Yamaha Clavinova CLP635 vs 645: What Is The Difference?

Here, we’ll look at the differences between the CLP635 and the CLP645. Visually, they look very similar – even spec-wise, they share a lot of the same features, as the below table highlights. They both have the same sound engine, boasting the sounds of the CFX and Bosendorfer grand pianos, they have the same amount of voices and rhythms, plus they both feature Yamaha’s amazing Virtual Resonanace Modeling (VRM) which helps the pianos sound more like an acoustic grand piano. There are however, three major differences that might make you want to upgrade to the CLP645.

	CLP635	CLP645
Keyboard	GH3X Action	Natural Wood X Keyboard
Voices & Rhythms	36 Voices 20 Rhythms	36 Voices 20 Rhythms
Sound Enhancement Features	Stereophonic Optimiser Binaural Sampling Virtual Resonance Modelling (VRM)	Stereophonic Optimiser Binaural Sampling Virtual Resonance Modelling (VRM)
Speaker System	30W x 2 Amplifiers 16cm x 2 Speakers	(25W + 25W) x 2 Amplifiers (16cm + 8cm) x 2 Speakers
Other Features	USB to Host USB to Device 16 Track Recording (250 songs) LCD Screen	USB to Host USB to Device 16 Track Recording (250 songs) LCD Screen Bluetooth

What Are The Differences Between The CLP635 and CLP645?

Natural Wood X Keyboard

The CLP645 has a major advantage in that it has wooden keys, as opposed to plastic keys like on the 635. This results in a better touch, much more akin to how it would be on an acoustic piano. If you’re having lessons on an acoustic piano and then going home to practice on a digital piano; having one with wooden keys, such as the CLP645 will mean there’s less of a discrepancy between the feel of the two instruments.

If you’re just starting out, or perhaps you just want to play at home for a bit of fun, then the CLP635 will do very nicely. If however, you’re a bit more serious about playing the piano then it’s recommended to go for the one with the better touch. You might notice the feel of a wooden key more when playing quickly, so if you’re progressing through the grades, then the more authentic feel of the 645 may aid your playing.

Bluetooth Connectivity

The CLP645 is the first in the series to feature bluetooth connectivity. This allows you to pair your smartphone or tablet with your piano and use it to stream music through. There’s also a plethora of apps out there that allow you to use your tablet and piano simultaneously to aid learning. Think of how many YouTube tutorials there are online – now you can play along, with both the sound of the video and the piano coming out of the same system, at a decent volume.

Some of apps available from Yamaha

ABRSM do a great app that allows you to play along to some of the exam pieces. With this, you can choose to practice one hand at a time whilst the app streams the other hand’s part through the piano – nail that part then move on to the other hand. The bluetooth feature is a really handy thing to have on a modern digital piano, especially with almost everyone now owning a smartphone or tablet.

Upgraded Speaker System

As you can see from the above table, the CLP645 has more amplifiers and more speakers which improves the overall sound of the piano. Not only does it give you more volume when you need it but also a better dynamic response. Experienced players will know that as you progress with the piano, you’ll learn to play with expression, using a variety of very soft notes and very loud notes (if you don’t aleady!) – having a better speaker system on the piano will better represent this, allowing you to play with more expression – something that’s required in the later grades.

Now, given that you can stream music via bluetooth, having a great set of amplifiers and speakers also makes the CLP645 an incredible sound system as well as an incredible piano. We know you’re probably not going to buy it simply for that, but many people have their piano in a living room and as such, it makes for an impressive centre piece through which you can wirelessly play your music library with decent sound quality.

Conclusion

There are a few other minute differences between these pianos (mainly aesthetic – music rest and music clips, for example differ slightly) but the above three points are what to think about if you’re considering either the CLP635 or the 645. The main reason to upgrade to the CLP645 is the NWX keyboard. The wooden keys do give players a better touch – more like that of an acoustic piano. The speaker system gives a wider dynamic range and is a little louder, plus the bluetooth feature will come in handy for a number of different uses.