Yamaha P-525chat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

The key action wins over most players, but not everyone agrees. Owners repeatedly call the GrandTouch-S action the best they've used, smoother and quieter than the P515's NWX, and several sold their 515 after switching. Multiple comments describe it as noticeably lighter and easier on the hands. Yet others feel Yamaha got the action wrong compared to the 515, citing sharp key edges, unwanted lightness, or noisy black-key bounce, so reactions to the same action are sharply divided depending on what players want from a touch.

Piano sound is excellent on paper but disappoints through the speakers. Through headphones or a mixer, reviewers praise the CFX and Bosendorfer grand samples, especially the binaural headphone mode that places the sound in front of you rather than inside your head. But several new owners say the onboard speakers sound thin, plasticky, or 'electronic,' with uneven volume between keys, and warn that online demos use line-out audio that doesn't match the real speaker experience at home.

It's a modest, pricey upgrade over the P515. Longtime P515 owners note the P-525 looks almost identical and carries roughly the same core hardware, just with tweaked samples and a registration memory feature, despite years of development. Its street price runs noticeably higher than the P515, prompting some buyers to question the value, while a small blue screen, warranty costs after a key failure, and minor build inconsistencies add to the sense that the upgrade is incremental rather than transformative.