Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Kawai ES7 vs Yamaha P155

Hi,

Has anyone tried both the Kawai ES7 and Yamaha P155? I think Yamaha P155 came out in 2008 and Kawai ES7 in 2012(?). Given the 3-4 years of technological advantage, I'd think Kawai ES7 is much better than Yamaha P155.

Can someone share, based only on key-action and tone, is Yamaha P155 very far off from Kawai ES7?

Thanks.

In a previous post it seems like you just bought your P155. Are you not happy with it?

Is ES7 much "better" than P155? Quick answer, yes and no.

Yes, better: specs on the ES7 are more advanced mostly due to the Virtual Technician, triple sensor keys, 256 polyphony, and several other features.

No, not necessarily better: they are both solid digital pianos that sound and feel great at their default level. Turn them on, start playing the default grand/concert piano sound. Yes, Yamaha and Kawai will sound different from each other, but that is a matter of taste only. Both are adjustable enough to get the sound you want - ES7 more so. Key action, again both are very good but it come down to preference. I love the action on the ES7, some are just ok with it. I very much like the action on the P155, CP33, and CP300.

SO I really cant give you a definitive answer. Not sure what you are trying to achieve. Your P155 is a great DP. Is it due for an update - maybe. If you need some of the advanced features of the ES7 - go for it. No matter what DP you own you will always look at others and question it from time to time.

The two instruments are both similar (in general) and different (in details). Only you can decide if you prefer the tone of the ES7 over that of the P155 or vice versa. The actions are different as well. The GH action in the P155 is a solid, nice action feeling quite substantial. The action in the ES7 is a very nice action in itself, very responsive, but a little different. Again it is only you who can decide. There are more features on the ES7, more control over the tone, and arguably better speakers.

I regularly practice on a P155. If I would buy new I would probably go for the ES7 over the P155 now, but in the end the differences would be too small for me to "upgrade" from the P155 to the ES7. On the other hand, a Kawai MP10, the VPC1, the CA65&95 would all definitely be upgrades, for different purposes.

Hi Marko

Yes, I just bought my P155 but have since read some reviews on how good ES7 is. Initially, I wanted a EP3 after reading this article - P155 vs EP3. It's almost like a one-sided win for EP3. But my local Kawai rep didn't carry it. Hence, I went for P155 instead.

Today, I came across this article - Kawai ES7. It seems that ES7 is a much improved replacement for EP3. That's why it makes me wonder what I'm really missing by not getting a Kawai.

It seems that you have a high regard for P155. That kind of put my mind at ease.

I guess it's a silly transition phase where one just bought something and shortly wonder if he had missed out on something even better. Thanks for helping me out.

I have never tried the ES7. But I do have the P-155.

When I first got my P-155, I was so happy with it. Then I went through a phase where I wasn't so excited about it. And partly that was due to thinking that I was missing out on something. You hang around these forums for too long and you get gear envy. "Just for a few more hundred, I could have had this better board." I am now back to being ecstatic about the P-155. I was in a local shop and played some DP's and it just reassured me that the P-155 is solid all the way around. I am not that experienced, but from what little I know it's a great digital piano, especially for the price. I'm happy.

Of course, I reserve the right to upgrade at any time in the future.

Hi Maurus

Yes, everything I've read so far kind of praise Kawai's EP3/ES7 super nice action and great speakers. Some even says that P155 has too much weight on its keys which makes it unnatural.

It's really nice to see someone who has tried both and still feel that P155 can hold its own.

Thanks for sharing how you view the two. It certainly gave me a more balanced perspective than I had before.

For the money, the P155 is a good all-round portable board.

The ES7 is superior in terms of specifications, yes, however it's also rather more modern, and therefore more expensive (depending on the market area).

I believe you should enjoy your Yamaha for what it delivers, and not worry too much about whether you're missing out on anything by not opting for the Kawai.

Kind regards,
James
x

sorry for disturbing..

Is FP-7F better purchase than ES7. I'm affraid of hard and loud bottoming in Roland but love SN (strings specially). Is there any VTS's similar to ROland's sounds ? (i know, integra-7, but obviously can't afford to have one).

FP-7F/FP-80 are more or less on a par with the ES7.

Also, I don't believe the FP's strings are 'SuperNatural'.

Cheers,
James
x

Yes FP7F/FP-80 also ought to be compared to these 2 since it's in a very similar category and price range.

Over here the ES7 can be had with the official furniture stand and triple pedal set for just over £1100 whereas the P-155 is usually £1100 with no stand. The FP-80 is quite a bit more expensive here than those 2 at £1500 with no stand. The ES7 feels like the best deal price wise.

When I tried the Rolands I did notice they feel hard at the bottom of the key stroke. Is that what you mean by bottoming out? The MP10 felt quite soft at the bottom almost mushy in comparison. From memory the ES7 was somewhere in-between.

The keys on the ES7 felt like they had less travel (shallow). I don't know if that was due to it being setup at an angle on a rack or it's just my imagination. I do remember someone else mentioning that. It did put me off a little.

No, but Roland strings are very nice, SuperNatural or not.

Also, if you plan to use the onboard speakers, The ES7 might be better than FP-7F. The FP-80 might be better than both, but I have not played it yet.

The midpipe organ on the RD700NX sounded great. The FP-80 doesn't have that and is missing a lot of the sounds of the NX in general some of which are quite impressive.

Yes, i was thinking about bottoming out.

it sounds like that

http://www.sendspace.com/file/rr2kpx

MP10 - out of my range

I think you might be putting too much emphasis one guy's opinion at AZpiano. Only you can decide for yourself. I perfer the action of the ES7 compared to the CA65/95 which is crazy to some. But I like. So as you read these reviews, keep in mind the old saying "Opinions are like a**holes. Everyone's got one"

Hi Kawai James

That's good advice. After using the P155 for a while, I do feel that it is a fine digital piano. I really should focus on enjoying it to the fullest since that's the one I have right now.

Thanks much!

Haha, I'll remember that! :-)

I was trying DPs over the weekend, from the P105 to FP7Fs, kawais etc. Being a beginner I can't appreciate what the more expensive models bring to my plate. The P155 I tried was great, reminds me of my CP33. I mainly don't like it's wood grain :P Else I thought it was a great instrument.

FWIW, I have my Yamaha P155 hooked up to a small, inexpensive stereo receiver that I had laying around from maybe 15 years ago. That and a couple of speakers that came with it - I think each speaker cabinet has 2-3 speakers, but I can't remember). The receiver has all kinds of "effects" settings like Surround, various music styles, equalizer, etc. etc.. When I play the P155 with that stuff going, with the speakers positioned so the sound is directed upwards behind the piano, I can hardly believe how good it all sounds. I tend to keep the internal speakers in the mix so that I get some vibe feedback in the keys. We talked about all this a couple of years back - some other folks here told me how to get it set up in that post.

Be wary of relying so much on that azpianonews website. Every article he posts seems to have a Kawai slant. Whether this is due to Kawai being superior, I do not know. I just know that he shoehorns in Kawai every chance he gets. Even his reviews for other brands ultimately read like an advertisement for Kawai. I appreciate his opinions, but he really needs to practice an "at arm's length" style of writing to prevent this seemingly blatant conflict of interest.

I also don't care for the way he constantly makes a point that Kawai is in Japan, near Yamaha, and so on without mentioning that Kawai pianos are made in Indonesia.

*edit* this topic made me read a few more articles from that blog and I feel I can no longer trust him. In the P155 review, he chastises the Yamaha heavier keys as "unnatural". Yet, in the Kawai ES7 article, he says it has heavier keys than the other brands, and praises this aspect for its ability to give "smooth movement". Which is it?