$5,000
Yamaha CLP-765GP: a clear digital piano review for practice and comparison
9.5 Beginner 7.9 Night Practice 1.5 Portability 9.2 Touch Reality 6.2 Value
88 101 kg
Yamaha CLP-865GP Review
Yamaha CLP-865GP review: a grand-shaped Clavinova built on CLP-845-level performance
88 Keys 106 kg GrandTouch-S
Bluetooth
Advanced
Scores
Where to Buy
MSRP
$6,799
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.
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 | 106 kg | -3 |
| Width | 1430 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-865GP review verdict
This Yamaha CLP-865GP review reads the published specifications from a comparison-first point of view: touch, sound, practice fit, value, and limits.
The CLP-865GP is the CLP-800 series folded into a baby-grand cabinet. Yamaha's own regional description places its performance essentially level with the CLP-845, so what the step up actually buys is the shape of the instrument and the way it stands in a room.
Pros
- • GrandTouch-S action with escapement and synthetic ebony and ivory keytops, the keyboard class Yamaha fits across its upper console Clavinovas.
- • A genuine two-way, four-driver system: a 16 cm speaker with a diffuser plus a 5 cm speaker per side, driven by separate 45 W and 35 W amplifier stages.
- • Both the Yamaha CFX and the Bösendorfer Imperial sample sets, with Virtual Resonance Modeling and Grand Expression Modeling applied on top.
- • Binaural CFX sampling for headphone use, which is aimed squarely at players who do most of their practice silently.
- • Two 6.3 mm headphone jacks, AUX OUT, USB TO HOST, and both Bluetooth Audio and Bluetooth MIDI, so teaching, recording and app work are all covered.
- • 303 lesson songs plus 50 classics and 23 voice demos, with recording, metronome, transpose and dual/split, and Smart Pianist for screen-based control.
- • 256-note polyphony, a GrandTouch pedal unit and a bench included.
Cons
- • The action is GrandTouch-S, not the wooden-key GrandTouch of the CLP-875 and above, so on touch this sits one tier below the top of the series.
- • Because the playing hardware is described as equivalent to the CLP-845, the premium over that model is paid for the cabinet rather than for anything you hear or feel through the keys.
- • 1146 mm of depth and 106 kg: a grand-shaped case needs clearance on more than one side and a delivery plan, not a spare stretch of wall.
- • 38 voices is a deliberately narrow palette. This is positioned as an acoustic piano substitute, not as an instrument for varied sounds.
- • Fewer headphone options than some rivals: both jacks are 6.3 mm, so 3.5 mm headphones need an adaptor.
The CLP-865GP is honest about what it is once you read the specification carefully: a CLP-845-class instrument in a baby-grand cabinet with a four-driver speaker system. If the shape and the presence of a grand in the room are part of what you are buying, that is a legitimate reason and this is the model that delivers it. If your money is meant to go into touch, the wooden-key GrandTouch models above it are the better use of the same budget, and an upright-style cabinet at a lower outlay gets you the same playing experience.
Yamaha CLP-865GP evaluation points
Yamaha CLP-865GP key action and touch
GrandTouch-S is Yamaha's moulded action, here with escapement and with synthetic ebony and ivory surfaces on the black and white keys. Escapement reproduces the small notch a grand action gives near the bottom of a very quiet keystroke; it is a cue rather than a mechanism you consciously use. The important structural point is what this is not: the CLP-875 and the models above it use the wooden-key GrandTouch, and that is where the series makes its real step in touch. Judged from published specification alone, the CLP-865GP is a well-equipped keyboard in the upper half of the range rather than the top of it.
Who the Yamaha CLP-865GP is for
Someone who wants a grand-shaped instrument standing in a living room, has the floor area to place it properly, and has decided that the cabinet is worth paying for. It suits a returning or advanced player practising at home, often on headphones. It is the wrong choice for anyone whose priority is the best touch Yamaha offers in this series, and it is impractical in a small apartment.
Yamaha CLP-865GP sound and speakers
Two sample sets sit at the core: the Yamaha CFX, bright and direct, and the Bösendorfer Imperial, darker and broader in the bass. Virtual Resonance Modeling adds string and body resonance behaviour, and Grand Expression Modeling changes tone with how the key is approached rather than only with velocity. The four-driver layout is what separates this from a slim console: a 16 cm speaker with a diffuser handles body and spreads the mid-range, while a 5 cm speaker per side carries the top. Through headphones the binaural CFX is the more relevant option, since it is sampled to sit outside the head rather than between the ears.
What to know before buying the Yamaha CLP-865GP
Plan the room before anything else. The cabinet is 1430 mm wide, 1146 mm deep and 932 mm high, rising to 1094 mm with the music rest raised, and it weighs 106 kg. A bench and a GrandTouch pedal unit are included, so the purchase is complete as it stands. AUX OUT and USB TO HOST make it usable with external amplification or a computer, and Smart Pianist gives a screen interface for the voices, songs and recorder. The 303 lesson songs are the same practice library found across the CLP-800 series.
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 | 106 kg |
| Speakers | 160W (×4) |
| 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) | 1430×1146×932 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
$6,799
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.
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-865GP vs CA-901
The CLP-865GP and CA-901 score very similarly across the main review axes. The CLP-865GP costs $200 less.
Kawai CA-901 →CLP-865GP vs KIYOLA KF-10
The CLP-865GP and KIYOLA KF-10 score very similarly across the main review axes. The KIYOLA KF-10 costs $1,900 less.
Roland KIYOLA KF-10 →CLP-865GP vs CSP-255
The CLP-865GP and CSP-255 score very similarly across the main review axes. The CSP-255 costs $1,300 less.
Yamaha CSP-255 →Related Guides
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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 Official press release Authorized retailer
How the 5-axis scores are calculated
We do not aggregate user reviews or star ratings (see methodology for why).
Spot a mistake or have a question about what's on this page? Let us know and we'll review it.
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Yamaha CLP-865GP