Are Boston Pianos Really Just Kawai Pianos?

[@Th_RealDirtyDan]

Call me crazy but I prefer Boston over Steinway... might be a model to model basis but the Boston is still my favorite piano

[@Zoco101]

In the Merriam Pianos comparitive review I preferred the Boston, but I didn't in this review. In the Merriam they are both 5'11 I think. Actually, the bass notes on this little Boston here sounded a bit off. Out of tune?

[@DoubleplusUngoodthinkful]

I feel the same way. Although I like the Kawai better than the Boston. It just seems slightly warmer to me, and I like warm over bright.

[@ec3725]

@@DoubleplusUngoodthinkful 1

[@originalstarwalker21]

@@ec3725 2

[@2Hearts3]

To my ear, the Boston sounds like a practice room upright (maybe a Hamilton!) compared to the more rounded, warm tone of Kawai. Thanks for posting this side-by-side comparison.

[@Cognazzo95]

I think it's equally important to consider the environment these pianos are being recorded in. They will sound different in a carpeted room in comparison to a room with vinyl or hardwood floors or a room with a vaulted ceiling in comparison to a flat one.

[@DoubleplusUngoodthinkful]

Glad to see you making sure you don't get the piano sick.

[@Er-sv5tn]

Exactly

[@kevintran1070]

The Kawai sounds so beautifully!

[@benjaminsmith2287]

The Boston 163 should be compared to the Kawai GL30. It's closer in size. This comparison favors Kawai. I personally Kawai better but I think the pianos should be as similar in size as possible. Also, Boston competes with the Kawai GX line, the conservatory line, not so much Kawai's entry-level grand GL line. Bostons aren't inexpensive when you get to 5 foot 11 inches and above. Essex is the more affordable "Steinway" line.

[@todd-leepatterson8077]

It’s a Kawai. Haha. Designed by Steinway, built by Kawai.

[@historyfan0651]

Yeah. Also, you seem to be on every piano video by the piano forever or any other piano related video, and I always see you on piano related quora’s. You are everywhere!

[@kylemiller3386]

In my last year of university, they replaced all of the practice room pianos with Bostons. In my experience, the actions all felt very stiff and heavy. It made it difficult to achieve subtlety, and every practice session was a workout. The Boston did have a lovely sound overall (very rich tone), but personally, I prefer the kawai. The Boston sounds a little too mellow for my taste, while the kawai has a beautiful clean and bright color

[@todd-leepatterson8077]

Kawai isn’t going to put the same amount of work In the Boston as they would their own line.

[@ScaramouchedaVinci]

I had 2 Boston grand pianos. At the beginning it wasn't so good, also stiff, but after tuning and great voicing it became fantastic. So there's still a lot of room for improvement at Boston.

[@Johinnaoji]

It's a difficult comparison. The Boston doesn't sound like it was tuned, thus losing some tonal clarity. And the GL-30 cost about 5k more than the GP-156.

[@philosophiaentis5612]

Both sounds out of tune to my ears.

[@tueseinfach896]

In Germany it is the other way around, there the Boston costs 5k more than the Kawai.

[@keithcloyd6097]

Personal, I don't think you chose the best music to evaluate the sounds of both pianos. Something classical that covers the entire range of the piano.

[@eddiehuss5707]

The Kawai had a nicer sound, more of a "round" sound, or bell like. I would like the nice action as well, since that is very important . I have an old Steinway that has a good action, with , nice repetition. Although it is not the accelerated action that Steinway built starting the late 1930s, it is still nice. I would like to play the Kawai someday. I also play a 1970s Mason and Hamlin, 5'4" (?) that has a dull sound and the action is not as responsive as Steinway. The Mason and Hamlin pedal sits higher off the floor which makes it uncomfortable to play.

[@seandoherty925]

I like the sound of the Boston. I think it has similarities to the familiar Steinway sound which appeal. Having listened to both here however, the Kawai sounds really nice. I think after a little more exposure I would be hooked and it definitely offers a better price/value proposition. Thanks for the comparison!

[@tuanpiano]

That is a marketting branch, Boston is onother way to use branch STAINWAY & SONS to earn more money :)

[@bassface84]

demo starts @8:17

[@alissonrose97]

Thanks

[@theroninpianist4443]

To me it sounds like in the Kawai it is easier to get the pianissimo sound than the Boston and on the Boston it would be easier to get a fortissimo.

[@Genevieve8002]

I know little about either model. I’m an adult piano learner, started my journey nearly 17 months ago. To me, the Kawaii has a much more balanced sound, especially when you’re playing the bass notes with middle range melodies on top - the Kawaii sound, literally cuddles me!!Yep, Kawaii for me!!

[@frederickchao]

I was surprised how much more I liked the Kawai over the Boston. The tone of the Kawai was beautiful and the Boston was thin. It could be the few more inches of length that made the difference. I see that the Kawaii GL-30 is about $5,000 more expensive than the Boston GP156.

[@ZeldaZelda-RichesToRags]

I love my Boston 178... but I'm new to playing, learning how to play... people who come here from my church tell me they think my Boston is much better than the church's 10 ft Steinway they said the Steinway at church plays like a truck and they hate it so they like mine the way mine plays and sounds better so I don't know...I had a QRS player system added, plus a stop rail is being added soon..I love having the QRS player system and the added "strings" make it sound incredible...plus I can record anything that one can play...then add to it making 4 hands...I was practicing 3 to 4 hours per day but a failed spinal fusion causes too much pain to sit for more than 30 mins...I'm very sad about this.

[@ecoRfan]

Boston definitely brighter sounding.

[@viphomeconcerts]

@@ZeldaZelda-RichesToRags , I bought a gp178 too and really love the quality for the price. It is about as small a piano as you can have and still have a decent bass sound. My only complaint is the action is a little heavy, but the upside is It is very consistent and even. Very durable piano with good volume and size economy. I hope you will be able to get back to playing soon.

[@EntertainmentWithHimal]

@@ZeldaZelda-RichesToRags aww I hope you're okay now ❤️

[@delanobersan7344]

@@viphomeconcertsIt still heavy? They need some time, maybe years, to roll smoothie

[@noone-uw6ui]

its more than a feeling

[@JoeLinux2000]

My opinion is the Boston is the lesser of the two. Boston is built by Kawai, but the design is substandard. It's not a Steinway either.

[@ruperttmls7985]

Its a cheat… the same with Essex-Pianos, made by Pearl River but Steinway prices 🙄🙄

[@brentwitten3237]

@@ruperttmls7985 The Essex 5' grand is approximately $40,000 cheaper than a Steinway 5'1 model. How is that a Steinway price? Every major company has had second line offerings that the average buyer could afford. They're not cheating anyone as long as the salesman is up front about who are where they are manufactured.

[@Petro00D]

Is Boston the equivalent to the Kawai GL series or the GX series?

[@matyi63]

Good question would like to know too

[@stevesmith1493]

Playing starts at 8:20

[@ian757]

The Boston was so out of tune in the bass that it sounded almost like a Honky Tonk piano! Not able to make any assessment because of that. Please redo this but with properly tuned pianos and maybe a closer size match.

[@LucieGrandPiano]

Please the Name of the song a-t-il 12:43….it seems Dustin O’Halloran…

[@echochambers777]

Thanks for the review. Both pianos sounds great to me. At some parts the Kawai is better. Sometimes the Boston is. Maybe slight edge to Kawai overall. That said, for the future it seems a better comparison would be to focus on similar sized grands - say the Boston GP 163 (5'"4) vs the Kawai GL 30 (5'"5), not where they're made. This is key for Boston, because it's selling feature is that their grands sound bigger / richer in size due to the tail design. By going with the smallest Boston in this case, you're taking that so-called advantage over a similar sized Kawai (in this case) out of the comparison. Not necessarily fair in my view. Also, can you do the comparisons in the exact same location / room setup to negate any room acoustic difference (I realize that's not always possible). That said, keep up the good reviews and discussions. Very informative.

[@marcusvaldes]

Nice job with the recording of the audio samples. They both sound satisfactory to me. I'd likely buy the Kawai as it isn't a marketing ploy like the Boston is.

[@tuanpiano]

The Kawai win!

[@smuggyduggy3170]

I bought a Boston...very unsatisfied.Sold it after 3 months.Its unfortunate that Steinway has put there name on an inferior product to their own building standards. You must ask yourself , why wouldn't Steinway just build these in their own factory in New York ? Notice the comments section are turned "off" on the official Boston / Steinway site ..hmmm

[@EP-77o]

This is why you need to play a piano before you drop tens of thousands on it. 💡

[@YoToddYo]

So how much do they cost?

[@kaygnp]

The Kawai sounds nice from the bottom key to the highest... All sound more ballanced

[@TanjaStoyan]

Thanks for the video. I always find the Kawai sound "phumpy" and flat when compared to the Steinway sound. Steinway sounds much more open and exansive to me. I own an Essex piano, and contemplating to upgrading to a Boston at some point in the future. Steinway gives the option to upgrade within the line by trading in the piano of lesser value for full price!

[@PassionPno]

Essex is shit. Lmao.

[@gustavopaulette3496]

Shame on you for having a cheap Essex

[@ApostolosK06]

@@gustavopaulette3496 lolz

[@clydebermingham121]

I guess maybe is it like asking is there a difference between a Bösendorfer & a Yamaha ? Since Yamaha purchased the Bosendorfer company? 🙏🏽

[@benjaminsmith2287]

It's different. Yamahas are built by Yamaha in Japan or Indonesia. Bosendorfers are built by Bosendorfer in Austria. Bosendorfers aren't built by Yamaha. There are some Bosendorfer strings in a European Yamaha upright, but mostly they use different parts. Steinway designs the Boston but Kawai builds them.

[@juniorlucio]

Not totally true. Bosendorfers are designed to have a powerful and rich sound. Yamahas have a crystal and bright sound. Despite Yamaha owns Bosendorfer, they are still having totally different built process, which maintains that sound difference i just mentioned.

[@benjaminsmith2287]

@@juniorlucio Yamahas are taking on more of Bosendorfer sound characteristics now. Whether or not it is due to them examining Bosendorfer pianos and owning the company or not, Yamaha's sound palette transformed with the CFX and that trickled down to the CX and influenced the SX pianos as well. But, yes, I agree. The two are mostly separate and Bosendorfer builds their own pianos and Yamaha their own.

[@pianoplayer56723]

Having played both, a Kawai is a better purchase.

[@lee200012]

what is the name of the piece 17:13 ?

[@LucieGrandPiano]

I would like to Know…..is it Dustin O’Halloran’s piece…..which One please?

[@Puran.]

Hey, did you find that song? I’m also looking for it."​@@LucieGrandPiano

[@LucieGrandPiano]

@@Puran. no body responded me…sorry

[@ramonrivera7888]

Thank you for the review!! Boston pianos sound very nice!!! 👍👍

[@parkthoven]

Well, it'd be interesting if we try blind test the two~~:)

[@ivorystroker]

NO ...Bostons are NOT Kawai pianos ! I bought(6 months ago) an upright 118s from the original buyer, who bought it new in 2007.He was an older gentleman who never learned to play it. I owned a 1996 Kawai upright previously ...in my opinion , my 2007 118s , so far, does not seem very stable as far as maintaining tuning stability. I'm going to give it another 6 months with further tunings . The piano has a dampchaser and is in a stable environment , well insulated home, on an inside wall.I did find out my 118s is made in Indonesia, my 1996 Kawai was made in Japan. All things considered, Boston claims both factories produce pianos with the same specs, materials and quality.Lastly , I realize we are not dealing with their grand piano level price point, but this 118s sold for $7000 in 2007 so at that price point it should perform. The general appearance of the 118s is beautiful , still in like new condition,the action is very good , the voicing is rather impressive..I so much am hoping the piano will mechaniclly match its appearance ,but like I said , I'll give it another season or so and if it does not submit...she's out the door... I'll report back in 6-12 months

[@trymacslover911]

bought a 126 today :)

[@jen43072]

How did this turn out? Did you keep the piano?

[@delanobersan7344]

A never played piano is worst than a played everyday.

[@mt-nv4jd]

"Just a Kawai." Well, I for one would be pleased to own one.

[@todd-leepatterson8077]

Designed by Steinway, built by Kawai. The Boston’s are made at Kawai. Im a former piano salesman, this is the fact of the matter. So, there’s that. He said that, and it is the truth.

[@tnmtemerity]

I’d love to know what Steinway patients are used in the Boston.

[@FIFIx30]

Despite steinways, I played both boston and essex at their salon. Not only by sound, but also touch those two weren't even close enough. Though, I haven't got comparison side by side to yamaha cx3, I think boston (compared length) would fail with big margin. (Remember I was disgusted by essex but boston was just "meh", and I know steinways were around but...).

[@HorseFromHell]

I can tell a lot of the people watching this video have no idea when it comes to Piano. You need to play it to hear what it sounds like, not listen on your iPhone….

[@pastorwaltercross3891]

Very helpful thank you

[@steveparaczky4374]

I own a Boston.I’ve noticed that new Bostons have a very hard sound. My piano is voiced down so not to sound too harsh. I have it tuned every three weeks….sounds like alot but it’s always in tune. The piano in the video sounded like fingernails on a blackboard while the Kawai was more in tune and voiced much better. You really need to redo this video. If I was just looking now I’d pick the Kawai hands down ….not a true comparison.

[@philosophicallyspeaking6463]

How much voicing have they received, and was that voicing towards or away from the brand? There is...insufficient music here to 'challenge' either instrument I'm afraid. It's hard to judge the relative registers of each instrument if you don't demand the complexity of resonances that cause and reveal the success of failure of each instrument's scale, otherwise a music box will as well amplify single tones distanced from one another 'intervallicly'. As they are, the Boston sounds like a capable American piano, while the Kawai sounds like a 'better' European piano. If you like Baldwin, Mason & Hamilin and New York Steinway you'll likely gravitate towards the Boston, but if you like Bosendorfer, Schimmel, or Bechstein, you'll likely find similar roots in the Kawai.

[@dslape86]

Name of the song at 12:07?

[@loubody3723]

The Kawai has a fuller, richer sound than does the Boston. For my money, and my home, there is nothing finer than my K. Kawai. It has the best action of any piano I’ve ever played. I wouldn’t trade it for 2 Boston’s or 2 Yamaha’s for that matter.

[@clydebermingham121]

Really ? Thanks for sharing that testimony 🙏🏽💥👍🏾. I’ll have to make personally comparison. 🙏🏽

[@vickiehorowitz1934]

I'm.with you there. I enjoy aging a y of Kawai's pianos with that amazing. Illegal immigrants action. I was "meh" about it until I aged several over the weekend d - an SK 2 Shigeru, gx-2 and even one from the gl line. Yeah, the Shigeru was AMAZING, but all had that same incredible action

[@cabotcat1]

The Kawai sounds sooooo much better.

[@irinaprimakova448]

Definitely, Boston for me. The sound is much brighter, more alive. I guess, I am old school, prefer the real wood.

[@drfisheye]

Both use wood for everything that makes the sound. The action doesn't make a sound and you don't want it to change by temperature and moisture, so a carbon fiber action makes sense. Like the tuning pins aren't made of wood either.

[@amlecciones]

Pianos are so expensive! And beautiful.

[@ruperttmls7985]

Made by Kawai… but Steinway high prices 🤣🤣🤣

[@mohammedrokaya1625]

The Boston sounds a little heavier/darker The Kawai sounds a little brighter Edit: i rewatched and i can't see the difference anymore Wtf?!

[@elmerwilliamson1970]

Kawai wins by a landslide! When I bought my new Kawai RX 3 I tried out Boston 178. Kawai sounded better, was far less money. Kawai dealer put it in perspective: Everyone knows Kawai makes Boston. Why would they manufacture a stencil branded piano that played and sounded better than their namesake brand?

[@mroaquin]

Because.. money?

[@KevinR3i]

You do not compare Kawais GX or RX model with Boston. Those pianos are a factory-machine build of the handcrafted Shigeru Kawai. That it can be voiced by Kawai Piano Artisan to sound like Shigeru. Therefore it's competition is Steinway & Sons.

[@SuperMarioQueens]

Why costco branded AA batteries win against other batteries (consumer reports) and is made by Duracell. Same with thousands other products. Your salesman was wrong

[@qwincyq6412]

The Boston has a metallic edge to the sound. The Kawai is far richer and warmer especially in the middle and upper registers. Boston sounds nothing like a Steinway, even a poor man’s Steinway. As a bonus the Kawai has the carbon fibre action. Buy the real Kawai, not something built for the competition.

[@alfredogomezluna9368]

Definetly Kawai has a better sound. Loved it

[@Ray_Yang182]

Here is the Essex recorded with an iPhone kzbin.info/www/bejne/kHuYhYqraN6Zh9U

[@delanobersan7344]

The Boston Grand are made in Kawai JAPAN, not Indonesia.

[@markmusic8276]

Am buy a kawai n 506 just wanted to know if am making a good decision ?

[@sirmaxwellvonfleckenstein5376]

Kawai had a better tone, but it is 10 more cm in length. Also not a fan of the close micing - there is no bloom in the piano recordings.

[@zzp1]

One can design a Guarneri, using the parameters of the master. That will, however, not say that the created instrument will sound the same. It is all a matter of materials and craftmanship!

[@MarkCooper-z4k]

Tough to compare two pianos when neither is in tune. The Boston particularly so.

[@mroaquin]

People forget that a good technician can voice a piano up or down according to your taste.

[@nikbuckingham1132]

that doesn't make sense

[@mroaquin]

@@nikbuckingham1132 voicing the hammers to adjust the tone? Mellow vs. Bright?

[@frederickchao]

@@nikbuckingham1132 Mark is correct. A technician can do many things to voice a piano. My technician works on the hammers when he tunes my piano to achieve just the right tone on each note. A top level technician can also regulate the touch of the piano to make the action heavier or lighter to the player's taste. Having said that, there are still qualities that make one piano different from others.

[@nikbuckingham1132]

Like the Kawai sound. The Boston sounds like an old timey saloon piano.

[@michelprimeau4531]

So there is Essex (China), Boston (Indonesia/Japan) and Steinway (Germany/USA). So budget wise, Boston might be the best choice if I really really really want to boast that I'm part of the Steinway family...

[@jisyang8781]

No sane business will manufacture superior products for its competitor.

[@stevenreed5786]

Good point. I wonder if Kawai's marketing research determined that Steinway type buyers would not consider a Kawai.

[@ronartest7748]

boston is a boombox in a cabinet

[@stevenbeer6005]

No comparison, kawai so much richer sound!

[@anrianri1205]

I have Boston and i have kawai I prefer kawai

[@juniorlucio]

Kawai has an extreme crystal and clear sound. Specially in the high notes. Im not saying Bostons are bad, because they're really not, but it is perfect clear that Kawai is much superior.

[@GonzoTheRosarian]

Kawai for me.

[@grzegorztomasiak]

KAWAI FTW!

[@benedictdsilva3954]

Sadly both are average... Generally Boston sounds better...but this particular piece is not good...and GL 30 is not the to be compared...it should be GX 1 at least..GL is the lower series..( ofcourse Shigeru Kawai is higher up )

[@benjaminsmith2287]

I agree. GX1 to GP-163 should be the comparison.

[@MadisonTen]

Both sound slightly out of tune in the lower registers. Possibly emphasised by the microphones. So impossible to choose.

[@call_me_rushy]

Me who has no idea what either of those Ok

[@donkgated8074]

Answer: no. They're WORSE than Kawai. Steinway doesn't care about Bostons as long as they make money and Kawai can't be bothered making them properly.

[@bikedawg]

The Kawai sounds nasally.

[@saufiwahid2506]

To my ear Boston more on bright sound and Kawai more on mellow sound

[@robertbangkok]

It's impossible to judge when the Boston was so painfully out of tune. Unlistenable. And the bass note on the Kawai - same issue.

[@tzyijiang9884]

It is pronounced Ka-wa-i, similar to Hawaii.

[@PassionPno]

That's what you think because you're pronouncing Hawai'i wrong.

[@nowkentapplegate5315]

The Boston was out of tune so it was hard to hear its voice.

[@pianospectra]

Yea this some dumb composition repeated over and over. Dynamic range? Really need some work on your touch if you want to showcase different pianos.

[@Ted655687653]

I agree. I couldn't even listen to the pianos because the performance is such a challenge to appreciate.

[@williammason7100]

Boston has wooden parts. Kawaii has plastic parts.

[@drfisheye]

Expensive sports cars use carbon fiber because it's much stiffer and stable than wood. And you want stability in the action parts of a piano. Which is why Kawai uses carbon fiber.

[@Er-sv5tn]

Why are you wearing a mask while playing the piano?

[@philosophiaentis5612]

Isn’t those pianos out of tune?

[@myboibill]

Not a fan of either. They lack depth and sound cheap.

[@TheDrakulie]

Kawai has better tone and depth

[@williammason7100]

Boston has a much better tone. Kawaii is to high toned.