Under $500

Step-up gear: weighted 88-key boards, standalone grooveboxes, full control surfaces.

Under $500 is where the serious gear lives: weighted 88-key controllers with real hammer action, standalone grooveboxes with their own sound engine, and DAW control surfaces with motorized faders. It is also the range where an overpriced board and a genuinely great one can look identical on a spec sheet, so the review bar matters more here, not less.

112 picks, best value first