Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Kawai Novus NV5 - Hands On

With the important disclaimer that we had a comparative sample size of 1, I (and another pro pianist) came to the opposite conclusion regarding the action performance from Tyr’s. However the NV5 pedal mechanism was definitely nicer, and yes, it will viscerally vibrate a lot in the bass if you turn it up a little. Couldn’t compare sound systems because of room placement, unfortunately.

This underscores the need for actually trying things in person (difficult right now, I know) and that we all have personal preferences. What works best for Tyr might be different than what I and another classical pianist (who own and play large grand pianos daily) want in a practice instrument. The forum “echo chamber” effect sometimes amplifies certain opinions as absolute facts...

@Tyr, @darmoht, @terminaldegre: thanks for your feedback, very much appreciated! My wife should be able to try the nv5 this or next week. She hasn't played since 30 years, thus, I guess, she should be fine with either choice. We will see. We regularly attend concerts and listen to a lot of classical music with a good replay system. I understand that, in a given price class, the differences between replay systems are smaller than the differences between digital pianos of different brands. In spite of this, she is very often irritated by poor recordings and/or details that I do not even perceive. I anticipate that she will not want to play around with digital settings and options. She would go for an acoustic piano if that option was practicable. Hence my questions. I apologize if these were a bit off topic. Thanks again for replying, this forum is a great source of information. Best, nbpf

nbpf, if I can be of any further assistance, please feel free to send me a message.

Kind regards,
James
x

As one member of this forum once famously said:


:-)

The NV5 is a gorgeous piano! I'm reading with delight that Tyr is still very happy with it.

A couple of questions, if I may

1. Does the "comparative sample size of 1" refer to just one experience of playing just one pair of instruments?
2. Your "opposite conclusion regarding the action performance" is rather cryptic. Can you elaborate on what you both thought were the differences, and the degree of difference, please? Preferably between the two hybrids, and in your view in comparison to an acoustic of a similar cost?

A more general thought is that there doesn't seem to be much mention on this forum that the Kawai is a lot more functional in terms of connectivity, and functionality than the NU1x. For example the Kawai has Bluetooth Midi, and multiple temperament options including a user temperament option. Not everyone will care about this limited aspect of the NU1x, but some really do as I understand it, and although the NU1x is an improvement on the NU1 in this regard, still consider the NU1x to be lacking in what should be expected in this respect for an instrument of this price and date.

Finally, can James or anyone comment on the availability of the NV5 these days? Is production keeping up with demand? This will obviously be a big factor in the price dealers can charge.

NU1X has USB audio interface that is lacking in NV5. This is a much more important and useful feature than Bluetooth MIDI which is useless for real-time playing.

+1

The Importance is based on your needs. If you are happy with the internal sampling, it's not important. It's a really useful feature for using a VST which makes ist darn easy to get good results.

It being USB audio, rather than Bluetooth Midi, presumably? (And only of interest assuming you're not happy enough with the internal sounds of the NV5, presumably?)

Am out of date on this stuff, clearly, but will an external USB audio interface make up for this lack in to he NV5?

Also, if I understand correctly, that feature was added to NU1x in a firmware update, so could this possibly be added to the NV5 in a firmware update?

But maybe Bluetooth audio was not a good example. The NV5 does seem to have more voices, and generally a lot more useful tech facilities, than the NU1x doesn't it? Of course it depends if you want that stuff, but it does give a more full blooded DP set of options, doesn't it, by comparison?

Yamaha’s implementation of the audio interface was indeed an odd one.
For example, the Clavinovas’ got a ‘firmware’ update halfway through their cycle; which is not something Yamaha is known for doing.

For a feature like this, even if ready, Yamaha would simply wait for the next/new models simply to market the heck out of it. Among other ‘new’ features this would be another reason to compel customers into upgrading from the ‘685’ to the ‘785’.
To say the least, this took us all by surprise.

As for whether Kawai could do the same for the NV5 (add this functionality through a firmware update), this was heavily discussed ‘round here, and it seems like the answer is no; unless, that is, the hardware is already in place (very unlikely and presumably what Yamaha did), and a firmware update simply ‘activates’ this pre-existing feature.

Once again, this was an unexpected move by Yamaha (add/activate this functionality mid-cycle), but it was definitely a very welcome one.

Yamaha released firmware 2.0 for my MODX 6 last year and it added some major updates to it which was very unexpected. And then, a few days ago they released firmware 2.5 which added even more surprising features such as the ability to morph between 8 FM-X patches that are analyzed by a Machine Learning algorithm, there a color gradient square on the touch screen and you can draw path over the morph to program transition or slide your finger in real time similar to vector synths from the past. That’s so amazing and so untypical for Yamaha that I couldn’t believe my eyes. And it’s a 2 year old synth, so they could have release a new instrument instead. Where is this world going?!

Bluetooth Midi works great for turning pages in Forscore. The left and middle pedals on the NV turns pages forward and backward.

Thank you very much, Sir, but I can turn my own pages!

The nerve of some ‘round here; as if I don’t have perfectly working arms and hands, suggesting a virtual page-turner of sorts!

What next, an app that’ll pedal for me? No thanks! My feet and legs are still working very well, and I can do this myself!

Where is this world going?!

Well, forScore can turn pages by using facial gestures through the iPad TrueDepth camera - following your head or your lips. Yeah, you'd look ridiculous but at least your two other pedals are free to use Besides, doing facial expressions while playing automatically makes you a virtuoso, didn't you know?!

Yeah, Pete14: but not all of us drive stick, so...

My bad!

You might want to rethink this, Pete ...
Post objectifying women deleted.

Upon evaluation of the evidence presented by Mac, I am forced to reconsider my stance on page-turners. I most certainly wouldn’t mind having that piece of tech by my piano.

*sexist comment deleted*

Quote of sexist comment deleted.

No!