Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards CA99 vs NU1X vs ??? Help me decide

I am an adult beginner, and I have been playing for slightly over 1 year without any previous experience. So far I have been using an FP30, but I would love to move to something more substantial and similar to a real acoustic piano. My budget is under $7k and a digital or silent piano is a must. After extensive reading I have the impression that the Nu1x and the CA99 are my best bets (correct me if I am wrong) in this price range. I would like some advice/feedback from more experienced piano players or from people that own one of these.

Thanks!

The Avant Grand series is a class above the Concert Artist series. So if you are paying the same, go for the Yamaha.

I would consider the Kawai NV-5 in your situation. IMO a major consideration should be the action (as on a digital piano, you can always 'upgrade' the sound by using a VST). You mention that you are an adult beginner. If you are very adult, , it may be important to play an action that is not too heavy. The NV-5 has a very good action, and people are raving about its sound (it has a 'real' sound board).

The NU1X also has a real action, but I believe it is a bit heavier.

I don't know where you are based but in my country the NV5 is a little under 6000 euros including tax, which is $7000.

I don't think the Novus series is within the OP's budget.

Yeah, I was not sure, because this may depend much on which country you live in. If it is in the US I have no idea what it would cost. Apparently it is normal to 'negotiate' a price over there. The listed ones are beyond ridiculous. In NL (and I believe much of EU) the listed prices for pianos is more or less what you are going to pay for it. Perhaps very tiny discount, or a bench, or a chocolate bar. And here the NV5 is the equavalent of 7k USD, including 21% sales tax.

There is no discounts or negotiations happening currently, because all digital pianos are on backorder. So you are pretty much paying the sticker price anywhere, if you're even able to acquire an instrument in under a year.

Two things that you need to consider, OP, as I see it:

1. The NU1X has a true upright piano action vs CA99 (which is a Grand Feel III) action simulating a grand piano actions.

2. Read the thread here:
http://forums.pianoworld.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/2952850/117/kawai-ca79-ca99-owners-club.html
There's a mix of positive and negative reviews about the CA79/CA99 series of instruments. Decide for yourself if you are OK with the mix.
I am an ex-CA79 user who could not live with the issues anymore - but I am just one, and with very little tolerance for issues after paying $4000.

Definitely the NU1X. CA99 feels good to play but does not feel anything like a grand action. I’d take an authentic upright action over a simulated grand action any day. The action of the NU1X isn’t too heavy and it has some of the best speakers you’ll find in a digital piano.

I agree with the others here that (if the NV5 is out of the question) I would go for the NU1X. To me the action would be a decisive feature in any piano purchase, and I like a real action much better. I owned the CA58 (for 1 year), which has an action that is one step down from, but similar to, the CA99, and I traded it in because I wanted a real action.

Yamaha's piano engine is more convincing and natural vs Kawai's. I don't think either piano is worth their asking price, it's boatload of MDF and barely any electronics. Neither system comes close to the computer side with much more detailed samples. My vote is for MP11SE or VPC1, All poorly priced.

One thing to emphasize and as referenced by a few others is the NU1X has a (slightly modified) VERTICAL piano action. Indeed, it is very close to a regular acoustic upright action.

The CA99 is attempting to replicate a GRAND piano action. It has a long key dip with an action mechanism in the back of the key which emulates the hammer and letoff of a grand piano.

I have played both and prefer the CA99. I much prefer playing a grand piano than a vertical and the CA99 comes closer to a grand 'feel' than the NU1X. It is personal preference and if investing this much of your hard earned money in one of these instruments, always best if you could play both to see which feels better to you.

I may add - if you prefer a grand-style key action and looking at Yamaha a comparable model to consider could be the CLP785.

I'm sure whichever instrument you choose will bring you much joy, and wishing you much success along your piano journey.

I agree with pianoxcape that it really comes down to personal preference based on playing them. You can't boil this down to a feature comparison or internet forums. I would wait until you can try out both ideally a few times back to back. One suggestion I can make that helped in my decision is to bring your own headphones to compare them since silent playing is important. The other thought on that is that the NU1X keyboard is going to be louder than the CA99. Try playing the keyboards with the power off and see if the "noise" is going to be an issue for you. For some it is a problem, it's not for me but I have the NU1X located in a separate room that is isolated from the rest of the house and with the door closed it's not a problem.


Good luck with your decision.

It really rather pains me to admit this, but in my admittedly never particularly humble opinion (there really isn't any point in having an opinion if you don't actually believe it is there ?) the CA99 action is better than my 1890s Bechstein. Possibly that might say more about my Bechstein than my CA99, but to be honest I've never really had a problem with either, or indeed any acoustic piano. One adapts, it's just a thing.

Thanks all for the comments, very useful. I have had a chance to try the NU1x for a few minutes, but my only comparison is my FP30. With this big caveat in mind, I can say that I liked it, definitely a huge step up in terms of sound and feeling. I have not yet been able to try the CA99, I hope to do so soon.

The point raised by some about the noise produced by the NU1X is something I had not considered at all. The piano will be in my living room, where my wife often watches tv or reads when I practice. She would be annoyed by the hammer action of the NU1x. So CA99 seems to the best choice on paper. Of course I will have to try it first...

You can also try the newest CLP Models from Yamaha, mainly CLP-745 and CLP-785.

I will!

I will chirp in here.
If sound is a major concern I don't understand why you are looking at hybrid pianos. There are conceived to be played loud and they are very expensive. Also, the techno on them is relatively new no matter which model you choose.
Even the CA99 seems excessive to me. although there are differences between the CA99 and CA79, the main difference is speakers.

Reading you comments, I feel that you should be looking more as some have suggested at models just a touch lower, but still at the upper echelon of digital pianos.

I would seriously look at the Kawai CA79 or the Yamaha CLP785 or the Roland LX705.

Ron

Thanks Ron,

This is very helpful. I will definitely check those models out once I get to the store.

The living room is rather roomy, and although I want something that can be really silent when I practice, I also want an instrument that is pleasant to the ears through its speakers (in the odd chance I will get good enough to perform, or in the more likely event that somebody who knows how to play visits us!).

Andrea