Skip to main content
Vintage synths & drum machines
Vintage Synthesizers
Yamaha DX7 FM synthesizer seen from the front and above: 61-key keyboard in a dark brown case, two rows of teal membrane buttons, green LCD and red LED display, algorithm chart printed on the panel, DX7 logo, pitch and modulation wheels at the left
Representative photo, made by AI from real seller photos. Every listing differs. How we make these →

Yamaha · FM synth · Early MIDI era

Yamaha DX7

Yamaha licensed FM synthesis from John Chowning's work at Stanford in 1973, and a decade later the DX7 brought it to everyone. It launched in 1983 with six FM oscillators per voice in 32 algorithms, 16-note polyphony, a 61-key keyboard with velocity and aftertouch, and MIDI. Yamaha expected to sell about 20,000. Orders passed 150,000 in the first year. Its E Piano 1 preset was on 40 percent of the Billboard Hot 100 number ones in 1986, and its bass preset is on a-ha's Take On Me and Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone. Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Prince and Brian Eno all used one. The 2-line LCD let owners name their sounds, a habit Yamaha says started here, and it holds 32 voices with a cartridge slot for more. Editing runs through membrane buttons and one data slider, which is why most owners stuck to presets. So many were made that you can afford to be picky about condition. The DX7 II, DX7s and TX7 are different models, so check the name on the panel.

Spec at a glance

Brand
Yamaha
Type
FM synth
Voices
16-voice polyphonic
Keys
61 keys
MIDI
Yes, from launch
eBay asks (Oct 5, 2026)
$625–$1,000

What to check before you buy

Vintage Synth Explorer rates the DX7 as more reliable than the analog synths before it. Its 32 internal voices are kept alive by a backup battery that may be flat on a synth this old, and owner forums show dead keys and distorted voices as the repairs that come up.

  1. 01Model name: Check the panel in the photos for the model name. It should read DX7 with no II, IID, IIFD or s after it.
  2. 02Display: Check the LCD in a photo with the synth switched on. Both lines should be readable with no missing characters.
  3. 03Memory: Ask the seller whether the internal voices are still there after it's been off overnight. If they're gone, the backup battery needs replacing.
  4. 04Buttons: Ask for a video pressing every panel button. Each should respond on the first press.
  5. 05Data slider: Ask for a clip moving the data entry slider while editing a value. The number should change smoothly across the whole range.
  6. 06Keys: Ask for a video playing every key softly, then hard. Each key should sound, and hard notes should be clearly louder.
  7. 07MIDI: On arrival, connect it to another instrument with MIDI in both directions. Notes should pass cleanly each way.

Buying guide

Which one to buy

§ Oct 5, 2026

There are about 97 DX7s for sale, most asking $625–1,000 delivered, and most ship from Japan, where units are often 100V and need a step-down transformer on US mains. For one you can just play, we'd take the unit titled serviced with a new battery at $646 delivered, or the tested one at $585 if you'll check the battery yourself. Ask whether the internal voices are still there after a night switched off, since a flat backup battery wipes them, and check that the panel reads DX7 with no II or s after it. Price untested and as-is units as repair jobs, because dead keys and distorted voices are the fixes that come up.

Listed now
97
For parts
3
Typical ask
$625–$1,000
Full range
$225–$1,399

Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 5, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.

Snapshot

For sale on eBay

8 of 97 listed

Checked . Some may have sold.

Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 5, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.

Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 5, 2026.

See every listing on eBay ↗eBay search

Related models