Good morning,
I am interested in purchasing a Yamaha Clavinova and am currently undecided between the CVP-909 series and the CSP-295. I have a passion for piano playing and am looking for a digital instrument that offers high-quality sound sampling and amplification. Additionally, I enjoy accompanying myself with musical styles and backing tracks.
I understand that the CSP-295 requires the use of a tablet in conjunction with the Smart Pianist app. While the CSP model is significantly more affordable, I am somewhat hesitant about relying on a tablet for core functionality.
I would greatly appreciate any advice or recommendations you may have regarding which model would better suit my needs.
Thank you in advance.
Marco

Marco. Have you looked at the Yamaha DGX670.
I have owned one for over 3 years.
It's well built has Excelent Key-Bed, low priced and can play many of Yamaha Styles.

Quote from: Graham UK on Jul 11, 2025, 09:34 AMMarco. Have you looked at the Yamaha DGX670.
I have owned one for over 3 years.
It's well built has Excelent Key-Bed, low priced and can play many of Yamaha Styles.

Thanks for the advice! Yes, I'm familiar with the Yamaha DGX-670. It's a great instrument for its price, well built with a very good key-bed and wide style compatibility. However, I personally don't like the piano sounds, and I find the internal amplification not very powerful. The CVP or CSP series are on a whole different level, both in terms of sound quality and aesthetics—they also look beautiful as part of the home décor.
Marco

Firstly, the CVP905/805 use the same sound library as the CSP295, so comparing a 909 isn't really a fair comparison (you'll find *no* S.Art2 voices on CVP905 or CSP295)

The DGX670 uses essentially the CVP701 sound library, which isn't even in the same ballpark as the other 2 (the 909 uses the Genos sound library, the 905/csp use the PSRsx900 sound library, the dgx is using the PSRs770/sx600 sound library) *however* the CSP295 uses the same piano as the CVP809 (miles ahead of the DGX piano, but also quite a bit more detailed than the CVP905 piano).

The DGX670 represents an incredible value for the money (it's 1/4 the price of the CVP701, which uses the same sound library, interface, and screen!) but to suggest it as a viable alternative to a CVP909 is way off the mark. It's like suggesting a bicycle could enter an F1 race because it has wheels!

Marco: you're not wrong, the piano sound on the DGX is quite poor compared to the CSP295/CVP909 (the piano is the only comparison where the CSP295 *does* match up to the CVP909).. that and the total wattage of the speakers is quite similar (both are 280 watts, but the CVP uses a 7 way with subwoofer, the CSP uses a 6 way without sub... the CVP909 speakers are incredible, and frankly nicer than even the N1x, N2 speakers... the N2 costs 33% more than the CVP909, but the 909 still has the better speakers -- you could happily use that as your home cinema speakers and be impressed).
The DGX670's 12 watt speakers can't even handle *just* the piano sound at full volume (they all crackle, so I tell customers to use headphones or not turn the DGX up past 70%).

The biggest difference for now between CVP905/CSP295 (the 909 is in another class altogether) is that the CSP doesn't currently allow style editing or importing, so that library is fixed, and on the flip side the CSP allows infinite audio recording overdubs, and has a simpler, easier to learn interface.

Mark

Confession:  I am a confirmed idiot and serial purchaser/trader of digital pianos, keyboards, arrangers and whatever.  I did finally shed the rest and end up with a 909: I honestly believe my ways are permanently changed.  Going for an attractive budgetary proposition over getting what I really wanted never worked out for me and ended up costing me plenty.  Everybody is different of course but I wish I'd learned my lesson a lot earlier. Don't know if that helps anyone but I would bet I'm not the only one with buyers remorse over prior purchases!

The biggest decision is whether you want a real piece of furniture for a front room, or a semi portable more gadget looking set up. You are paying a lot of the price difference for that.
 One thing that should not drive the decision is the sound system, because while the sound system is good on the CVP, it's not hard to at least match that for a couple of hundred with an external sound system. I have a set of $150 self powered monitors on my CVP and it's better than the internal speakers. Play the piano sound of the DGX thru a decent set of external speakers and you may be surprised at how good the DGX piano is. Yes, there's a difference, but it's not huge, certainly very small compared to how well it's played! Unless you are a top level classical pianist it may be less of an issue than you think.
But if you want a nice front room piece of furniture the only choice is CSP or CVP. And to me that's simple as well. The CVP has everything that CSP has, but a lot more besides. So now it's just how much additional cost you can stand.
Mike

When it comes to music keyboards, you can only be surprised. I actually think that for example old keyboards hide many surprises that you discover along the way. This applies to all electronics and electrical appliances in general, that you only find out a lot later what their possibilities are (especially if you don't bother reading manuals). Like me

Quote from: cyber swine on Jul 12, 2025, 07:09 AMI did finally shed the rest and end up with a 909: I honestly believe my ways are permanently changed.  Going for an attractive budgetary proposition over getting what I really wanted never worked out for me and ended up costing me plenty.  Everybody is different of course but I wish I'd learned my lesson a lot earlier. Don't know if that helps anyone but I would bet I'm not the only one with buyers remorse over prior purchases!

Exactly... you wouldn't be the first, or the last. Everytime someone tries to save on their budget, but doesn't get what they really want, it costs them more (think of all the victims of plastic surgery gone wrong; one was on the news last night, her surgeries would've cost $16k in Montreal, but ended up going to COlumbia because they only cost $3k, but ended up with complications that have so far cost $40k to correct)

Mike, you'd be surprised; but yes the speaker system makes a huge difference, and no, it's not a few hundred $$$.

If I took the weaker speakers of the DGX, piped out to a large system, the get speakers even close to the CVP I'd need to get at least 2 x CP8's and a ks112 sub, which is an additional $3350, and it actually still wouldn't sound as good as the CVP. Future Shop here used to sell the speaker systems seperately, and the high end CVP sound systems were in the $3k ballpark.

I've actually A/B'ed these sort of tests in front of customers for them to actually hear the actual,  not hypothetical difference.

Until you've actually heard it, it's hard to put into words. But additionally, even if you manage to spend the $$$ to match the speaker quality, you will still have the inferior sound (samples) on the 805/905.

If you ever get a chance to go into a store to try them side by side, it's eye-openeing. Well, ear-opening

And congrats cyberswine, that is a *very* satisfying and rewarding instrument to experience!
Same base sound library as the Genos, but with a massively improved piano.

Oh 1 more thing Mike. They actually screwed up with the CVP709 sound system (too much mid response, not enough high end) so in *that* particular case? THe CVP705 actually had clearer speakers than the 709! But they *nailed* it with the 809, and re-used that 7.1 sound system on the 909. (The 609 sounded *much* better than the 605). And even though the 705 (4 velocity layer dynamic) had a slightly less detailed piano than the 709 (5 layer dynamic), it still sounded better on the 705. But the 805 are only 5 layer, the 809/909 are 8 layer. Makes a *pretty big* diff.

But don't take my word for it, go listen to them in person. It's actually nuts to me that they put a much better speaker system on the $12k CAD CVP vs the nearly $16k N2 (both systems are even the same total wattage). The specs don't really tell the entire story at all; the CSP295 has the same wattage (but 6.0 speaker system) as the CVP809/909, and even the same quality of sample; but side by side, the CVP809/909 *blows* away the CSP295 (just talking the piano, as I'd mentioned the remainder of the sound library on the CSP is from the CVP905, not the 909)

Guess it comes down to are you an audiophile who isn't afraid of a more complicated interface., or do you want simple & easy to use? CSP also has no registrations, which I can't live without!

Mark

Mark
I don't doubt what you say is correct. You have a lot of expertise and opportunity to compare.
When you play big orchestral sounds, synth sounds or big basses, I know the sound quality can be a big factor. But I was really referring to his comment about piano sound comparison. For just piano, my own perspective is that the sound quality has to be 'good enough' rather than superb, and the internal speakers on the portable keyboards, including the DGX, are never at that level. So comparing a DGX piano voice without enhancing the speakers to a CVP is unfair.
But it doesn't take much to get them there, - and when you do, improving the sound rapidly becomes diminishing returns for the piano voice. I have listened to the DGX thru half decent sound system - certainly not a $3000 plus system - and my reaction was 'that's a decent  piano'
I suppose I can put it this way -
Great piano playing plus average sound system = sounds great
Average piano playing plus great sound system = sounds average
At least that's what I hear!
I have a CVP 705 at this location, and I added some small relatively low cost monitors to it a few years ago. If I want to hear really big orchestral sounds, or add volume, I do find switching them on makes a difference, even to the 705 sound system. But most time I am not playing that kind of music. I play piano at fairly low volume and with relatively simple accompaniment, maybe strings or just bass and drums, and I don't find it worth switching them on.
At least thats what I hear. But then I have never really been an audiophile, I don't get very turned on by fabulous basses, amazing frequency response, great signal to noise... .... I get turned on by great chords or interesting arrangement. The sound quality just has to be 'good enough'.
But maybe one day I can visit you in your store and you can demonstrate all this and prove me wrong  .
I understand you are in the Vancouver area and my granddaughter is planning to move there soon - so you never know!!
Mike

Actually, the 705 piano has held up *well*; it *still* sounds pretty good (so good, in fact, that they reused the entire CVP705 sound library on PSRs970, sx700, and CSP150/170/PS500).

But yes, the 809/909 piano is *spectacular* by comparison... it disturbing sounds better than even a couple of higher priced models (N2, but the N2 has significantly better action, and 'nuance control')

I was comparing mainly *just* the piano, yes. Not even worrying about the orchestral. Most people don't think speakers make much difference til I show them CLP775/875 vs CP88, or when I piped Genos into KC amps vs GNSMS01 vs CP8

Speakers make *such* a huge difference that Yamaha went from 5 dynamic sample levels in the CLP990/970 pianos down to 3 in the following  CLP170 (yes they roll over back to 1 once the series numbers go up to 9), but put *much* better speakers in the CLP170

Guess which model sold more? by a huge margin?


To be fair, the CLP170 was the first model to introduce iAFC (3d speakers), so those speakers *did* sound substantially better than any before; and yes, the CVP909 still uses the iAFC speaker system (with a sub... the only other models that use IAFC are the Avant Grands, although the new CLP800 series uses a omni directional projection system that gives you somewhat similar results, but none with a sub, so still not as good as the CVP speakers)

Incidentally the CPV705 has really balnced speakers; *ironcially* better than the 709!!