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Honestly, I did some research and the older 2-3 generations CA99 equivalent had a UI and button menu layout remarkably similar to CA59. It seems that the menu and software has been iterated on so many times it is now mature and is being used in similar derivations in the ES920 and CA59. Pure speculation of course. But this new touch screen interface is relatively new and its software is just not there.
I think Kawai has already regretted choosing this crooked path with all-screen controls more than once. Yamaha's solution looks much more elegant and thoughtful.
For me, the best solution Kawai had was this: But then they decided that shoving a semblance of a smartphone on a laggy Android shell into the dashboard was the better solution.
May I ask if you can provide a little more background information, please?
Hi James. I just turned on the piano and started playing. Maybe it has something to do with using the piano in a very specific way during boot-up. I really don't know.
Originally Posted by Pachi
@discy That's pretty unacceptable to me. I hope no one gaslights you into thinking that is tolerable for such an expensive instrument (b/c your problems with your piano should not be discounted, even if someone else's tolerance level is lower or different as to what they deem acceptable or not). I wonder if you can just do a factory reset.
Thanks. I literally tried everything already and now this issue popped up. It will actually be replaced in a couple of months by one from another vendor (it doesn't matter which one). I view this is an investment for many years and all this fussing around has made me too nervous for when the warranty is expired . So good for me, I guess.
@discy Does it happen every time or just sometimes? What firmware versions are you running?
Just sometimes. LCD 1.0.6 Firmware V2.08
I cannot upgrade because it will not load the SK-EX rendering type on boot after the upgrade which has been ignored until now.
Though this still doesn't mean that this issue will be solved with the latest update. It also means that everyone on these versions could encounter this issue.
So getting back to where it all started. Stuff needs to be extensively tested before release. We are talking about a €4000 piano from a reputable company and not some badly managed $10 app in the app-sore.
Mine also does this! I can't start playing until the screen has fully loaded otherwise I get what you are having with the endless screen loading that I can only fix by restarting the piano.
And yes the screen also flickers as it goes to fade to off as I play.
Also my custom presets never load in and I always have to go to favourites tab to activate it after booting up.
I am also on v6.
I don't want to upgrade it as I'll need to painstakingly dial in all my presets again.
On another note, Can anyone confirm a low buzzing sound from the left side speakers while the piano is switched on? This is not a hiss it is an electrical buzz. My repairman tried to insist this is normal sound but I'm still not convinced I should be able to hear it sitting at the piano. He said this noise should come from left and right speakers but I only hear it in the left side. He changed the left speaker and I still hear it.
Camera does not pick it up as the hissing drowns it out if I place phone over speaker.
There are no electrical objects causing interference before anyone asks.
The sound is not dissimilar to this but it is fairly quiet. Sit two meters away from the piano and I don't hear it, but within one meter it becomes quite obvious.
@Zanoni How do I install silicone washers to the ca99? There's no place for me to attach them at the plug in port. The product in the link you sent is round shaped but you are suggesting I use these for a square shaped transformer adapter? Do I cut a square shape into the washer and then stick it on so it acts as a cosy for the plugged in adapter? Apologies I just don't understand what it is you are suggesting.
@Zanoni How do I install silicone washers to the ca99? There's no place for me to attach them at the plug in port. The product in the link you sent is round shaped but you are suggesting I use these for a square shaped transformer adapter? Do I cut a square shape into the washer and then stick it on so it acts as a cosy for the plugged in adapter? Apologies I just don't understand what it is you are suggesting.
My suggestion about using silicone washers, is only meant to reduce the humming noise, that's often produced by electricity transformers. In this case the device that's standing on the bottom plate inside your piano. Placing silicone washers under the screws that fix the transformer on the bottom plate of your piano, results often in completely eliminating that humming noise. Do you understand now what I mean? Hope so.
Yamaha AvantGrand N2. Sennheiser HD 598 SE - Sennheiser IE 80.
Ah now I understand what I'm looking at. So it's possibly the metal screws on the transformer plate conducting some kind of current with the transformer adapter and unscrewing the plate screws then placing the washers on and screwing them back on might fix it?
The sound is definitely not coming from this region though so I honestly don't think it is the culprit but thanks anyway for the suggestion.
If you listen carefully you will hear the humming sound, I would really appreciate it if someone can tell me if their ca99 makes this noise as Kawai is not going to do anything to fix this insisting it is normal operation.
Mine also does this! I can't start playing until the screen has fully loaded otherwise I get what you are having with the endless screen loading that I can only fix by restarting the piano.
The touchpanel communicates with the main CPU board at startup. It seems that if the instrument is played during startup (especially pressing/releasing the damper or soft pedal) the situation shown in discy's video can sometimes occur.
Originally Posted by discy
Also my custom presets never load in and I always have to go to favourites tab to activate it after booting up.
Turning "Undisclosed Desires" by Muse up past medium volume had the piano's sound system run into its limits HARD.
Oh well - I already have a pair of Canton Karat 20 hooked up to an Onkyo A-8840 in that room. They're all around my age, but they easily cover all reasonable and most unreasonable music listening wishes in an apartment. My main sound system is Canton CT 800 with a Yamaha A-S301. I'm pretty sure that running into the limits of that system will also lead to my neighbors calling the police.
Turning "Undisclosed Desires" by Muse up past medium volume had the piano's sound system run into its limits HARD.
Can you clarify what you mean, please?
"Medium volume" refers to the piano's Master Volume fader? What about the Bluetooth input level (Menu), or the output volume from the connected device?
"Medium volume" refers to the piano's Master Volume fader? What about the Bluetooth input level (Menu), or the output volume from the connected device?
Summing up, I think... - master volume (on the right side of the piano) was around 80% - bluetooth input level 50% (unchanged) - output volume on input device (iPhone) was what I was changing
Up to around 50% on the input volume was fine, anything beyond around 70% distorted enough that even a relatively inexperienced listener like myself could not possibly miss it.
Audio level... at 50% you'd still be able to talk to each other, 70% requires raising voices to be heard, I guess? So it got around to room-filling, but not house-party loud. These are very subjective measurements, obviously.
I'm assuming that there's nothing wrong with the audio output, I just tried to use it for something it's not designed to handle. Even the deepest strings on a piano don't need to move nearly as much air as the base&drum at the intro of undisclosed desires.
I merely got curious after remembering that the capability exists and it's advertised as 2x50W (whatever that actually means), so I wanted to see what it can do.