SoundCloud has the ES120 sound demos and the ES110 Demos. I listened side by side very carefully. The tine piano Rhodes has been improved. It sounds as if they took the previous samples but made them sound fuller, warmer, much less tinny, single note runs blend note to note more smoothly. Turn off the nutty effects and it sounds very vintage authentic Rhodes, IMO. Same for the SK-EX piano samples, the notes flow into each other more smoothly, sounding less detached.
Great preview, thanks so much, Stu. I read in their website that there is a new software which is designed for ios as well as android from ground up. So I hope, along with the bluetooth audio, connectivity is much improved.
We had the ES110 here for many years. A minimalist spec but loved it. Only sold on eBay a month ago because I wanted some kind of arranger keyboard. Miss it.
I heard about the new Kawai ES 120 from Instrumental Covers. Can't wate for the video once it's available, and quite possibly a comparison between the ES 120 and the ES 110🎹🎶
There are several comments to make here: 1) Kawai finally got rid of the "step" design on the back of the CN39 for the speakers, and now has a flat top, which looks better. The diffusers in the new CN301 are oval (first model to have them) as opposed to circular (as in the CA99). One minor issue possible with these plastic acoustic lenses (designed to scatter the sound) is unwanted vibration. I played a CA99 that sounded distorted at high volumes, and the cause was the far left full range driver on top. Since these plastic lenses are mounted on top of the speaker, they could resonate with certain frequencies and vibrate a lot if not properly attached. The CA99 I played had a lot of vibration when playing a D# key if I remember correctly (apparently, that frequency resonated with the diffuser). 2) Kawai's "Low Balance Control" seems to be a crude version of Yamaha's "Intelligent Acoustic Control". Based on their descriptions, it seems Yamaha is using the Fletcher-Munson curves, whereas Kawai just reduces the difference in volume between pianissimo and fortissimo touches (as Stu said, probably a modification in the touch curve setting). Yamaha's technology is automatic, whereas Kawai is just 5 settings. So, apparently they are different in principle and level of sophistication, in favor of Yamaha. 3) Amplifiers: The new amplifiers are 3 watts more powerful, which is not meaningful in practice. To get only 3 dB louder, the amplifiers would need to be TWICE as powerful... and that's just for a barely noticeable difference in volume. In addition, both models consume 9 watts anyway: more amplifier power, same power consumption. This consumption is typically the maximum the instrument will consume in extreme circumstances... you will not hit those 20 watts. Any noticeable difference in volume or bass response between the ES110 and ES120 will likely be due to the gain in the preamp and the equalizer/DSP setting, not the amplifiers. By the way, I have measured my Yamaha DGX-670 power consumption... it is only 6.4 watts at maximum value playing and 5.4 watts when turned on playing nothing... basicaly 1 watt going to the speakers. Expect something similar in the ES120. Roland states the typical power consumption of their digital pianos and it is something similar. For example, the FP30X consumes nothing close to its 22 watt amplifiers: only 3 watts when turned on and 4 watts when playing at medium volume. So, don't fall for the amplifier ratings. Once again, don't assume that comparing the ES110 and ES120 side by side and noticing differences in volume or bass response is necessarily due to the amplifiers: look first at the gain in the preamp and EQ/DSP settings. 4) Kawai does not offer a built-in USB audio interface in any of their models (not to be confused with Bluetooth Audio or USB Audio record/playback). You are forced to record using extra steps using their line outs and your own audio interface. Yamaha and Roland offer USB audio interface built-in even in their basic pianos, just one cable away from recording to your computer.
@@jellyd4889 I understand your point, particularly if you have access to better sounds in your computer. But the USB audio interface functionality allows the convenience of recording the SK-EX piano sample easily to your computer, then tweak it if needed (needed in all SK-EX engines except the Rendering found in the CA79/99/NV5S/NV10S). You can also easily create decent backing tracks with Kawai digital pianos, since they have 100 rhythms built-in that sound crisp, plus several instruments. I have a DGX-670, which has professional auto accompaniment built-in that can be played with intelligent fingering (meaning: you play freely with both hands and the keyboard generates a full backing track, and you don't have to play the typical simplistic 3-finger chords with the left, since it has AI fingering accompaniment). But Kawai pianos (except the ES920 with a few limited and rather useless accompaniments, if you have tried them) don't let you do this. So, you have to create your own backing tracks, and it is nice to be able to do that out of the box without paying for an audio interface. Plus, not everybody is willing to use a DAW and buy vst instruments. With a built-in USB interface, you can even use something as simple as Audacity (free) and still get satisfying results for home use.
I'm curious about the upgrade to the action on the ES120 model. I found the ES110 I tried very disappointing. The keys were so rattly and wobbly that it seemed they might fall out. The sound (via internal speakers) was feeble too.
Hi Mike! This was a point of criticism for some consumers and, as they often do, Kawai listened and made some significant improvements to the ES120's action to provide a more authentic touch. I have not personally had a chance to try the ES120 yet, but you should expect to see a video breaking down the new offering from Kawai in an upcoming video soon. :)
My assumptions, and they could be very wrong, is that a modern day VST will outperform the built in piano sounds. So if it is expected you would buy a third party VST like Noire, Keyscape, etc, then all you really need is a midi controller with the best possible action correct? Extra features are kind of a waste? And, again forgive the ignorance of the question, but with a DAW you can layer different sounds together, like strings etc? I understand that this requires a computer or even iPad 100% of the time, but for me personally that is fine. I intend to learn piano strictly in my computer room so I don’t need portability or built in piano sounds if I can connect to my computer. And also don’t need good built in speakers since I plan to get some monitors for it anyway. The VPC1 seems to hit all those boxes for me in that case, but I was expecting them to come out with an updated version soon since it’s 10 years old, and thought it would be best to start learning on something like an ES110 or now ES120 instead for a couple years. I can afford the $2400 for a VPC1 I just don’t want to feel bad if a new model comes out in a year or so.
Thanks for tuning in! There are certainly some exceedingly impressive VST piano plugins out there. With that said, some of the very top-tier digital and hybrid pianos feature incredible onboard piano tones and samples that many players to be of the same calibre or, in some cases, may even prefer. There are things that factor into one's decision making as well, such as the necessity for built-in speakers, additional instrument sounds, onboard features/functions, etc. Thankfully, there is an abundance of options out there for piano customers to choose from these days! :)
Could the ES-120 function as a MIDI keyboard? If it can connect to a computer with a DAW via MIDI, will the sound output occur on the computer, ES-120 or both? Thanks! Love the channel and your playing, Stu!
Thanks for the kind words and for tuning into our channel! The ES120 is a MIDI compatible instrument and could be used as a MIDI controller. With that said, connecting the piano via MIDI will not allow you to capture the piano sounds from the ES120's tone engine. That would have to be done by taking the audio outputs and patching them through an audio/recording interface. Hope this helps! :)
Hi Alessio! Seeing as the piano was just recently announced, we have not yet received our first shipment of the CN301s, so I am personally not sure where the speaker placement is. I'm sure that info will be available shortly. :)
It seems like the es120 will be selling at a lot higher price, not far from es520 in my country. Would it be a reason to buy the es120 over the es520 if the price difference are so small and es520 is general considered better option?
The ES520 is definitely a step up from the ES120. The ES120 is simply an update to the ES110. While the added features and improvements definitely help bridge the gap to the ES520, the ES520 is a higher-end piano (most notably in regard to the tone engine).
Hi Stu, We have become big fans of your very informative videos. We have narrowed our choice to the CN29 or CN201. Is it worth waiting for the CN201 (our dealer in the states does not know when they will arrive) or do you feel the CN29 (which is available now at a discount) would be a great choice even though the is a few years older ? Is there a concern about replacement parts for the sound system now that Onkyo is no longer in business ? Thank you
Hi Steve! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for supporting our channel! We sincerely appreciate it. Firstly, I do not think there should be any concerns with Kawai being able to honour the warranty timeline of a CN29 purchase. Kawai has fantastic post-sale and warranty support. As for making the decision between the CN201 or CN29, they are still quite similar in terms of specs. If the additional connectivity options that have been added to the CN201 are important or necessary, it might be an easy decision. However, from the piano playing experience, the notable update is an improvement to the stability and cushioning of the action. With that said, both models use the same RHIII action. The differences are fairly nuanced, but could be more noticeable to advanced players. Thanks again and hope this helps! :)
That is a good question. I have personally not had a chance to play the ES120 as we just received our first shipment of them a few days ago. Perhaps, one of our community members that has personal experience with the ES120 will be able to chime in and answer. :)
Supply chains continue to be a bit problematic. While we have just received our first shipment of CN201s, we are still awaiting the arrival of ES120s and CN301s. Rest assured, we will definitely be releasing review and comparison videos soon after receiving them. :)
It ultimately depends on which aspects of the piano are most important to you. In the case of the ES110 vs ES120 comparison, it appears that Kawai has made some substantial improvements to the action. There is also the budgetary concerns as well. The ES110 will inevitably be a little less than the ES120. With that said, the ES110 is a wonderful instrument through and through. It has been one of our most popular portable piano models and customers truly love it! :)
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! We are anticipating receiving the first shipment of the ES120 in approximately 30 days. If you are located and are interested in getting on the backorder list, feel free to reach out to me at bwirth@merriammusic.com. I'd be happy to assist you with that! :)
Basically everything is different. The CA79 and CA99 have a better action (Grand Feel III with longer wooden keys), better tone generator (both samples and physical modeling), better speaker system (the CA99 even has a wooden soundboard with transducer) and a touch screen user interface. So to cut it short, the CN301 is a decent digital piano, but the CA99 is top of the line and one of the best digial pianos currently available.
@@katjanonsen1690 Would it be best to wait for release of CN301 or should i buy CN-39 please since they are at the same price range (2000€ vs 1600€) ? (i heard cn-49 is not as good as CN-39 that's why i haven't included it), like is there a list of things that are better ?
@@Eldawn To my knowledge there is no CN-49, only a CA.49, which has a different action than the CN-series (Grand Feel Compact vs. Responsive Hammer III). What I recommend is that you go to a piano shop and try them out. A review can give you information on the features and samples of the tone generator, but no review whatsoever can give you the impression of how the key action feels like and what the speaker system sounds like.
Kawaii are great! I'm personally still looking forward for a company to release a great lightweight 73 key digital piano with a built-in speaker. Thank you for the great video!
Well, such an instrument already exists, the Yamaha P121, at least if you like Yamaha (I do). There is also the Korg SV2, which I don't like, but at least you have the option.
@@Instrumental-Covers Right. I know.. I don't like the key action of the p121, it felt like a toy when I played it in a music store. The SV2 73 w/o speakers is a gorgeous looking keyboard, I haven't tried one yet.
@@Elazarko I think most of the evaluations we make about digital pianos are pretty subjective, so it is a good thing to have options. For example, I have tried other actions in this price range by Roland, Kawai, Korg and Casio, and I find Yamaha action to be very nice, not less than the other actions. And I have never liked the look of the Korg SV1 (now SV2), which is a retro look. I recently tried the SV2 in a store, you have to choose the sounds with a selector dial, which is handy for gigs but look primitive to me, and none of the sounds were very inspiring to me. But you have people who lke it a lot. So, I would say sound, touch and looks are pretty much opinions and personal preference.
While we have not received our first shipment of ES120s just yet, given the fact that the key noise issue was addressed in the RHIII action used on the CN201 and CN301, I anticipate that we will see a significant key noise reduction from the ES110 in the new and improved RHC action in the ES120.
No Kawai digital piano has USB Audio Interface built-in, only Bluetooth Audio and USB Audio record/playback using a flash drive. But you can play Pianoteq using their USB MIDI, although you can't route the audio through its built-in speakers... not that you want to do that anyway: the ES120 has speakers facing down. At least your Roland FP90X has the speakers facing up, enclosed in a proper ported enclosure, and with tweeters.
Thank you so much! We're glad you enjoyed the video! The ES520 is definitely a step up from the ES120. With that said, you may find the ES920 a more meaningful step up given the much improved action and more sophisticated tone engine. Furthermore, the price gap between the ES520 and ES920 is not massive. Thanks and hope this helps! :)
Hi Richard! While the ES120 has received some meaningful upgrades and improvements from the ES110, it still utilizes the Harmonic Imaging tone engine opposed to the higher-end Progressive Harmonic Imaging tone engine that the ES520 possesses. There are also a number of additional features that it possesses that the ES120 does not. Hope this helps!
Merriam Music is not a Yamaha dealer, only a Kawai/Roland/Casio dealer. But they do have Amazon links to some basic Yamaha portable pianos, like the P125. The YDP-145 is a pretty basic model with a good sound and a nice action. I think it is for people who just want to turn on the instrument and play. It doesn't have many extras. I used to have two YDP models (one was 140 series and one 160 series) and wasn't a fan of them because I like digital pianos with a lot of features, which is why I have the Yamaha DGX-670. The DGX-670 has the same action and sound (CFX) that the YDP-145 has, plus a million more things, a large color screen, and it is less money.
Three minutes in before you get any actual information. Prior to that you will be told,for example, several times that the ES 120 is an upgrade to the ES 110.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! We do our best to be as thorough as possible and also try to engage our community in a more personal way than just sharing the bullet points from a spec sheet. We always do our best to tag the start times of each section of the video so viewers can quickly pick things up from the topics that interest them. Thanks so much for tuning in and all the best! :)
Do we know yet when the es120 might be on the market? I actually bought the es110 just 7 days before es120 was announced so I returned it. At their webpage it says the new ES120 should be available in the US starting in August of 2022, so I guess after august it should be available in europe and some other countries?
We will have to see how the new models stack up once they arrive. You can certainly expect to see review and comparisons videos featuring these new installations into the Kawai line once we receive our first shipments. :)
Maybe you could find someone to play them for you, so we can hear what they sound like. I think you would get more views. Way too much talking, but great video quality. Good luck.
These models have just been announced and, aside from the ES120, have not formally been released yet. This is simply an initial overview video outlining Kawai's announcement of the models and their specifications. You can certainly expect more detailed review and demo videos when we receive our first shipment of these models. :)
@@MerriamPianos How can you review about the key action, if you don't have piano there? Why would talk about that in detail, if you don't have piano with you?
@@RealROCKnROLLA well in their website they state that for the individuals that want to use the half pedaling another pedal is available. It is an assumption on my part and I hope I am wrong.
You're referring to Onkyo I am guessing? Yes, we have recently heard of the acquisition. It is great that the company will still survive through this new iteration. :)
It is a bit unfortunate that the nicer foot pedal will not be included in the ES120, but it does look like some excellent improvements have been made to the piano itself.
Stop doing demos of pianos that consumers can’t buy at their local stores … everyone has been doing demos in the 120 for the last five months and you still can’t buy one … the same thing with the 920!
There are still quite a few customers putting their names on backorder lists for all of these models, hence the necessity to offer reviews and overviews of these models. :)
DON'T BUY THE NEW KAWAI ES120 BEFORE YOU TEST IT SITTING ON ITS PIANO STAND!!! The last Kawai ES110 had a fabrication flaw: when you press the middle C and the keys before middle C there would be a terrible case noise. More than 50% of the es110 pianos still have this flaw. Does the case sound when you press the middle C and the keys before middle C? The same goes for the 5th Octave C (2-3 keys). Also, if the new ES120 has the same Compact Piano Action (RHC) this thing means that Kawai only replaced the Case design and a few buttons. The speakers are the same. I don't think Kawai replaced the old case structure of the ES110. And Kawai charges 30-50% more than the last ES110. Be aware of the case noise when pressing the middle C keys!!! Such a shame.
Kawai has made some meaningful revisions and updates to the design of the ES120, which includes the action. They sound and play wonderfully and are definitely worth consideration when shopping for digital pianos at this price point. :)
This video is primarily a review of the new digital piano offerings from Kawai! With that said, we have many other review and comparison videos that are more centred around demo-ing and playing. :)
SoundCloud has the ES120 sound demos and the ES110 Demos. I listened side by side very carefully. The tine piano Rhodes has been improved. It sounds as if they took the previous samples but made them sound fuller, warmer, much less tinny, single note runs blend note to note more smoothly. Turn off the nutty effects and it sounds very vintage authentic Rhodes, IMO. Same for the SK-EX piano samples, the notes flow into each other more smoothly, sounding less detached.
Dude kawai is my favorite piano company. Key action is great. Great sounds
Good preview Stu. Stiffer and quieter action astounds a good improvement.
I tried an ES110 in a shop once. The playing dynamics felt way better than my MP7. I hope this remains the same with the ES120
I’ve preordered a ES120, it has that great RHC action and the SK-Ex piano samples.
Great preview, thanks so much, Stu. I read in their website that there is a new software which is designed for ios as well as android from ground up. So I hope, along with the bluetooth audio, connectivity is much improved.
interessting upgrades to the lineup. Curious to see how the ES 120 will perform. thanks for the video
We had the ES110 here for many years. A minimalist spec but loved it. Only sold on eBay a month ago because I wanted some kind of arranger keyboard. Miss it.
I heard about the new Kawai ES 120 from Instrumental Covers. Can't wate for the video once it's available, and quite possibly a comparison between the ES 120 and the ES 110🎹🎶
Here is the link to see the new ES120 shown during the NAMM 2022 show. 👀
th-cam.com/video/UXLwaGbCt5c/w-d-xo.html
We own a CA79 and ES920. I sure wish Kawai would add built-in USB audio interfaces to all of their products.
There are several comments to make here:
1) Kawai finally got rid of the "step" design on the back of the CN39 for the speakers, and now has a flat top, which looks better. The diffusers in the new CN301 are oval (first model to have them) as opposed to circular (as in the CA99). One minor issue possible with these plastic acoustic lenses (designed to scatter the sound) is unwanted vibration. I played a CA99 that sounded distorted at high volumes, and the cause was the far left full range driver on top. Since these plastic lenses are mounted on top of the speaker, they could resonate with certain frequencies and vibrate a lot if not properly attached. The CA99 I played had a lot of vibration when playing a D# key if I remember correctly (apparently, that frequency resonated with the diffuser).
2) Kawai's "Low Balance Control" seems to be a crude version of Yamaha's "Intelligent Acoustic Control". Based on their descriptions, it seems Yamaha is using the Fletcher-Munson curves, whereas Kawai just reduces the difference in volume between pianissimo and fortissimo touches (as Stu said, probably a modification in the touch curve setting). Yamaha's technology is automatic, whereas Kawai is just 5 settings. So, apparently they are different in principle and level of sophistication, in favor of Yamaha.
3) Amplifiers: The new amplifiers are 3 watts more powerful, which is not meaningful in practice. To get only 3 dB louder, the amplifiers would need to be TWICE as powerful... and that's just for a barely noticeable difference in volume. In addition, both models consume 9 watts anyway: more amplifier power, same power consumption. This consumption is typically the maximum the instrument will consume in extreme circumstances... you will not hit those 20 watts. Any noticeable difference in volume or bass response between the ES110 and ES120 will likely be due to the gain in the preamp and the equalizer/DSP setting, not the amplifiers. By the way, I have measured my Yamaha DGX-670 power consumption... it is only 6.4 watts at maximum value playing and 5.4 watts when turned on playing nothing... basicaly 1 watt going to the speakers. Expect something similar in the ES120. Roland states the typical power consumption of their digital pianos and it is something similar. For example, the FP30X consumes nothing close to its 22 watt amplifiers: only 3 watts when turned on and 4 watts when playing at medium volume. So, don't fall for the amplifier ratings. Once again, don't assume that comparing the ES110 and ES120 side by side and noticing differences in volume or bass response is necessarily due to the amplifiers: look first at the gain in the preamp and EQ/DSP settings.
4) Kawai does not offer a built-in USB audio interface in any of their models (not to be confused with Bluetooth Audio or USB Audio record/playback). You are forced to record using extra steps using their line outs and your own audio interface. Yamaha and Roland offer USB audio interface built-in even in their basic pianos, just one cable away from recording to your computer.
Regarding #4,.. maybe the epiano sounds are not as good as even average Sampler sounds.... what is the point of recording them? Just Grab the MIDI.
@@jellyd4889 I understand your point, particularly if you have access to better sounds in your computer. But the USB audio interface functionality allows the convenience of recording the SK-EX piano sample easily to your computer, then tweak it if needed (needed in all SK-EX engines except the Rendering found in the CA79/99/NV5S/NV10S). You can also easily create decent backing tracks with Kawai digital pianos, since they have 100 rhythms built-in that sound crisp, plus several instruments. I have a DGX-670, which has professional auto accompaniment built-in that can be played with intelligent fingering (meaning: you play freely with both hands and the keyboard generates a full backing track, and you don't have to play the typical simplistic 3-finger chords with the left, since it has AI fingering accompaniment). But Kawai pianos (except the ES920 with a few limited and rather useless accompaniments, if you have tried them) don't let you do this. So, you have to create your own backing tracks, and it is nice to be able to do that out of the box without paying for an audio interface. Plus, not everybody is willing to use a DAW and buy vst instruments. With a built-in USB interface, you can even use something as simple as Audacity (free) and still get satisfying results for home use.
I wonder if the speaker specs have been upgraded in the ES120 ? We know the power amp got a nice boost.
Looking forward to trying these out in person once stock is available, whenever that'll be 🤷♂️
First comment.Your reviews are helpful
I'm curious about the upgrade to the action on the ES120 model. I found the ES110 I tried very disappointing. The keys were so rattly and wobbly that it seemed they might fall out. The sound (via internal speakers) was feeble too.
Hi Mike! This was a point of criticism for some consumers and, as they often do, Kawai listened and made some significant improvements to the ES120's action to provide a more authentic touch. I have not personally had a chance to try the ES120 yet, but you should expect to see a video breaking down the new offering from Kawai in an upcoming video soon. :)
@@MerriamPianos Thanks for the interesting reply. I look forward to seeing that review.
My assumptions, and they could be very wrong, is that a modern day VST will outperform the built in piano sounds.
So if it is expected you would buy a third party VST like Noire, Keyscape, etc, then all you really need is a midi controller with the best possible action correct? Extra features are kind of a waste?
And, again forgive the ignorance of the question, but with a DAW you can layer different sounds together, like strings etc?
I understand that this requires a computer or even iPad 100% of the time, but for me personally that is fine.
I intend to learn piano strictly in my computer room so I don’t need portability or built in piano sounds if I can connect to my computer. And also don’t need good built in speakers since I plan to get some monitors for it anyway.
The VPC1 seems to hit all those boxes for me in that case, but I was expecting them to come out with an updated version soon since it’s 10 years old, and thought it would be best to start learning on something like an ES110 or now ES120 instead for a couple years. I can afford the $2400 for a VPC1 I just don’t want to feel bad if a new model comes out in a year or so.
Thanks for tuning in! There are certainly some exceedingly impressive VST piano plugins out there. With that said, some of the very top-tier digital and hybrid pianos feature incredible onboard piano tones and samples that many players to be of the same calibre or, in some cases, may even prefer. There are things that factor into one's decision making as well, such as the necessity for built-in speakers, additional instrument sounds, onboard features/functions, etc. Thankfully, there is an abundance of options out there for piano customers to choose from these days! :)
Could the ES-120 function as a MIDI keyboard? If it can connect to a computer with a DAW via MIDI, will the sound output occur on the computer, ES-120 or both? Thanks! Love the channel and your playing, Stu!
Thanks for the kind words and for tuning into our channel! The ES120 is a MIDI compatible instrument and could be used as a MIDI controller. With that said, connecting the piano via MIDI will not allow you to capture the piano sounds from the ES120's tone engine. That would have to be done by taking the audio outputs and patching them through an audio/recording interface. Hope this helps! :)
Great video!
I think CN301 no longer supports GM as usable voices. But like CA79/99, it has GM for midi play.
Just wondering, if there is a review of the kawai cn-301 coming any time soon ? Thank you, I really appreciate all your reviews.
Thank you for tuning in! We have not received our first shipment of CN301s yet, but you can expect a review to come out shortly after we do. ;)
@@MerriamPianos Thank you very much for your prompt replying. Looking forward to it.
Hi and thanks for your work! Do you know where are the speakers placed in the cn301? Are the two up ones "centered" by some centimeter that time?
Hi Alessio! Seeing as the piano was just recently announced, we have not yet received our first shipment of the CN301s, so I am personally not sure where the speaker placement is. I'm sure that info will be available shortly. :)
It seems like the es120 will be selling at a lot higher price, not far from es520 in my country. Would it be a reason to buy the es120 over the es520 if the price difference are so small and es520 is general considered better option?
The ES520 is definitely a step up from the ES120. The ES120 is simply an update to the ES110. While the added features and improvements definitely help bridge the gap to the ES520, the ES520 is a higher-end piano (most notably in regard to the tone engine).
How does tactile usability, key action, speakers and sound quality compare between the two?
I wonder how the ES120 will stand up to the ES920 and what the price point will be
This will definitely be a topic in an upcoming video. ;)
Hi Stu, We have become big fans of your very informative videos. We have narrowed our choice to the CN29 or CN201. Is it worth waiting for the CN201 (our dealer in the states does not know when they will arrive) or do you feel the CN29 (which is available now at a discount) would be a great choice even though the is a few years older ? Is there a concern about replacement parts for the sound system now that Onkyo is no longer in business ? Thank you
Hi Steve! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for supporting our channel! We sincerely appreciate it. Firstly, I do not think there should be any concerns with Kawai being able to honour the warranty timeline of a CN29 purchase. Kawai has fantastic post-sale and warranty support. As for making the decision between the CN201 or CN29, they are still quite similar in terms of specs. If the additional connectivity options that have been added to the CN201 are important or necessary, it might be an easy decision. However, from the piano playing experience, the notable update is an improvement to the stability and cushioning of the action. With that said, both models use the same RHIII action. The differences are fairly nuanced, but could be more noticeable to advanced players. Thanks again and hope this helps! :)
Does it mean that the A line up might get an upgrade too? CA701 and CA901 replacing CA79 and CA99? Should we buy now or wait for now ones?
If they follow the same time period they did with the CN29/39, we might see the CA successors at the beginning of the next year around February 2023.
Is it possibile to play the Kawai ES120 on a fixed velocity?
That is a good question. I have personally not had a chance to play the ES120 as we just received our first shipment of them a few days ago. Perhaps, one of our community members that has personal experience with the ES120 will be able to chime in and answer. :)
What would be some comparable Yamaha pianos to Kawai CN301 in terms of features and price?
Hi there! The CLP735 would be Yamaha's comparable model to the Kawai CN301 / CN39. Hope this helps! :)
When can we expect a rewiev on the new ES-120?
Very soon! We just received our first shipment earlier this week. ;)
It is Sept. 21 2022 and all the stores still don’t have the ES12-…. Why?
Supply chains continue to be a bit problematic. While we have just received our first shipment of CN201s, we are still awaiting the arrival of ES120s and CN301s. Rest assured, we will definitely be releasing review and comparison videos soon after receiving them. :)
Is it worth waiting for the new model as I was looking at getting the Es110?
It ultimately depends on which aspects of the piano are most important to you. In the case of the ES110 vs ES120 comparison, it appears that Kawai has made some substantial improvements to the action. There is also the budgetary concerns as well. The ES110 will inevitably be a little less than the ES120. With that said, the ES110 is a wonderful instrument through and through. It has been one of our most popular portable piano models and customers truly love it! :)
Id love to buy the ES120. Its October 3, 2022- any idea when this will be in stock?
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! We are anticipating receiving the first shipment of the ES120 in approximately 30 days. If you are located and are interested in getting on the backorder list, feel free to reach out to me at bwirth@merriammusic.com. I'd be happy to assist you with that! :)
What is the main differences between the CN301 and the CA79/99?
Basically everything is different. The CA79 and CA99 have a better action (Grand Feel III with longer wooden keys), better tone generator (both samples and physical modeling), better speaker system (the CA99 even has a wooden soundboard with transducer) and a touch screen user interface. So to cut it short, the CN301 is a decent digital piano, but the CA99 is top of the line and one of the best digial pianos currently available.
@@katjanonsen1690 Would it be best to wait for release of CN301 or should i buy CN-39 please since they are at the same price range (2000€ vs 1600€) ? (i heard cn-49 is not as good as CN-39 that's why i haven't included it), like is there a list of things that are better ?
@@Eldawn To my knowledge there is no CN-49, only a CA.49, which has a different action than the CN-series (Grand Feel Compact vs. Responsive Hammer III). What I recommend is that you go to a piano shop and try them out. A review can give you information on the features and samples of the tone generator, but no review whatsoever can give you the impression of how the key action feels like and what the speaker system sounds like.
Kawaii are great! I'm personally still looking forward for a company to release a great lightweight 73 key digital piano with a built-in speaker.
Thank you for the great video!
Well, such an instrument already exists, the Yamaha P121, at least if you like Yamaha (I do). There is also the Korg SV2, which I don't like, but at least you have the option.
@@Instrumental-Covers Right. I know.. I don't like the key action of the p121, it felt like a toy when I played it in a music store. The SV2 73 w/o speakers is a gorgeous looking keyboard, I haven't tried one yet.
@@Elazarko I think most of the evaluations we make about digital pianos are pretty subjective, so it is a good thing to have options. For example, I have tried other actions in this price range by Roland, Kawai, Korg and Casio, and I find Yamaha action to be very nice, not less than the other actions. And I have never liked the look of the Korg SV1 (now SV2), which is a retro look. I recently tried the SV2 in a store, you have to choose the sounds with a selector dial, which is handy for gigs but look primitive to me, and none of the sounds were very inspiring to me. But you have people who lke it a lot. So, I would say sound, touch and looks are pretty much opinions and personal preference.
How about the keybed of es110.. Clicking sound is very loud in Kawai es110..
While we have not received our first shipment of ES120s just yet, given the fact that the key noise issue was addressed in the RHIII action used on the CN201 and CN301, I anticipate that we will see a significant key noise reduction from the ES110 in the new and improved RHC action in the ES120.
Is there really USB Digital Audio Interface built in? In other words, can Kawai ES120 play Pianoteq sound with only one USB cable connected?
I’m interested in finding out as well.
No Kawai digital piano has USB Audio Interface built-in, only Bluetooth Audio and USB Audio record/playback using a flash drive. But you can play Pianoteq using their USB MIDI, although you can't route the audio through its built-in speakers... not that you want to do that anyway: the ES120 has speakers facing down. At least your Roland FP90X has the speakers facing up, enclosed in a proper ported enclosure, and with tweeters.
@@Instrumental-Covers Thank you you. (Stu said that ES120 has Digital Audio Interface built in) - I was wrong and was corrected.
@@mfurman He mentioned the ES120 has Bluetooth Audio, which is not the same as having a USB audio interface.
@@Instrumental-Covers I was indeed dead wrong. I do not have an idea how I heard it. Thank you
Hi, thank you for awesome video! Do you think that upgrade to ES520 grom ES120 is significant ? I mean key action, main piano sound and speakers?
Thank you so much! We're glad you enjoyed the video! The ES520 is definitely a step up from the ES120. With that said, you may find the ES920 a more meaningful step up given the much improved action and more sophisticated tone engine. Furthermore, the price gap between the ES520 and ES920 is not massive. Thanks and hope this helps! :)
The es 120 is going to be about 200 euro less than the es 520..... very curious what that 200 price difference means...
Hi Richard! While the ES120 has received some meaningful upgrades and improvements from the ES110, it still utilizes the Harmonic Imaging tone engine opposed to the higher-end Progressive Harmonic Imaging tone engine that the ES520 possesses. There are also a number of additional features that it possesses that the ES120 does not. Hope this helps!
I'm debating whether I should buy an ES110 or wait for the brand new ES120.
me too, hard choice :(
Especially now that the ES110 is at a discount for $699.
If you bought the KAW ES120 and want to make an improvement???????? and just go back to the KAW ES10 . I checked it out in the store.
I suppose since they don't mention triple sensors, that means it is still a double sensor
Yes - the ES120 is a dual sensor action. :)
Going by the prices currently online the es120 seems to be 50% more expensive than the es110! Yikes. I hope theyre just placeholder values.
Hi Alexander! The prices naturally vary in different markets, but the gap is not quite that pronounced here in Canada.
Hi, could we hear from you about Yamaha YDP-145?
Merriam Music is not a Yamaha dealer, only a Kawai/Roland/Casio dealer. But they do have Amazon links to some basic Yamaha portable pianos, like the P125. The YDP-145 is a pretty basic model with a good sound and a nice action. I think it is for people who just want to turn on the instrument and play. It doesn't have many extras. I used to have two YDP models (one was 140 series and one 160 series) and wasn't a fan of them because I like digital pianos with a lot of features, which is why I have the Yamaha DGX-670. The DGX-670 has the same action and sound (CFX) that the YDP-145 has, plus a million more things, a large color screen, and it is less money.
Three minutes in before you get any actual information. Prior to that you will be told,for example, several times that the ES 120 is an upgrade to the ES 110.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! We do our best to be as thorough as possible and also try to engage our community in a more personal way than just sharing the bullet points from a spec sheet. We always do our best to tag the start times of each section of the video so viewers can quickly pick things up from the topics that interest them. Thanks so much for tuning in and all the best! :)
Do we know yet when the es120 might be on the market? I actually bought the es110 just 7 days before es120 was announced so I returned it. At their webpage it says the new ES120 should be available in the US starting in August of 2022, so I guess after august it should be available in europe and some other countries?
You can pre-order at Sweetwater or Kraft. Shipping is supposed to be in September.
Also the cn39 has the rh3 action, and it has 4 speakers vs two of 301.. mmm i don't know...
We will have to see how the new models stack up once they arrive. You can certainly expect to see review and comparisons videos featuring these new installations into the Kawai line once we receive our first shipments. :)
Sweetwater Music is listing the Kawai es120 @ $899
We are based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada so our price references are usually in CAD opposed to USD. :)
@@MerriamPianos ok that would express US prices at a level below Can $.
$1Can = $ .78 US
I hope es120 is as good as what people claim.
I have personally not played one yet, but, from what I've heard, it is a meaningful update to the fantastic and very highly-regarded ES110. :)
Maybe you could find someone to play them for you, so we can hear what they sound like. I think you would get more views. Way too much talking, but great video quality. Good luck.
These models have just been announced and, aside from the ES120, have not formally been released yet. This is simply an initial overview video outlining Kawai's announcement of the models and their specifications. You can certainly expect more detailed review and demo videos when we receive our first shipment of these models. :)
@@MerriamPianos How can you review about the key action, if you don't have piano there? Why would talk about that in detail, if you don't have piano with you?
They changed the pedal on the es 120 unfortunately
What makes you think the new one will be worse?
@@RealROCKnROLLA well in their website they state that for the individuals that want to use the half pedaling another pedal is available. It is an assumption on my part and I hope I am wrong.
@@MrNt1402 makes sense. Anyway, the thing costs 20 euro on eBay, so I wouldn't dramatise much about it :)
Please compare the es120 vs es520
Absolutely! Once we receive our first shipment of ES120s, you can certainly expect a review and comparison of the full line. ;)
They’re owned by a large hi company now . No probs
You're referring to Onkyo I am guessing? Yes, we have recently heard of the acquisition. It is great that the company will still survive through this new iteration. :)
They removed the F10h pedal from the 120 which sucks.
It is a bit unfortunate that the nicer foot pedal will not be included in the ES120, but it does look like some excellent improvements have been made to the piano itself.
Yaay
Stop doing demos of pianos that consumers can’t buy at their local stores … everyone has been doing demos in the 120 for the last five months and you still can’t buy one … the same thing with the 920!
There are still quite a few customers putting their names on backorder lists for all of these models, hence the necessity to offer reviews and overviews of these models. :)
DON'T BUY THE NEW KAWAI ES120 BEFORE YOU TEST IT SITTING ON ITS PIANO STAND!!!
The last Kawai ES110 had a fabrication flaw: when you press the middle C and the keys before middle C there would be a terrible case noise. More than 50% of the es110 pianos still have this flaw.
Does the case sound when you press the middle C and the keys before middle C? The same goes for the 5th Octave C (2-3 keys).
Also, if the new ES120 has the same Compact Piano Action (RHC) this thing means that Kawai only replaced the Case design and a few buttons. The speakers are the same. I don't think Kawai replaced the old case structure of the ES110. And Kawai charges 30-50% more than the last ES110.
Be aware of the case noise when pressing the middle C keys!!! Such a shame.
Kawai has made some meaningful revisions and updates to the design of the ES120, which includes the action. They sound and play wonderfully and are definitely worth consideration when shopping for digital pianos at this price point. :)
I have two ES110 units and no such noise.
Too much talking.....
This video is primarily a review of the new digital piano offerings from Kawai! With that said, we have many other review and comparison videos that are more centred around demo-ing and playing. :)