’s a Celviano, just cheaper!

Why you should trust this review

I’ve been playing piano for over 25 years, and, in that time, the improvement in digital pianos has been incredible. Digital pianos sound and feel remarkably close to the real thing at the highest level.

As a student and later teacher, I spent much of my time working with entry-level instruments, so I’m very familiar with that market. In this case, I’ll find out if the AP-S200 is a true Celviano or just another entry-level piano.

At Pianist’s Compass, all reviews are based on hands-on testing, and if you’d like to learn more about our approach and process, you can read about how we test digital pianos and keyboards.

Contents

Use these jump links to navigate to the desired section of the review.

• Sound quality 4.7
• Speakers 4.8
• Keyboard 4.9
• Features 4.7
• In use 4.8
• Build quality 4.7
• Connectivity 4.0
• Comparisons

Sound quality 4.7

To my surprise, the AP-S200 sounds every bit like a Celviano digital piano. I shouldn’t be surprised, but I expected a slightly watered-down version of Casio’s AiR engine. Instead, we get a high-end sound engine, 19 onboard sounds, and a stunning replication of Steinway’s iconic Hamburg Grand.

I’ve always preferred the C. Bechstein Celviano models (although they can look dated) for their slightly darker tone, but this Hamburg Grand is a close second. If I had to find a fault, I’d say the low-end doesn’t quite deliver the thunderous bass of a true concert grand, but most digital pianos don’t. With a more gentle touch, the low-end sounds authentic, and the mid to high-range is lovely; it’s a rich sound, made even richer thanks to Casio’s sympathetic resonance.

The additional sounds are good but not at the same level as the flagship acoustic piano voice, which isn’t unusual for a digital piano. The acoustic bass sound is one of the highlights and comes in very handy in Split Mode.

Overall, when the priority is a realistic piano sound, the AP-S200 overdelivers, and with a max polyphony of 192 notes, it should please even more demanding players.

Built-in speakers 4.8

Despite its small stature, the Celviano AP-S200 boasts an impressive two-channel built-in speaker system with dual 20-watt amplifiers. The speakers deliver excellent clarity, and although some of the physically larger models offer 30 watts of power, the AP-S200 is more powerful than many in its class.

While close to $1000 isn’t cheap, some entry-level models lack finer attention to detail, and areas like the speaker quality suffer, but Casio typically doesn’t make those mistakes. I also like the speaker position; they are on the underside of the piano but facing out toward the player rather than to the floor.

Keyboard feel 4.9

The keyboard feel was another surprising area; again, I expected a slight reduction in quality. Not just because the AP-S200 is cheaper than other Celviano models, but it’s also much slimmer (that’s where the “S” comes from) at just under 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) in depth.

It features Casio’s Smart Scaled Hammer-Action keyboard. The first thing to mention is that there’s no significant downgrade that you often find with a smaller instrument and compact design. It doesn’t feel too light or springy; the amount of resistance feels authentic enough. It’s a scaled hammer-action keyboard, so the lower keys are heavier to mimic the larger hammers, etc., and the weight is graded nicely across all 88 keys.

The most surprising element is each key has a slightly different response time according to weight. It just adds another layer of realism by making you feel like you have to work as hard as you do on a real piano, and I like it. The icing on the cake is that all keys have a lovely matte finish.

Features 4.7

The Casio AP-S200 is pretty slimline in every sense, including the feature set. Here are some of the highlights.

• Sympathetic resonance. The generated string resonance is lovely; it simulates the vibration of strings around the keys pressed and makes the sound so harmonically rich. You also have simulated damper resonance and acoustic resonance, mimicking the body of a real piano.
• Headphone mode. Headphone mode optimizes the sound for headphones to avoid sounding unnatural.
• Built-in recorder. You get a two-track recorder, which is perfect for capturing ideas and practice sessions.
• Hall Simulator. The Hall Simulator is a built-in reverb effect.
• Keyboard modes. Along with the pretty standard Layer and Split modes (great for that acoustic bass in the left hand), you also get Duet Mode, two identical keyboard ranges for student/teacher practice or duets.

In use 4.8

The Casio AP-S200 controls are as sleek and cool as the piano’s design. You’ll find an illuminated touch panel to the left of the keyboard with the main “Function” button, transport controls, etc. It looks great, is clear, and, more importantly, works well (you don’t have to press anything multiple times before it registers).

Changing sounds is quick and easy; you can select any sound or rhythm using the Function button and pressing the relative key. There’s nothing convoluted about the AP-S200, and I love that. It’s just a lot of fun to play.

Build quality 4.7

I typically find Casio’s design choices a mixed bag of great and tasteless. The cabinets/bodies often look good, but the control layout is terrible, or vice versa. The Celviano AP-S200 gets it right in both departments; the slimline body looks fantastic.

In terms of robustness, it’s no less robust than the older and larger models, like the AP-470. If anything, it perhaps feels a little sturdier than some compact alternatives. The sliding keyboard cover also looks and feels very good.

It doesn’t escape the expected criticism of a small and lightweight digital piano in that it’s top-heavy with a relatively thin wooden stand. But you have to spend a lot of money to get a digital piano that gets anywhere near matching the physical presence of a real upright piano.

Connectivity 4.0

Connectivity is the only area that made me think, why did you do that, Casio?

There are two headphone jacks on the underside of the piano. I’m happy to see two headphone jacks, and I understand the desire to maintain the sleek image, but placing them underneath the piano body seems strange to me. It seems like having to reach underneath to plug in your headphones in/out would become annoying; it’s certainly not a dealbreaker, just odd.

On the positive side, you get USB type A and B, along with Bluetooth connectivity.

Compared to others

Here are a few alternatives in the same price range.

Casio AP-S200 vs Kawai KDP75

I’m such a big fan of the Kawai sound that I can almost overlook other areas just to have it. So, I’d likely go for the KDP75. Read the full review

Casio AP-S200 vs Roland F107

I have a real fondness for Roland, but, in this case, the F107 can’t match the sound of the AP-S200 Hamburg Grand voice. See the current price

Casio AP-S200 vs Yamaha Arius YDP-105

The Arius series is tried and tested at every price range and never fails. But the newer Casio looks and sounds better. Read the full review

Casio AP-S200 vs Korg LP-380U

The LP-380U is similar to the AP-S200 in many ways: it’s slim, light, and looks great. The Korg has more sounds, and some are better than Casio’s offering, but in the flagship piano department, the AP-S200 wins. Read the full review

Who is the Casio Celviano AP-S200 best suited for?

The Casio AP-S200 suits beginner/intermediate players or even advanced players looking for a more compact digital piano.