88-weight key portable digital piano At $599 internet discount price for the Korg B2 and $749 for the Korg B2SP (with stand & triple pedal unit), this model has been voted #1 best digital piano under $650 by “MUSIC PLANET.” This is the 1st time we have ever voted a Korg digital piano into the top slot in this low price range and because of that we have decided to give it a detailed review.
This spot was occupied by the old brands Yamaha, Casio and Roland. But, this time, the Korg digital keyboard company from Japan has jumped in front of everyone to claim the top spot.
Korg was awarded the special award because they did something unique in a digital piano below $650. They devoted their entire attention to the fundamentals and investment in the product. This includes key action response, authentic piano sounds, pedal sustain realism, and the best internal speaker system reproduction in an affordable digital piano.
The B2 may not look as fancy and expensive as other digital pianos, but it is the only one that we think makes you feel like you’re actually playing a piano.
Other brands, such as the Yamaha P-45 and Roland FP-10 digital pianos priced at $650 or less, are also good digital pianos. However, they do not compare to the 2023 Korg B2.
Korg B2 Digital Piano in black or white
Korg B2 digital pianos are available in two cabinet colors and two configurations. You can buy the digital piano as is for $599, or you can add a matching stand and triple pedal unit for only $150. This model is called B2SP.
This model is available in two colors: a matte black or a matte white. The piano is very compact and light at 26 pounds. It can be easily carried around or packed up for travel if needed.
The control panel is simple and easy to use. There are also a number of additional features, but you will need to refer to the manual for instructions.
The new model does not allow you to layer two sounds together. It also has no split, digital recorder, or drum patterns. There are many digital pianos that can offer additional features and functions at this price point.
The Korg B2 digital piano has a stereo full resonance acoustic sound, a more realistic weighted, graded key action and dynamic sustaining pedaling response. You will hear a much larger and more full-bodied piano sound when the Korg B2 is plugged into a 30 watt speaker system.
This internal speaker system is actually so amazing that you almost won’t believe its quality with the incredible bass frequency range and clarity it projects through this model’s internal speakers.
Korg – B2 Digital Piano
It is fascinating to me that, as a pianist and teacher of piano, I have heard so many people tell me that they want a digital piano that is small and lightweight and under $650. This is a piano that actually sounds and plays like a real piano.
In other words, a lot people want a piano that does a great job and doesn’t have too many extra features. They don’t need them as much or not at all. It costs money to build a new piano. These digital pianos can be expensive due to the cost of construction and design. Some people may not be able to afford them, or they might not want to spend the extra money.
Korg decided that it would take the pro piano sounds of its high-end digital piano, the “Grandstage”, and make a new version of them into the new B2. This would allow people to have a far better piano playing experience than any digital piano below $650. We are very happy with their decision.
The B2 features professionally stereo-sampled Steinway, Bosendorfer (from Austria), Yamaha(from Japan) and Fazioli (from Italy). This sound chip has natural organic piano content that allows you to hear these piano sounds resonating through a 30 watt speaker system.
There are many beautiful sustain tones, resonance string vibrations, rich, balanced tones, and a large dynamic range compared to digital pianos under $650. You won’t notice the lack of extra bells and whistles on the B2. Once you hear the piano sounds, you’ll forget about it. Most people, at least, will just want to play the piano and be inspired by what the instrument has to offer.
Korg – B2 Digital Piano
The B2 also has other sounds that are equally as impressive and better than any digital pianos in this price range. These sounds can be used to complement or play alone, and include organ, string, harpsichord, organ, Wurlitzer electric, Yamaha DX7 and church pipe organ.
These sounds sound more natural thanks to the realistic reverb and chorus/tremolo effects. The B2 has great acoustic piano sound, and also some very good instrument sounds. Korg’s smooth transition technology allows you to change between sounds without having the first one cut out. This is useful for when you are changing sounds while playing.
While you transition to another sound, the previous sound of the piano or instrument “holds on”. This means that you won’t hear the previous sound cut off immediately when you press the next sound. Korg has this technology in their expensive pro-stage pianos, but it’s not included here at such a low price.
Some people won’t notice the “smooth sound transformation” feature, but others like me who love changing the sounds of songs will appreciate it.
Although I admit it, I do like layering 2 instruments sounds together when I play digital pianos such as piano/strings and electric piano/2nd electric keyboard, piano/organ, and so on, the B2 is unable to do this. But for less than $650, I’m not complaining.
Although you can’t get everything in a given price range, I do have the most important things in terms of key action and piano sound. That is what really matters.
The bottom line is that it’s all about playing the piano, and the price. If you can only spend $550- $650 on a new Korg B2, then this is the one for you.
Korg BB2 Digital Piano with iPad
The B2 has an interesting feature that I didn’t mention yet. It can be connected to a tablet or a computer via USB/MIDI. This was important for me for several reasons. I could use my iPad, which I use all the time, and I could also take my favorite sounds from apps like Garage Band and use them with B2.
However, this has one problem.. you need to be capable of routing the audio from your external device (iPad in mine) back into the piano. This will allow you to hear the Korg piano or other instrument sounds through the internal speaker system B2.
This means that you want to hear any extra sounds coming from your external device through the piano. The B2 has this feature, but there are not many home digital pianos. Instead, the USB/MIDI Cable that you connect to your iPad/computer to send and receive the MIDI signals also receives the audio signal (sound), from your external tablet/computer and “streams it through” the B2 speaker system.
Now I can take any of my iPad app’s favorite instruments, such as synth, strings, electric guitars, horns and horns, and layer them with any sound in the Korg B2. This allows me to sound layer and makes the sound layers sound amazing through the B2 speaker system. It is clear and can mix two sounds together easily.
The USB cable can transmit audio to your tablet or smartphone, so you can record your piano performance. After you’re done recording, you can play it back via the B2 speaker system. This model can be connected to a tablet, smart phone, or computer.
Korg B2 Digital Piano control panel
You can use the B2’s stereo audio output minijack to send your sound to external speakers if necessary.
As far as I know, the connection will mut out the internal speakers and you won’t have the ability to mix the sounds from both systems. One of the main drawbacks of this model is the need to connect to an external source using one stereo headphone connector. I would prefer to have 2 separate 1/4” audio output jacks, rather than one.
This is also why the B2 has a headphone jack on the back. If you want to use it as an external audio jack, you can connect from the back. That would make sense. It is difficult to connect headphones to the piano’s front. Instead of connecting them to the front, you must do it in the back. This is not something I like.
There are two downsides to the B2 that I can see, but most people won’t notice them. They will be using the piano’s internal speakers to play it in their home, or any other room of a regular size, and won’t need an external sound source.
It is possible to plug in headphones, but it is not as easy as the B2 which had a headphone jack on the left side of the piano cabinet.
The B2 also has an adjustable digital metronome that can be used for rhythm and timing training. This is great for students or those who are just starting to learn new songs. If your vocal range is not in the correct key, the B2 can transpose or modify your song to any key.
You can adjust the key touch and change the setting from hard to soft, depending on your finger strength. The key-touch settings do not affect the physical movement of a key. They only alter the digital velocity curve that controls how the sound is produced when you press the key. The
The Korg B2’s “polyphony” number is a major point I want to make. It has a maximum polyphony of 120 notes. People ask me all the times if I should be concerned if it is lower than other digital pianos with a higher polyphony specifications such as 128 or 192 notes maximums, 256 notes maximums, etc.
Some digital pianos have only 64 notes, such as the Yamaha P45 ($549 Price). This polyphony count is too low and could cause playability issues for some people, depending on their playing ability. Polyphony is simply having enough memory in a piano chip to store the maximum number of notes possible on a digital piano.
Digital pianos usually have stereo sounding piano sounds. To get stereo, you will need twice as much polyphony memory for each note.
Instead of 1 polyphony memory note per key if the sound was mono, you’d need 2 polyphony memory notes for stereo. If 64 notes of memory are available, then you can divide it into two and get 32 notes of memory for stereo.
This means that if you are able to sustain 32 keys simultaneously (which is possible), you will hear additional notes drop out instantly and you should stop playing. There is a point when more polyphony can be a good thing. There are also factors such as the quality of each sampled piano sound, and the number of layers in each one.
It is a bit of a math equation but the bottom line is that if you are playing a digital piano and you play more complicated music using a lot of notes, and using your sustain pedal for those notes, and you don’t hear any sudden drops out, then you have enough polyphony.
This does not mean that the piano sound is realistic or good. I’ve heard expensive digital pianos with 256-note polyphony, and even unlimited piano polyphony. However, the piano sounds were artificial and did not appeal to my ears. The piano sound was very poor, with no note drop out.
The Korg B2 has a 120 note maximum polyphony. I used all 5 acoustic keyboard sounds and had no “note drop-out”, even though I tried my best to make it happen.
The piano sound technology is much more advanced than usual in this price range. This means that no matter your playing level, the B2 can accommodate all of your needs.
Korg B2 Digital Piano
We recommend the Korg B288-key digital piano for $599. You can also get the (SP) package (stand and triple pedal) for $749. This is our recommendation.
Korg makes reliable products and offers a warranty that covers any defects. (Based on my experience using Korg digital pianos, it’s rare for defects to be found in this type of product). Having the Korg brand on a digital keyboard is a huge deal because Korg is well-respected in the music industry as a pro keyboard manufacturer that is used by thousands of top musicians all over the globe.
The dimensions of the B2 are 52″ x 13″ x 5″, making it small and lightweight at 25 lbs. It looks great with its elegant, simple cabinet design and buttons and volume knobs that have a nice tactile feel.
The piano comes with a large music rack that you can place your music on. This is a great feature considering how many portable digital pianos only have small music racks.
We must mention that, although this model is ranked #1 under $650 in our rankings, it is still very good. However, we think some portable and furniture cabinet top-name digital pianos above $1000 are even more realistic with more piano playing!
Let us know if you feel the Korg B2 is the right piano for you. If you are in the US, please contact us immediately by email or phone. We can discuss the Korg B2 and other digital pianos with you and also let you know the special pricing.
