Yamaha SE122 SH — European hammers, warm tone

The Yamaha SE122 SH2 combines the feel of an acoustic piano with modern Silent functions in an elegant, high‑gloss black cabinet. The SE series pairs Japanese precision with a warm, European sound ideal: for this purpose the SE122 uses high‑quality European components such as hammer heads, bass strings and a soundboard, resulting in a rounder tonal character.

When the middle pedal is used, a thin piece of felt is inserted between the hammer and the string, producing a particularly soft, finely nuanced tone. The SH2 Silent unit also allows playing with headphones: under each key a grayscale sensor detects the key‑strike information, which is sent to the sound generator. Playback is routed, depending on the setting, through the internal speakers or exclusively through headphones.

In Silent mode there are 20 carefully tuned voices available, including the sounds of the CFX concert grand and the Bösendorfer Imperial, as well as electric‑piano, organ, string, choir and synth‑pad sounds. Features include a metronome, an integrated recorder (both local and via USB) and playback of stored pieces. A wireless connection to a tablet/smartphone is possible via Bluetooth.

Important connections are present: headphone jack, MIDI, AUX IN/AUX OUT as well as USB TO DEVICE and USB TO HOST. With 88 keys, SH2 technology and a compact height of 122 cm, the SE122 SH2 is a versatile instrument for quiet practice and sonically demanding performance.