Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards New kawai novus incoming ?

I'm curious to see whether they improved the speaker system from what they've learnt on the Novus NV-10 which was a little bit lacking for a couple of novus buyers. The look is obviously very nice, and the video is also great! I just hope more and more companies would start innovating with pianos, and things could be advancing a little bit faster than right now..

650,000 yen is the same as Yamaha N1X. Kawai is really smart at the product and pricing. NV5 is different from NU1X and N1X (a real upright action with a soundboard)

Aaaaand... here it is, announced officially:

https://forum.pianoworld.com/ubbthre...ai-announces-novus-nv5-hybrid-piano.html

Correct - the same hardware platform as the NV10.

Kind regards,
James
x

Any news about upcoming kawai novus piano with better samples like CA99?
It was about 3 years since NV10.

NV20?

Is it your perception that the samples on one are worse than the other, after playing them?

Unfortunately I haven't play CA99/79 or any NV series yet. I live in Cyprus and we don't have these pianos here in any showrooms. I can only order them without experiencing
So I'm tring to understand via reading forum users experiences before ordering one.
If there are any rumors about upcoming product, I can wait, if not will order in few months depending on current situation.

The sound samples in both are the same.

Oh, no, not again... They are not the same, they are different!

The UI is different. According to the US website, the renderings are same.

CA99: Pianist mode: SK-EX Rendering

- 88-key multi-channel sampling
- SK-EX recording

Sound mode: Harmonic Imaging XL (HI-XL)

- 88-key stereo sampling
- SK-EX, SK-5, EX recording

256 note maximum polyphony

NV10: Pianist mode: SK-EX Rendering

- 88-key multi-channel sampling
- SK-EX recording

Sound mode: Harmonic Imaging XL (HI-XL)

- 88-key stereo sampling
- SK-EX, SK-5, EX recording

256 note maximum polyphony

I think the SK-EX rendering is a newer version.

Okay Kawai James, if this is true, where is my software update?

I think it's a slightly improved version (KJ had suggested some tweaked preset rendering characters, but not to expect anything drastic like a resampling or anything)

If cars brands were treated the same way as piano sample brands, then these are the same car:



Don't depend on cutesy names to identify the sound. From high-end to low-end a manufacturer will use the same name ... but the sound will be different.

Smaller samples, fewer layers, smaller memory ... all these methods are used to cheapen the lower models, even though the "name" stays the same.

Ok so now that the ES920 and ES520 are out there ... when is the new Novus coming 🤩?

I want to upgrade to some hybrid in the next months, and although my pick would be an NV10 now, I am caught in this "but what if they release a new model next month !?" state of mind.

Is anyone here also waiting? What would you be expecting in a new Novus (nv20?) - or do you think the NV10 is the grail of the next years?
I personally hope for:

• A grand action. The NV5 is an impressive instrument but find the grand actions more enjoyable.
• A better speaker system/a soundboard. In the store I felt I had to push the volume much more on the NV10 than on the Avant Grands. From the reviews I saw, the soundboard on the NV5 seems to give an impressive bass response.
• A better back panel finish/a grand form factor: I guess it's heavily debatable depending on your space situation, but the nv10's back panel is really ugly for the price tag: the NV5 looks much better, and if combined with a soundboard an N3X competitor would look amazing.
• Sturdier feel. This one is very subjective but like many commented here, I liked the n1x more on my first try because it felt overall more solid, whilst the nv10 action felt more fragile. I believe only time can give an objective answer to the solidity.
• also on the subjective side, I see the next Novus as a potentially better hybrid because Kawai will have the experience of the 2 previous models, whilst the nv10 was the first of its kind for Kawai.
• Neotex keys? I mean if we go premium ... 💸😁
• Midi 2.0 support, because we're not in 1980 anymore and it will make it future proof for VST/recordings - although right now the Pianist sound engine will be a good enough upgrade from where I am (Roland)

So, what about all of that for Christmas 🎄😇?

PS: and yes Pete14 I expect super extreme happyness levels as well 😇.

Highly doubt a new Novus model will be out any time soon unless they are releasing a competitor to the AvantGrand N3X...

Well I wouldn't mind an N3X competitor 😃 - and I'm actually surprised Kawai didn't yet come up with its own grand-looking hybrid, since Yamaha stands unchallenged.

What about a new N3X (N4X?) model?

I mean, the N3X was released back in 2016, so come winter NAMM it’ll be 5 years old.

If I’m not mistaken, the original N3 came out in 2009, so that means 7 years between the N3 and N3X; however, back then there was no competition, and the truth is that the N3X is somewhat of a medium upgrade and not a complete redesign from the ground up (including aesthetics).

Regarding the NV-20, it could be another year or two (I hope I’m wrong) because the NV-5 is relatively new, and I’m sure Kawai wants to cash-in on that initial momentum. When the NV-5 fever starts to come down, out comes the NV-20!

Incidentally, why have we decided to call it the ‘NV-20’? The truth is that it could be anything from the NV-11 to the NV-99!

I am just guessing, but based on past history, “halo” digital pianos have a much longer product cycle than DP slabs and consoles. It’s very possible that many of these items on the wish list will be implemented, though.

There’s probably not much profit in these hybrid pianos, particularly given the cost of real grand piano actions, to justify a 3-5 year refresh cycle, when the sales volume is taken into consideration.

Pete14, you can have my winter NAMM tickets this year!