$139.99 USD
$199.99 USD
$329.99 USD
In this article, I will be making an in-depth comparison and will tell you 23 differences between these three keyboards to help you make an informed purchase when looking to buy one of these keyboards.
Key Actions
The first big difference between these three keyboards is that the PSR-E273 being the most affordable has fixed velocity keys so no matter how hard or how gently you hit the keys it will not affect the sound.
Whereas the PSR-E373 and the PSR-E463 have four levels of touch sensitivity depending on whether you hit it softly or hard it will produce a different tone.
Tone Quality
On the PSR-E273 you get 401 voices whereas on the new PSR-E373 you get 622 voices, which is quite a significant increase in the number of voices. It is literally 50 more than those found on the PSR-E463. On the PSR-E463 you get 758 voices quite a bit more but not as much of an increase compared to that of the PSR-E373.
The PSR-E273 has a polyphony of just 32 notes whereas these two keyboards here the PSR-E373 and the PSR-E463 has a polyphony of 48 notes
The PSR-E273 does not allow you to split the keyboards into two parts with one voice on the left side and one voice on the right side. Whereas on the PSR-E373 and the PSR-E463 you can have two voices one on each side of the keyboard
The number of effects on these keyboards is also different. PSR-E273 only comes with 20 different reverbs and chorus effects that you can use to thicken up and personalize your sounds. while on the PSR-E373 and the PSR-E463 you have three additional reverbs and choruses that you can apply to the sounds on this keyboard
Being the cheapest and most affordable of the three, the PSR-E273 comes with 143 different styles. While the PSR-E373 has 205 styles the PSR-E463 being the flagship here has 235 styles
The next difference is the PSR-E273 does not have a dual voice function. You can only play one voice at a time and you cannot layer them. Although you can use some preset layered voices that Yamaha has provided within the keyboard but it is definitely not as flexible as on the PSR-E373. We can pretty much layer any two voices you want, the same thing on the PSR-E463.
Groove Creator
The PSR-E463 has a groove creator with 35 patterns which is unique only to itself. the groove creator allows you to chain up different sections of a pattern so that you can be like a Dj in a club.
Super Articulation
The Yamaha PSR-E373 being the newest keyboard in this line-up has the new super articulation light technology and it comes with 11 super articulation voices. Whereas the other two keyboards do not have this technology, even the PSR-E463 which is the most expensive. Without this technology, the sounds do not sound expressive because of the fixed velocity.
Quick Sampling Features
The next feature found on the PSR-E463 is the quick sampling feature and that is not found on the other two keyboards. This allows you to basically load your own samples that you can download from the internet and trigger them on this keyboard.
It can also be you singing a phrase or you shouting some words or your dog barking or a baby crying literally any sound can be loaded onto this sample and they can be mapped across the keyboard
Harmony Function
The harmony function is something on found the PSR-E373 and the PSR-E463 only. Having 26 different harmony patterns which thicken up the notes on your right-hand melody based on the chords that you input on the left-hand side of your keyboard when you are playing in the accompaniment mode.
DSPs
The PSR-E273 does not come with a built-in arpeggiator whereas the PSR-E373 and the PSR-E463 come with a 150 patent arpeggiator. The biggest selling point on the latest PSR-E373 is the DSP there is a whopping 38 new DSP effects found on it. Which was previously not found on the previous model the PSR-E363
The PSR-E273 has no DSP effects and even this flagship PSR-E463 which costs more than the PSR-E373 has only 10 DSP effects. Having DSP effects makes a massive amount of difference in the sound.
Knobs and controls
The PSR-E273 being the cheapest keyboard does not come with a pitch bend wheel and the PSR-E373 also does not have one. However, the PSR-E463 on the other hand comes with a nice little pitch bend wheel for you to bend your synth sounds or to be more expressive with your acoustic instrument.
On the PSR-E463 there are these live control knobs that allow you to configure it to control any of these parameters in real-time as you are playing but they are not available on the PSR-E273 and PSR-E373.
LCD Screen
On the PSR-E273 you get an LED screen that is not backlit, the LED screen between the PSR-E273 and the PSR-E373 is pretty much almost identical.
The difference is that the LED screen on the PSR-E373 is backlit and it is so much easier to see when lighting conditions are not ideal. On the other hand, on the PSR-E463 you get a much larger LCD screen that displays significantly more information.
User Registration
There is no way to save your user voice settings after you tweak the voices to your liking on the PSR-E273. You are not able to save it in any way once you turn off the keyboard or you switch it to another sound all your settings will be lost.
However, on the PSR-E373 you get 9 slots to save your user settings for quick and easy recall.
As the PSR-E463 being the most expensive allows you to save up to 32 registration memory. While you might only see four buttons here but there are actually eight banks giving you 32 registration memory.
Song Recorder
The PSR-E273 has a single-track, single song recorder you cannot record more than one song at a time and you have to record it all in one go. On the other hand, the PSR-E373 allows you to record up to five songs and each song can contain up to two tracks. The PSR-E463 being the most expensive allows you to save up to 10 user songs within the memory itself and each song can contain up to six tracks
Speakers
The speakers on the PSR-E273 are a pair of 2.5-watt speakers and this is encased in a hard plastic speaker grille.
While even though you are paying more for the PSR-E373, you are still getting 2.5 watts of amplification but there is now a fabric cover instead of a plastic grille.
With the PSR-E463 you get a massive upgrade you get a pair of six watts amplified speakers and they are protected by a metal speaker rail.
USB Capabilities
Sadly to say there is no USB MIDI functionality on the PSR-E273 but the PSR-E373 has midi functionality via USB. Not only does the USB port transmits and receives MIDI, but it is also an audio interface for you to connect directly to your mobile devices or your DAW and send digital audio to and from your keyboard
However, on the PSR-E463 you can directly record audio into a USB stick drive which you can then load onto your computer or share with your friends very easily. You do not even need a DAW to record digital audio, this is a feature you don't find on the PSR-E273 or the PSR-E373.
Portability
The PSR-E273 is the lightest of the three at just 4 kilos. However, for a mere 600 grams more on the PSR-E373, you will get DSPs which is significantly more powerful and has more features. As for the PSR-E463, it is the least portable and the heaviest weighing at 6 kilos.
All these three keyboards can accept a sustained pedal input as well as an auxiliary audio input and you can use headphones with. They can also be powered via a wall socket as well as running off six double-A batteries.
Variants
Yamaha actually produces the PSR-E373 in a 76 keys version and this version costs a little bit more but gives you a couple more keys in case you want to play more serious classical music.
You can also find the exact same PSR-E373 with a key lighting system and that is the EZ300. It is exactly the same as the PSR-E373 except that it has a key lighting feature and it comes in a white chassis and comes with extra lessons within the keyboard because it's meant to be a learning keyboard.
As for the PSR-E463, Yamaha produces a more professional PSR-EW410 which is based on the PSR-E463. It has pretty much the identical number of sounds as the PSR-E463 but it has a better piano sound sample. It also comes with dedicated quarter-inch stereo outputs for those who are performing and want to connect to an external PA system and as for the sample zones.
Also, you can record seven samples versus the five samples found on the PSR-E463. The speakers on the PSR-EW410 are significantly more powerful than those on the PSR-E463 as it is actually a pair of 12-watt speakers.
Conclusion
I hope you found my review of the Yamaha PSR-E273, PSR-E373, and PSR-E463 useful! Do check out the links provided in this article for the latest and most updated information and prices of the Yamaha PSR-E273, PSR-E373 and PSR-E463 Do take a look at my other articles to find the best and most suited instrument for your personal need. Also, do check out my Piano App and beginner keyboard course available for you.