Yamaha
CLP-835
$2,400
Yamaha CLP-835: a clear digital piano review for practice and comparison
9.5 Beginner 8.5 Night Practice 1.5 Portability 8.8 Touch Reality 6.6 Value
88 57 kg
Yamaha CLP-836 Review
Yamaha CLP-836 review: the mid-range Clavinova keeps its 38 voices and speakers and adds wood to the white-key sides
88 Keys 57 kg GrandTouch-S
Bluetooth
Intermediate
Scores
Where to Buy
MSRP
—
No US price has been announced for this model yet.
Retail prices change, so check current pricing at retailers.
These buttons open retailer search results and may include affiliate tracking where available. Stock and listing status can change without notice.
Thomann ships from Germany; check shipping cost and import fees before ordering.
These buttons open retailer search results and may include affiliate tracking where available. Stock and listing status can change without notice.
How These Scores Were Calculated
Beginner
9.5| Factor | This Piano | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Base Score | — | 0.5 |
| Lesson Function | Yes | +1.8 |
| App Connectivity | Yes | +1.8 |
| Bluetooth MIDI | Yes | +1 |
| Recording | Yes | +0.8 |
| Practice Basics (Metronome / Transpose / Layer-Split) | Yes | +0.6 |
| Stand Included | Yes | +0.5 |
| Damper Pedal Included | Yes | +0.4 |
| Preset Songs | 303 | +1.7 |
| Sound Variety | 38 sounds | +0.4 |
Night Practice
8.5| Factor | This Piano | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Base Score | — | 1.0 |
| Headphone Jacks | 2 | +2.2 |
| Headphone Type | 6.3mm, 6.3mm | +0.9 |
| Headphone Optimization | Yes | +2.2 |
| Bluetooth Audio | Yes | +0.8 |
| Line Out | Yes | +0.4 |
| Speaker Mute with Headphones | Yes | +0.7 |
| Key Action Quietness | GrandTouch-S | +0.3 |
Portability
1.5| Factor | This Piano | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Base Score | — | 5.0 |
| Weight | 57 kg | -3 |
| Width | 1450 mm | -0.5 |
| Battery | No | +0 |
| Foldable | No | +0 |
| Key Count | 88 keys | +0 |
Touch Reality
8.8| Factor | This Piano | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Key Action Quality | GrandTouch-S (grade 8) | +4.8 |
| Key Count | 88 keys | +1.5 |
| Polyphony | 256 notes | +1.5 |
| Sound Modeling | Yamaha CFX + Bosendorfer Imperial (VRM) | +0.5 |
| Key Surface | ivory-feel | +0.5 |
Yamaha CLP-836 review verdict
This Yamaha CLP-836 review reads the published specifications from a comparison-first point of view: touch, sound, practice fit, value, and limits.
The CLP-836 replaces the CLP-835 in Yamaha Japan's CLP-800 range. Yamaha's two specification tables differ in one row only: the GrandTouch-S keyboard now uses wood on the sides of the white keys. Voices, speakers, display, recording and connections are carried over unchanged.
Pros
- • GrandTouch-S keyboard with escapement and ivory- and ebony-feel keytops, now with wood on the sides of the white keys, and six touch settings from Hard2 to Soft2 plus Fixed.
- • Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial samples, both with binaural samples for headphone listening, plus VRM, Grand Expression Modeling and 256-note polyphony.
- • 38 voices including two fortepiano voices, with dual, split and duo modes, 20 rhythms and Piano Room.
- • Two 16 cm speakers with diffusers on 30 W × 2, a clear step up from the CLP-826's 12 cm drivers on 20 W × 2.
- • Recording of 250 songs with 16 MIDI tracks, plus USB audio recording to WAV of up to 80 minutes per song.
- • AUX IN, AUX OUT, USB TO DEVICE and USB TO HOST, two standard 6.3 mm headphone jacks, and Bluetooth audio and MIDI.
- • Full-dot LCD in Japanese or English, and pedals that can be assigned to functions such as pitch bend or song start and pause.
Cons
- • The keyboard is the same as the CLP-826's, so the extra cost buys features and speakers, not a different touch.
- • At 57 kg (60 kg in polished ebony) and 460 mm deep, it needs a permanent place in the room.
- • The wood is on the sides of the white keys only; wooden white keys start with the CLP-845, and Yamaha publishes no key weights that would show the size of the change.
- • As of September 2026 it is announced for Japan only, with no date or price for other markets.
The CLP-836 changes exactly what the CLP-826 changes: wood on the sides of the white keys, and nothing else in Yamaha's tables. Everything that made the CLP-835 the practical middle of the range carries over, including 38 voices, split mode, a display, 16-track and audio recording, line connections and a larger speaker system than the entry model. This assessment is based on published specifications; the instrument is not yet on sale and has not been played for this review. Against the CLP-826 the keyboards are now identical, so the choice is purely about features and sound system. Against remaining CLP-835 stock in Japan, the question is whether the keyboard refinement is worth the price gap. Outside Japan the CLP-835 remains the current model.
Yamaha CLP-836 evaluation points
Yamaha CLP-836 key action and touch
The CLP-836 uses the same GrandTouch-S action as the CLP-835 and the CLP-826, with escapement, ivory- and ebony-feel keytops and six touch settings (Hard2, Hard1, Medium, Soft1, Soft2 and Fixed). What is new is wood on the side surfaces of the white keys, which Yamaha added in response to customer requests and links to a more grand-like feel, for example when playing octaves. This is not a wooden key: Yamaha describes the CLP-845's white keys as wooden and the CLP-836's as using wood, and the two should not be confused. With no published key weights, the useful test is to play it beside a CLP-835 or a CLP-845 in a shop.
Who the Yamaha CLP-836 is for
Players who already practise regularly, or returning players who want more than a single piano voice: layering and split, the fortepiano voices, audio recording to a USB drive, or a connection to external speakers. It also suits households where two people practise on headphones. Buyers who only need the piano voices will find the same keyboard in the CLP-826. Outside Japan it is a preview for now, and the CLP-835 is the model on sale.
Yamaha CLP-836 sound and speakers
Sound is carried over from the CLP-835: Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial samples, with binaural samples of both used on headphones, VRM resonance and Grand Expression Modeling across 38 voices. Effects include seven reverb types, three chorus types, seven brilliance settings plus a user setting, and 12 insertion effects. Two 16 cm speakers with diffusers on 30 W × 2 give more headroom than the CLP-826, and AUX OUT allows an external amplifier for larger rooms.
What to know before buying the Yamaha CLP-836
Yamaha announced the CLP-836 in Japan on 10 September 2026 for release there on 22 October 2026, at an open price. As of September 2026 there is no announcement for the US or Europe, where the CLP-835 is still listed and sold. The cabinet is 1,450 mm wide, 460 mm deep and 927 mm high (1,455 × 460 × 930 mm in polished ebony) and weighs 57 kg, or 60 kg in polished ebony. Polished ebony was already offered on the CLP-835, so it is not a new finish. Yamaha Japan's CLP-800 lineup no longer lists the CLP-835; against remaining stock, the only published difference is the wood on the sides of the white keys.
Demo Video
Video coming soon for this model
We embed videos from manufacturer official channels and trusted reviewers. As soon as a suitable demo or review is available, it will appear here.
Specifications
| Keys | 88 |
| Key Action | GrandTouch-S |
| Polyphony | 256 notes |
| Sounds | 38 |
| Weight | 57 kg |
| Speakers | 60W (×2) |
| Bluetooth | Audio + MIDI |
| Key Surface | Ivory Feel |
| Sound Modeling | Yamaha CFX + Bosendorfer Imperial (VRM) |
| Headphone Jacks | 2 |
| Headphone Type | 6.3mm, 6.3mm |
| Headphone Optimization | Yes |
| USB MIDI | Yes |
| Line Out | Yes |
| Lesson Function | Yes |
| App Connectivity | Yes |
| Recording | Yes |
| Metronome | Yes |
| Transpose | Yes |
| Layer / Split | Yes |
| Preset Songs | 303 |
| Battery | No |
| Foldable | No |
| Dimensions (W×D×H) | 1450×460×927 mm |
| Stand Included | Yes |
| Pedal Included | Yes |
Spec terms are explained in the glossary. Glossary →
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Recommended Accessories
🪑
Stand
Stand included
A sturdy X-stand or furniture-style stand is essential if one isn't included.
🎧
Headphones
Closed-back headphones with good bass response make practice sessions more enjoyable.
🎹
Sustain Pedal
The included pedal is usually basic. A half-damper pedal upgrade is worthwhile for expressive playing.
💺
Bench
An adjustable-height bench helps maintain proper posture during long practice sessions.
Where to Buy
MSRP
—
No US price has been announced for this model yet.
Retail prices change, so check current pricing at retailers.
These buttons open retailer search results and may include affiliate tracking where available. Stock and listing status can change without notice.
Thomann ships from Germany; check shipping cost and import fees before ordering.
These buttons open retailer search results and may include affiliate tracking where available. Stock and listing status can change without notice.
How It Compares
CLP-836 vs CLP-835
The CLP-836 scores higher in value for money. Choose the CLP-836 if value for money matters most.
Yamaha CLP-835 →CLP-836 vs HP-704
the HP-704 is stronger in quiet practice. Choose the HP-704 if quiet practice matters most.
Roland HP-704 →CLP-836 vs AP-550
The CLP-836 scores higher in beginner support and value for money. Choose the CLP-836 if beginner-friendly features matters most.
Casio AP-550 →Head-to-head comparisons
Spec-by-spec pages pitting this model against the alternatives it is most often weighed up with.
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Read more →Sources & transparency
This page is written by the operator, who has run the piano-learning site Piano Juku since 2017, based on published manufacturer specifications. We are not a retailer or tied to any maker — every model is compared by the same criteria. About the operator
- Last verified
- Data referenced from
- Manufacturer official ×4 Official press release ×2 Authorized retailer ×2
How the 5-axis scores are calculated
We do not aggregate user reviews or star ratings (see methodology for why).
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Yamaha CLP-836