Today I’ll be reviewing Eastar EP-120, a fully weighted keyboard offered at a pretty affordable price on Amazon.
To be honest, what has struck my attention about this keyboard was its fully weighted keys, which is something difficult to find at this price point. So, I wanted to review it and find out if it is really worth the purchase, or you should look into other alternatives for fully weighted keyboards if you’re on a budget.
From its sounds to features, we will fully cover this digital piano in this review, but if you don’t have the time, here’s what I think about this keyboard:
I truly believe Eastar EP-120 way exceeds its price tag in terms of quality and the features it offers. Its piano tones are very realistic and the keys deliver an incredibly realistic playing experience. Plus, it is packed with some extra cool features such as an intelligent touch operation panel or dual headphone function that makes the keyboard very functional and pleasant to use.
Read on to see my full thoughts and the breakdown of the features.
Since you’re interested in this keyboard, I assume you’re looking for a budget 88-key keyboard. Therefore, I highly suggest you check out this post as well where I summarized the best cheap 88-key keyboards and digital pianos in 2024.
Pros
- Weighted and touch-sensitive keys
- Keys emulate the feel of a real acoustic piano
- Excellent grand piano sound
- Quality speakers
- Portable
- MIDI connectivity
- Affordable
- Dual headphone function
Cons
- Instrument sounds except the piano are not very realistic
- Not very lightweight
Design
Overall, Eastar EP-120 has a very minimalistic and aesthetic design. Impressively, despite its affordability, it boasts excellent build quality and a notably long lifespan.
On the stylish black glossy front panel of the keyboard, you won’t see any knobs except for one that is for volume control. Instead of multiple knobs and buttons, the EP-120 is equipped with an intelligent touch operation panel, making navigation much easier and intuitive. I think it also makes the keyboard look very elegant and minimal.
This innovative touch-responsive control panel is a distinctive and standout feature of the Eastar EP-120, setting it apart from competitor keyboards.
At 11.6 kg, this keyboard isn’t super lightweight to carry all the time, but it is still portable enough to be put into a carrying bag and travel with.
Keys
The Eastar EP-120 boasts 88 fully weighted and velocity-sensitive keys, making it an ideal choice for beginner players.
I always recommend that beginners, especially those who are committed to learning, begin with fully weighted and touch-sensitive keys if they don’t have access to a real piano. This will greatly help with building proper finger strength and correct piano technique.
One of the most surprising things about the Eastar EP-120 is how smooth and realistic the keys feel. In addition to weighted and touch-sensitive keys, it features a realistic key texture and a pressure-sensitive switch for quick and responsive feedback. Overall, for a digital piano of this price, it is quite successful at replicating the feel of the keys of a real acoustic piano.
In addition, the keys are made of high-quality ABS plastic, which makes them fairly durable.
Sounds
Another surprising aspect of this keyboard is the quality of its sound and speakers. Again, you don’t expect such a sound quality from such an affordable 88-key keyboard with fully weighted keys. Yet, the Eastar EP-120 is a keyboard whose value goes far beyond its price tag.
I’m specifically talking about the grand piano sound, which is amazingly crisp, clear, and realistic.
Including the grand piano sound, this keyboard comes with 8 instrument sounds. While the other sounds don’t have the same quality and realism as the grand piano sound does, I think what matters most is the piano sound. You just won’t be using the other sounds that often, assuming that you are getting this keyboard for piano practice rather than music-making or arranging purposes.
In addition, there are 128 rhythm patterns available that are perfect to be used in jamming and improvisation.
Lastly, there are 128 notes of polyphony, which is the standard number for keyboards in this category and is more than enough for seamless performances without experiencing note dropouts.
Speakers
The Eastar EP-120 is equipped with two 15W speakers that produce sufficient volume for practice and performances. Overall, the speakers exhibit excellent quality, doing justice to the keyboard’s already quality and realistic sound.
Connectivity
Eastar EP-120 comes with a variety of connectivity options including MIDI and USB ports, which allows you to connect the keyboard to piano apps. This will especially come in handy for self-teaching pianists or instructors wishing to utilize apps while teaching.
However, I think the coolest connectivity feature of this keyboard is the dual headphone function that allows for the simultaneous connection of two headphones. It’s really a fantastic feature for piano lessons or duet playing where silence is required.
I wish my current keyboard had this feature as it would be so much easier for me and my brother to compose music at night, which is usually the time we get most creative but everybody else at home is asleep so we have to be super silent to not wake anyone up. However, it’s not a function you’ll find in most keyboards, so I would strongly recommend considering this keyboard if this feature would be particularly useful in your case.
Features
The main functions in the Eastar EP-12O0 are as follows:
- Transpose
- Metronome
- Recording
- DSP Adjustment
- Auto Chord
Auto Chord
Auto Chord is a really cool and fun feature for beginners and kids.
What it does is that when you press a note, it automatically assigns a suitable chord for that note, allowing you to have a chord accompaniment over your one-hand melodies. With this feature, anything you play sounds richer and more professional, making you sound like a pro even in your early phases of learning.
Is Eastar EP-120 Worth Buying?
I believe Eastar EP-120 totally worth buying. With its fully weighted keys offered at an incredibly affordable price, it provides an excellent opportunity for budget-conscious beginners to embark on their piano learning journey with a solid foundation.
With its great sound quality and diverse connectivity options, this keyboard is a fantastic option for not only beginners but also any level of pianist.
Overall, it truly offers great value for the price, and I think it’s one of the best investments you can make if you’re on a budget and want to have a solid start on the piano.
I hope you’ve found this Eastar EP-120 review helpful. If you have any questions or experience with this keyboard, please share them in the comments below!
