Yamaha

Yamaha YUS5 SH-TA TransAcoustic piano review and information

The Yamaha YUS5 SH-TA is a YUS5 upright with Yamaha's first TransAcoustic system built in. It is a proper Japanese acoustic piano first, and a very clever digital piano second. You can play it as normal, play it in silence through headphones, or turn the volume right down and still hear it through the piano's own soundboard.

Yamaha has since replaced it with the TA2 and then the TA3, and a new YUS5 TA3 now costs well over £17,000. That makes a good used SH-TA one of the most interesting pianos you can buy if you share a home, a wall or a timetable with other people.

What the name means

Yamaha's names look like a code, but this one is simple once you break it down.

  • YUS5 is the piano itself. It is the top of Yamaha's YUS range, 131cm tall and built at Yamaha's main factory in Japan.
  • SH is the Silent system. A rail stops the hammers before they reach the strings, and sensors under the keys send your playing to a sound module. You hear a recording of Yamaha's CFX concert grand through headphones.
  • TA stands for TransAcoustic. Small units fixed to the back of the soundboard make it vibrate like a loudspeaker, so the digital sound comes out of the wooden piano rather than from a speaker box.

So SH-TA simply means a TransAcoustic piano that uses the SH silent system. It is the original version of TransAcoustic. Later pianos are labelled TA2 and TA3.

The YUS5 underneath

Strip away the electronics and you still have one of the best uprights Yamaha makes. The YUS5 shares its tall frame with the U3, then adds better hammers, better strings, a sostenuto (middle) pedal and a wider music desk with open panels behind it, which lets more sound out towards the player.

We have written about the plain piano in our Yamaha YUS5 guide. Everything in there applies here too. The SH-TA is that piano with extra options, not a different instrument.

Three ways to play

This is what you are paying for, so it is worth being clear about each one.

  • As a normal piano. Hammers hit strings, exactly as with any acoustic. With the system switched off, it plays and sounds like a YUS5.
  • Silent, with headphones. The same as a YUS5 SH. Nobody else hears a thing apart from the soft click of the keys.
  • TransAcoustic. The hammers stop short of the strings, but the sound comes out through the soundboard at whatever volume you choose. It feels and sounds like a quiet piano in the room, rather than a piano on headphones.

That third mode is the clever part. A child can practise at 9pm without waking a baby, and you can still hear them from the next room. You can also add other sounds, such as harpsichord, organ, strings or electric piano, and play along with recorded music through the soundboard.

SH-TA, TA2 and TA3 compared

The basic idea has not changed since the first version. Each update brought better sampled sounds, more voices and more ways to connect phones and tablets. The newest TA3 adds a Bösendorfer piano sound as well as the CFX, and app control by Bluetooth.

For most families the SH-TA does everything that matters. The acoustic piano is the same YUS5, the silent practice is excellent, and the TransAcoustic volume control works the same way. You give up some extra sounds and some connection options. You save a great deal of money.

Who it suits

  • Flats, terraces and semis, where a full-volume upright can cause trouble with the neighbours.
  • Families where one child practises while another sleeps or does homework.
  • Serious students and adult players who want a top-quality upright but cannot always play out loud.
  • Anyone who likes to play late at night.

If you will only ever play at normal volume during the day, a plain YUS5 is the better value. If headphones alone are enough, a YUS5 SH is cheaper. The SH-TA earns its extra cost when you want quiet playing that still fills the room.

What to check before you buy one

Buy the piano first and the electronics second. A tired action with a working TransAcoustic system is still a tired piano. Then check the extras carefully, because they are expensive to put right.

  • Every mode works. Play all 88 keys in normal, silent and TransAcoustic modes. Listen for notes that are missing, too loud or too soft.
  • No buzzing. In TransAcoustic mode, play loudly in the bass. A rattle can mean a loose unit on the soundboard.
  • The silent rail. When it is on, no hammer should touch a string. When it is off, the touch should feel completely normal.
  • The control box, power supply and headphone sockets. Make sure they are all there and working.
  • Who has looked after it. Silent and TransAcoustic pianos need a technician who knows the system, not just a tuner.

Our Yamaha serial number lookup will tell you when any Yamaha was made.

Size

131cm tall, about 152cm wide and 65cm deep. It weighs around 260kg, a little more than a plain YUS5 because of the electronics. It needs the same space as a U3.

What to pay

SH-TA pianos are rare second-hand in the UK. Very few were sold here new, and owners tend to keep them. As a guide, we sold two YUS5 SH silent pianos in 2026 at £11,990 and plain YUS5s at around £10,000. Expect a good SH-TA to cost more than a YUS5 SH, and much less than the £17,000-plus Yamaha asks for a new YUS5 TA3.

If that is more than you want to spend, there are good routes to quiet practice for less.

  • A YUS5 SH gives you silent playing on headphones with the same piano.
  • A Yamaha U3 from £4,490, with a silent system added for £2,490, is the best value of all.
  • Our silent Yamaha pianos guide explains the options in more detail.

Our verdict

The YUS5 SH-TA is a top-class Japanese upright that also solves the noise problem better than anything else. You get the touch and tone of a real YUS5, silent headphone practice, and a volume knob for a real piano. Buy one that has been properly checked by people who know the system, and it should give many years of service.

We do not have one in stock right now. You can see the YUS5 pianos we have for sale, or ask us to let you know when an SH-TA comes in. Every piano we sell comes with 0% finance options, a free first tuning and 14 days to change your mind.

Selling a YUS5 SH-TA?

We are always looking for YUS5 pianos, including SH and TransAcoustic models. Send us the details on mgps.uk/sell and we will come back to you with an offer. We arrange and pay for the collection.