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Table Of Contents
Intro • My Review • Pros • Cons • Features • Conclusion
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Williams Rhapsody 2 Introduction
Impressive and elegant looks, from afar the Williams Rhapsody 2 Digital Piano looks a lot like a concert piano. Besides, why should it not look so elegant, considering all the amazing features it is packed with to bring it close to a real piano anyways? To begin with, the Rhapsody 2 comes with 12 custom sounds that are all reproductions from actual instruments such as strings, organs, electric pianos, grand piano and the sorts. Add to this the use of weighted keys and you get a realistic feel and response.
Some other elegant additions to this professional grade William Rhapsody 2 digital piano include a USB MIDI port, 12 demo songs, split/layering ability, metronome, transpose, stereo and headphone jacks plus a 2-track recorder to make your own voices. Before we forget, this particular piano features a full sized stand that doesn’t just look good but is utilitarian by design and comes packed with sostenuto and sustain pedals.
- Elegant PVC wood-like finish for great looks in any decor 88...
- The Williams Rhapsody 2 digital piano fills your home or...
- Rhapsody 2 is built around 12 custom sounds crafted from a...
Williams Rhapsody 2 Review & Experience
Before getting into the actual review of the Rhapsody 2, we just want to point out that this is a limited item from Williams that isn’t always available. Having said that, for a limited production instrument, the Rhapsody 2 is not exactly a standout performer. It does well in certain areas but on the whole, it does not come close to the performance and overall allure of say a Yamaha or a Clavinova.
First off, let’s speak of its advanced features and offerings. No, it is not the most advanced equipment out there. For those who want something that is highly advanced because they are connoisseurs of good music, Williams offers the Overture digital piano. This comes couple hundred dollars expensive but it also packs in a whole lot more details like effects, complete pedal abilities, preset songs and even sound sets. Basically, these are the advanced features missing on this model, some of which are available with other brands like Yamaha at the same price range. We feel Williams really did miss out on getting the price to features balance just right.
And if you do dial back by say $130, you can settle for the Williams Allegro 2 – an excellent beginner friendly option. It comes with the same set of 88 hammer-action keys but you don’t really get the extra features the Rhapsody 2 has. Considering the Williams Rhapsody 2 Digital Piano costs a hundred bucks more than the Allegro 2, we just don’t understand why Williams would even consider making two models with barely enough differences. In fact, if you can afford an extra hundred then the Allegro 2 just does not make any sense in contrast to the do-it-all Rhapsody 2.
Probably, its direct competition and our preferred digital piano is the Yamaha YPG-535. It too has 88 keys and costs about the same too. And while technically we feel the Yamaha does a much better job with the same tech specifications, it is in the music department that the Rhapsody 2 overtakes the Yamaha. So basically, USB/MIDI, headphone exclusive jack and the AUX are standard in this price range. While the Yamaha packs in voices such as a pan flute, tenor sax, muted trumpet, clarinet, trumpet, soprano and trombone – the Rhapsdoy sticks to a smaller combination of voices. On the upside though, the Rhapsody has a lot more preset songs in it and even a song control feature. But, the one key area where we feel the Rhapsody 2 wins out by a mile is in the key action department. This keyboard uses hammer-action keys and therefore comes much closer in replicating a real grand acoustic piano.
For us the Rhapsody 2 from Williams was an interesting proposition and if only it came with better sound reproduction or maybe clearer stereo speakers, it could have been the clear winner among all its competitors. As it stands though, this is a decent digital piano, well priced and a good compromise for those on a tight budget.
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Williams Rhapsody 2 Pros
- Weighted Hammer action keys are always welcome as they give the actual feel of playing a concert grand piano. Unlike semi-weighted keys that use springs, weighted hammer action keys are actually weighted different for each key and have a heavier response. Naturally they feel more adept at producing subtleties.
- The overall finishing of this keyboard is exquisite. It looks posh and is elegant. On the downside though, it needs a dedicated space in your home.
- Complete set of 88 keys, with two pedals all help recreate a realistic experience.
- Stereo speakers with AUX connections for amplifiers and headphones helps in performances as you can plug in a headphone for finer control over details that would otherwise be missed out onstage.
- MIDI/USB connection is great as it lets you connect to your computer for recording applications and even online paid tutorials.
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Williams Rhapsody 2 Cons
- Would have loved to see a lot more features, especially a few available on the Yamaha such as the variety of voices.
- The built-in speakers do not leave a lasting impression. If anything, an external stereo speaker setup is what the Rhapsody 2 desperately needs to convert it into a digital grand piano. Thankfully the headphones operate independent of the AUX and built-in speakers.
- Acoustic piano reproduction is not as great as you find on Yamaha pianos but then again it should suffice for most buyers in this price range.
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Williams Rhapsody 2 Features
- The wood finishing on the Rhapsody 2 is elegant with PVC wood being the preferred material for its durability and shine.
- Full sized 88-key piano with realistic fully weighted piano keys that are superior in response and feel.
- Total of 12 different custom voices that are all top notch recordings of actual instruments wherever possible. You have options of Nylon Guitar, Strings, Electric Bass, Upright Bass, Synth Pad, Vibes and two each for Electric Pianos, Grand Pianos and Organs.
- The package comes inclusive of two pedals – one Sustain and the other Sostenuto.
- With the USB/MIDI connection port, plugging into a laptop or PC is easy. This is a necessity if you sign up for any online piano courses and also for various desktop applications that synthesize or record sounds.
- Speaker setup is stereo and they are powerful enough to provide immersive sound.
- Total of 64 polyphony voices with layered orchestrations.
- Comes with vibrato and rotary effects on specific instruments plus a FX/Modulation control.
- The LCD display is the hub for all its features. It is clear and bright.
- Metronome, transpose, layering and split ability.
- Instead of a single jack for headphone and stereo out, this grand digital piano comes with individual outs for stereo connection and headphone connection.
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Williams Rhapsody 2 Conclusion
A digital piano needs to get a lot of things right without costing too much if it wants to attract all genres of buyers. The Williams Rhapsody 2 tries to do just that by packing in decent range of features, excellent build quality, weighted hammer keys, good technical specifications. However, it does lack in certain departments. But, we feel this is a jack of all trades and for the price it retails at, you should be more than satisfied. The Rhapsody 2 from Williams is perfect if you don’t want a Yamaha but wish to go for something with a little more music features in it at the same price.
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