Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Kawai announces NOVUS NV10 hybrid digital piano

For the pivot point, the pictures I found didn't allow for the best measurement, but it's somewhere around 25-26cm, which is longer than the Avangrands and Kawai's GF. Of course, a precise number would be nice to know.

James,

It looks from the video that the backside is not polished ebony? Is that correct?

Are the sides polished ebony? It is kind of hard to see in the videos/pictures.

Osho

I don't see myself coughing up close to €10000 for an instrument with non upgradeable sound-engine. I was gonna say "today's premium sound engine is tomorrow's budget one" but that's not even true taking in mind the SK Rendering engine is actually already there in the CA78, which is not a budget piano but will be about 4 times cheaper. And in 2 years from now the SK-rendering engine will also be in their CN-series.

I really appreciate the real action with longest wooden keys in the market (what they mean by peerless I guess), the dampers that are affected by almost real damper pedal mechanism. But the price is just too much for an instrument with sampled and non-upgradeable engine. And before you give me AG as an example, I will give you exactly AG as an example because it has been long enough on the market and people don't change their AG-s each two years, so the market is saturated and many potential customers already have AG that they won't sell to upgrade to a NOVUS.

But in any case NOVUS is a muscle demonstration by Kawai and I hope it will prove to be a successful instrument

Does anyone know what is the 2nd song that is played in this video? Sounds nice.. even if a bit 'show-offey' (which is entirely appropriate for such marketing videos)!!

Osho

I agree with the sentiments expressed here. I would dearly love an N2 having played one many times. But the price for me and my own value system does not warrant it. That’s my thoughts too for the NV10, but I would need to play it to see if that stands, and will do so as soon as it’s available in a store.

The name is actually given in the video, top right corner.

Yes, I noticed that too...

Also, wondering... if the LCD display goes to black if not touched/approached within a certain time period - 15 seconds or so, etc...?

There is Auto Display Off capability - described in Section 14 of the manual (http://www.kawai-global.com/data/manuals/NV10_EN_R101.pdf) .

Osho

Very nice...

Although the setting goes back to being always on after you turn the unit off - so you have to re-do it again if you want that functionality all the time.

Looks like we found the first software/firmware update, lol.

Cool beans.

@James, can you comment on whether this is likely to be the top end, bottom end or mid range model in the NV series?

Also, have you had a chance to test play one yet, and if so, how do feel it compares to the CA/CS series?

Finally, do you think we will miss the soundboard of the CA9x? Or did you guys manage to pull off the same effect without a soundboard somehow?

Yes, it is indeed weird that this setting is not 'sticky' - yeah, let's hope a future firmware update fixes this.

Osho

Question for James: can you tell us how does the pivot length and the key length compare to the Shigeru Kawai series of acoustic grand pianos? Do they compare with SK-2/3/5/6/7/EX or another model in another line of acoustic grand pianos by Kawai?

Thanks,
Osho

Do we actually know that there will be a "series"? Maybe this will be the only Novus? I wouldn't assume that they are going to make other models just because Yamaha did.

The news release says:

"Kawai Japan is extremely proud to announce the NV10, the very first model in the new NOVUS series of hybrid digital pianos"

I think one can reasonably deduce from this that there will be more NOVUS models. At the least, there will be evolution NV10 follow-ups later on with improved sound engine.

Also, one can imagine that it would make sense to create a model like N3X with a 'baby grand' look - it has a lot of appeal to non-Piano playing spouse who wants the Piano to look nice in the house.

I have the same question as madshi - whether NV10 is top end, bottom end or mid end range? And, would the others in Novus series be out in months or over a year or so?

Osho

I am guessing that the NV10 is most likely the entry level.

It has 7 speakers and a 135 watt sound system - with a 6.25" woofer, (4) 4" mid-range, and (2) 1/2" tweeters.

Kawai's flagship digital concert grand piano (CP series, CP1) has 9 speakers and a 200 watt sound system - with a 10" woofer, (2) 5" mid-range, (2) 3" tweeters, and (4) 3/4" dome tweeters.

Thanks Osho, I hadn't seen that statement before. I think it is open to interpretation - the first in the series could mean the first of a linear line like CA91, CA93, CA95 etc. It could also mean part of a "range" like Yamaha N1, N2, N3. We'll just have to wait and see. Kawai might be starting with the NV10 to test the market and see if it's viable to make a wider range of Novus models. I just wish the world wasn't so expensive! I can't see myself ever parting with this much money for a digital piano - as much as I'd like one.

Can sound be played from the internal and connected external speakers at the same time?

I think so - there is a line out connector. The manual says that "The MASTER VOLUME knob will also affect the volume level of the LINE OUT connectors". I think that means that the sound will play through the internal speakers and through anything that may be connected via line out.

Osho

Hi all,

Has the price of the Novus NV10 been announced? I'm wondering how much extra I should pay if I want to purchase this instead of, say, the CS-11 or the CLP-685.
Thanks.

I don't know about your location, but as a first datapoint: As I wrote above, the MSRP in Germany (including 19% VAT) will be 9,590€. The actual retail price will likely be lower, but is yet unknown.