Compare:
$139 USD
$199 USD
$369 USD
In this article, I am going to tell you the difference between the cheapest and the mid-range and the more expensive e-series keyboard so you can make a better buying decision for yourself. So you do not spend more than what you need to and also not buy something that is too basic for your requirements.
Key Actions
These three keyboards come with 61 synth-action keys and they are not weighted. However, the PSR-E273 is not touch-sensitive versus these two other keyboards. The E473 and the E373 have four levels of touch sensitivity each so you can hear that for the E273 without the touch sensitivity no matter how hard or how soft hit the keys it will be the same volume and the same intensity. Whereas the E473 and the E373 will be louder or softer depending on how hard or how soft touch the keys
Sound Quality
The PSR-E273 being the entry-level keyboard has only 32 notes of polyphony while the E373 has 48 notes of polyphony and the E473 has been upgraded with 64 notes of polyphony.
LCD Screen
All these three keyboards have an LCD screen which makes it really convenient to see the sounds and features you are using on the LCD screen. The LCD on the PSR-E273 is not backlit whereas on the E373 the LCD screen is backlit.
The LCD screen on the E473 is backlit and is slightly larger and able to show more information than the one on the E373.
Tone Quality
Due to the price difference of the keyboards, they come with different numbers of sounds on the E273 you get 401 tones and on the E373 here you get 622 tones. While on the E473 you get 820 tones. The E273 only has the standard AWM samples whereas the E473 and the E373 come with Yamaha's renowned sweet voices live voices, cool voices and it even comes with the new technology super articulation voices in particular. The E373 comes with 11 super articulation voices and the E473 comes with 14 super articulation voices.
The voices on the E273 cannot be layered or split across the keyboard. So you have one sound on the left side of the keyboard and another sound on the right side of the keyboard. However, on the E473 and the E373, you can layer up to two voices and you can also split voices across the keyboard.
Effects
On the cheapest E273, you have 20 different varying levels of reverb choruses and master eq. Whereas on the E373 you get a couple more with 23 levels of reverb choruses and eq. However, while the E473 has fewer reverb choruses with only 21 reverb chorus and master eq compared to the E373 it makes up for it with a lot more DSP.
The E273 has no DSPs that you can be applied to it. What is new is that previously the old PSR-E373 models did not have DSP but now the new model has 38 DSP effect digital signal processors which makes it a lot more powerful. The E473 has the most number of DSP effects coming in at 59.
Styles and Accompaniment
All Yamaha PSR E-series keyboards come with arranger functionality which means that they come with rhythm as well as backing accompaniment. Without DSP effects on the E273, the sounds do not sound as good compared to the E373 with DSPs effects produces a crisper and warmer sound. Similar as well on the E473.
The E473 comes with a lot more updated styles previously not available in any of these models and its predecessor as well. All three keyboards come with two variations, for every style and you have an intro and an ending for each style as well.
However, on the E473, you can turn on and off the different instruments and the style tracks of each style giving you a lot more possibilities that are not possible on the E273 and the E373.
If the built-in styles are not enough, sadly on the E273 you are just stuck with whatever is built-in and there is no way you can expand your instrument with more styles. However, on both the E373 and E473 you can download more styles from the internet and loaded up onto this keyboard. Each of them has 10 styles of expansion memory.
With the E473 being a flagship model, it has a sampling capability allowing you to sample sounds from a microphone or from sounds on a USB stick from your computer. You can play them on the quick sampling pads and you can also record up to four samples on this keyboard.
However, on E273 and the E373E373 there is no sampling feature there is no way to add more sounds, you are just stuck with whatever sounds you have on the keyboards.
Groove Creator
The E473 also comes with a groove creator feature which these other two keyboards do not have. The groove creator allows you to be like a DJ where you can mix and match different tracks to sound like you are in a dance club.
Arpeggiator
For those who like electronic dance music, the E273 has no arpeggiator functions whereas the E373 has 150 arpeggio patterns and the E473 has 152 arpeggiator patterns.
Knobs and Control
Both the E273 and E373 have no live control knobs or pitch bend wheel. The E473 comes with a pitch bend wheel and a new motion effects function with 57 motion effects you can manipulate yourselves in real-time.
In addition, you get two live control knobs to manipulate your styles, your sounds, your rhythm in real-time and these are not available on the E273 and the E373
Teaching Function
The E273 comes with a basic lesson system for those who are starting out for the first time.
While the E373 has a slightly more advanced lesson system with a touch tutor feature that teaches you how to control the way you touch the keys.
It has a chord study and a chord progression which I covered in the full review of the E373 keyboard. The E473 does not have any lesson features whatsoever so you are on your own and you are expected to learn from third-party music apps or from an online course.
If you want to learn to play the keyboard you can check out my beginner piano app. As well as some beginners video courses and course materials available for you. At the same time, you check out this free 25 Piano lesson as well.
Song Recorder and User Settings
The E273 has no way of storing any of those settings so every time you turn off the instrument you have to reset everything all over again. On the E373 you get nine user memory slots you can store up to one of your own settings.
While on the E473 you can store up to 32 of your own user settings.
The E273 comes with a single-track single-song capacity recorder. The E373 does a bit better with five songs capacity and for each song, you can record up to two tracks. On the E473 you can record up to 10 songs internally and each song can have as many as six tracks.
However, the real gem is Yamaha's record and share app that allows you to record an unlimited number of audio recordings. It allows you to record video with very clean digital audio and professionally recorded video. This function is available on the E473 and on the E373 only, unfortunately, the E273 does not support Yamaha's record and share app. The E473 allows you to record digital audio directly into a USB stick whereas the E273 and E373 have no such capability
Here I have recommendations for an audio recorder and audio interface which you might like.
Connectivity Functions
The E273 has no MIDI capability so if you want to connect to external devices you have to use external programs. On the E373 and the E473, the USB port supports USB MIDI and it also has a USB audio interface built-in.
This way you do not need to buy an external audio interface to send audio data to your music apps or your digital audio workstation.
While all three keyboards allow you to use a pair of headphones for quiet practice. Only the E473 allows you to plug in a microphone to sing along with or to input samples or your voice into the sampling pad.
The sustain pedal is compatible with all three keyboards and you can play it like a sustain pedal on a traditional piano
Here I have recommendations for speakers, headphones, microphones, and other connectivity devices which you might be looking for.
Speakers
The E273 and the E373 have pretty much the same amplification. You get a pair of two and a half watts amplifiers giving you a total of 5 watts of sound output.
The E473 has a significantly punchier louder volume and output as it comes with a pair of 6-watt amplifiers giving you a total of 12 watts of output.
Portability
For power options, all three keyboards can be powered with a power adapter. Depending on where you are from it might be included in your package or you may have to buy it separately.
These keyboards can also run on six double-A batteries as well.
Obviously, you can run the E273 for a much longer time with the double-A batteries. Whereas for E473 you're gonna have a shorter time due to the onboard speakers as well as the more advanced features.
Finally, in terms of portability, the E273 is extremely lightweight being just eight pounds. The E373 is still quite manageable it is two pounds heavier at 10 pounds but the one that is the heftiest and the heaviest is the E473 which comes in at 15 pounds.
Conclusion
I hope you found my review of the Yamaha PSR-E273, PSR-E373, and PSR-E473 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-E473 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.