Casio PX-S1100 vs PX-S3100: the comparison – Musik-Ebert Gmbh

The Casio PX-S1100 and PX-S3100 are close siblings: the same ultra-slim body of just 232 millimetres depth, the same Smart Scaled Hammer Action keyboard. The difference lies in the feature set. Choosing between the PX-S1100 and PX-S3100 is less about the feel of playing than about the intended use.

This comparison places both models: what they share, where they part ways, and which one suits the living room, the practice room or the stage.

PX-S1100

The purist

Ideal for: Home, practice, clear piano playing without distraction

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PX-S3100

The versatile one

Ideal for: Stage, entertainer, many tones with display control

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01What both share: body and keyboard

Both models come from Casio's Privia-S line and are technically closely related. They use the Smart Scaled Hammer Action keyboard, which despite the flat body of just 232 millimetres depth offers a touch-responsive, hammer-weighted playing feel. 88 keys, simulated ivory and ebony surface, the same core sound engine.

In other words: if you are after touch and acoustic piano sound alone, both give you the same foundation. The slim body makes both equally suited to small apartments and to transport.

Casio Stage Piano PX S 1100 - Musik-Ebert Gmbh

Casio Stage Piano PX S 1100 - Schwarz

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Casio Stage Piano PXS 3100 Schwarz

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02PX-S1100: reduced to the essentials

The Casio Stage Piano PX S 1100 - Schwarz is the purist variant. 18 carefully chosen tones, no display, instead control via touch-sensitive buttons and the free Casio Music Space app on a smartphone or tablet. If you need piano, electric piano and a few accompaniment colours and do not want to click through menus, this is the right one.

Reduction is the concept here: set it up, switch it on, play. For classical piano lessons, daily practice and quiet playing in the living room, that is often exactly the right amount of technology.

03PX-S3100: more tones, more control

The Casio Stage Piano PXS 3100 Schwarz opens the same housing to far more variety. 700 tones instead of 18, a clearly legible LCD display for direct operation without an app, plus 100 DSP effects. Decisive for the stage: a continuously variable pitch-bend wheel and two freely assignable rotary controls allow real-time intervention in the sound.

Added to that is an auto-accompaniment function that supplies rhythms matching the chords played, as well as a registration function for quick tone changes during a performance. If you work with band sounds, organs, synths and live control, the tools are here.

04The decision at a glance

The rule of thumb: PX-S1100 if piano playing comes first and simplicity is a value. PX-S3100 if you need tonal variety, display operation and live control. The playing feel does not separate the two, the feature set does.

PX-S1100 and PX-S3100 in direct comparison
Feature	PX-S1100	PX-S3100
Keyboard	Smart Scaled Hammer Action	Smart Scaled Hammer Action
Body	Slim, 232 mm depth	Slim, 232 mm depth
Tones	18	700
Display	no, control via app	yes, LCD
Pitch-bend / controls	no	pitch-bend wheel + 2 controls
DSP effects	basic	100 DSP effects
Auto-accompaniment	no	yes
Ideal for	home, practice, purist	stage, entertainer, versatile
Price	from ~499 EUR	from ~699 EUR

05Both belong to the same range

The PX-S1100 and PX-S3100 are not the only slim Casios. The Stage Pianos and the wider Digitalpianos show the whole Privia environment, from entry level to hybrid piano. If you are still unsure whether a slim model is the right format at all, you will also find models with a fixed console and a three-pedal unit there.

PX-S1100 or PX-S3100 is not a question of better or worse, but of need. Same keyboard, same slim body, different feature set: one reduced, the other versatile. To stay with piano playing, reach for the PX-S1100, for tonal variety and stage tools, the PX-S3100.

Frequently asked questions

Do the PX-S1100 and PX-S3100 have the same keyboard?

Yes. Both use the Smart Scaled Hammer Action keyboard with 88 hammer-weighted keys. The playing feel is practically identical, the difference lies only in the feature set.

Do I really need a smartphone for the PX-S1100?

No. The basic functions run via the touch-sensitive buttons on the instrument. The free Casio Music Space app does make switching between tones and settings much more convenient, though, because the PX-S1100 lacks a display.

Is the price step up to the PX-S3100 worth it?

If you need many tones, auto-accompaniment, live control via pitch-bend and rotary controls or a display for direct operation, yes. If it is purely about piano playing, the PX-S1100 is enough.

Are both suitable for the stage?

Both are light and slim and therefore portable. For live use with changing sounds and real-time control, the PX-S3100 is the obvious choice, while the PX-S1100 suits a pure piano performance.