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One major reason for the success was the precision and flexibility of digital sound. Although the DX7 was a not a sampler, its bright sounds were much clearer than the analog synthesizers that preceded it. The DX7 is well-known for its electric piano, bells, and other "metal striking metal" sounds. It was monotimbral and capable of 8-note polyphony.
The tone generation algorithms used were highly programmable, but it is said that 90% of all DX7 owners simply used the 32 factory default patches, and never bothered the Edit menu. The synthesizer included MIDI ports, but was released shortly before the specification was completed, and has incomplete support for the standard.
Several improved models were released in later years, most notably the DX7II which improved sound quality and allowed two simultaneous voices. Third-party products for the DX7 also flourished in the 80s, including the Grey Mattery E! expansion board which added sequencer functions to the keyboard. The DX7 family remains popular to this day with many recording and performing artists.