Casio LK-S250 is one of the latest releases from Casio’s LK series. LK stands for lighted keys, which means all keyboards from this series feature Casio’s Key Lighting System that helps beginners learn new songs quickly in a fun way.
While the previous keyboards from the LK series are a bit outdated, Casio Casiotone LK-S250 is a much-needed upgrade that offers the same learning experience with more contemporary sounds and body design.
Other than useful educational functions, the LK-S250 is equipped with many fun and portability features that make it stand out from its competitors.
To give my opinion upfront, I think Casio LK-S250 is a great value for the money. It’s a fantastic beginner keyboard for both adults and kids at a very affordable price.
But, is this keyboard right for you? How does it compare to the Casiotone CT-S300?
I’ll try to give you a thorough review of this keyboard with all the details you should know.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Key Lighting System for fast learning
- Extremely lightweight and portable
- 400 built-in sounds
- 60 built-in songs and 77 accompaniment rhythms
- Lots of fun features
- MIDI connectivity
- Incredible value for money
Cons
- The LCD screen is not backlit
- Lack of pitch bend wheel
- No color options
Design
Portability was central to the design of this keyboard.
The Casio LK-S250 is incredibly lightweight and ultra-compact, weighing only 7.5 lbs (3.3 kg). It is 36.61 inches wide, 2.87 inches high, and 10.08 inches deep.
The LK-S250 comes with a built-in carrying handle that makes it very convenient to carry around. This keyboard can also run on batteries with six AA batteries. Overall, the LK-S250 is a keyboard packed with great portability features.
It features an LCD screen and a simple control panel with a few buttons. The keyboard has many controls, sounds, songs, rhythms, etc., which you have to mostly navigate through the LCD screen. The only drawback is that the LCD screen is not backlit, which makes it a little difficult to read when there is not enough light in the room.
The keyboard comes with a music rest and power supply. There is no stand included with the LK-S250. However, there are a number of bundles on Amazon that offer the keyboard with a stand and a few additional extras.
When it comes to color options, unfortunately, Casio LK-S250 is only available in black.
Keys
Casio LK-S250 comes with 61 full-sized and synth-action keys that have a somewhat weighted feeling. They are not the most realistic keys, but it’s hard to ask for more at such a low price.
The keys are touch sensitive, allowing you to play a wide range of dynamics based on how soft or hard you press the keys. The touch sensitivity has 3 levels that you can adjust based on your playing style. For example, while playing classical music, you would ideally set the touch sensitivity to its highest.
The LK-S250 features light-up keys, which is a fantastic visual learning tool. The idea is that as you are learning the songs on the keyboard, the keys you should play light up on the keyboard for you to follow them. This makes learning songs much easier and more entertaining. The lighted keys also work when using Casio’s free Chordana app.
By the way, if you are looking for affordable 88-key keyboards, you might find this post helpful. I’ve reviewed the best cheap 88-key keyboards and digital pianos.
Sounds
One of the selling points of the LK-S250 is its rich library of sounds, rhythms, and songs. With 400 sounds, 77 accompaniment rhythms, 60 built-in songs, and 50 dance music patterns to choose from, you will never run out of sound and rhythm options to explore.
I have a Yamaha P-45 which only features a handful of sounds, so I often connect it to a DAW to work with different sounds because I get easily bored with the same piano sound while practicing. If you’re like me, Casio LK-S250 is the perfect option. At this price point, it is hard to find so many tone options that also sound good and realistic.
One thing to note is that not all of the 400 sounds in the LK-S250 are perfect, but I would say a lot of them sound great. If you’re going to play with mostly piano tones, the sound quality is very decent.
The rhythms are also very well-programmed and perfect for practicing improvisation or just having fun.
The LK-S250 has 48 notes of polyphony, which is a decent amount for beginners. On top of that, there are 10 types of reverb options to add depth to sounds and adjust them to your taste, which is plenty.
Overall, for the price point, I’m just amazed at how many sound options this keyboard has to offer.
Speakers
This keyboard features a 5W speaker system with two built-in speakers (2.5W + 2.5W). The speakers aren’t powerful enough for performing in a large space, but in a small room, they will do the job just fine.
If you need extra loudness, you can always connect the keyboard to an external amplifier.
Connectivity
Casio Casiotone LK-S250 comes with a good variety of connectivity options. It features sustain pedal input, USB midi jack, mic in, DC input, a headphone jack (also functions as an audio output), and auxiliary in.
Key Features
Key Lighting System
If you are a beginner, you will love this feature. The Key Lighting System supports you in learning new songs by lighting the next key you should play. This system makes you learn new songs much faster and more effectively.
The lighted keys can be turned off at any time.
You can see how it works with the Chordana app in this video.
One Touch Preset
When you are playing with rhythms, the One Touch Preset automatically sets the most appropriate sound for the rhythm you have selected.
I wouldn’t expect such a feature at this price point, but kudos to Casio for including this with all the other great features.
My Setup Button
My setup button is a very useful function that allows you to save your favorite settings. It comes in handy when you have found your perfect tone and rhythm that you don’t want to set up from scratch every time.
One drawback is that this button can only save one set of settings, which makes it a little less functional.
Dance Music Mode
Dance music mode enables you to combine bass, synthesizer, and drum phrases to play and enjoy dance music effortlessly. With this mode, you can create your own EDM tunes or remix them.
You can watch how it is used in the video below. It’s not a vital feature to have in a digital piano, but it’s still a nice addition to make the LK-S250 a fun and entertaining keyboard.
Casio LK-S250 VS Casio CT-S300
Both Casio LK-S250 and Casio CT-S300 belong to Casio’s Casiotone series. These keyboards are designed with beginners in mind in that they are easy to use, packed with fun features, affordable, and portable. They are also currently listed at the same price, which adds to the confusion because both of these keyboards seem very similar.
They both have the same amount of built-in sounds, songs, rhythms, and features such as My Setup Button, Dance Music Mode, and One Touch Preset. 3 levels of touch sensitivity are available in both models.
That said, there are slight differences between Casio LK-S250 and CT-S300 that you should be aware of before deciding between the two.
The main reason why you might want to prefer the LK-S250 is because of its lighted keys. CT-S300 doesn’t feature the Key Lighting System, which makes the LK-S250 better suited for beginner players. On the other hand, you get a pitch bend wheel in the CT-S300 that is lacking in the LK-S250.
However, if you are a beginner, the pitch bend wheel is not something you should worry about. It adds expressivity to playing, but it’s not a vital feature if you want to use the keyboard for learning.
A mic input is also missing in the CT-S300, which makes the LK-S250 a better option for those who want to sing along.
A disappointment with both the LK-S250 and CT-S300 is that they are only available in one color. For more color options, you can look into the Casio CT-S200 which is a very similar keyboard.
Casio LK-S250 VS Casio CT-S200
Two of the most popular keyboards for beginners, both Casio LK-S250 and Casio CT-S200 share the same collection of sounds, beats, and songs. With the same weight and portability advantages, their designs are almost similar.
The biggest distinction between the two is that the Casio LK-S250 includes a key lighting system that makes it easier to learn songs in a quick and engaging way. In addition, the LK-S250’s keys are velocity-sensitive. Finally, the CT-S200 lacks an additional microphone input for people who wish to sing along which the LK-S250 does.
In contrast, Casio CT-S200 is offered in 3 colors whereas LK-S250 is only offered in black.
In conclusion, the $40 price difference provides you with a keyboard with touch-sensitive, lighted keys as well as a microphone input, but there is no color selection. Although it might not be essential in your situation, I always prefer touch sensitivity for a more authentic piano-playing experience.
You can read my full review of Casio CT-S200 for more information about this keyboard.
Conclusion
From light-up keys to a wide variety of built-in tones, Casio LK-S250 is packed with lots of features that make the learning experience fun and fast for both child and adult beginners. I’m also amazed at how easy it is to carry around or take to a gig with great portability features.
The mic connectivity option and accompaniment rhythms make this keyboard ideal for those who want to sing as well.
To be honest, at this price point, it’s hard to beat Casio LK-S250.
I hope you like this Casio LK-S250 review.
What do you think about this keyboard? Do you have experience with it?
If this review has been helpful for you or you have any comments to share, please let me know in the comments!
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