Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Yamaha AvantGrand N3/N2 vs Kawai CP1/CP2

I did a search. Did not find anything.

This is only for acoustic piano function so addional doodads doesn't matter. What matters is Touch and Tone. We will use it both acoustically (rarely) and port it through the Church PA system as our auditorium is too large for just acoustic sound from the piano speakers.

How do the two series compare. Kawai was introduced last year. Yamaha I believe 5 years ago?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Hello faulhorn,

I read through your previous post a little earlier where the CP1 was initially mentioned.

The CP1 offers the 'Grand Feel' keyboard action and 'Harmonic Imaging XL' piano sound technology of the CA95/CA65 within a black polish grand piano-shaped cabinet. It is a popular choice among churches and institutions due to its powerful speaker system, XLR pro-audio output jacks, and traditional appearance. This model also features a touch screen display, thousands of sounds, hundreds of accompaniment styles, and powerful multi-track recording.

It is of course entirely possible to utilise the CP1 solely as a grand piano replacement, without ever needing to access its wide range of features. However, in this case, I would be more inclined to purchase an instrument such as the CS10 or the latest CA97 - both models offer the same excellent touch and tone as the CP1 (actually, better in the case of the CA97), without all the additional ensemble-related features.

As always, I would strongly recommend visiting a Kawai dealer to play-test a range of different instruments before making any purchasing decision.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards,
James
x

Thank you James. Very helpful. In that case, no reason to consider the CP1 if the CA97 is available.

THANKS for the helpful clarification.

It seems Yamaha's AvantGrand's use a real acoustic grand action while their NU1 uses a real upright action. If you're looking for the best touch/tone, the N3 or N2 may be more up your alley if you're looking for something that feels like a real acoustic piano. Here's an image of the N1/N2/N3 action.




here's an image of the Kawai action:



The Kawai rep here can probably confirm the image above.

It would probably be best to play both instruments and then decide which one best suits your needs. Both are probably great instruments but i tend to see more of the Yamaha product used in professional settings (Elton John at the Grammy's, Sara Bareilles / Carole King at the Grammy's, Fleetwood Mac's Touring keyboardist, etc.)

Not to say that they aren't, but I have not seen Kawai digital piano products used for events or performances of that caliber.

I'm inclined to agree, MovingKeys. The AvantGrand action is based on an acoustic grand piano action, and should therefore behave and feel most like an acoustic grand. However, Kawai's wooden key actions are not so far behind, and still widely considered to be among the most realistic digital piano actions available.

As for artist endorsements, I also agree that Yamaha's brand visibility is far stronger than Kawai. However, there are a number of successful artists that perform regularly using Kawai instruments - in the case of digital pianos, these are often mounted inside custom cabinets for stage presence. To the audience, the performer is playing an acoustic, however we know they actually an MP or VPC product inside.

Kind regards,
James
x