Find the best piano for the money in this Alesis Recital vs Thomann SP-320 comparison.
The battle for the best entry-level digital piano nowadays is very intense. With numerous brands making waves with functional yet affordable pianos, finding the best option isn’t easy. But to help you out, we’ll compare two entry-level digital pianos that have been making waves.
When looking for the best digital piano for my home, I found myself comparing the Alesis Recital vs the Thomann SP-320. Both models offer a fair amount of features for the price, but after rigorous testing, I found that the Alesis wins out.
I really like the Alesis Recital. Despite being one of the most affordable digital pianos on the market, it also competes with options at much higher price points. This is why it was easily able to beat the Thomann SP-320, despite the two pianos costing almost the same price.
During this comparison, the Thomann model put up a decent fight. This affordable piano has some surprises up its sleeve, which is what made this such an interesting comparison.
And in the rest of this article, I’ll dive into the details of both pianos. And by the end, you’ll learn exactly why I recommend the Alesis Recital over the Thomann SP-320, making it easier to find the perfect digital piano for your needs.
Alesis Recital vs Thomann SP-320: Comparison Chart
Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Alesis Recital vs Thomann SP-320: The Features
To find the true winner between these two models, I dove into the features. And at each comparison point, the Alesis Recital came out on top. So, by the end, the score was 3-0 in favor of the Alesis, making it the easy winner. Granted, the Thomann SP-320 could put up a fight in almost all categories. But as expected, it couldn’t beat the functionality and versatility that the Alesis Recital offers both beginner and novice pianists.
Feel
The winner: Alesis Recital
To start this comparison, I compared how either piano felt. And as expected, the Alesis Recital’s semi-weighted keys pushed it ahead of the Thomann SP-320. The Thomann SP-320 doesn’t have weighted keys at all, which was a huge downside. And while it’s understandable for the price, it also meant that the Thomann easily lost to the Alesis Recital in this comparison.
+Hammer Action
The hammer action on the Alesis Recital easily wins out over the Thomann SP-320. Granted, I’m not the biggest fan of the semi-weighted keys on the Recital. However, considering that the Thomann SP-320 doesn’t have any hammer action system, it wasn’t hard to pick a winner.
The Alesis Recital’s keys are everything you’d expect from a semi-weighted piano. There is some resistance when you press a key, but nowhere close to what you get on an acoustic piano. While it would have been nice to have a heftier hammer action, that would have greatly raised the piano’s cost.
On the flip side, the Thomann SP-320 doesn’t have weighted keys at all. This really got in the way of the realism that you’d want in a digital piano. And while there are some beginners that would actually enjoy this hammer action system, I would suggest going for a piano with some sort of weighted key system.
The one thing that the Thomann SP-320 does have, though, is velocity-sensitive keys. This means that the harder you press, the louder the note. This is also present on the Alesis Recital and is a really cool feature to have.
Tone
The winner: Alesis Recital
You’d think that the Thomann SP-320 wins the tone comparison because it has a wider sound library. But since the Alesis Recital’s voices are much more realistic than the SP-320’s, it won out again. And while I did enjoy the extra variety on the Thomann, it wasn’t enough for it to beat the Alesis Recital.
+Tone Generation
Both of these pianos use samples to generate their tones. This is typical in this price range, so it’s all a matter of which piano has the higher-quality recordings. Between these two instruments, I could instantly tell that the Alesis Recital had better pre-loaded samples.
Whichever voice I chose on the Alesis beat my expectations of this price range. I was very surprised to hear that much clarity and detail in the voices. So, if you prioritize sound quality and realism in your playing the Alesis Recital is the easy winner.
The Thomann SP-320, while it has competent samples, doesn’t make the cut. When playing some of the piano and strings tones, in particular, it felt and sounded very digital. This is perfectly fine for practice, but if you want to perform with this piano, you might be held back by the digital character of the tones.
+Sound Library
If there was one thing that the Thomann SP-320 has over the Alesis, its the sound library. My biggest complaint with the Alesis Recital is that it only has 5 voices. Granted, all the voices and tones are very realistic and high-quality, but there are some pianists that need variety in their playing, which Thomann offers more of.
The Thomann SP-320 has a 12-voice sound library. It doesn’t have any sounds or voices that particularly stand out. However, you definitely have more choices on this piano compared to the Alesis Recital. That said, the Thomann SP-320’s voices sound pretty digital, so if you’re looking for a realistic sound, this isn’t the model for you.
Piano Features
The winner: Alesis Recital
The last comparison point I had with these two pianos was the piano features. And yet again, the Alesis Recital came out on top with more playing modes and great maximum polyphony.
+Playing Modes
The Alesis Recital has split, dual, and duo modes. These are very useful for both beginners and experienced pianists. With these modes, you can blend two voices together, assign different voices to either side of the piano, or divide the piano into two twin pianos for piano lessons.
This gives you a lot of ways to use the piano and is one of the reasons this is my favorite entry-level option on the market. The Thomann SP-320 only has lesson mode. And while this is useful, it would have been nice to see other additional playing modes on this model.
+Polyphony
The Alesis Recital has 128-note polyphony, which is how it beats out many others in its price range. This allows you to play more notes simultaneously, making for more expressive and emotional playing. The Thomann SP-320 only has 32-note maximum polyphony, which is decent for practice and basic lessons, but not enough for those who want to add more emotion and clarity in their playing style.
Alesis Recital vs Thomann SP-320: The Similarities
These pianos are very different when you look at the sound quality, tones, and extra features. That said, these two models still share some noteworthy similarities. For example, they both offer a full keyboard with 88 keys. This makes it much easier to experience the piano’s full range and play various pieces.
On top of that, they have similar designs. These are simple, lightweight, and portable pianos ideal for beginners. Regardless of which one you choose, you can rest assured that they will get the job done.
But if you were to ask me which piano wins out, the choice is easy: the Alesis Recital because of its versatility and vast feature set.
Quick Rundown of the Alesis Recital
- An Electric Piano That’s Tailored to You - Feature-packed Electric keyboard with 88 premium full-sized semi weighted keys with adjustable touch response to suit your preferred playing style
- Premium Sounds - 5 voices (Acoustic Piano, Electric Piano, Organ, Synth, and Bass), built-in FX: Chorus, Reverb, and two built in 20W speakers that deliver crystal-clear, room-filling sound
- All The Right Connections - ¼” sustain pedal input (pedal not included), ¼” stereo headphone output for private practice and stereo RCA outputs for connection to speakers / amplifiers
- Play the Keyboard Wherever You Go - Power via the included power adapter or 6 D cell batteries (not included) for professional piano performance anywhere
- Powerful Educational Features - Standard, split, layer, and lesson modes with 128-note max polyphony and Skoove 3 month premium subscription for expert interactive online piano lessons
Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Quick Rundown of the Thomann SP-320
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References:
- Alesis Recital: https://www.alesis.com/products/view/recital
- Thomann SP-320: https://www.thomann.de/gb/thomann_sp_320.htm
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