$1,799
Yamaha YDP-165: a clear digital piano review for practice and comparison
7.7 Beginner 7.4 Night Practice 1.5 Portability 7.9 Touch Reality 5.8 Value
88 42 kg
Yamaha YDP-166 Review
Yamaha YDP-166 review: the standard ARIUS console moves to GrandTouch-E and adds Bluetooth
88 Keys 42 kg GrandTouch-E
Bluetooth
Beginner
Scores
Where to Buy
MSRP
$1,599
Retail prices change, so check current pricing at retailers.
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How These Scores Were Calculated
Beginner
9.3| 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 | 10 sounds | +0.2 |
Night Practice
8.2| 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 | No | +0 |
| Speaker Mute with Headphones | Yes | +0.7 |
| Key Action Quietness | GrandTouch-E | +0.4 |
Portability
1.5| Factor | This Piano | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Base Score | — | 5.0 |
| Weight | 42 kg | -3 |
| Width | 1357 mm | -0.5 |
| Battery | No | +0 |
| Foldable | No | +0 |
| Key Count | 88 keys | +0 |
Touch Reality
7.9| Factor | This Piano | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Key Action Quality | GrandTouch-E (grade 7) | +4.2 |
| Key Count | 88 keys | +1.5 |
| Polyphony | 192 notes | +1.2 |
| Sound Modeling | Yamaha CFX (VRM Lite) | +0.5 |
| Key Surface | simulated-ebony-ivory | +0.5 |
Yamaha YDP-166 review verdict
This Yamaha YDP-166 review reads the published specifications from a comparison-first point of view: touch, sound, practice fit, value, and limits.
The YDP-166 keeps the YDP-165's cabinet size, 42 kg weight, Yamaha CFX sample and 20 W × 2 amplification. Three things change: a GrandTouch-E keyboard with escapement replaces GH3, Bluetooth audio and MIDI are added, and the two 12 cm speakers gain diffuser grilles.
Pros
- • GrandTouch-E keyboard with escapement and synthetic ebony and ivory keytops. The YDP-165's GH3 keyboard did not list escapement.
- • Bluetooth audio and Bluetooth MIDI, so a phone or tablet can play through the piano and Smart Pianist connects without a USB cable. The YDP-165 had neither.
- • Two 12 cm speakers now sit behind diffuser grilles, which Yamaha says spread the upper range more evenly through the room.
- • Yamaha CFX sample with VRM Lite resonance, 192-note polyphony and 10 voices.
- • Two standard 6.3 mm headphone jacks, with Stereophonic Optimizer for headphone practice.
- • 303 lesson songs and 50 classics, a two-track recorder, metronome, transpose, dual and duo modes, and USB audio interface over USB TO HOST.
- • Three pedals (damper with half-pedal, sostenuto, soft), a sliding key cover and music braces. In Japan a height-adjustable bench and headphones are included.
Cons
- • No AUX OUT or line output, so feeding an external amplifier means going through a computer over USB.
- • 192-note polyphony and 10 voices are unchanged from the YDP-165; a wider voice set needs a step up to the Clavinova range.
- • Still two speakers at 20 W × 2. The diffuser changes dispersion, not power, so a large room gets no more headroom than before.
- • Yamaha does not publish how GrandTouch-E relates to the GrandTouch-S of the CLP-800 series, so that step cannot be judged from specifications.
- • At 422 mm deep it is a standard-depth console; the YDP-S56 with the same keyboard is 309 mm deep.
The YDP-166 is a focused revision rather than a new concept. Cabinet, weight, CFX sample, polyphony, voice count and amplifier output all match the YDP-165. The keyboard moves to GrandTouch-E with escapement, Bluetooth audio and MIDI arrive, and the speakers gain diffusers. For a household buying its first serious home piano, practising on headphones and using an app on a tablet, those are sensible things to have changed. For a player who needs outputs, more voices or a larger speaker system, nothing in this generation addresses that, and a Clavinova is the more suitable comparison.
Yamaha YDP-166 evaluation points
Yamaha YDP-166 key action and touch
GrandTouch-E is the keyboard Yamaha developed for this ARIUS generation; in the ARIUS line the YDP-166 and YDP-S56 are the two models fitted with it. The published specification lists synthetic ebony and ivory keytops and escapement, the small notch a grand action gives near the bottom of a very soft keystroke. The previous YDP-165 used GH3 with the same keytop finish but no escapement in its specification. Yamaha describes GrandTouch-E as newly developed for steadier touch and response, but does not publish key weights or sensor counts, so the most useful comparison is to try it beside a GH3 or GrandTouch-S instrument where a shop allows.
Who the Yamaha YDP-166 is for
A home player, child or adult, who wants a conventional cabinet with three pedals for regular practice, often on headphones, and who expects to use a tablet for sheet music, lessons or recording. It suits a family starting lessons as well as an adult returning to the piano. Anyone short on depth should compare the YDP-S56, and anyone who wants more voices, line outputs or a larger speaker system is better served in the Clavinova range.
Yamaha YDP-166 sound and speakers
The core is the same Yamaha CFX sample with VRM Lite resonance that the YDP-165 used, with 10 voices and four reverb types. What changes is the speaker arrangement: the two 12 cm drivers now sit behind diffuser grilles, which Yamaha says carry the upper range more clearly and spread the sound more evenly. Amplification stays at 20 W × 2, so the difference is dispersion rather than level. On headphones, Stereophonic Optimizer places the piano in front of the player rather than inside the head, and Intelligent Acoustic Control keeps the low and high registers audible at low volume.
What to know before buying the Yamaha YDP-166
Check Bluetooth before buying. Yamaha's US specification lists Bluetooth audio and MIDI as varying by area, which means some regional versions may not include it; the Japanese specification lists audio receive and MIDI send and receive without that note. Confirm with the dealer that the unit sold in your country has it, particularly if you plan to use Smart Pianist wirelessly. Included accessories also differ: the US page marks the bench as area-dependent, while in Japan a height-adjustable bench and headphones are in the box. The cabinet is 1,357 mm wide, 422 mm deep and 849 mm high, rising to 1,003 mm with the music rest up. Yamaha Japan now lists the YDP-165 as discontinued, so if remaining stock is the comparison, the differences are the keyboard, Bluetooth and the speaker grilles.
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-E |
| Polyphony | 192 notes |
| Sounds | 10 |
| Weight | 42 kg |
| Speakers | 40W (×2) |
| Bluetooth | Audio + MIDI |
| Key Surface | Simulated Ebony Ivory |
| Sound Modeling | Yamaha CFX (VRM Lite) |
| Headphone Jacks | 2 |
| Headphone Type | 6.3mm, 6.3mm |
| Headphone Optimization | Yes |
| USB MIDI | Yes |
| Line Out | No |
| 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) | 1357×422×849 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
$1,599
Retail prices change, so check current pricing at retailers.
Buttons without a “search” label open the product page directly; the others open retailer search results. Links may include affiliate tracking. Stock and listing status can change without notice.
Thomann ships from Germany; check shipping cost and import fees before ordering.
Buttons without a “search” label open the product page directly; the others open retailer search results. Links may include affiliate tracking. Stock and listing status can change without notice.
How It Compares
YDP-166 vs HP-701
the HP-701 is stronger in quiet practice. The HP-701 costs $99 less. Choose the HP-701 if quiet practice matters most.
Roland HP-701 →YDP-166 vs YDP-S56
the YDP-S56 is stronger in portability. The YDP-166 costs $100 less. Choose the YDP-S56 if portability matters most.
Yamaha YDP-S56 →YDP-166 vs CX102
The YDP-166 scores higher in piano-like touch, while the CX102 is stronger in portability. The CX102 costs $300 less. Choose the YDP-166 if piano-like touch matters most.
Kawai CX102 →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 Official press release ×2 Published spec sheet ×3 Authorized retailer
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 YDP-166