Yamaha DGX-660 Review: More Than Just a Digital Piano

We’ll be taking a closer look today at the Yamaha DGX-660, a keyboard with lots of impressive capabilities.

Yamaha’s “Portable Grand” line has a model with fully weighted keys that is the company’s flagship model.

As it replaces its predecessor, the DGX-650, the DGX-660 offers increased polyphony, as well as some new sounds, effects, and features, which I will discuss later in this review.

So what is so unique about this keyboard?

The DGX-660 is basically a hybrid of a digital piano and an arranger keyboard

With hundreds of sounds, songs, styles, and rhythms, it’s a great instrument not just for playing piano, but for learning and making music as well.

We’ll now dig deeper and see what the keyboard has to offer and what its strengths and weaknesses are

Yamaha DGX-660 Specs

Keyboard with matte black keytops, 88 keys, fully weighted
Hammer Graded Standard action
The sensitivity of the touch (Hard, Medium, Soft, Fixed)
Display: 320 x 240 LCD (with score/lyrics display)
Pure CF sound engine
Polyphony of 192 notes
There are 554 built-in sounds (151 panel sounds, 15 drum kits, 388 XGlite sounds).
There are 205 styles available (Multi Finger, Full Keyboard, AI Fingered)
100 preset songs
Modes: Split, Dual
Effects – Reverb: 41 types, Chorus: 44 types, Harmony: 26 types, DSP: 237 types, Master EQ: 5 types
Lesson Function: Yamaha Education Suite
6-track MIDI recorder (5 songs)
USB Audio recorder: WAV (44.1 kHz, 16 bit, stereo)
Metronome, Transpose, Fine-tuning
Speakers: 6W + 6W (12cm x 2 + 5cm x 2)
Connections: USB to Host, USB to Device, Headphone jack, Aux In, Mic In, Sustain Pedal jack
1,397 x 445 x 146 mm (55” x 17.5” x 5.7”)
21kg (46 lbs. 5 oz.); with stand: 28kg (61 lbs. 12 oz.)

Below you can check the availability and current price of the Yamaha DGX-660 in your region:

Design

Although the DGX-660 is in the Portable Grand line, I wouldn’t consider it very portable.

The keyboard is pretty big and heavy when compared to other models in the line and digital pianos from the P-series. Yet the latter doesn’t come close to the DGX-660 in terms of sounds, features, and connectivity options.

The dimensions of the DGX-660 are 55″ wide and 5.7″ high (29.9″ with the stand), which is pretty standard for keyboards with 88 keys.

Its depth is 17.5″, making it bulkier than, for example, the Yamaha P-125 or the Casio CGP-700.

Additionally, the DGX-660 is quite heavy; it weighs 46.3 lbs without a stand and 61.75 lbs with the matching stand that comes with the keyboard.

So it’s not something you’d want to move around often.

And if portability is crucial for you, I’d recommend taking a look at the Casio CGP-700, which is similar to the DGX-660 in terms of features but has a more compact design.

Take a look at the table below to quickly compare the DGX-660’s size to some other popular digital pianos:

A matching stand is included with the DGX-660. It’s quite well-built and sturdy enough to hold this rather large keyboard.

The piano comes packed in a large, heavy box (about 100 pounds), so you will most likely need another person to help unpack and assemble it.

Assembly will take you no more than 25-30 minutes, and the instructions are very clear, so you shouldn’t have any trouble.

The DGX-660 has a contemporary design with wooden elements (side panels, stand) that is available in black and white.

The keyboard is full of features, sounds, music styles, and other so-called “bells and whistles”. There are many buttons on the control panel, which enable you to access all the settings/functions within seconds.

Furthermore, the DGX-660 has a 320*240 LCD screen, which makes the keyboard much more user-friendly.

The display will show you the current settings as well as lyrics and scores.

If you use the Lesson function, you will also be able to see on the on-screen score and virtual keyboard what notes you are playing and what notes you need to play.

Yamaha has designed a special function for piano players called “Piano Room” that has a dedicated button.

This button automatically applies the optimal settings for piano performance regardless of what settings you make on the panel, which is very convenient.

Keyboard

A touch-responsive keyboard with 88 fully weighted keys is included in the DGX-660.

You’ll find the same keyboard action in the Yamaha P-45 and P-125 digital pianos. It’s called Graded Hammer Standard (GHS).

GHS action keys are attached with graded hammers to reproduce the feel of an acoustic piano with a heavier touch in the low end and becoming lighter toward the high end.

You will be able to develop good technique and finger strength by practicing on an acoustic piano.

The DGX-660’s keyboard is also touch (velocity) sensitive, meaning the harder you press the keys, the louder the sound.

Players are given excellent control over dynamics and expression, from the softest pianissimo to the strongest, boldest forte.

Depending on your playing style, the keyboard sensitivity can be adjusted. You can choose from four presets: Soft, Medium, Hard, and Fixed.

When the “Fixed” setting is selected, the volume will remain the same regardless of how hard or soft you play, which will make the keyboard non-touchable.

The DGX-660’s keys are made of plastic, which is true for all keyboards in this price range.

Glossy white keys are easy to use, while matte black ones prevent fingers from slipping.

Sound

Yamaha’s Pure CF sound engine is at the heart of the DGX-660. The same sound source is used in the Yamaha P-125, the P-255, and some Arius (YDP) models.

In its Pure CF model, Yamaha meticulously recreates the sound of the CFIIIS concert grand piano. No.1 Natural! The grand piano sound of the DGX-660*.

It sounds very convincing, just take a look at the video below.

Not only does the DGX-660 have 10 different piano sounds, but also hundreds of other instrument sounds, which gives you lots of room for creativity.

In total there are 554 instrument sounds you can choose from:
10 Pianos (Natural!, Live! Grand, Pop Grand, Warm Grand, Studio Grand, etc.)
12 Electric Pianos
14 Organs
5 Accordions
14 Guitars
9 Bass Guitars
16 Strings
9 Trumpets
14 Saxophones

As well as brasses, flutes, synths, drum kits and many other sounds

To make your music sound more interesting and unique, you can use the DGX-660’s extensive library of sound effects.

A total of 41 types of reverb simulate the acoustics of a variety of environments including concert halls, rooms, stages, as well as canyons, basements, tunnels, clubs, and others.
As a result, 44 chorus types will make the sound richer and thicker while simulating subtle pitch and timing variations so that it sounds as if several performers play the same part in unison.
There are 26 harmony types effect that will add harmony notes to your performance.

With the DGX-660, you can also use a Pitch Bend wheel to simulate some interesting effects (e.g. guitar vibrato, choking) by bending notes up and down while playing the keyboard.

The master equalizer (EQ) allows you to tailor the sound to your taste. You can choose from 5 types of Master EQ: Normal (default setting), Piano, Soft, Bright, and Powerful.

Using DSP, or Digital Signal Processing, you can further customize and transform the sound by using over 230 different effects such as reverbs, choruses, echoes, distortions, etc.

Polyphony

What is Polyphony?

The polyphony has been expanded from 128 notes on the DGX-650 to 192 notes on this model, which means you can freely play and layer multiple sounds, use backing tracks and accompaniment styles without worrying about the memory capacity and notes dropping out.

Speakers

The DGX-660 has built-in speakers measuring 12cm x 2 + 5cm x 2, which provide a well-balanced, rich sound.

As the speakers are open-faced, the sound is directed toward your face, making for a clear, muffle-free experience.

Furthermore, the Intelligent Acoustic Control (IAC) function further enhances the sound by intelligently adjusting bass and treble frequencies to make the sound clearer and more balanced at low volume levels.

Speakers in the DGX-660 are sufficient for practicing at home and even for small performances.

If you’re playing in a band or on stage, you’d need an external amplifier or PA to achieve a more powerful sound.

Features

The DGX-660 can be used in many different ways.

The DGX-660 features all the essential qualities to provide a realistic piano experience, but it’s also equipped with a variety of features found on arranger keyboards.

To ensure that piano players don’t get lost in the keyboard’s many features and settings and to make it easier for them to access piano sounds and piano-related settings, Yamaha equipped the DGX-660 with the “Piano Room” function (which has a dedicated button).

Upon pressing that button, the main Grand Piano tone will be selected, and the optimal settings for piano performance will be applied.

You can also change the piano settings according to your preferences.

There are four types of piano available: Grand Piano, Pop Grand, Warm Grand, and Honky Tonk.

Even the lid position can be changed to achieve the sound effects of an open lid.

Other parameters you can configure in the Piano Room include:

Environment Type (reverb): Room, Stage, Recital Hall or a Concert Hall.
Damper Resonance (On/Off)
Touch-Response (3 levels)
Tuning (adjusting the pitch in 1Hz steps

Modes

DGX-660 offers split and layering features for playing two instruments simultaneously.

Split Mode divides the keyboard into two sections, each of which can be assigned a different instrument sound.

You can play piano in the right-hand area, drums in the left-hand area, and so on. It is possible to adjust the split point as well as the sounds that you want to split.

Recording And Playback

DGX-660 works with two types of data, MIDI and Audio. Your performances can be recorded and played back in both MIDI (SMF) and audio (WAV) formats.

MIDI and audio files can also be played back from the piano’s internal memory or directly from a USB drive.

MIDI. In this case, we aren’t recording the actual sound of the instrument, but MIDI data (a sequence of notes, their length, and velocity).

Your recordings can then be played back on your keyboard, or on your computer using programs that can interpret MIDI data, such as Windows Media Player, QuickTime, Winamp, etc.

The DGX-660 records and stores up to five songs in its internal flash memory.

You can record up to six tracks per song, which you can then play back as one song or turn some tracks off to mute the parts you don’t want to hear (melody, percussion, accompaniment, whatever you’ve recorded on those tracks).

Once you’ve recorded all the parts (tracks) you need, you can adjust the song’s tempo, fast-forward or rewind it, or repeat it from the start point (A) to the end point (B).

Audio. Here, we’re recording/playing back the sound of the keyboard.

You can record up to 80 minutes per single recording, and save the recordings to a flash drive in WAV (44.1kHz/16bit) format.

Afterwards, you can play your recordings on your smart devices (e.g., laptop, music player, smartphone, etc. ), share them on social media, and even burn them to a CD.

Whether it’s a MIDI or WAV file you’re playing back, you can follow along.

Lesson Function

Yamaha Education Suite (Y.E.S.) offers onboard lessons for beginning players.

You can use MIDI songs (100 internal or downloaded from the Internet) for your left-hand, right-hand, or both-hand lesson with the Y.E.S.

When you select the left-hand lesson, you play the left-hand part of the song while the right-hand part is played automatically and vice versa.

The DGX-660 offers three types of Song Lessons: Waiting, Your Tempo, and Minus One.

During the “Waiting” type of lesson, the song will wait for the correct notes to be played on the screen and only then continue to play.

You won’t even need to know how to read music to play the songs because the display will show you the notes as well as the keys (on the virtual keyboard).

You should play the “Your Tempo” type of lesson with the correct timing. Depending on the speed you play at, the playback tempo will change.

When you play wrong notes, the melody will slow down and gradually return to its original tempo when you play correctly.

You choose the part of a song you want to practice (left- or right-hand part) and play it at the normal tempo while listening to the other hand part.

The DGX-660 displays music scores and lyrics for songs if those are included in the song.

Other Functions

With the DGX-660, you can choose from a variety of auto-accompaniment styles and rhythms that make you sound like you’re playing with a band or an orchestra.

There are over 200 different genres of music, including pop, jazz, country, R&B and others.

You can choose from three different types of Fingering (cord specifying):

Multi-finger (you can play all chord variations, full chords and single-finger).
Use the entire keyboard range to specify cords.
AI Fingered (Artificial Intelligence is used to predict what you want to play next to improve performance).

The built-in Music Database will help you choose the right Style and Voice. Just choose a music genre (over 300 variations) and the optimal settings will be displayed.

The Style Recommender is another useful tool to help you pick the right style. Depending on the rhythm you play for one or two measures, it will suggest optimum styles.

The smart cord feature will help you play accompaniment styles, even if you don’t know how to play the chords. As long as you know the key of the music you play, you’ll be able to control styles with just one finger.

You can improve your playing speed and timing accuracy by using the onboard metronome on the DGX-660.

The metronome can be adjusted for tempo, time signature, and volume.

Either the Transpose or Tuning function can be used to adjust the keyboard pitch.

By transposing the keyboard, you can change the pitch in semitone steps, for example, to make it easier to play songs written in difficult keys, or to play music in a different key without changing the keys you’re playing.The tuning function allows you to adjust the pitch of the entire keyboard in 1Hz steps.

Connectivity

Digital pianos like the DGX-660 offer a wide range of connectivity options.

The keyboard’s ports and jacks are located on the back panel, with the exception of the USB to Device terminal, which is on the front.

USB to Host Terminal

The keyboard can be connected to a computer using this port to exchange files/songs.

DGX-660 can also be used as a MIDI controller, transferring MIDI data between the keyboard and the computer for controlling music production and learning apps (e.g. GarageBand, FlowKey, etc.).

The A-B USB cable required for this connection is not included with the keyboard, but can be purchased on Amazon for a few bucks.

USB to Device terminal

A USB flash drive can be connected to this port to exchange files and data (recordings, parameter settings, etc.) quickly and conveniently with the keyboard.

When you need to load recordings (MIDI/Audio files) back into the keyboard, you can save them on the flash drive.

Additionally, you can download and play songs and MIDI files directly from a flash drive (for listening, practicing, and playing along).

Headphone Jack

This ¼” stereo jacks can be used to connect a pair of headphones to the piano and practice without bothering anyone around.

This jack can also be used as a Line Out to connect the piano to an external sound system such as an amplifier, PA system, mixer, etc.

Mic Input Jack

Another great feature of the DGX-660 is that you can connect a microphone directly to the 1/4′′ jack and sing along with your performance or song playback.

The DGX-660’s internal speakers will output your vocals.

Even the Mic Volume Knob controls the volume, and there are many settings and effects to experiment with.

The piano can only be connected by a 1/4′′ plug (not USB).

AUX in

Using this 1/8″ (3.5mm) mini-jack, you can connect an external audio device (basically any device with 3.5mm output jack) and hear its sound through the keyboard’s built-in speakers.

To make this connection, you will need a 3.5mm Male to Male cable.

Sustain Jack

The sustain pedal/footswitch is connected to the keyboard using this jack.

Pedal Unit Jack

It is connected to this jack that the optional 3-pedal unit LP-7A/LP-7AWH is connected to.

Accessories

The Yamaha YPG-535 comes with the following accessories:
Matching Stand
Sustain Footswitch
Music Rest
AC Power Adapter
Owner’s Manual
Data List

Stand

There is a sturdy matching stand included with the DGX-660, so you don’t have to worry about placing the keyboard.

The stand is quite heavy (15.4 lbs) and not easily portable.

A compact X-type stand would be a great option if you need something portable and easy to move around.

I have listed three excellent X-type stands for the DGX-660 below:

Sustain Pedal

The DGX-660 is equipped with a basic Yamaha footswitch. A plastic box-like unit, it doesn’t look or feel like an acoustic piano pedal.

Even though the included pedal is fine for most beginners, more experienced players may want a more realistic pedal.

As always, I recommend checking out the high-quality M-Audio SP-2 piano-style pedal, which offers a more realistic look and feel as well as an affordable price.

Bag

I mentioned earlier that the DGX-660 is not the best choice for gigs due to its size. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not suitable for that, it’s just not the best option.

Many musicians manage to transport and use this keyboard to perform on stage. If you decide to do so, you’d probably need a bag to transport the DGX-660 safely.

There aren’t many gig bags for such a big keyboard.

You can use the Yamaha Artiste Series Keyboard Bag for 88-note keyboards, which is quite a large bag, even for the DGX-660, but you’ll have some space left inside.

The bag is not heavily padded and only be suitable for light travel.

Another great option from a well-known brand is the Gator 88-Note Gig Bag. The nylon bag has reinforced riveted handles and is constructed from heavy-duty nylon.

The Gator bag is almost identical to that of the DGX-660, but the padding is thicker than that of the Yamaha bag.

However, the Gator bag is almost twice as expensive as the Yamaha, so it all depends on your budget.

Both bags are great for solo gigs and light travel, but they’re not designed for heavy loads or air travel.

Headphones

It is helpful to use headphones when practicing in private, focusing solely on your playing without disturbing others.

In addition, a good pair of headphones will produce a clearer and more detailed sound than the onboard speakers.

Learn how to choose the best-sounding headphones for your digital piano in this guide.

The headphones included with Amazon bundles are usually cheap and don’t offer great sound quality or comfort.

Summary

Pros	Cons
LCD screen	Heavy
Hammer action keyboard with 88 keys	Not as portable as its competitors
Sampled from the Yamaha CFIIIS Concert Grand piano	Headphone jack is on the back
There is a large library of songs, styles, rhythms, and sound effects.	Very basic sustain pedal
Midi/Audio recording capabilities
Wide range of connectivity options
Features for learners
Comes with a sturdy matching stand

This Yamaha DGX-660 keyboard is a very versatile keyboard that can be used by anyone, from a beginner to an experienced player. I’m sure it will also appeal to your kids!

The DGX-660 features an 88-key weighted keyboard and a piano tone sampled from the CFIIIS Concert Grand. This, combined with 192-note polyphony, creates a realistic piano experience.

The DGX-660 doesn’t stop there.

Yamaha designed the instrument to be equally excellent for playing piano and making music as well as for learning and just having fun.

The number of things you can do with this keyboard is truly amazing.

You get hundreds of sounds, songs, backing styles, and effects that will keep you occupied for hours without getting bored.

Besides the virtual keyboard and on-screen notation, the piano has a whole bunch of educational features that will make learning more enjoyable and effective.

Because of the great recording capabilities, you can compose and record your own music without using any additional software or equipment.

Nevertheless, if you need more, you can always use the DGX-660’s connections to extend its functionality by connecting it to other devices and equipment.

To me, the main drawback of the DGX-660 is that it’s quite bulky and heavy.

Of course, it’s not nearly as cumbersome as traditional instruments, but you’d still probably need another person to help you move it around (61.75 lbs with the stand).

Due to its size, the DGX-660 is not the best choice for gigs. Even with its many bells and whistles, the keyboard is more than suitable for performances if you can transport it safely.

In conclusion, I recommend the DGX-660 for those who want more than just a digital piano with some instrument sounds and some basic functions.

You get much more with the keyboard than with a regular digital piano. The DGX-660 is essentially an entertainment center, a digital piano, and a little studio in one.

Check the price and availability of the Yamaha DGX-660 in your region:

Alternatives

Listed below are the 3 most popular competitors to the DGX-660 you might want to consider before making your final decision.

Yamaha Dgx-660 Vs Yamaha P-125 (Full Review)

Yamaha P-125

In Yamaha’s P series, the P125 is another popular intermediate digital piano. Essentially the P-125 is the same keyboard as the DGX-660, but without the extra functions and sounds.

Featuring the same GHS keyboard, the same Pure CF sound source, and the same amount of polyphony, it provides a realistic piano playing experience.

However, the P-125 has just 24 built-in sounds, 20 accompaniment rhythms, and 50 songs, as opposed to hundreds of styles and sounds.

Therefore, it’s much more basic and straightforward than the DGX-660. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

It’s just that the P-125 is designed to be used primarily for piano playing, and it does this very well.

The piano has all the basics, including an onboard metronome, transpose and tuning functions, a 2-track MIDI recorder, and Duo, Dual, and Split modes.

It is also much more portable and compact than the DGX-660 and weighs only 26 lbs, which is half the weight of the DGX-660.

So the P-125 is a better choice if want to be able to easily move your keyboard around and take it to gigs, rehearsals, etc.

I’d recommend the P-125 over the DGX-660 for those who just need an alternative to an acoustic piano and don’t care about extra sounds or features.

With that being said, the DGX-660 is a versatile keyboard with a lot of additional features.

Below is a video that explains the key differences between the two keyboards (in the video, Chris talks about the older P-115 and DGX-650, but much of what he discusses applies to the new models too):

Yamaha Dgx-660 Vs Casio Cgp-700 (Full Review)

In addition to sharing the same price tag, the CGP-700 and DGX-660 are very similar conceptually.

You can’t go wrong with either of these keyboards, so the main dilemma is which one to choose.

Let’s start with the similarities between the two.

As with the DGX-660, the CGP-700 is a very versatile keyboard that offers a realistic piano experience as well as many features for music production, learning, etc.

It has an integrated stand, but it’s not just a simple unit.

Combined with the speakers on the keyboard, the stand offers 40W of full, powerful sound. You’ll notice the difference immediately!

Furthermore, the CGP-700’s 5.3″ color touch screen outperforms the DGX-660’s non-touch monochrome screen and makes navigation more intuitive and convenient (especially on stage).

The CGP-700 comes with Casio’s famous Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II with simulated ivory and ebony keytops, which to my taste has a more realistic feel than the GHS keyboard on the DGX-660.

The CGP-700 does not use the popular Multi-dimensional Morphing AiR Sound Source we’re used to seeing on most Casio digital pianos.

In its place, it features the MXi (Multi-Expressive Integrated) sound processor. This provides a very rich and natural piano sound, sampled from a Steinway Grand, delivered by 40W speakers that are unbeatable in this price range.

I preferred the DGX-660′s piano tone when listening through headphones.

In addition to the additional sounds and features, the CGP-700 has 550 built-in sounds (DGX-660: 554), 200 accompaniment styles (DGX-660: 205 styles), 128-note polyphony (DGX-660: 192 notes), layer/split functions, duo mode (not available on the DGX-660), 17 reverbs, 16 choruses, and 6 delay types (DGX-660: 41 reverbs, 44 choruses).

The CGP-700 has a 17-track MIDI recorder with a memory capacity of 100 songs (the DGX-660 has only 5 songs). Audio recording is also available on the keyboard.

The CGP-700 doesn’t have a Mic In jack like the DGX-660. It has dedicated Line Out jacks instead.

Overall, the DGX-660 offers slightly more sounds, styles, and effects, as well as a higher polyphony count and arguably a better piano sound.

On the other hand, the CGP-700 offers a much more powerful speaker system, a much more convenient 5.3″ touch screen, and perhaps a more realistic keyboard.

Yamaha Dgx-660 Vs Casio Px-360

Another strong competitor to the DGX-660 is the Casio PX-360.

As the PX-360 is almost identical to the CGP-700, I will be brief.

One reason why you might prefer the PX-360 over the CGP-700 is that it comes with the AiR Sound Source, which allows for more realistic piano sounds by simulating string resonance, key off, and hammer response.

I think the difference is subtle, but it is audible, especially when listening through headphones.

In addition, the PX-360 has Line In and MIDI In/Out jacks, which the CGP-700 does not have.

Furthermore, the PX-360 does not come with a stand and only has 8W + 8W onboard speakers, while the CGP-700 has 6W + 6W speakers as well as a stand with 2 x 14W low-frequency speakers.

Besides that, the PX-360 and the CGP-700 are identical, and since the PX-360 is slightly more expensive than the CGP-700, I’m not sure whether it’s worth the extra money.

What do you think?