In this article, I’ll review the Yamaha PSR EW300 and give you its pros and cons. Overall, it’s a great way to start your piano keyboard journey. Learning is easy with this 71 key keyboard, since it is lightweight and easily portable. However, as you progress, you will eventually need higher notes range and chords in your fingertips
As an intermediate learner, a good 76 key keyboard will enable exploration and expression without the bulkiness of a full-size keyboard. There is no other keyboard that plays as well as the Yamaha PSR EW300 in its price range.
The Yamaha PSR EW300 is an upgrade of YPG 235. Its upgrades include: touch sensitive keys, upgraded features, and a new classic look. The instrument is widely praised by piano experts and music lovers alike because it incorporates the famous Yamaha quality, one of the best keyboard piano brands on the market.
Pros
- Lots of different sound options to choose from
- Great sounding speakers
- Keys are full size and touch sensitive
- Good beginner, or advanced, setup to learn on
Cons
- None noted
Overview:
The Yamaha PSR EW300 keyboard is a great piano for beginners and intermediate players. It’s an excellent keyboard for a budding musician, as it is 76 keys, making it almost full length.
The keys offer are touch sensitive, dynamic keys, meaning the harder you press the key, the louder the sound. The keys are full width, making it easy to transfer from a piano to the keyboard.
It has a total of 576 different sounds available, so you can play any different type of music. You can also hook up your phone to play along, or play along with the 100+ sounds included on the keyboard.
The key features include:
- Robust build quality
- Portable design
- Inexpensive
- Includes the Yamaha education suite
- Touch sensitive keys
- 76 keys
Design
The Yamaha PSR EW300 comes in 4.62 X 45.37 X14.5 inch measurement, weighing about 13 pounds. This makes it compact and lightweight enough to easily move around with. It’s light even for children to move with its size comfortably fitting them as they play, making it perfect for them, especially if they have an adjustable stand to fit their height.
As common to Yamaha keyboards, the Yamaha PSR EW300 is made to last. It comes with strong plastic casing, buttons, and knobs that will survive normal shock and protect its interiors as they fail.
On top of that, its control elements are placed straight above the keys and clearly labeled such that you can easily press without a struggle when playing.
Sound
When buying a piano or keyboard, one of the most essential feature to look at is sound. It can easily be a dealbreaker when looking to purchase, or a great asset for an instrument. With the Yamaha PSR EW300 keyboard, sound is one thing that will make you buy it.
On top of that, the instrument comes with over 500 instruments sounds that you can choose from to make your playing more fun, and improve your creativity. You can also add different effects including harmony, chorus equalizer and reverb to the music.
Connectivity
The instrument comes with standard connection capabilities. It includes audio output that enables you to connect it with a pair of headphones for silent playing or an amplifier for a large crowd performance.
It also incorporates a USB-MIDI port that enables you to load or record songs to the instrument. The port also enables you to connect it to DAW and use it as a controller.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of wireless connectivity where it only allows a connection using a USB adapter.
Keyboard
The Yamaha PSR EW300 keyboard comes with a 76 key touch-sensitive keyboard which enables it to respond to the force at which you hit the keys. Here, the volume will be loud when you strike the keys with force, and soft when you apply less force.
The keys are full-sized meaning that their size is like that of the real piano, so the hand and finger positioning won’t be a problem when you transition to a more advanced instrument, or downsize. The keys also provide a good playing experience where you don’t have to struggle to play on the keys or even pressing wrong keys when playing.
On top of that, the piano is ideal for people who are not comfortable playing weighted keyboards. The keys offer a good, soft weight that actually feels great when playing. Unfortunately, the instrument does not come with ivory or ebony simulation, instead the keys are made of smooth plastic.
Speakers
The instrument is powered by the famous Yamaha AWM stereo sampling sound engine that makes it preferred even by expert players. It has a two-12 inch speaker system, each having 2.5 W amplifier.
Although this might sound small, the sound is quite clear and loud. It’s powerful enough to practice and play in front of friends and family. If you need more power, check out our article on the best speakers for piano keyboards.
Polyphony
Yamaha PSR EW300 has 48 polyphony, which proves to be enough for beginner and intermediate players. In fact, there are very few features on the instrument that requires high polyphony. Still, the polyphony is enough to play most music pieces that you can play.
Features
Coming to features, the keyboard might seem like a basic keyboard, but it has quite a number of features to offer. Most of its features mainly fit those who are looking for an intermediate keyboard under $500 on.
For experienced players, you might consider a different instrument that can give you maybe some other features you are looking for and that that will fit your playing experience.
Here are some features that you can find in the Yamaha PSR EW300 keyboard:
165 music library
The instrument comes with a 165 music style and controls which includes options like autofill among others to enable you to explore the style of your liking. You can also adjust the music tempo and add different features on the music. It also enables you to record your own songs, which you can play back and edit them later.
Duo Mode
Duo mode enables you to divide the keyboard into two sections, each with an identical pitch. With this, two people can play on the same instrument each with the same octave and perform a duet. This is a useful tool, especially to teachers, as they can play while their students follow along.
Dual Mode
The dual mode enables you to layer two instrument sound to give you a complex and colorful tone. On this, when you press a key, the sound produced is of two instruments, making the playing sound like a band performance. This is a fun feature to experiment on.
Split mode
Split mode enables you to play different instrument sound on different side of the keyboard. This yet another tool that can make your music playing fun and adventurous.
Yamaha’s education suite
Is the Yamaha PSR EW300 Worth the Money?
This keyboard is affordable, stylish, and easy to play. It has everything a beginner needs and features a pricier model. It is one of the best keyboard pianos for intermediate keyboards on the market.
Conclusion:
If you are looking for a keyboard that’s affordable and great for beginners, the Yamaha PSR EW300 76 key keyboard piano is a great choice. The great price point, rich features, and quality make this a keyboard we recommend. If you don’t like this keyboard, check out the RockJam 61 Key Keyboard instead.