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Hello all,

I've been wanting to upgrade my Suzuki Keyman made in the 90s to a modern digital piano. I've looked around the forums and it seems that the Kawai MP11SE is the consensus as one of the best digital pianos out there. I've almost made up my mind on that, but I wanted to make sure my purchase decision is good before I invest $3k into a product. My budget is $3500, and I'm looking for the following factors:

-Ability to provide quality sound recording for future compositions - ideally like this quality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnqb8zqHqdY
-Ability to play it's own sound through computer to play live sessions to people through discord or twitch or even zoom (I think USB to host does this)
-Durability
-Key action that is stable enough to play fast chords like the beginning of Ondine by Ravel (I heard it has the best key action to that of a grand, so this may not be a problem)
-Quality enough to practice/perform advanced songs like Chopin's ballade 1 or a Beethoven Sonata

Any additional input on my selection or alternate digitals is appreciated!

MP11se sounds right. No onboard speakers, tho, if that matters. VPC1 also viable and less expensive.

Just mind the weight ca 35kg if you happen to expect something portable, you might as well consider a CA79/99.

Kawai CA79 or 99 sound like a perfect fit to me

Don't forget the OP's budget of $3500!

OP - I'm very happy with my MP11se, but with your budget of $3500, it depends on your location, you may have the option of getting into a CA-79. If I wanted a "console" dp, that's the one I'd get.

I just helped a member of this forum get a brand new CA-79 shipped from California to his home in Utah last week for under $3500 total. I'm sure he'd be happy to answer all your questions about his new toy.

Don't forget that availability is a problem for many popular dp models right now.

Consider a used nu1 also

Thanks guys, I think I'm going to go with the MP11SE since it looks like it checks all the boxes that I need. CA79/CA99 look good, but I don't think those would fit in the spot that I have in my room since it looks so big.

You will need the same square footage for both MP11SE, CA79/99 NU1 or anything. Only NV-10 or N1x will take more.

Digital pianos are all about the same width, give or take an inch or two.
Depth varies quite a bit, though. Keyboard can be 12" deep or less, while consoles are often twice as deep.
@SleepyBear: Are you concerned about the depth of the CA-series pianos?

For reference, here are the CA99 and CA79 dimensions:





Kind regards,
James
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@MacMacMac Yeah the depth is my concern since my space is limited and also I haven't really looked into the features that the CA series provides. If it has the exact same features as MP11SE then I might consider, but I also find it convenient to have something that can be moved around by as few people as possible with little effort.

Also this might be my bias showing, but since I've had my 1990 suzuki keyman for so long, I'm used to digital keyboards.

Does the CA series provide something that the MP11SE doesn't have?

A newer version of the key action, built-in speakers and triple pedals...

@SleepyBear: If space is at a premium and if portability is important, then go for the MP11.
Console digital pianos weigh far too much to carry around. Mine weighs in at 150 pounds. Some are much heavier.

The MP11SE includes the GFP-3 pedal unit. This is the same pedal mechanism as that found in the CA99, but in a portable package.

Here is a comparison of the CA99 vs MP11SE:

https://www.kawai-global.com/product_comparison/detail.php?n=ca99,mp11se&ct=36

Kind regards,
James
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