All products in the hands-on check

The entry to the Steinway world: a cabinet grand for a normal living room.

Steinway’s most popular salon model – called “the ideal grand” by many pianists.

The benchmark: the most-played instrument of the great concert halls.

The Viennese giant with 97 keys – its extra basses shimmer along in the resonances.

The brilliant challenger from Italy – young, uncompromising, hand-built.

The honest entry upright: a real piano with a real soundboard – at Yamaha’s smallest price.

The mid-class reference among uprights – much-awarded, full sound.

The classic: the world’s best-selling professional upright – the standard in music schools.

The cabinet piano: fixed stand, three pedals, key cover – for the living room, not for stowing away.

Casio’s modern console piano: compact, three pedals, Bluetooth – the Celviano entry for the living room.

Kawai’s cabinet entry: perhaps the most piano-like action of the class.

The cabinet class above: GH3 action, stronger speakers, living-room presence.

The Clavinova upper class: GrandTouch-S action with wooden keys – CFX plus Bösendorfer Imperial on board.

The hybrid: a real grand action from Yamaha’s grand workshop – digital sound, never tune.

The entertainer flagship: Clavinova piano plus a full backing band and touchscreen.

The house brand of Europe’s biggest music store: the cheapest road to 88 keys – but without real hammer action.

The online bestseller among 88s – honestly framed: lots of features, but not real hammer class.

The cheapest serious 88 with hammer action – slim, light, honest.

The challenger from China: a lot of 88-key piano for the money – with clear trade-offs in action finesse and support.

The overlooked fifth player: real hammer action from a heritage maker – often the cheapest serious 88.

The slim entry-level digital piano with a real hammer action – the classic for a serious start.

Roland’s entry model with the same keyboard as pricier models – action over sound variety.

The slimmest 88 with hammer action – for small flats and mobile use.

The insider tip of the class: piano sound and action a notch above entry level.

One step above entry level: stronger speakers, finer sound, same top action.

The P-145’s bigger brother: finer action, better sound, Bluetooth – the portable mid class.

The hybrid: 88 weighted keys PLUS auto accompaniment and hundreds of sounds – piano and entertainer in one.

The light stage workhorse: PHA-4 action, pro sounds, only 13.5 kg.

The stage all-rounder with Kawai’s RHIII feel – favourite of many pianists with stage jobs.

The pro stage piano: NW-GH wooden keys, legendary CP sounds, one-knob operation.

The red stage icon: triple-sensor keyboard and the legendary Nord sound library.

The budget keyboard with touch response and USB-MIDI – a test start needs no more.

Light, sturdy, with a carry handle – the uncomplicated kids’ and second keyboard.

The standard tip for a first keyboard: touch-sensitive, good sounds, fair price.

The reduced keyboard: few but really good sounds – and nothing to distract.

The light-up-keys keyboard – honestly classified: a motivator, not a learning system.

The keyboard thought upwards: powerful speakers, many sounds, recording.

The modern creative keyboard: strong sounds, punchy speakers, battery-ready.

The entertainer workhorse: pro styles and sounds for one-man-bands – big brother of the PSR line.

Mini keyboard for the littlest ones – a music toy with real notes.

The first-notes keyboard for the littlest: 44 mini keys, indestructibly simple.

The honest budget 61 controller: keys, pitch/mod, done.

The best-selling mini controller: 25 mini keys, pads and knobs for music production.

The classy mini controller with an excellent software bundle.

61 full-size keys as a no-frills USB controller – a lot of keyboard for the money.

The sequencer dwarf: controller, arpeggiator and step sequencer for hardware AND computer.

The studio controller: 49 full-size keys, faders, pads, DAW integration.

The producer controller with the best pads of the mid class – built for Ableton & co.

The budget closed can: surprisingly balanced for under €50.

The value-for-money headphones for silent practice – neutral, closed, comfortable.

Semi-open studio classic: airy sound, comfortable for hours.

The closed workhorse headphones: strong isolation, lasts decades.

The headphone upgrade: studio standard, closed, made in Germany.

The standard stand: foldable, height-adjustable, fits almost any instrument.

Correct seat height is no luxury: forearms level, or wrists learn mistakes.

The classic spindle piano bench: stepless height, rock solid.

The table-style stand in studio quality: absolutely wobble-free, legs never in the way.

The standard sustain pedal in piano form – essential from the first weeks.

The pedal upgrade with half-pedal support and a non-slip plate.

The budget interface: surprisingly usable for a start.

Holds webcam or phone steady ABOVE the keys – for tutorials, video lessons and camera-based key apps.

The proven Full HD webcam – fully sufficient for a top-down key view and lessons.

The entry condenser mic for instrument and voice.

The standard interface to get piano and voice into the computer.

The underrated classic: almost every keyboard/digital piano speaks MIDI via a USB-B socket.

The €10 bodyguard for the acoustic piano: shows whether the room climate is right.

If the instrument has no music rest: sheets and tablet belong at eye level.