Donner DDP-80 is a newer addition to Donner’s affordable digital piano line. Besides its stylish design, in this Donner DDP-80 Review, we’ll look at how good it is.
Donner is a company that produces musical instruments and accessories, including guitars, pedals, keyboards, and more. The company was founded in 2012 by a group of musicians and engineers who wanted to create affordable, high-quality musical instruments and equipment. Donner sells products almost exclusively online.
The Donner DDP-80 is a digital piano that is designed to replicate the feel and sound of an acoustic piano while offering modern features and technology. Without further ado, let’s get into the details.
Table of Contents
Donner DDP-80 Specifications
| DDP-80 Specifications |
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Design
The DDP-80 is designed for home use. However, the metal legs can be easily removed for facile transportation.
The Donner DDP-80 has a sleek and elegant design, combining classic and modern elements. It has a stylish cabinet made of high-quality materials that presents a deluxe wooden texture finish. The cabinet has a contemporary appearance due to its uncomplicated style.
This digital piano has a small footprint that is perfect for smaller living spaces.
Connectivity
The DDP-80 features some of a digital piano’s basic but most important functions.
- The quarter-inch headphone port allows quiet play with stereo sound.
- A separate quarter-inch audio output lets you connect to an external powered speaker.
- USB MIDI port enables connecting with your computer or mobile device to transfer MIDI data. This is also useful to leverage online piano lessons using your devices.
- The Sustain pedal socket allows you to use a generic Sustain pedal rather than the tri-pedal unit. This will be convenient if you use the piano for traveling performance.
- The tri-pedal unit port is under the piano.
Sound
The sound provides the first impression of any piano. The DDP-80 offers one piano sound, which is bright and warm.
Donner uses the multi-sampled sound engine with a French grand piano sound source. The digital piano produces a rich and vibrant sound that will captivate any listener.
The DDP-80 can produce a wide dynamic range, allowing for expressive playing. While it does not have a sound reverberating like an acoustic piano, it still provides a well-balanced sound across the keyboard. The low notes are deep and resonate with warmth, while the high notes are clear and sparkling.
In the spirit of creating an acoustic-piano-like digital instrument, the DDP-80 has no adjustable effects:
- No reverb
- No rhythms
- No layering, split, or duo mode
- No onboard metronome
- No recording
The only sound controls on the instrument are an on/off switch and a volume knob. They are both located in the back of the piano.
Polyphony
Polyphony is the number of notes a piano can sustain simultaneously. In general, with the help of layering and pedals, you can easily reach a higher number of notes, also known as polyphony.
Donner DDP 80 has 128 notes of polyphony, which is reasonably good considering the price range. Moreover, this piano does not come with any layering or accompaniment functions; with one piano tone, even for complex pieces with the sustain pedal down, you will not likely run out of polyphony, or the piano will drop notes during your playing.
Speakers
Donner equipped two 20-watt downward-facing speakers for this slim piano. It is an impressive 40 Watts of total power.
The piano can produce powerful sound for home, lounge, or a small stage without external speakers.
Keyboard
Donner DDP-80 has 88 full-sized hammer action keys, fully weighted and graded. Donner did a good job of simulating the feel of an acoustic piano: the keys are heavier in the bass register and lighter as you move up the keyboard. The keys respond extremely well and offer a nice dynamic range.
The DDP-80 has no adjustment to touch sensitivity level like an acoustic piano. The key action is probably on the heavy side. It feels similar to the Roland’s PHA-4 (Progressive Hammer Action 4) keyboard on the Roland FP-30X digital piano. On the other hand, the Donner Hammer-Action is probably not a tri-sensor system like the PHA-4.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 128-note polyphony | Only basic digital functions |
| Beautiful sleek design | No onboard metronome |
| Closely resembles an acoustic piano | No piano cover |
| Powerful speakers | On/off switch and volume control in the back |
| Weighted hammer action keyboard | |
| Quality piano for a very affordable price |
Alternatives
While this article focuses on the Donner DDP-80 review, it reminds us of a few other entry-level digital pianos in a similar price range. While the DDP-80 is a beautiful piece of furniture and instrument, those other digital pianos tend to be plastic black slabs with buttons and dials right in front of you.
If you are looking for comparable digital pianos, there are a few options you may want to consider –
Yamaha P-45 or Yamaha P-71
When it comes to the Yamaha P-45 and P-71, they are essentially identical portable digital pianos. The P71 is a version sold exclusively on Amazon, but it has no functional differences from the P45. The only notable difference might be the price.
The Yamaha P-45 or P-71 is a popular choice for those looking for a beginner-friendly digital piano. It offers a full-sized, weighted keyboard, ten voices, and a compact, portable design. Check out our detailed reviews for P-45 and P-71.
Roland FP-30X
The Roland FP-30X is a high-quality digital piano offering various advanced features and functions. It comes with a full-sized, weighted keyboard, 56 different voices, and a range of connectivity options. Click here for a full review.
Alesis Recital Pro
The Alesis Recital Pro is an affordable and adaptable digital piano suitable for those just starting out and those at an intermediate level. It includes a full-sized keyboard with weighted keys, offers a variety of 12 voices, and has multiple connectivity options available. Our Alesis Recital Pro Review shares more details about this instrument.
It is a very personal choice to go with the Donner DDP-80 for its similarities to the acoustic piano experience or other models for their many digital functions.
Summary of the Donner DDP-80 Review
To conclude this Donner DDP-80 Review, I would say the instrument is very cool and unique. It is a good-looking, simple digital piano with more in common with acoustic pianos. However, it offers a few useful digital piano features like headphones and USB MIDI connections.
Here are a few similarities with acoustic piano:
- A beautiful instrument with wood-like finishing
- No visible buttons, screens, dials, or ports in the front
- Only one piano sound
- 88-key full-size, fully weighted graded keyboard
The DDP80 would be highly attractive to individuals seeking to play piano without additional features or embellishments. The instrument could attract even those contemplating buying an acoustic piano but are concerned about cost, size, portability, and potential noise limitations. The DDP-80 will be an excellent budget alternative to an acoustic piano.
Overall, the Donner DDP-80 is a terrific entry-level digital piano for beginners to intermediate players who want a high-quality digital piano with acoustic piano appealing at an affordable price.
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