Digital Pianos Review
Korg Liano Review: 88 Keys at Six Kilograms
The Liano is Korg's ultra-light 88-key piano: a semi-weighted Light Touch keyboard, eight sounds built around the same German grand sample as the B2, built-in speakers and AA battery power in a package that weighs about six kilograms. This review is clear about what semi-weighted means, who that suits, and where a hammer-action piano is the better buy.
Our Verdict
Research Score 74/100The Korg Liano is the right instrument for a specific buyer: someone who needs all 88 keys, a convincing grand piano sound and built-in speakers in a piano they can carry on a shoulder and run on batteries. The Light Touch keys are semi-weighted, so it is not a substitute for a hammer-action piano in lessons, and anyone building classical technique should look at the Casio CDP-S160 or Yamaha P-145 instead. For songwriters, singers who accompany themselves and traveling players, it is a clever and unusually light tool.
Editorial research score based on published specifications and documented features, not a customer rating or lab test.
Korg
Korg Liano
Best for: Players who need a full 88-key piano that weighs almost nothing and runs anywhere
Skip it if: you need a hammer-action keyboard for lessons or classical technique
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Listing verified: October 2026
Who Should Buy It
Buy it if
- You carry the piano to rehearsals, school or church every week
- You want 88 keys and a real grand sample on a tight budget
- You play keyboard parts, songwriting and accompaniment rather than classical repertoire
Skip it if
- Your teacher requires weighted keys
- You want to build piano technique for an acoustic instrument
- You need more than eight sounds
Key Specifications
| Key Action | Light Touch (semi-weighted, 88 keys) |
| Sound Engine | Korg stereo piano samples |
| Voices | 8 |
| Polyphony | 120 notes |
| Speakers | Built-in stereo |
| Bluetooth | No |
| USB | USB MIDI |
| Pedals | Switch pedal included |
| Weight | 13.7 lb (6.2 kg) per listing |
| Form Factor | Ultra-light portable, battery capable |
What Makes the Liano Different
Every other 88-key piano in this guide weighs between 10 and 15 kilograms because a hammer action is heavy. The Liano uses Korg's Light Touch keyboard, a semi-weighted design with spring resistance rather than hammers, and that single decision drops the weight to about six kilograms and lets the instrument run on six AA batteries. It is less than half the weight of a Yamaha P-145 and a third of a Roland FP-30X.
Korg kept the rest honest: eight sounds led by the German concert grand sample from its B-series, 120-note polyphony, built-in stereo speakers, a metronome, USB MIDI, a headphone output and a switch pedal. The panel is a volume knob and a handful of buttons.
Light Touch Keys, Honestly Assessed
Semi-weighted means the keys have more resistance than a typical synth keyboard and are velocity sensitive, but there is no hammer mechanism and no grading from bass to treble. The feel is quick, light and even, closer to a good stage synth than to a piano. Fast passages, chords and accompaniment feel easy; dynamics are controllable; what you do not get is the weight that builds finger strength and the subtle resistance that lets a pianist shape phrases.
For a student taking lessons toward an acoustic piano, that matters, and teachers will usually ask for a hammer action. For an adult who plays pop, worship or jazz chords, sings while playing, or writes songs, the Light Touch keyboard is perfectly serviceable and far less tiring to carry.
Sound and Speakers
The German grand sample is the Liano's best feature and the same one that gives the Korg B2 its warm, full tone. Alongside it are an electric piano, organ, strings, harpsichord, clav and two further pianos. Reverb and chorus are built in, and 120-note polyphony is generous for an instrument at this price and weight.
The speakers are small by necessity but Korg mounted them in a bass-reflex enclosure, so they sound fuller than the cabinet size suggests. They are fine for a room of listeners around a kitchen table; they are not for performing to a hall. The headphone output and a line output cover quiet practice and amplification.
Battery Life and Portability
Six AA batteries power the Liano for several hours of playing, long enough for a rehearsal, a service or a lesson away from home. The whole instrument fits a lightweight gig bag and can be carried on public transport without strain. A music rest is built in and a sustain switch pedal is included; Korg's DS-1H damper pedal is a better choice if you use the pedal heavily.
Who Should Buy the Liano
Singer-songwriters who accompany themselves, worship musicians who move between venues, teachers who visit students, and anyone who wants 88 keys in a small apartment where storage matters. It also suits a child's first keyboard when the family is not yet sure lessons will stick, because it costs less than a hammer-action piano and takes up less space.
It is the wrong choice for classical study, for anyone whose teacher asks for weighted keys, and for players who want a wide sound set. The Casio CDP-S160 adds a true hammer action for not much more money and still runs on batteries, which makes it the Liano's closest rival for a practice piano.
Liano Against the Alternatives
Against the Casio CDP-S160, the Liano is lighter and cheaper but semi-weighted; the Casio is the better practice instrument. Against the Alesis Recital, another semi-weighted 88, the Korg has the better piano sample, less weight and a simpler panel, while the Alesis has more voices and bigger speakers. Against the Yamaha P-145, the comparison is weight and price versus action and app support, and the Yamaha wins for a student.
In its own niche, an 88-key piano you can carry in one hand with real battery life, the Liano has no direct competitor.
Long-Term Fit
Owners who bought the Liano for portability keep it even after buying a hammer-action piano, because nothing else is as easy to throw in a bag. Owners who bought it as a first piano for lessons tend to move on within a year or two once technique demands weighted keys. Knowing which buyer you are decides whether it is the right purchase.
Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
- Six kilograms, the lightest 88-key piano we have researched
- Runs on AA batteries for hours
- Korg's German grand sample at an entry price
- Simple panel with eight sounds and a metronome
Limitations
- Light Touch keys are semi-weighted, not hammer action
- Only eight sounds
- Fixed music rest and basic switch pedal
How We Scored It
Scores reflect published specifications, documented features and value against the alternatives below. They are editorial research scores, not laboratory measurements.
Alternatives to Consider
Casio CDP-S160
Beginners and casual players who need a light, slim piano that can run anywhere
Read the Casio CDP-S160 review →
Alesis Recital
First-time buyers who want 88 full-size keys, speakers and a lesson mode for the least money
Read the Alesis Recital review →
Yamaha P-145
Beginners who want the current Yamaha entry model with app control and a slim footprint
Read the Yamaha P-145 review →Questions Buyers Ask
Korg Liano
See the current listing, price and included accessories.
About This Review
Mandrillis Team
The Mandrillis editorial team researches and compares audio and music gear using manufacturer documentation, verified specs and real buyer feedback, so you can make a confident purchase without wading through marketing claims.
Read our full research methodology.