🎹Kawai ES8 Digital Piano Review & Demo - RHIII Action, Harmonic Imaging, USB Audio🎹

[@Carefreeblues]

Seriously, you need more subs. You are easily one of, if not the best keyboard reviewer on KZbin right now.

[@JoeLinux2000]

I certainly agree with that.

[@DavidJohnson-vp3zp]

Should check out the facility in Oakville it is BEAUTIFUL.

[@stephenmarien3495]

He’s by far the best reviewer of pianos and boards

[@LlamaOutOfTheSheep]

Omg this guy’s reviews are fire. Definitely I trust his opinion the most.

[@GuyMannDudeTheOnly]

Just bought The ES8 because of the reviews from Stu ,,,,,, OMG I love the action on it !! I needed a keyboard with just some good acoustic piano sounds and great action....I feel I got it ..It's brand new to me so it will be time to get into the other things it offers...Thank you Stu !

[@shrinkdad01]

Great review - this guy is the best piano reviewer I've seen on KZbin. Thanks for another awesome look at Kawai

[@life-is-inspiring3953]

I love my Kawai ES8; I have a Rhodes MII 1980 and I have to say that ES 8 has a really Rhodes sound

[@CC-gt3ro]

Life-is-Inspiring i love it too. I have it for more than 3 years with the beautiful stand. I love my es8 too

[@mupbelchen010701]

Hello, Stu, I played the Roland FP30 until a few days ago and I'm playing on a Kawai ES8. I've probably seen a hundred videos where different pianos were played. After I saw your videos where you compared the ES8 to the FP-90 and the P515, I decided to ES8. I'm so happy about my decision! The ES8 is better for worlds than the FP30!!! It is also much more expensive, but if I had known before how much better the ES8 is, I would have bought it! thank you for your great work. I appreciate your advice and your professional work. And thank you for your personal tips about the piano with the most natural piano sound!

[@NuanDaa]

Fp-90 more realistic action.

[@mupbelchen010701]

Nord Stage I think that is a rumor! The best digital piano keyboard in my opinion has the Kawai MP11SE. The keyboard of the ES8 is a little less good, but I still find better than Roland's keyboard.

[@rfichokeofdestiny]

Roland Greykowski What did you think of the P515? I haven’t been able to play a Kawai yet, but I tried the Yamaha and it wasn’t bad.

[@mupbelchen010701]

Hallo Jason Clouse, I find the P515 very good in the E-Piano Sounds! I find the piano sounds more natural in the Kawai ES8. I find it somewhat artificial at Yamaha, although the Boesendorfer sound is really reproduced very well! The keyboard is a bit heavier than Kawai's, but also very good! I think it's taste which piano you prefer to like in this case! I prefer the Kawai sound!

[@ferdearmas8732]

@@mupbelchen010701 Hi friend, how much better (faster, reliable and confortable) is Kawai ES8 key action than the Roland FP90 and Yamaha P515 key action?... Thanks!.

[@bhaveshmistry3255]

Fabulous demo product sounds really amazing specially SK piano sound. I love your playing you covered all the details of an instrument. Thanks!

[@JoeLinux2000]

I finally took the plunge and ordered a Kawai ES-920 directly from Kawai. It's on preorder. Supposedly the ES-920 is an updated version of the ES-8. RIght after I ordered Modartt announced the release of Pianoteq 7. I was looking for a better action than the Casio PX-150 and an all in one protable piano that hopefully won't require the use of a computer and extra speakers, although I absolutely love the sound of the Pianoteq Pro voices.

[@geoffa9271]

I always enjoy your reviews... so helpful. Thank you!!!

[@bvino-rosso1913]

you really should use a more stable stand the ES 8 wobbles like sh*t

[@martinfido2161]

6:03 that nasty beating sound is 12 tone equal temperament. One of the great features of this piano is that it supports custom temperaments. Stu it would be great if you did a video about this, compare e.g. Werckmeister, Young, Bradley Lehman's Bach Temperament etc. I'm interested in buying one of these, but there aren't many in stores. Do you know if an ES9 is coming?

[@radiradev2387]

Great videos! Keep up the good work Stu!

[@ricdiclemente6616]

I myself believe You can’t compete with a real organ or a real synth some companies allow you to go online and select your sound needs As we all have different desire all said Kawai acoustic action & sound quality is paramount.

[@JDOsterman]

Hey, nice review, all your vids, really. I got the ES8 a little after it came out, not expecting a super lot given the price and form factor. But I knew it would be somewhat of a sound/action upgrade while I wait a while longer for the higher end digitals to evolve a little more. But what I got in terms of sound and RHIII action blew me away when I first played it. That full SK concert converted me to a diehard Kawai believer. And as I've learned how to tweak the settings, the experience has only continued to improve with time. Admittedly I came up with my own combo of internal/external speakers and Sony MDR-V6 headphones (all at once :-). But with that sound output, action, and voice --- all I'm missing is the cabinet aesthetics; and for the time being, I can live without that. It still amazes me how much piano I got for so little cost. Got to stop in your place - wish I had known of you guys when I was in Toronto recently LOL :)

[@staceycarras3815]

Great vid, can you control the rate and depth of the autopan ? and set it as a registration ?

[@MerriamPianos]

Thank you kindly! To be honest, I am not entirely sure off the top of my head and, unfortunately, given that this model has been discontinued, I am not able to test it out to verify. Perhaps, one of our helpful ES8 users from the community here can chime in and help out.

[@staceycarras3815]

@@MerriamPianos All good thanks for the reply, keep up the good work, love your reviews and insights

[@prolixsicklicks]

Just discovered this channel not long ago and as a fellow musician, it's lovely to see the instruments getting demo'ed by a cat who can really play (which is more than I can say for most other even professional reviews)! I really like the format of your breakdown also.

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks prolix. , I appreciate the comment! Glad you're digging the vids, and I hope you'll check more out in the future. All the best and Happy New Year! -stu

[@tenonakin9237]

Meow, meow!

[@SeaDrive300]

Looking forward to your reviews of the recently-introduced replacement for the ES-8, the ES-920, as well as the new ES-520. Thanks in advance, Stu. You are the best piano reviewer on KZbin, no doubt about it!

[@JoeLinux2000]

Look at the stand wobbling all over the place. You need to build yourself and EBCO saw horse stand that is rock solid stable.

[@CC-gt3ro]

Internet Privacy Advocate kawai has a beutiful stand for the es8, with the 3 pedals lyre. I bought it it is beautiful in my living room.

[@instrumentalmusic5744]

I dreamed for this dig. Piano.. ❤️🙏😊

[@ColocasiaCorm]

typical speaker sensitivity is 80-90db/W/m. so at 1 watt, it can hit listening/practice level. 60W is not 60X as loud, as hearing is logarithmic, but 30W should be more than enough to practice with.

[@PianoScoreVids]

For the price the ES8 is a good instrument. I made a couple hundred videos with it - however, for everything which needs more control than your usual Beethoven or Chopin piece, say pppp in an impressionistic piece or extreme speed like an Alkan etude or loud Russian avantgarde, it was not enough for me. The sound also is good, but giving a concert in a larger room with full volume revealed a digital and narrow sound. The bass, for the size, is impressive though. Also, having a CA 98 , the upgrade seems not really worth it (in my opinion!). The sound is still digital and mid-y and not clear sounding, the action is a bit better though. But still, it feels very buttery and just uncomfortable for more demanding pieces. Finally, the sound might be considered good, but it is really not comparable to something like Noire, the new NI library, or the famous Garritan CFX ... biiiiig difference even to just the Lite version. It sounds so much better really. Regarding using it as USB controller, i couldn't make a difference between these two instruments. My next instrument will probably be a hybrid upright. Even the NV10 immediately sounded digital and 'fake' when just playing a bit on it.

[@ferdearmas8732]

Hi Stu, great review as usual for Merriam Music, please, what do you think of this instrument compared to the Roland FP90 and FP10?. Which has the best key action that feels deluxe quality and the best finger to sound connection and of course the best sound engine too?..., i`m looking for the faster, more balanced and expressive, robust and more reliable key action for highest level of complex classical and jazz passages!. Thanks!...

[@MerriamPianos]

For sure the FP10 is left in the dust with that match up. The action isn't as refined or accurate as the FP90 or ES8, and definitely there's a big gap on features, speaker power and quality, and sophistication of the tone engine. On the ES8 Vs. FP90, I'd suggest checking out the review/comparison we've done on that, coming out within the next week or so. It's very personal in terms of preferences when you get to this quality level, but for classical and intricate passages, I find the Kawai to be a far more forgiving and intuitive action to play on vs the FP90. And I say this having spend literally THOUSANDS of hours on that FP90 action (I gig several times a week on the RD2000, which uses the same action). For what you're describing, I think the RH3 action on the Kawai is going to be a better fit for you. IMHO :) . -Stu

[@ferdearmas8732]

Thanks for your helpful answer Stu!..., I understand that the Kawai RH3 key action is the best in that regard, because is faster than the Roland PHA50, the Kawai wooden key actions, Yamaha wooden keys and even faster than acoustic pianos keys..., but many people looking for a more versatile key action for playing non piano sounds too, prefers the older RH2 key action a bit more, cause it is faster and lighter than the RH3 for hammond and synth sounds, is your case too?, and are you agree my friend?...

[@MerriamPianos]

@@ferdearmas8732 Yes for sure - it's a tough balance for a manufacturer to strike - something that feels natural with the non-piano sounds like organ or clav, and something that's still really satisfying for piano stuff. In my mind the RH3 strikes that balance better than the RH2 did, because I found the RH2 to be TOO light and almost 'loose' for me to enjoy serious piano playing....although yes, the organ or rhodes / clav stuff was maybe closer to what you'd normally expect from those other instruments. Such personal preferences with all of this stuff of course - but for me the RH3 was a better blend of all of my needs.

[@ferdearmas8732]

Ok Stu, i understand..., so, is for you PHA-50 and PHA-4 (Standard and Concert), more like RH2 or RH3?, How much faster is RH2 than RH3 and Roland key actions?... Thanks!...

[@holgerwinkelmann6219]

Hi Stu, fabulous review, many thanks for that, guided us through a decision process to bring more music to our house. as we go for purchasing now, have you already the ES520 ES920 in the review pipeline?

[@MerriamPianos]

As soon as I can get my hands on an ES520 and ES920 I will DEFINITELY be reviewing it. We have them on order, just patiently waiting for them to arrive :)

[@holgerwinkelmann6219]

@@MerriamPianos HI Stu, as the ES920 will be hopefully at least on the ES8 Level I quickly decided to order. So we should have some hands on at the weekend. The small little problem...We have not your fingers our hands... and they are just start training...

[@keithcitizen4855]

I'm told by two Sydney piano shops the ES 8 is now an old model , probably for the last month - also it seems there is no mention whether a replacement model will be coming out -

[@fje042]

Would love to see a mp7se review! Not much of it online, do you know why its getting less attention then its competitores?

[@soanonso]

Do you plan to do a video for the ES920? I'd love to learn how it differs from the ES8, particularly since it's (somehow) much lighter. I'm wondering if the speaker/sound was compromised in making it lighter.

[@PianoUniverse]

Are we hearing the units speakers or are these add on speakers?

[@jonathansanchezmedina]

When will you do review yamaha series 700?

[@MashuriPutra98]

Can it also function to be a midi controller? Because there is an usb connect...

[@photonspark]

Love your channel :) I see the keys bounce when released, is that an issue for fast playing?

[@CC-gt3ro]

photonspark no. But i don’t play fast. And if you look very precisely the real piano they have also a double bounce, maybe not as pronounced, but it is here, i have seen it on the yamaha cfx and steinway At 200k. Also the let of simulation in the es8 is more closer than any other portable piano.

[@Pe6ek]

I've heard that the action is very fast.

[@CC-gt3ro]

Pe6ek it is fantastic to my opinion. Today i watched a video of the shigeru kawai sk-ex concert grand that they used to create the es8. It was a song a know from Chopin, (the pianist) nocturne c# minor 1830. So i was capable to hear the difference. I went into the virtual technician and set it to match as close as the real piano. I changed the voice to mellow2 and changed the resonance to match it. And i can tell you it is incredible but i was able to make it sound nearly the same. My wife said also it was nearly identical. She said it sounds fabulous. And the shigeru kawai sk-ex concert grand cost 225000$ US+ taxes. The es8 is magic and i bought it 3000$ CAN with the stand. I never heard a digital capable to match such a masterpiece, hand made full concert grand. I think the es8 is one of a kind. You can search : Ieva Dudaite nocturne no.20 chopin, she plays on the sk-ex concert grand, what you heard is nearly what you get on the es8.

[@brautigan81]

When the piano's rockin', don't go-a knockin'

[@similuy1180]

whats the difference between the kawai rh3 and the korg rh3? thanks so much

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi there! While the RHIII action from Kawai has been used by other manufacturers (such as Nord), the Korg RH3 action is an entirely different action. It is simply the naming convention that makes them seem connected.

[@danieljshapira4557]

So when can one expect your review on the ES110?

[@MerriamPianos]

It's out! Have a look Daniel, thanks! -stu

[@abz124816]

Hi Stu, excellent review and you have the chops to demonstrate your points. I just ordered an ES8 in addition to an ES7 that I own. Can you please recommend a DAW, (there is a bewildering assortment out there), that I could use to make home recordings using Windows 10 ? I would like to be able to record MIDI as well as audio and I would like it tho have a feature that notates the music, like Apple's Garage Bnd does. I would welcome suggestions from anyone else. Thank you in advance.

[@thisislance]

If you're looking for something free/cheap, Reaper does the job. It has a very extensive user community for tips, tricks, and tutorials (even a big channel on KZbin).

[@CC-gt3ro]

First you should look at the virtual technician app on ipad to customize the sound to match the real sk-ex concert grand. You would see the result is astonishing. You can buy bluetooth midi device. Then you can try to connect with apple or pc midi software. Sonar is capable to record modi device and display the score, and edit the score. But it is not a dedicated score editing tool. There are some professional software dedicated for that. With an apple ipad and cubase you can record the midi from the piano. I tried it with my yamaha arranger, i didn’t try with the kawai es8 but it should work. I will try and write updates.

[@philipbrown2225]

I love how the keyboard wobbles all over the place. ever one of those stands collapse?

[@MerriamPianos]

I am not sure what stand was used for this particular video, but a solid Z-style stand is usually a good bet for a more robust digital piano. :)

[@timhan9264]

Will USB power this If used just as a midi controller?

[@bryanbarajasBB]

There is a touch curve function, from light to heavy.

[@ThorDyrden]

Think what you refer to is the weighted keys - which yes it has. Touch Curve would be a function of the virtual technician, where you could adjust the response of a single key in relation to the speed you press it. That's a function offered in the (even) higher end Kawais.

[@ytpaletot1]

On what type of sound amplifier system (and hp) to have a such nice sound? on which outings ?

[@jeffreyreid6981]

Is the ES 8 better than se 7 or the same in your opinion

[@MerriamPianos]

The ES8 is definitely a step up. SK_EX samples and the RHIII action are pretty big step-ups to me. The overall build-quality, speakers, and functionality is otherwise similar. And particularly with an ES8 purchased in late 2019 or after, with the re-designed sensor strip.

[@jazzvent]

@@MerriamPianos It is my understanding that the MP7SE (not the MP7) has the same RHIII action and the Shigeru piano sample. In addition, they have many other features not available in the ES8. Please verify. Thanks !

[@Memington]

Okay but what IS harmonic imaging?

[@MerriamPianos]

It is just the name that Kawai uses for this particular tone engine. It is a reference to this engine's ability to capture/render the nuanced harmonic content of an acoustic piano sound.

[@tommckeown6970]

Does the key bounce bother you? That was one reason I have been looking at the Yamaha P515. I know it's keys are much heavier, but I have a problem with key bounce on the release. Not sure why it bugs me so much... but.... Comments?

[@KeepingOnTheWatch]

Tom McKeown I don’t remember if I tried the ES8. I have played Kawai’s CA78 and 98 models which have the Grand Feel II action and I found it very bouncy. Didn’t like it.

[@CC-gt3ro]

Tom McKeown look in the cfx yamaha , there is also the double bounce, maybe shorter but it is here. It is also visible on the steinway. I don’t lie i checked myself in a piano shop. Also the let of is really accurate. If you put your phone on the keys you will see that the keys are down so it is close to a real piano. If you try that on the yamaha 515, the key don’t go down, the keys are too heavy. The es8 is the best.

[@CC-gt3ro]

The es8 stand is better suit for this formidable instrument with the 3 pedals lyre. The es8 is the most accurate of portable piano. Try to put your iphone 8 plus on the keys, they go down on the es8 but they don’t on the 515 yamaha ( the only other concurrent that can compete with the sound of the es8) Try it on a real acoustic piano you will see the keys are also going down. The yamaha 515 has not realistic key weight . Also i have seen the double bounce ( maybe not as strong but it is here) on the cfx yamaha and steinway concert grand at 200k+. I don’t lie i have check myself because i was also surprised about the bounce. So the es8 is the most accurate. It is not because the other don’t double bounce that the es8 is wrong. It is the other electronic piano that are wrong. Go to a piano shop and record the keys, even better in slow motion, you will see. Also look at many video of es8, you will see that you can play the most fastest aongs very well on es8. Also you can customize with the virtual technician and an ipad application the sound very precisely, even key per key (none of the reviewers on youtube talked about that), you can make it more mellow, control the touch, the resonance, adjust the pedals, and many more..if you play on the es8, and then go to a real acoustic, i have no issue, so it means a lot. It is very close. And i am more a beginner than intermediate. I have parkinson also so my left hand can be use only for slow bass. It is more limiting for me But i still enjoy a lot the sound of my piano. You cannot get better for the price, and practicality, and quality of sound and keys action.

[@JoeLinux2000]

Who much does it weigh?

[@pradeepplaypiano]

It weighs around 22kgs

[@MiregalForges]

Too much for whatever stand he's using... I don't understand how he even plays this wobbling mess, lol. Gotta take some skill to just ignore that.

[@EpicPianoArrangements]

No offence but I've had 2 of them BUGGER UP on me in 6 months. One of the ES8s stopped working after about 6 months and repeated notes were muted to the point where it was unplayable, and a second one we bought had inconsistencies when playing repeated notes, as if the clarity, and mellowness would change on each repetition despite playing consistent volume. I wouldn't recommend it - 2 buggered in less than a year? Nope.

[@MerriamPianos]

Epic Piano Arrangements can I ask whether both were manufactured prior to fall 2019? As I’ve mentioned in several comments, they redesigned the sensor strip last fall, which remedied the defect you’re referring to. We had a handful of customer like yourself prior to that which had sensor issues, but zero issues since the redesign. Just curious about the timelines of your machines, and whether you’ve got a dealer who can ensure you’ve got fresh stock so you can solve a clearly annoying (and well understood) problem.

[@JitinMisra]

Merriam Music how would you confirm when buying it , it’s manufacturing date?

[@HelloFoxat]

​@@MerriamPianos I am a Kawai ES8 owner that had dead keys / velocity problems with the keyboard caused - I suppose - by the consumption of the contact strips or the graphite elements placed on the contact board. I was able to fix these problems swapping the "old" KKB-040 contact board (the one with the gray contact strips) with the new KKB-044 with *its own* set of blue contact strips (you cannot reuse the gray ones with this board). So the KKB-044 is the part I think you are referring to ("they redesigned the sensor strip last fall"). Here's a picture of the spare part, made by two printed circuit boards: www.synth-parts.com/en/products/chassis-casing-units/big-units/6413/kawai-rh88b-pwb-assy-kkb-044 Hope this information could help other ES8 owners with the same problems.

[@robertmichalscheck3072]

You guys should invest in an “onst-stage”brand keyboard stand,that bouncing keyboard is making me dizzy.

[@MerriamPianos]

Robert Michalscheck Lol...can’t disagree there Robert! We’ll work on it :) -Stu

[@brianbernstein3826]

the ES8 is my favorite keyboard under $2000, and yet I'd never buy one because there are SO many reports of them breaking within the first year. the floor model at my local Sam Ash is even broken! when I say broken, I mean there are 5-10 keys which produce no sound at all. I am really hoping Kawai addresses this when they update to the ES9 or whatever, as it's such a fantastic feeling keyboard

[@bereantrb]

Brian Bernstein Had my ES8 for 3 years now...no problems.

[@brianbernstein3826]

@@bereantrb nice. I mean if I could somehow know I'd get a good model, I'd definitely want to get one

[@TodaysEdition]

If they broke in the first year they’d be covered under warranty... Seeing as the ES8 has been on the market awhile now, they wouldn’t keep selling them if they had that high of a failure rate

[@PianoScoreVids]

Mine... well a key broke and i had to send it back! Took some time, but was an easy fix apparently. The key suddenly was extremely light and output very loud notes , of course unusable when playing a scale involving this note. But of course it was a warranty case for me.

[@runee4334]

@@bereantrb I´ve been playing on my ES8 virtually every day since 2016. No problems. Feels solid like a grand piano with the K&M 18820 keyboard stand.

[@JitinMisra]

I heard es8 though smaller has more balanced and clear sounding speakers than ca78 do you find that to be the case?

[@MerriamPianos]

The CA78 definitely has far more bass than the ES8, but I've never found it to be noticeably unbalanced. One big difference though with the ES8 vs CA78 is how close your ear is to the tweeters, and how direct the tweeters are "pointed" at you on the ES8. In a typical playing situation, you'd definitely hear the high trebles more directly, so in that respect you could make the argument that its clearer. BUT, the CA78 also has Onkyo speakers / amps, which at least on paper would out-detail the ES8 speakers. It's so subjective in terms of which one produces the better experience...in a way, no different than how some people are going to prefer the intimacy and directness of a great upright piano vs. a grand. Great question / comment, thanks Jitin! - stu

[@JitinMisra]

what do you think of this instrument compared to the Yamaha p515? Specifically interms of speakers, piano patches and action?

[@MerriamPianos]

Hey there! The P515 is a newer machine, but the ES8 was also ahead of the curve in terms of sound production and tone quality. So for a match-up like that, it's ENTIRELY personal preference. I know that's an annoying answer to give, but anything more would be my opinion - objectively these are both great instruments. My personal opinion that I find the Kawai to have a more coloured, more diverse tonal palette, the Yamaha is an unnaturally clean tone for me. I think both the speaker systems are great and wouldn't really give either an edge, and the action I'm a HARD preference for the Kawai. I find the Yamaha to be a little heavy and sluggish for my liking, but others whom I respect really like that Yamaha action. Thanks for the question! - Stu

[@JitinMisra]

Merriam Music I would like if possible you review p515 and record the way you did es8..

[@ferdearmas8732]

@@MerriamPianos I agree, Yamaha key actions are very heavy..., please Stu, could you give me the values of downweight and upweight for RH2 and RH3 Kawai key actions?... Thanks!...

[@MerriamPianos]

@@ferdearmas8732 I'll see if I can get those values for you, standby! -stu

[@ferdearmas8732]

Ok Stu, i'll be waiting for you my friend!... Thanks a lot!...

[@JoeLinux2000]

Only thing against it is that it is very heavy,

[@MerriamPianos]

It is on the heavier side, but by no means as heavy as a standard full stage keyboard. I'd be pretty happy hauling this thing around...It's lighter than my Roland RD2000! ;0 -stu