Main trade-off
Yamaha P-225
It needs AC power. Its USB audio recording route needs a compatible receiving device and software, rather than a flash drive plugged into the piano.
Head-to-head
Yamaha P-225 vs Casio PX-S3100: Yamaha records through USB, Casio’s recording drive displaces Bluetooth
The short answer
Choose Yamaha P-225 when you want to record its piano sound straight into a computer over USB. Choose Casio PX-S3100 for a built-in backing band, battery-powered practice or WAV recording to a flash drive without a computer. On Casio, the flash drive takes the port used by the Bluetooth adapter. Decide which recording setup you will actually use before paying for the larger sound library.
Before you choose
The reasoning and the trade-offs
Recording and playing along can compete for one socket
Suppose a child plays along with a song from a phone while you capture practice to a flash drive. PX-S3100 can do each job, but its supplied WU-BT10 Bluetooth adapter occupies the same USB-A port as the drive. For that combination, use the piano’s wired Audio In with a suitable phone audio cable or adapter. If you prefer recording into a computer anyway, P-225’s USB audio route avoids buying an external interface just to capture its piano sound. The recording destination changes which piano is easier to live with.
What this is based on
PX-S3100 assigns WU-BT10 and flash media to USB-A and provides a separate stereo Audio In. P-225 specifies a USB audio interface. Phone adapters and recording software compatibility must be checked. No claim that the phone track is included in the recorded file.
Main trade-off
Casio PX-S3100
Bluetooth and flash-drive recording share the USB-A port. USB-MIDI to a computer does not carry the piano’s internal sound as USB audio.
Yamaha P-225
- Choose it for
- You record into a computer and want the piano’s own sound carried over USB, without a separate audio interface.
- Piano practice is the main job, and 24 voices plus 20 rhythms cover what you need.
- Main trade-off
- It needs AC power. Its USB audio recording route needs a compatible receiving device and software, rather than a flash drive plugged into the piano.
Casio PX-S3100
- Choose it for
- You want WAV recordings without a computer and can unplug the Bluetooth adapter while the flash drive is in use.
- You use accompaniment styles or need AA battery power when practice moves away from an outlet.
- Main trade-off
- Bluetooth and flash-drive recording share the USB-A port. USB-MIDI to a computer does not carry the piano’s internal sound as USB audio.
About this comparison
P-225 or PX-S3100 for a shared room and recording? Compare live USB audio, Bluetooth versus flash recording, battery power and the space needed to play.
Both put 88 weighted keys, speakers and two headphone sockets into a portable home piano. They suit someone learning at home who also wants to record. The important difference is where that recording will happen.
Winner by situation
Start with what you need it to do
Record the piano’s own sound live into a computer over USB
P-225 carries audio over USB. Casio’s computer USB route is MIDI, so sound capture needs another route.
- Yamaha P-225
- Better fit
- Casio PX-S3100
- Caution
Make a WAV recording without a computer
PX-S3100 records to a flash drive. Remove its Bluetooth adapter to use that port.
- Yamaha P-225
- Caution
- Casio PX-S3100
- Better fit
Move practice to a room without a convenient outlet
Casio accepts six AA batteries. It still weighs roughly as much as Yamaha before adding them.
- Yamaha P-225
- Caution
- Casio PX-S3100
- Better fit
Two people practice together on headphones
Both support a split teaching mode and two headphone connections. Yamaha takes 1/4-inch plugs and Casio takes 3.5 mm plugs.
- Yamaha P-225
- Good
- Casio PX-S3100
- Good
What matters in practice
The differences that matter
Recording and playing along can compete for one socket
Suppose a child plays along with a song from a phone while you capture practice to a flash drive. PX-S3100 can do each job, but its supplied WU-BT10 Bluetooth adapter occupies the same USB-A port as the drive. For that combination, use the piano’s wired Audio In with a suitable phone audio cable or adapter. If you prefer recording into a computer anyway, P-225’s USB audio route avoids buying an external interface just to capture its piano sound. The recording destination changes which piano is easier to live with.
How we reached this conclusion
PX-S3100 assigns WU-BT10 and flash media to USB-A and provides a separate stereo Audio In. P-225 specifies a USB audio interface. Phone adapters and recording software compatibility must be checked. No claim that the phone track is included in the recorded file.
A recording to send someone is different from notes to edit
If you want to send a performance to family without opening recording software, Casio’s flash-drive WAV recorder is the useful feature. If you want to edit the notes, both pianos have MIDI recording. If you want the piano’s own sound live inside a computer project, Yamaha has the direct USB-audio route. PX-S3100’s USB-MIDI connection cannot substitute for that sound capture. Budget an audio interface for its line outputs, or record a WAV to a drive and transfer the file afterward. These are different workflows, even though both products say USB and recording.
How we reached this conclusion
P-225 USB audio is distinct from its internal MIDI recorder. PX-S3100 documents WAV recording to a flash drive and MIDI exchange over its computer USB connection. A MIDI instrument plug-in can generate its own sound, but that is not capture of the Casio sound engine.
Moving out of the way is mostly a power problem
In a shared room, the piano may move when someone needs the desk or a quiet place to work. The bare instruments weigh 11.5 and 11.4 kg, so Casio is not a substantially lighter load to carry. Its battery option is what lets practice move to a place without an outlet. The 40 mm shallower body also helps with storage, but Yamaha’s depth grows from 272 to 362 mm with the music rest. Measure the ready-to-play setup rather than choosing from closed-body dimensions alone. Casio’s roughly two-hour battery figure is based on continuous demo playback, not a guaranteed session length.
How we reached this conclusion
272 minus 232 = 40 mm, about 1.6 inches. 11.5 minus 11.4 = 0.1 kg before Casio batteries. Yamaha music-rest depth is published, while no matching Casio ready-to-play depth is assumed. Casio runtime is a stated test condition.
Choice A
Yamaha, P-225
P-225
You record into a computer and want the piano’s own sound carried over USB, without a separate audio interface.
- Best matched use
- You record into a computer and want the piano’s own sound carried over USB, without a separate audio interface.
Checked facts
- Record the piano into a computer: Stereo USB audio, 44.1 kHz at 24 bit
- Record without a computer: Built-in two-track MIDI recorder
- Phone playback during flash recording: Built-in Bluetooth audio on the US model, no USB-drive recorder
- Space before accessories: 272 mm body depth, 362 mm with music rest
Choice B
Casio, PX-S3100
PX-S3100
You want WAV recordings without a computer and can unplug the Bluetooth adapter while the flash drive is in use.
- Best matched use
- You want WAV recordings without a computer and can unplug the Bluetooth adapter while the flash drive is in use.
Checked facts
- Record the piano into a computer: USB-MIDI, with analog line outputs for audio
- Record without a computer: Three-track MIDI recorder and WAV recording to USB flash drive
- Phone playback during flash recording: WU-BT10 adapter and flash drive use the same USB-A port
- Space before accessories: 232 mm body depth
Meaningful differences
What changes the fit
| What changes | Yamaha P-225 | Casio PX-S3100 | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record the piano into a computer | Stereo USB audio, 44.1 kHz at 24 bit | USB-MIDI, with analog line outputs for audio | MIDI records notes and controls. To capture Casio’s own sound live in a computer, plan an audio-input route. |
| Record without a computer | Built-in two-track MIDI recorder | Three-track MIDI recorder and WAV recording to USB flash drive | A MIDI performance and a shareable audio file are different deliverables. |
| Phone playback during flash recording | Built-in Bluetooth audio on the US model, no USB-drive recorder | WU-BT10 adapter and flash drive use the same USB-A port | On Casio, plan wired Audio In for phone playback if the USB-A port is occupied by the recording drive. |
| Space before accessories | 272 mm body depth, 362 mm with music rest | 232 mm body depth | Casio’s bare body is 40 mm shallower. Check the rest and cable clearance separately on both. |
| Moving practice around the home | 11.5 kg, AC power | 11.4 kg without batteries, AC or six AA batteries | The carrying weight is almost the same. Battery operation is the meaningful difference when an outlet is unavailable. |
| Learning beside someone | Duo and two headphone sockets | Duet and two headphone sockets | Either supports side-by-side practice. A larger voice library is not required just to listen together. |
| Playing with accompaniment | 24 voices and 20 rhythms | 700 tones and 200 accompaniment rhythms | Casio gives a player more to arrange around. Yamaha keeps the sound selection smaller. |
What you give up
Every choice has a cost
If you choose Yamaha P-225
- Its 24 voices and 20 rhythms offer less onboard arranging choice than Casio’s tone and accompaniment library.
If you choose Casio PX-S3100
- The battery option adds flexibility, but the roughly two-hour published figure uses continuous demo playback. It is not a guaranteed session length.
Recommendation switch
The decision flips if...
A computer is already part of your recording setup
Choose Yamaha P-225. Direct USB audio removes a separate piano-audio interface from that setup.
You want a stand-alone audio file or outlet-free practice
Choose Casio PX-S3100. Flash recording and battery operation address those jobs, with the USB-A sharing limit kept in mind.
You need a dramatically lighter keyboard to carry
Choose neither. Both weigh about 11.5 kg before accessories. Their slim shapes do not remove that load.
What matters in practice
Before you choose
You want to record without extra equipment, but also want music from your phone while you play. P-225 simplifies recording into a computer. PX-S3100 records without a computer, but its Bluetooth adapter and recording drive share one port.
What this comparison cannot tell you
- We have not measured key-action noise, playing comfort or sound quality. Headphones do not silence the physical key mechanism.
- Bluetooth support here refers to receiving audio from a phone, not sending piano sound to Bluetooth headphones.
What the facts say
What the comparison shows
Useful conclusions from the current digital pianos comparison, followed by the checked facts used to reach them.
See the checked facts and calculation notes
| Product | Needs matched | Checked facts | Source records |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yamaha P-225 |
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| Casio PX-S3100 |
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Ready to choose?
Check the price. Read the owner reviews.
Open either model on Amazon to check the current price, customer reviews and delivery options.
Yamaha P-225
You record into a computer and want the piano’s own sound carried over USB, without a separate audio interface.
Piano practice is the main job, and 24 voices plus 20 rhythms cover what you need.
See price & reviews on AmazonCasio PX-S3100
You want WAV recordings without a computer and can unplug the Bluetooth adapter while the flash drive is in use.
You use accompaniment styles or need AA battery power when practice moves away from an outlet.
See price & reviews on AmazonLinks open in a new tab.