Kawai Digital Pianos - REVIEW | 16 models 2023 | CA701 & CA901

🎹 Kawai Digital Pianos | Updated Review & Consumer Report | May 1, 2023 | All Kawai Digital Pianos including the ES120, ES520, ES920, CN201, CA301, CA401, CA501, CA701, CA901, DG30, NV5S, NV10S, etc. The Kawai piano company was founded nearly 100 years ago in 1927 and its international headquarters is in Hamamatsu, Japan which is where its founder, Koichi Kawai was born back in 1886. Kawai's US headquarters is in the city of Rancho Dominguez, Southern California. 

Mr. Kawai got his start in the piano industry by working for the Yamaha piano company back in the early 20th century and was quite famous for his inventions and designs in the piano industry. He was the first person to build a complete, quality piano action there. In 1927 Koichi Kawai left the Yamaha company to start his own piano manufacturing company under the name Kawai Musical Instrument Company. 

Kawai is a relatively small company in the piano manufacturing world as compared to other companies like Yamaha, Casio, and Roland. This is because Kawai only makes acoustic & digital pianos whereas Yamaha and Casio and Roland are more mainstream with a variety of other products such as audio equipment, calculators, watches, keyboards, guitar products, recording gear, motorcycles & snowmobiles (Yamaha), and many other things. 

But I think it goes without saying that even though the Kawai piano company may not be quite as familiar to people outside of the piano world, the Kawai piano company has a long, impressive history in the piano business and continues to this day to build not only some impressive acoustic upright & grand pianos, but also has a big selection of high quality digital pianos that in many ways are superior to the other top brands, and I have played them all. - Click on pics for larger views 

KAWAI PORTABLE DIGITAL PIANOS

Currently, the Kawai piano company worldwide has 16 distinct digital piano models for the US market which cover a huge span of digital piano technologies, price ranges, and sizes. From a low discount price of $949 for the ES120 portable digital piano all the way up to about $14,500 price for the Novus NV10S Hybrid grand action furniture cabinet piano, Kawai offers a huge choice. Kawai has a digital piano that can fit the musical needs of most piano shoppers. In the lower price range in the US market Kawai has 3 portable digital pianos under $2000 with built-in speakers which includes the new ES120 ($949 internet price), the newer ES520 at $1399 internet price, and the top of the line ES920 ($1899 discount price). 

These 3 portable, self-contained digital pianos have 88 piano weighted and graded key actions which feel very good in their respective price ranges. Each of these models focuses on the "piano playing experience" with life like acoustic piano sound, key actions, pedaling, and dynamic expression when you play them. I have played each one many times and out of all the top brands out there including Yamaha, Casio, Roland, and Korg, these 3 specific digital pianos offer arguably the best piano playing experience in their respective price ranges for portable digital pianos.

When you put together a combination of powerful internal speaker systems, responsive and correctly weighted key actions, natural sounding recorded piano samples from Kawai grand pianos, and responsive pedaling with long sustain times, these 3 models are hard to beat. As you go up in price from the ES120 at $949 to the ES520 at $1399, and finally up to the ES920 at $1899 (without optional stands and upgraded single or triple pedals, there is a significant different among all 3 models. 

As you go from one model of the ES series to the next, the piano sound realism (piano sound engine), key action (different weighted keys and additional key sensors, pedaling, and the quality of  internal speakers gets better and better. There are additional instrument sounds and functions along with Bluetooth audio & MIDI streaming and that's an added bonus to have those useful features, but it's really mostly about how these models are at reproducing the piano playing experience in the most realistic way possible at their prices.

So when it comes to portable digital piano from $900 to $1900, you cannot go wrong with these very popular Kawai ES models and we highly recommend them. You can read our detailed reviews of these 3 models at the following links: Kawai ES120 Review    Kawai ES520 Review     Kawai ES920 Review

PRO STAGE & STUDIO DIGITAL PIANOS

Kawai also has 3 models of portable digital pianos without built-in speakers (usually referred to as stage or studio digital pianos) which include the MP7SE ($2199 discount price), MP11SE ($3499 discount price), and VPC1 controller piano $2399 discount price. The VPC1 is especially unique because it has no internal sounds or functions and no buttons, sliders, knobs, or display screens of any kind on the cabinet. 

It's designed to be a dedicated "controller" digital piano so that you would connect the VPC1 to your iPad or computer to "control" external piano sounds (software by other digital piano sound companies) that you can buy so your external device with the external piano sounds in it is "played by" the VPC1 piano keyboard. 

You would connect an external audio system to your computer or iPad to hear those pianos sounds you are playing. Some people may prefer this configuration who are comfortable with computers and are OK with always needing to use a dedicated computer with added sounds for their VPC1 piano rather than have the convenience of built-in Kawai digital piano sounds already in the digital piano. This VPC-1 also needs external speakers/monitors because it has no built-in speakers and some people prefer it that way. The key feature in the VPC1 is its all wooden pro key action which is a specialized key action only available in this model.

The VPC1 is the only 88-weighted key pro controller digital piano out there with long extended wooden keys. That feature gives the VPC1 an "edge" over the competition, especially in this price range because no one else has wooden keys in their controller digital pianos. So if all you need is a more organic piano type key action in a portable digital piano to control external piano/instrumental sounds from a computer or other external MIDI sound device and you want it for less than $2500, then the VPC1 is it. 

But if you want a great extended key all wood piano type key action and great built in piano & instrumental sounds in one package, then the Kawai MP11SE is the winner there. There is no other digital piano made that competes with the Kawai MP11SE at $3499. I especially like the MP11SE home studio/stage pro portable digital piano because it's a great combination of solid grand piano type key action, natural, organic piano tone, and enough extra features that many people are looking for. 

In fact for people who own full size acoustic grand pianos and want a digital piano that gives them a great piano playing experience and can do privately using headphones, the MP11SE tends to be very popular with that crowd. I have had number of people (both advanced pianists and recreational players) order this model through me for those very reasons. Also, since the MP11SE is only $3499 then its price is very affordable for many people looking for a high quality digital piano in a more portable form with a relatively small footprint. 

The MP11SE has no built in speakers and is considered a "stage digital piano" because of that. But is otherwise completely self contained with its own sounds, controls, and easy to use features. All you would need to do is to connect a pair of smaller high quality powered monitors to it for a regular size room in a home or smaller studio. 

Depending on the room size you are trying to fill with sound, good stereo monitors may only cost you and extra approx $300 to $400 or so. Those powered monitors make the MP11SE piano sound as good if not better than many furniture cabinet pianos that cost more money than the MP11SE. If you are playing the MP11SE in a very big room, venue, and large space in general, then a larger and more powerful external sound system would likely be necessary. The MP11SE is a bit heavy at approx 75 lbs so it is not easy to carry if you should need to do that.

KAWAI FURNITURE CABINET DIGITAL PIANOS

Next in line of the Kawai US digital pianos are 3 home furniture cabinet models under $2000 which can be purchased on the internet or local stores and they include the starter models KDP75 ($999 price), KDP120 ($1499 internet discount price), and the upgraded CN201 at $2299.  The KDP75 and KDP120 are both available in local Kawai stores and the internet stores but generally are more available at internet stores. The KDP120 is much better than the entry level KDP75 so we definitely recommend the KDP120 over the KDP75 if your budget will allow it. The CN201 is available on-line and at Kawai local stores. 

The newer Kawai CN201 is a very nice model at its $2299 price for a furniture cabinet piano. If you can go up to near the $2500 price range then we recommend this impressive digital piano over the other brands right now, especially in its very attractive more traditional furniture style cabinet. With a more natural and realistic piano playing experience than the other traditional furniture cabinet digital pianos under $2500, along with its useful digital features, OLED user interface, and built-in educational components, this model should impress you. Please read my recent review of the the CN201 at the following link: Kawai CN201 Review

Kawai also has another "CN model called the CN301 at $2999 internet price. It has the same key action and piano sound engine (piano samples) as the CN201. However, the new CN301 has an upgraded internal speaker system, an upgraded user interface control panel, and many more "bells & whistles" as compared to the lower priced CN201, and it also has a lot more external and internal connectivity hardware. It is definitely worth considering over the CN201, but it will cost you and additional $700.  

Kawai has a "wooden key" key-action series called the Concert Artist series referred to as the "CA models." This Concert Artist pianos include 4 new models with the CA401 at $3099, the new CA501 at $3999, the new CA701 at $4899 price, and CA901 at $6399 price.. These models are available in satin black, satin rosewood, and satin white cabinets. The CA701 and CA901 are also available in a premium polished ebony finish which is quite a bit higher in price at about $700 to $800 more. We especially recommend the 2 lower priced Concert Artist models CA401 and CA501.My new CA501 review is now available to read at the following link: CA501 REVIEW. My CA401 review should be coming up soon.

  

CONCERT ARTIST CA701 & CA901

The newer Concert Artist CA701 & CA901 furniture cabinet models have not been out that long and have been upgraded from the previous CA79 and CA99 including new and more functional cabinet designs and construction, upgraded internal speaker system, new piano sound engine, and other impressive upgrades. Kawai still has their very popular and more realistic "wood key actions" in these 2 Concert series models called Grand-Feel III. This key action moves smoothly, are more refined, are quieter, and really give you a sense that you're playing a grand piano with its longer extended all-wood keys.

Pricing for the CA701 is $4899 for the matte rosewood, black, and white cabinet finishes, and $800 more for the polished ebony version. The CA901 is $6399 for the matte rosewood finish, black or white finish, and $800 more for the polished ebony finish at $7299. The new CA701 and CA901 key action and piano sound engine are arguably the best there is in their respective price ranges,, although the Casio Grand Hybrid models (GP-310 & GP-510) definitely give the Kawai models a "run for the money" with regard to key action movement and response.

The static down-weight measurement of the nearly 14" long wooden white keys on middle C in this Grand Feel 3 key action is about 53 grams which is just like a real grand piano in terms of comfortable finger force applied to pressing down the key. So the action for both the black & white "all wooden" keys feels great, plays like "butter" without creating hand, finger, and wrist fatigue, but yet is expressive with excellent weight distribution from the front of the keys to the backs of the keys. This was my personal playing experience on this new Grand-Feel 3 key action and I was impressed. 

The upgraded piano sound engine in these 2 new models is using a combination of the latest physical modeling technology and sampling combined. This type of piano sound technology gives a very immersive authentic sounding piano playing experience, even to the most demanding players based on my playing experience with both the CA701 and CA901. Utilizing an all new and improved Kawai internal speaker and amplifier audio system with better sound dispersion, these 2 new models have impressive internal sound systems that are difficult to beat. 

I have already played these 2 new pianos extensively, and unless you are very picky, you will have a difficult time trying to get off the bench and stop playing...these new models are that good. There is a redesigned color touch display screen for both of those models for easier navigation to access the many features in these models including new Bluetooth audio streaming. 

The CA901 has an all real "wooden soundboard" in the back of the piano to further enhance the piano sound. It adds "organic resonation" to the piano sound with transducer microphones attached to that soundboard. The resulting additional  piano sound vibrations makes the CA901 noticeably more authentic than the CA701 which does not have that soundboard. No other top name digital piano brand or model has this type of "organic piano sound vibrations" coming from a wooden soundboard that regular acoustic pianos have. This really gives the CA901 a more "hybrid" nature to it. That's one of the reasons the CA901 costs quite a bit more money than the CA701.

Those polished ebony finishes on the new top Concert series models CA701 and CA901 are beautiful and elegant and they are worth the extra cost assuming you want that "look" in your home. You would need to decide if that is worth it to you or would prefer to save a bit of money and look at the Concert Artist series in the regular satin finishes which are very attractive and come in at a lower price.  

Just so you know, all digital pianos have some proprietary "bells & whistles" so all the top name brands do a pretty good job that way. But as far as an authentic piano playing experience goes in this price range of around $4500 to $6500, it's amazing to me how much more authentic that piano playing experience is on the Kawai CA701 and CA901, especially compared to Roland in this price range. 

I have played all the latest Roland digital pianos and they don't come close in piano sound realism to the new Kawai models, and in fact the piano sound is noticeably artificial to me when playing any of the latest Roland digital pianos. The ones that do offer Kawai some "piano" competition in this price range would be a few of the Yamaha Clavinova models as well the the Casio Grand Hybrid models If you want information on the Yamaha and Casio digital pianos then read my reviews at the following links so that you can know more about them. Casio GP510 & GP310 review   Yamaha Clavinova CLP-775, 785, & 795GP

KAWAI NOVUS NV5S & NV10S

With regard to Kawai's "wooden key" key action models, Kawai also has 2 top of the line fully hybrid "wooden key" key action models called the NOVUS series. These 2 pianos include the NV5S selling in Kawai piano stores at about $9500 and the NV10S selling at about $14,500. Essentially these 2 Novus models are very similar to the Kawai Concert CA701 and 901 as far as the digital sound and function technology goes. The color touch screen user interface is also similar in the Novus pianos as well as most of the "bells & whistles" are the same. Some (but not all) aspects of the internal speaker systems are the same in the Novus pianos as compared to the Concert CA901. So there are a lot of similarities. 

But for people who want the most "life-like" piano playing experience with regard to key action, pedaling, and internal speaker system in a Kawai digital piano, then the Novus NV5S upright key action model and NV10S grand key action model would be more advanced and more authentic in that way as compared to the CA Concert series. But...they are also quite a bit more money. However, in my opinion, if you have the disposable income to make that kind of a purchase then these 2 models are definitely worth it.

However, the "star of the show" on the Novus pianos that is a huge upgrade over the Concert series is the fully hybrid all-wood key action and pedal system taken directly out of a top Kawai grand and acoustic piano. The key action in the 2 lowest price CA models have wooden white keys with the black keys being  plastic. In the 2 top CA Concert models CA701 and CA901, all of the keys (both black & white) are actual 100% spruce wood and those white keys are longer than in the lower price CA401 and CA501. So the CA701 and CA901 have a distinct advantage over those 2 lower CA models in that way. The Novus key actions are on a much higher level of playability with regard to the keys, the organic action parts, the hammers, the key/hammer sensors, and the pedals, and even the internal speaker system. That's a big reason the Novus digital pianos cost quite a bit more money than the Concert series.

In the Novus hybrid digital pianos, the 100% wood physical key actions and connecting parts are actually taken from the real Kawai acoustic pianos. This means all of the key action parts that are in the Novus pianos are in real acoustic pianos, with the exception of the felt hammers & strings in acoustic pianos which are not needed in digital pianos. These real key actions not only include extra long acoustic wooden piano keys that are found in acoustic pianos, but it includes all of the other hundreds of organic key action parts that acoustic pianos have inside of them, with the exception of the felt hammers and strings as I already mentioned. Also, the pedal system is hybrid in the NV5S and NV10S and gives you a more accurate feel and movement of real acoustic piano pedals because of their action rails.

There are no organic felt hammers in digital pianos because there are no actual strings in digital pianos so you don't need "real" felt hammers. There are no strings in digital pianos because the piano sound is produced digitally, haven been taken and recorded from real Kawai pianos. Instead, there are special ABS hammers that recreate the weight and movement of real acoustic hammers along with "optical" sensors that trigger the piano sound in the Novus pianos based on key action velocity, speed, movement, etc, That information is sent to the digital piano sound engine (sound chip) to produce the type of piano sound that you want from within the digital sound engine. 

When playing the NV5S or NV10S in my opinion you get a smooth "buttery" key action response that is exactly like a real high-end acoustic upright or grand piano, as I have previously mentioned. The key actions are identical to the Kawai acoustic pianos with the exception of metal rods replacing the felt hammers so the piano sound responds correctly to the "hammer movement" utilizing state-of-the-art optical sensors that are able to correctly sense the movement to all 88 keys and their motion with varying degrees of velocity. 

The stereo acoustic piano sounds from real Kawai grand and upright pianos would be heard through the internal speaker system in those Novus models as well as through headphones for private practice. It is as close as you can get to a much more expensive acoustic upright or grand piano with out all the physical downsides to those acoustic pianos. Plus, there are a variety of different acoustic piano sounds in the user piano sound library controlled by accessing them through the user interface color touch display screen.

Also, the NV5S has the Kawai acoustic soundboard speaker system using a smaller acoustic soundboard in the back of the piano. The transducer microphones capture the natural vibrations of that wood soundboard and then that sound is transmitted through the speaker system. This wood soundboard which is only available in the CA901 and NV5S simply adds to the piano sound realism in a way that other brands and models don't do. The "soundboard" system is an exclusive feature for the Kawai company and no other brand has it.

Unlike an acoustic piano which just has one piano sound (whatever that is), a good digital piano can give you a variety of acoustic piano recorded sounds. This might include from mellow to bright, from smaller to larger, from more delicate to more of a concert sound, etc. In the Novus pianos there are over 20 different acoustic piano sounds to choose from which allows you to play and produce literally any kind of piano music playing all types of piano pieces. 

The Novus NV5S recreates a real acoustic "upright" piano playing experience and the NV10S recreates a real acoustic "grand" piano playing experience. This is because the key action in the NV5S comes out of a real Kawai top acoustic upright piano model and the key action in the Novus NV10S comes out of a real Kawai acoustic "grand" piano model as I have previously mentioned. This is a very significant different between the 2 Novus models. Real full size acoustic "grand" pianos always perform better and cost more money than real acoustic "upright" pianos. But they are both enjoyable to play.

So when you purchase a Novus NV10S you are essentially getting a real grand piano, and the NV5S will give you a real upright piano, and both will give you all the great benefits of digital piano technology such as no tuning ever needed, control over volume, recording, headphone private practice, Bluetooth wireless streaming, and much more. In other words, in these higher price Novus fully hybrid digital pianos, you get a real upright or grand piano playing experience with all the benefits of Kawai digital piano technology and you'll never need to tune those hybrid digital pianos either! I love to play acoustic grand pianos such as Steinway, Bosendorfer, Kawai, and Yamaha. But these Kawai digital pianos are very impressive to me and I really enjoy playing them and I believe you will too. Plus they are a lot less money than new acoustic pianos.

KAWAI DG30 MINI DIGITAL GRAND PIANO

Kawai also produces a newer digital "mini grand piano" model called the DG30 which sells for $6099. This newer mini digital grand piano is very attractive in its smaller cabinet and fits into most spaces in the home or building. It looks great, sounds great, and the key action in this model is their best one within their all-plastic key action models. I have played it many times and it's impressive for its smaller size.

The DG30 mini piano itself is relatively light at just 174 lbs and it not only sounds like a piano but has an enjoyable key action to play and is very responsive and balanced. This model also has quite a few impressive functions & features and comes in a polished ebony high gloss cabinet. If you like the appearance of a mini grand piano, you should definitely consider the DG30. It's by far the more natural playing digital mini-grand of the few out there that are offered, however it is a bit pricey...but worth it. For more detailed info on the DG30, please read my detailed review at the following link: Kawai DG30 Review

PIANO SOUND & POLYPHONY

Most piano digital manufacturers have different piano sound chips (aka: sound engines) depending on the price of the piano. As you go up in price the quality and authenticity of the piano sound (generally speaking) gets more realistic. The Kawai piano company has 4 different piano sound chips for their digital piano line. The way I categorize them is "good," "better," and "best," and then the fourth one which is at the top I refer to as "best plus." All of the piano sound chips are actually quite enjoyable to hear, but as you go up the piano sound chip ladder you get a higher degree of authenticity, and for more discerning players that extra realism translates to more sonic expression and enjoyment so that your piano playing experience can be even more satisfying. 

In terms of piano processing power, otherwise known as polyphony, Kawai offers either 192-note maximum polyphony or 256-note polyphony in their digital pianos. This is generally plenty of polyphony piano processing power to handle even the most sophisticated piano music without hearing notes abruptly drop out or any other issues with the piano sound. When it comes to piano polyphony processing power, all of the new Kawai digital pianos do a very good job in that way.

My favorite piano sound engine in the Kawai piano line under $4000 which reproduces the most authentic stereo acoustic piano sound is found in their CA501 and their lower priced compact ES920 portable digital piano for just $1899 with the optional furniture stand and triple pedal at extra cost. The ES920 is the lowest priced self-contained digital piano which offers this more authentic piano sound reproduction. I have done a review of that model so if you want more info on it please read my review at the following link: Kawai ES920 Review

PIANO KEY ACTIONS

For those people concerned with having good key action in their piano, Kawai currently offers 7 key actions (which is a lot) in their digital pianos including their newest and best which is an actual acoustic grand piano key action built into their new hybrid digital grand piano called Novus (NV10S). The Novus grand piano key action is called the Millennium III and is taken out of a top Kawai acoustic grand piano so that when you play the Novus the key action will be the same as a fine Kawai acoustic grand piano that would sell for $20,000 or more. This is because the Novus key action is a fully acoustic grand key action movement (minus the felt hammers) whereas all the other Kawai digital piano key actions are specifically made for digital pianos only and lack most of the actual parts of a real acoustic piano key action. 

Kawai has 3 different all-plastic key actions and 6 different more advanced wood key actions. In my opinion, all of the key actions in the Kawai digital pianos are satisfying to play. But it depends on your budget and what's best for your skill level and musical goals. Generally speaking, the more money you pay for a digital piano the better and more natural the key action gets and the more realistic the piano sound will be. This is not always the case, but normally this is what you can expect.  

Some of the digital piano models from a few different name brands are not nearly as good or natural as some of these Kawai models that sell for less money. Ultimately when it comes to key action and the way the keys feel and move...the key to picking out the right one for you should be based on your playing skill level, type of music you want to primarily play, your expectations and desires for the way the key action actually responds and moves, and your budget. 

There are real specifications as to the "weight and movement" of key actions that I can share with you so that you can get good info to make a wise decision before you buy anything from anyone. I always tell digital piano shoppers that once you buy the piano, you cannot change the key action which is the most important part of any piano. 

You need to do it right and make sure you can grow into the piano you choose instead of grow out of it. You don't want to later on find out it is not responding correctly to your playing after you have made the purchase. It's like buying a car...you want to be sure you get a smooth transmission and a smooth engine performance or else you'll likely be sorry you bought that vehicle. It's the same with a digital piano. Just because it looks good on the outside and has black & white keys does not automatically make it a piano that offers a good piano playing experience. 

That's one big thing I admire about the Kawai piano company...all of their piano models are impressive in their price range and I enjoying playing them. It's just a matter of which one is right for you.

PEDALING

Pedaling with the triple pedal system on Kawai pianos also varies depending on which model you choose. The primary pedal, called the damper-sustain pedal, can be lighter or firmer to press down depending on the model you choose. The sustain/decay time of the piano sound can be longer or shorter depending on the piano your choose. So even in the pedal mechanism, there can be a difference among different Kawai models with some being more responsive than others, and that is true as you go up the line which is like some other brands of digital pianos. 

All models, with the exception of a couple portables, offer half-damper pedaling control with variable pedal sustain decay to come out closer to what a real acoustic piano sustain pedal offers. The color and  finish of the pedals can also be different depending on the model, with some pedals coming in a chrome plated finish and others in a golden brass. That kind of thing just boils down to appearance and whether you really prefer one over the other just as in cabinet colors and finishes.

EXTRA "BELLS & WHISTLES"

Some Kawai digital pianos like the ES120, CN201 and KDP120 with all three near or under $2000 focus mostly on piano playing with only a few extra "bells & whistles" while other models such as the CN301, ES920, CA49, CA59, CA701, CA901, DG30, NV5S, and NV10S have quite a few more "bells & whistles" but still overall primarily focus on the piano playing experience.  Whether it's wireless Bluetooth connectivity, MP3/wav file song recording, 50 or more instrument sounds, 8-16 track multitrack recording, color display screens, or interactive accompaniment styles, the Kawai pianos cover a lot of ground and depending on what you want to do with your music and with your time, you can probably find what you want within the lineup of new Kawai digital pianos. Kawai also came out with new color touch screens in their newer models CA and Novus digital pianos which is very cool. 

I have tried out these new touch screens already and they are really nice to use and the only digital pianos out of all brands to have this type of user interface which is located on the left side of the keyboard. The much older CA79 and 99 also had these color touch screens and now that interface has been upgraded and incorporated into the new Kawai CA701, CA901, NV5S, and NV10S. Those 4 models have the same piano sound engine/chip technology, same user color touch screen interface along with sharing most of the same functionality. 

The Kawai CA501 at $3999, which in my opinion is a very impressive model for that price and arguably superior in key action and piano sound authenticity as compared to Yamaha & Roland in this price range, has a button controlled user interface display screen like some of the Yamaha Clavinova digital pianos, but it is even more intuitive in the way it works.  

IMPORTANT SHOPPING TIPS

When it comes to shopping for digital pianos, especially Kawai digital pianos, my suggestion for deciding on what model will best fit your piano needs, is to decide how much the person playing the piano really likes music, how much they like being around music, and if they (or you) would spend some time playing piano? 

Playing piano is not "rocket science," believe it or not, but it does take some commitment and love of music. If you already play the piano then you should decide, based on your available budget, how real of a piano playing experience do you want to get? How natural and organic do you want the piano to be as compared to a real acoustic piano, and also how much volume and richness do you want out of the internal digital piano speaker system for the room, home, or building the piano is going into? 

Also, a lot of  people have different needs when it comes to the actual cabinet, cabinet design, cabinet color, movability, or portability of the instrument itself. These are all important questions when deciding on the best piano for your needs and for your budget. 

The Kawai company with its 16 available current models for the US market should be able to cover all the bases for most piano shoppers. However, one of the things about a single company offering so many models (Kawai is not the only one) is that it can definitely get confusing for the shopper (you) after a while because sometimes there is more than one model in the same price range and perhaps even 3 or 4 models in a similar price range to consider.  

The two newer model CN models called the CN201 and CN301 (the CN"01" series) which recently came out have improvements over the previous CN models. These improvements would include the internal speaker systems that sound and work better and will be more reliable. The piano sound samples have been upgraded and sound more realistic. Also, the user interface control panel has been improved to be much more intuitive and responsive to using it than before with easier to read & understand OLED display screens replacing the older style technology. 

At $2299 for a CN201 and $2999 for a CN301, those discount prices are very competitive with Yamaha, Roland, and Casio. Kawai's very popular RH3 weighted (plastic) piano key actions in the ES920, CN201, and CN301 really feel like an acoustic piano key action in a lot of ways.  

FINAL THOUGHTS

At the end of the day it is true that one digital piano company cannot cover all of the bases when it comes to musical needs and budget of the digital piano shopper That's why there are other top name digital piano manufacturers out there like Yamaha, Casio, Roland, Korg, and others who offer something different than Kawai which may or may not fit your needs better. There are also digital piano makers who produce very poor playing and sounding pianos that I do not recommend, and although they may look good on the outside, they are not necessarily good on the inside and can create a variety playing problems than a person realizes. I call that kind of a digital piano a "Piano Shaped Object" (aka: PSO) and I advise people to stay away from them if at all possible. 

Those brands have pianos are really just cheap technology in a cabinet that appears to be attractive on the outside but can cause long term issues with regard to the piano playing experience. Unfortunately, I have seen people buy these kinds of digital pianos before and then later on realize how bad they can be in terms of trying to play them like a piano. So I recommend you go with the name brands that I mentioned above and you will likely be very happy for a long long time. 

The Kawai piano brand is definitely worthy of your attention and it is certainly one of my favorites. They make great acoustic grand and upright pianos played by professionals and piano teachers around the world and their digital pianos use cutting edge piano technology to recreate a very impressive piano playing experience in just about every way possible...plus the cabinets look great too. If you want more info on Kawai pianos or even lower prices than Amazon, Internet, local store, etc, then please contact me before you buy anything from anyone...you'll be glad you did!

KAWAI NV10S, NV5S, CA901, CA701 COMPARISON CHART

Below is a comparison chart for the Kawai NV10S, NV5S, CA901, and CA701 and how their specifications compare to each other. This chart should give you good information as to how these models differ from each other as well as how they are the same. This is not an exhaustive comparison chart because there are still many more "bells & whistles" in these models and other things these pianos do which can be very useful. 

But these are the main things overall that are important to most people and hopefully you can understand these models better when directly comparing their specifications. 

SPECS	NV10S	NV5S	CA901	CA701
Key Action	Millennium III Hybrid Grand	Millennium III Hybrid Upright	Grand Feel III	Grand Feel III
Downweight Middle C/C#	53 grams on C 57 grams on C#	59 grams on C 60 grams on C#	54 grams on C 59 grams on C#	54 grams on C 59 grams on C#
Upweight Middle C/C#	32 grams on C 30 grams on C#	35 grams on C 37 grams on C#	37 grams on C 43 grams on C#	37 grams on C 43 grams on C#
Keys	Real grand all wood keys	Real upright all wood keys	All wood keys	All wood keys
Hammers	Graded ABS hammers	Graded ABS hammers	Metal graded  weights/hammers	Metal graded weights/hammers
Key Tops	Neotex	Neotex	Simulated ivory & ebony	Simulated ivory & ebony
Key Length	20.5”	15.5”	14”	14”
Escapement Let-Off	Yes - Natural	No	Yes - simulated	Yes - simulated
Key Action Sensors	Contact-less optical	Contact-less Optical	Physical Triple sensor	Physical Triple sensor
Pedals	Real Grand mechanism rail	Real Upright mechanism rail	Simulated Grand feel pedals	Simulated Grand feel pedals
Half-Damper Sustain & Soft	Yes	Half damper sustain	Yes	Yes
All Sounds	100	100	96	96
Acoustic Piano Sounds	17 total pianos   10 render, 7 XL	17 total pianos 10 render, 7 XL	30 total pianos.    Render (5+5)	30 total pianos  Render (5+5)
Competition & Concert Pianos	No	No	Yes - 2	Yes - 2
Instrumental Sounds	83 - strings, organs, etc	83 - strings, organs, etc	66 – strings, organs, etc	66 – strings, organs, etc
Max Polyphony	256 notes	256 notes	256 notes	256 notes
Virtual Tech/Artisan	21 Parameters	21 Parameters	20 Parameters	20 Parameters
Reverb/ Ambience	10 Render Ambi 6 XL Reverb	10 Render Ambi 6 XL Reverb	10 Render Ambi 6 XL Reverb	10 Render Ambi 6 XL Reverb
Other Effects	24 types	24 types	24 types	24 types
Display Screen	Embedded 5” color touch	Embedded 5” color touch	Embedded 5” color touch	Embedded 5” color touch
Basic functions	Touch, dual, split   transpose, 4hd	Touch, dual, split, transpose, 4hand	Touch, dual, split transpose, 4hand	Touch, dual, split transpose, 4hand
Drum Rhythm Patterns	Yes - 100	Yes - 100	Yes - 100	Yes - 100
Concert Magic	Yes – 176 songs	Yes – 176 songs	Yes – 176 songs	Yes – 176 songs
Recording & Playback	MIDI, Audio MP3, Wav file	MIDI, Audio MP3, Wav file	MIDI, Audio MP3, Wav file	MIDI, Audio MP3, Wav file
Additional recording features	Line in recording & overdubbing	Line in recording & overdubbing	Line in recording & overdubbing	Line in recording & overdubbing
Bluetooth Wireless	Yes – Audio & MIDI	Yes – Audio & MIDI	Yes – Audio & MIDI	Yes – Audio & MIDI
Connectivity	2 headphone, 2 MIDI, USB to host, USB to thumbdrive	2 headphone, 2 MIDI, USB to host, USB to thumbdrive	2 headphone, 2 MIDI, USB to host, USB to thumbdrive	2 headphone, 2 MIDI, USB to host, USB to thumbdrive
Additional Connectivity	¼” line outs, 1/8” stereo in	¼” line outs, 1/8” stereo in	¼” line outs, 1/8” stereo in	¼” line outs, 1/8” stereo in
Internal top speakers	4” x 4 speakers	3.2” x 4	4.7” x 2 with diffusers	4.7” x 2 with diffusers
Internal dome tweeters	.5” x 2 speakers	.8” x 2	2” x 2	2” x 2
Front speakers	no	no	3.2” x 2	no
Woofer	8” x 1 speaker	no	no	5.1” x 2
Wood soundboard	No	Yes Twin drive	Yes Twin drive	No
Internal amplifiers	135 watts total 50w + 50w +35w	135 watts total 50w + 50w +35w	135 watts total 50w + 50w +35w	110 watts total 55w + 55w
Cabinet measurements	58” wide X 25” deep x 39” high. 48” high with music rest up	59” wide x 18” deep x 43” high. 43” high with music rest up	57” wide x 19” deep x 40” high. 40” high with music rest up	57” wide x 20” deep x 38” high. 45” high with music rest up
Cabinet weight	291 lbs	249 lbs	182 lbs	169 lbs
Cabinet colors	Polished ebony	Polished ebony	Satin black, rosewood, white.  polished ebony	Satin black, rosewood, white.  polished ebony
Factory warranty	5 years parts & labor	5 years parts & labor	5 years parts & labor	5 years parts & labor
Kawai “Piano Remote” app	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

*Check out the video demo below of a pro jazz pianist playing the CA901. I thought this one sounded very life-like as to how this model would sound in person. If you using headphones to listen to this piano in person, then both the CA901 and CA701 would sound identical using headphones.  

If you want more info on new digital pianos and LOWER PRICES than internet discounts, please email me at tim@azpianowholesale.com or call direct at 602-571-1864.