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Unrelated question
But does anyone who tested both the new clp range and the Ca99 feel that the significantly extra wattage over the kawai lend the yamaha a more realistic and powerful sound?
Or is it more a case of diminishing returns once you get over 100 watts?

Thanks

Do you want wattage (specs) or do you want a more realistic and powerful sound (results)?
My take is that results matter. Specs do not.

There are many reasons why the two do not align. In this case:
1. There's no standard for specifying watts.
2. The specs say nothing about driver efficiency.

So ... specs don't matter. Ignore them.

@InspiredByKawai, I recently tested a CA99, CLP-745, CLP-735, CLP-775 and a NU1X. I didn't get to test them alongside in the same room. The CLP-735 has a lot less power and you notice that. As for the 745, 775 and NU1X they all get pretty loud, even in a large store with other people bustling around. Didn't get to test the CA79.

However, I tested the CA99 in the warehouse with people working there, so BIG open space and background noise. My impression was that the CA99 was loudest of them all, the soundboard is truly impressive if you can run it on 80% to 90% of volume. It truly impressed me and was VERY, VERY tempted to spend the dough on that soundboard. I like to play boogie, ragtime and a bit of classical, especially appreciate the bass of the CA99 with the boogie (it could be a bit much if you're a purist)

Unfortunately my pianoroom is a small room, so I cannot drive the volume up to enjoy the soundboard. Next to that I play with headphones >80% of the time. So I went with the CLP-745 which got plenty power to make the household miserable if needed.

As stated by MacMacMac, specs don't say it all.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts 🙂
Interesting you say because you have a small room you can't have the Ca99.
Sound-wise why does that matter?
Size wise they're pretty much all the same are they not?

Are you exclusively inspired by Kawai or can Yamaha inspire you, too?

Well, size wise it's no difference. But the #1 reason I'd take the Kawai is the soundboard. Which is no use for 80% playtime on headphones (where I liked the Yamaha better). Next to that is my impression is that I couldn't open up the volume enough in the room to really enjoy the soundboard the other 20% of the time.

That combined with the fact that the CA99 is 1600 euro more expensive lured me towards the CLP-745. If the piano was to be placed in the living room and less headphone use I would have likely bought the CA99.

Aside from the 735 sounding a bit "thin", I did not feel like I needed to push either the higher end 700s or 79//99 to max volume to get good listening levels at least for my needs.
Also like MacMacMac said, Watts are a spec to ignore because there is no standard for it. I have been in the audio industry for lot of years and it is frustating. For instance, Harman kardon back in the day used to rate their AV Receivers at all channels driven while competitors will just rate them with the silly and useless 1 channel driven. BUT for customers, you were looking at one receiver claiming 75W per channel vs one saying 100W per channel...which one sounded like the better deal? Yet, the one with 75W was doing to ALL channels driven, where the one claiming 100W could only do like 40W per channel when ALL channels where driven.
So, watts is unfortunately, marketing driven and better ignored in most cases.
In any case, what made me go with the CA79 over the 700s is the touch, the piano sound and overall sound quality of the speakers and even the feeling of the vibrations thought the keys all made for a more realistic experience coming from a grand.
YMMV of course.

I've never been inspired by yamaha, I just generally don't like the bright tone favouring a more mellow sound.
But willing to give it a try if they were to improve the action so its less stiff, as I was blown away with binaural sampling on the clp 685

The clp 700 do offer a new Bösendorfer sample that is more on the mellow side.
I was very disappointed in the initial sampling of the Bösendorfer present in the 600 series and the P-515. I feel it was a half baked offering. I could never make it sounds any good. I'm really hoping that for this 700 series, they did improve that sampling a lot. Because like you, I really do appreciate a more mellow sound and I feel the Bösendorfer should provide that sound quality.

To me, Yamaha always sounds sort of empty and generic. Lacks richness and character.
Fazioli - an accordion, or even a church organ.
Steinway - a classical guitar.
Yamaha - a sinus generator.
I am exaggerating, of course. Or am I?

In the context you missed Kawai.
Kawai -
Well actually there it is - nothing!
I too am exaggerating, of course. Or am I?

I agree, I've played a good yamaha grand and it felt like I was generating digital sound samples. Just doesn't have soul to me.
I know people will think that's sacrilege lol just my opinion.
Steinway was very refined but bordering on being a bit artifical like it's too perfect and bell like.
I'm yet to try a kawai

Hi guys,
CA79 owners, I am loving my piano but I curious if anyone had issues with the stand holes not aligned? I cannot find a way to mount mine to be perfectly flush in front as the lower right hole (when looking at the piano) on the stand, always ends up a bit too far so I need to pull that side forward a little to be able to screw it.
Also, are all yours also NOT perfectly flush with the stand..like I would expect the stand and top part to be exactly the same size but at least mine is not so I wonder if I did something wrong.
You can see some (horrible) photos here:

CA79 photos

We don't have our CA79 yet, but I would have noticed that when I crawled around on the floor under the piano in the shop looking to see how it was put together. I could hardly tell where the seems were. Sure looks like you didn't get it lined up properly.

But it goes PAST the edges of the stand on both sides so it is clearly bigger than the stand which is the odd thing. I wonder is the back panel part has something to do with it. I am going to remove it and see if it somehow lets the stand expand and retry.

Sorry, I see what you mean now. Hopefully a better response than mine will come soon!

Yes, I can confirm that the top is a few millimeter wider on both sides even on my piano.
However, I had no problems with aligning the screw holes: assembly was very simple and each piece was perfectly cut and drilled in the right place from factory.

OK even on the back if also goes over past the stand, right?
Yeah not sure what is wrong with that hole but I tried removing all again, aligned them but the right back hole is always too far so I need to move that right side forward so the front part of the piano is no longer flush with that right "leg" in front

thanks!

Yes, it is.
When I installed the four screws that lock the top to the stand, without tightening the screws, I could still have some leeway to move the top to the right or left, but in any case, being the top larger than the stand, it was impossible to align it perfectly on the sides. So it is certainly a design feature.

Thanks so much as it was driving me crazy!
Last question...the same applies to how it fits the front legs, does it go over the edge for the front legs too? Cause that was the one thing bugging me most as I was able to get the left leg flush with the top but not the right but it seems now that I have both legs going over, it looks even all across.