The Casio PX-870 is the most overlooked $1,000 console piano — and one spec in particular makes it worth a serious look before you default to the Kawai. Most buyers arrive at this comparison having already shortlisted the KDP75: strong reputation, consistent recommendations, Kawai's name attached to it. The PX-870 is quieter in the conversation, partly because Casio's brand carries a budget-keyboard association that doesn't apply to this product, and partly because it was released in 2017. But the instrument itself has not aged in any way that matters.
The Speaker System That Changes the Comparison
The Casio PX-870 has a 40-watt, four-speaker system. The Kawai KDP75 has an 18-watt, two-speaker system. Both pianos cost $1,000.
This is not a marginal difference. Forty watts through four speakers fills a living room without strain. The sound doesn't thin out at volume, and it has a sense of physical presence that makes the instrument sound more like a real piano and less like a speaker cabinet. Buyers who play primarily through the room sound — not headphones — will hear this difference within minutes. Casio made a clear engineering choice: invest in the room-sound experience rather than action refinement or connectivity. For a home piano played in a living room, that is not a bad trade.
The KDP75's 18 watts are adequate for personal practice in a quiet room. At higher volumes or in open-plan spaces, the sound begins to feel thinner than you'd expect from a $1,000 instrument.
Key Feel: Different Philosophies, Not Different Tiers
Both pianos use hammer-weighted, graded actions — heavier in the bass, lighter in the treble. The most concrete difference is surface texture. The PX-870's white keys have a simulated ivory finish — a slightly matte, gripping texture that gives your fingertips something to hold. The KDP75's keys are smooth matte plastic. Kawai's own product description acknowledges this directly: the keys "feel more like polished plastic than ivory." During fast passages or sessions when your hands get warm, the PX-870's gripping surface makes playing feel more secure.
The actions themselves have different characters. Kawai's Responsive Hammer Compact has a flowing, slightly elastic quality — the key travels with you rather than resisting you. Casio's Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II is more businesslike: reliable, honest, consistent. Experienced players sometimes have strong preferences between these feels. Beginners almost never notice the difference in the first year.
Sound Quality: A Real Draw at Home Volume
Kawai's SK-EX sampling comes from their handcrafted Shigeru concert grand — warm, full-bodied, expressive. Casio's AiR Sound Source is a mature engine with string resonance simulation that sounds genuinely good. In a quiet room through headphones, a blind listener would not reliably distinguish them. The Kawai has a slight warmth and roundness; the Casio sounds slightly brighter and more forward. These are character differences, not quality gaps.
Headphones and Connectivity
For night practice, the KDP75 has a meaningful advantage: Spatial Headphone Sound with headphone type adjustment. You tell the piano which headphone model you're using and it optimizes the EQ accordingly. The PX-870 also has headphone optimization — it simulates spatial depth — but the Kawai's adaptive EQ is more sophisticated. If most of your practice happens silently through headphones, the KDP75's experience is better.
Connectivity is where the 2017 release date matters most. The PX-870 has no Bluetooth and no app connectivity. The KDP75 connects via USB to Kawai's Virtual Technician app, which lets you adjust voicing, string resonance, and touch sensitivity curves. For beginners these controls are invisible. For returning players who know what they want from a piano's feel, the Kawai's deeper customization is a genuine advantage.
Who Should Buy Which
Choose the PX-870 if the piano will live in a larger room or open-plan space and you play primarily through the speakers. The 40-watt system is the Casio's defining strength, and buyers who choose it for that reason should feel completely confident — the sound is rich, the ivory-feel keys add real comfort over long sessions, and the instrument still competes squarely at $1,000.
Choose the KDP75 if you practice mostly through headphones and the SHS headphone type adjustment would genuinely improve your daily routine, or if you have prior piano experience and want Virtual Technician's customization options. The SK-EX sound is the Kawai's prize — warm, expressive, and most apparent when you're listening closely through a good pair of headphones.