You are not paying for the keys
The CLP-875 and the CLP-885 are neighbours in Yamaha's Clavinova CLP-800 series, both released in 2024 and both current. The CLP-885 is the highest model in an upright-style cabinet; only the grand-shaped CLP-895GP sits above it. The CLP-885 costs considerably more, so the natural assumption is that it plays better. On Yamaha's own specifications, it does not play differently at all.
A note on method: this is a spec-based comparison. We have not played the two side by side. Every figure below comes from Yamaha's per-model specification pages, which we rechecked in 2026.
The short version: the keyboard, the piano samples, the polyphony, the headphone section and the connections are the same. The CLP-885 adds a larger and heavier cabinet, 10 W of amplifier power and more voices. Whether that is worth the difference depends almost entirely on how, and where, you play.
The keyboard is the same GrandTouch
Both pianos use Yamaha's GrandTouch action with wooden white keys, synthetic ebony and ivory keytops, and escapement. Both have 88 keys and 256-note polyphony. The same keyboard is also fitted to the CLP-895GP, so from the CLP-875 upwards the touch no longer changes within the series. In our key-action grading, the two receive the same grade.
The step in touch comes one model lower: the CLP-845 uses GrandTouch-S, and the CLP-875 is where the GrandTouch keyboard begins.
If you have read that the CLP-885 has an upgraded version of the action, Yamaha's per-model specification pages do not support it. Both list GrandTouch. For anyone who chooses a piano mainly by feel, that settles the question: the CLP-875 gives you exactly the keyboard of the CLP-885.
What the CLP-885 adds
10 W more, the same six speakers
The CLP-875 is rated at 220 W and the CLP-885 at 230 W. Both drive six speakers. Yamaha splits the power into three amplifier stages per side: 45 + 25 + 40 W × 2 on the CLP-875 and 45 + 30 + 40 W × 2 on the CLP-885. Only the middle stage differs, by 5 W per side. On paper that is a small step; on its own it would not make the CLP-885 obviously louder in a living room.
A taller, deeper and heavier cabinet
- Width: 1,450 mm vs 1,461 mm
- Depth: 465 mm vs 494 mm
- Height: 967 mm vs 1,027 mm
- Weight: 71 kg vs 87 kg
The CLP-885 is 6 cm taller, about 3 cm deeper and 16 kg heavier, and its speakers sit in that larger body. How a bigger cabinet changes the way the sound fills a room is exactly what a spec sheet cannot tell you. If you play out loud most of the time, this is the part to judge with your own ears in a shop, with both pianos at a similar volume.
53 voices plus 480 XG voices, against 38
The CLP-875 has 38 voices, with electric pianos and organs alongside the pianos. The CLP-885 has 53, adds orchestral voices, and carries a further 480 XG voices on top. The XG set is a broad library of instrument sounds. It matters if you play along with MIDI song files, arrange, or like to layer many different sounds. If you spend nearly all your time on the piano voices, both give you the same Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial, and the extra voices will sit largely unused.
Everything else is the same
According to the specifications, the two models share:
- Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial samples with VRM, and 256-note polyphony
- Bluetooth audio and MIDI, USB MIDI and app support
- A line output for external speakers or recording
- Two standard 6.3 mm headphone jacks with Stereophonic Optimizer
- Recording, metronome and transpose
- 303 built-in songs
- A stand and damper pedal in the box
The headphone section deserves a second look. It is identical, and when you play on headphones the speaker system and the cabinet play no part at all. For a player who practises mostly in the evening on headphones, the CLP-885's two main advantages simply disappear.
Who should stop at the CLP-875
- You choose by touch. The keyboard is identical, so paying more for the CLP-885 changes nothing under your fingers.
- You practise mostly on headphones. The jacks and the Stereophonic Optimizer are the same, and the speakers stay silent.
- Your room, floor or stairs are a constraint. The CLP-875 is 16 kg lighter, 6 cm lower and about 3 cm shallower, which helps with delivery and placement.
- You play mainly the piano voices. Both carry the same CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial with VRM.
For most players who picked the CLP-800 series for its keyboard, the CLP-875 is the point where the touch stops changing.
Who the CLP-885 makes sense for
- You play out loud most of the time, in a larger room, and after listening to both in a shop you prefer how the CLP-885 sounds. The difference in power on paper is small, so let the listening decide.
- You use the extra voices. The 53 voices and the 480 XG voices are the clearest feature difference between the two.
- You want the largest upright-style Clavinova as a piece of furniture, and the extra height and weight are not a problem where it will stand.
If touch is why you want to go higher
Because the CLP-885 does not change the keys, it is not the next step for a player who wants a more piano-like feel than the CLP-875 offers. At Yamaha, that next step is a hybrid with a real acoustic action. We compare that choice in Yamaha NU1XA vs CLP-885. If you are weighing the CLP-875 against another maker's wooden-key console instead, see Kawai CA-701 vs Yamaha CLP-875.
In short
The CLP-875 and CLP-885 have the same keyboard, the same piano samples and the same headphone section. The CLP-885 adds a bigger, heavier cabinet, 10 W and many more voices. If you choose by touch or practise mostly on headphones, the CLP-875 gives you everything that matters. If you play out loud in a large room or want the extra voices, listen to both before paying for the CLP-885.