Kawai NV5S: First Impressions vs Kawai CA99 | Hybrid Digital Piano Comparison | Family Piano Co.

[@davidleyland3170]

Thank you (from England) for this great video Max. I'm going to try a few digital pianos in a week or two, with the main choice possibly being between the CA901 (successor to the CA99) and the NV5S. A big issue for me is playing quietly so as to not disturb the neighbour. I've heard that the CA901 at lower volumes has a lighter touch than the NV5S, and I will be playing quite a lot at low volumes. So although the NV5S may be a slightly better instrument overall, the lighter touch when playing quietly might help me stay on speaking terms with my neighbour, and would also leave quite a lot of money in my bank account. Thanks again. By the way, I agree with another comment that it would help if you used a better microphone as some of what you say is a little indistinct. Please forgive my constructive criticism. David, in Wallasey, England.

[@familypianoco]

Glad it was helpful, David! And no no, thank you for the criticism! We're actually wanting to upgrade our mics soon so we are working on improving our production! (: Thanks for watching!

[@davidleyland3170]

@@familypianoco I took delivery of a NV5S a week ago. It is SUPERB.....And I bought it sight unseen and un-tested. Thanks again for your review.

[@alijah21]

What a beautiful piano I bought my niece the CN39 as a practice piano and I personally own a Yamaha U3 when I feel she’s ready to go up towards something more advanced I’ll look for the NV5S 🙂.

[@gcarnicero87]

Hi! Great video, definitely appreciate your insights on these two pianos. Last year I got the NV5 and after watching this video I’m definitely happy that I did!

[@borkdude]

Hi! I'm interested in buying one too. Still liking it?

[@corolex]

The reason the ca99 sounds fuller is because it's located in a corner which boosts the bass

[@familypianoco]

Very fair point! We'll try to keep it as apples-to-apples as possible next time. We do still find the CA99 to have a fuller sound though! --Drew, 👪🎹

[@corolex]

@@familypianoco thanks for the clarification and follow up

[@AliAhmed-kk8lt]

I really looking for a lot of videos about ca99 and nv5 I really like ca99 sound feels direct and more clear for me, No matter where is the location of the paino

[@GiovanniBausC]

Thank you! We‘ve also recently compared them side by side and my wife clearly prefers the action of the CA99, which she said feels crisper while she described the NV5s action as somehow softer and not as direct. That said, these are both magnificent instruments with the NV5s being basically an upright acoustic piano with digital strings. Impressive.

[@familypianoco]

Well said. I'm glad you and your wife got the chance to hear them for yourselves! Thanks for the comment. (: --Drew, 👪🎹

[@irishordt5484]

Thanks a lot!! I am thinking about buying a ca 99. I have played years on a digitalpiano that is quite old and really not fitting for a while now. A few Hours a week I play on an acustic one (feurich 1972). But for now with neighboors an acustic is too loud for me and too hard to Transport where I live. And now to my question.. is there now with the time something else you reccomend trying in that pricerange? I did try the Yamaha ones (the sound and feeling didn‘t feel Right for me) and Roland ones. I just found your Videos and really appreciate you! Also your answers on some comments, thanks!!!

[@familypianoco]

Hi, Iris! Thanks for the comment and for watching our videos! (: If you want more detailed help, do email us: [e-mail]. Only so much we can back-and-forth here. Basically: I hear you, and your concerns are quite common. Acoustics are great but loud, hard to transport, and need regular maintenance. So a digital would be nice for your needs. You didn't give a price range (and I'm not sure how much that Feurich 1972 would cost without knowing a lot more information), but Yamahas, Rolands, Casios and Kawais are the typical brands to try. My personal favorite digital for under $1,000 is the FP-30X. Casio has some new slabs coming out soon as well, and those look kind of exciting. Worth visiting a store with all those brands so you can get the side-by-side. I'd recommend you prioritize feel more than anything too. Most brands put the same action in the majority of their digitals around a given price point. They update them every few years, but not very regularly. Meaning if you don't like the Yamaha feel at around $1000, there's probably not a lot of Yamaha offerings you would like unless you pay for their fancier actions. Hope this is generally helpful. I don't want to make specific recommendations without knowing more. Do reach out if you'd be interested in that though -- we're genuinely happy to help however we can! (: --Drew, 👪🎹

[@bammcspam8901]

Hi Max, thank you very much for your impressions, there are not many videos out there yet about the NV5s. I am looking forward trying it myself, but I don't think it is available in Germany yet. It has a hefty price tag for a hobby player though ;-)

[@andyadamsonevans6551]

Hi, It looks like Kawai have replaced the Nv5 with the updated NV5S, so you should find dealers are offering it instead. I bought mine recently in the UK, so you should be seeing it in Germany too. Despite my niggles about Kawai not includng the bench shown in the US videos, it really is a beautiful instrument & worth the money, if you can manage it!.

[@cedmelancon]

I went and tried the CA99 and NV5 yesterday and preferred the action of the 99, the NV5 being an upright felt like it needed too much force to get it moving and then became lighter once it started moving. I preferred the lighter action of the 99. I haven’t had the chance to use acoustics much so my opinion cannot be based on how close it feels like an acoustic, I just don’t know. One question I had so I can convince my wife that the polished finish is best, does the polished finish get all covered in fingerprints when you touch it? Does it get covered in scratches over time? Thanks!

[@scar80]

The NV5 action is almost the same of the acustic piano that's why seems heavier than the CA99. I own a NV5 and when I attend the music class with the acoustic Kawai it's really the same... I got lucky to get the NV5 at the same price of CA99 though...

[@familypianoco]

Indeed a deal, my friend! Congrats -- and happy playing! --Drew, 👪🎹

[@familypianoco]

Totally valid opinion! I personally don't get into the conversation of what's "the best/better piano" -- each one can typically be ideal for different purposes, players, styles, etc. Did you end up convincing the wife?? Polished is certainly the more traditional look. And while it can collect fingerprints, I wouldn't say it's a fingerprint magnet either. Polished finishes are generally scratch-resistant too -- more so than satin finishes. Just don't leave it in the sun! Bad for the finish (and shows more dust and fingerprints haha). --Drew, 👪🎹

[@greggie111]

Well, if the CA99 also felt like the K series or the NV5S that would be a problem, since it's supposed to mimic a grand, not an upright...

[@adriankanis8107]

No ! Nv5s is upright action. And nv10s is grand action

[@csu111]

Good video. Can you do one one the NV10 vs. NV5 or CA99?

[@familypianoco]

We'll consider it! We do have other videos on the CA99 so you can hear Max's opinions on that piano already. And as for NV10, maybe if we get one in. We've had it before, but we sold it before we could shoot a demo. Customers buying our pianos is such a hassle. /s --Drew

[@johnthompson188]

Yeah agreed, great comparison and makes complete sense that Milleniium 3 in NV5 feels same as acoustic upright with same action. However CA series is a grand emulation and a comparison with NV10 would be more direct. Cheers for the great content. 👍

[@yandong6436]

Hello, what if we compare NV5S with K200 ATX4? After the price increase, the K200 ATX4 is only 800 higher than NV5S. Is there any absolute advantage of NV5S over K200 ATX4? Thanks!

[@familypianoco]

I'd say that the advantage of the NV5S is most of an acoustic with no maintenance required. Plus everything that usually comes with a digital piano ie. MIDI recording, playing tones and rhythms (out loud in this case), apps, etc. For some people, these features are super convenient. For others, they'll still want the K200 ATX4 for the "authentic piano experience" -- and the ability to play silently. --Drew, 👪🎹

[@SamiKim-kp9il]

NV5 feels realistic, because it is real. It uses the same Millennium 3 Action as K200. CA series only approximates the feel of the real grand piano. But for people with only a few years of piano experience and casual players, CA 701 and 901 should be so good that they won't be able to tell it apart from a real piano in terms of the action. So, as a beginner, I am buying a CA701 or a CA501. I will be playing mostly with a headphone, so the sound quality doesn't matter.

[@fontexstudios]

please, similar comparison between N1X vs Nv10s vs Nv5s vs other you may think is worth comparing

[@familypianoco]

Maybe one day! Hard to get these pianos in at the moment. ): --Drew, 👪🎹

[@cablenelsonbabygrandpiano842]

Nice!

[@carltongayle5461]

max, great review. i'm torn between a K300 and a nv5s. it seems a bit strange to buy a digital for the same price as an acoustic. presumably the k300 will be more durable as a long term investment. my only worry is the loudness of the k300 and temperature regulation. is the nv5s a match for the k300, soundwise? which would you recommend for a 1 year relative beginner?

[@familypianoco]

Hi Carlton - yes, some valid questions/concerns here and I'll try to break down my thoughts coming from a players and teacher's perspective. 1. Both instruments are of fantastic playing quality and feel practically identical with the Millenium III action. The traditional piano teacher in me would give a very slight edge to the K300 for touch but really they are in nearly all practical terms identical - particularly to a beginner who hasn't picked up any major bias from many years of playing on a particular kind of piano. 2. Sound - The NV5S sounds incredible - but the sound production is still digital at its core. It will sound fantastic with its highly advanced sound technology, speakers, and sound board - but if you're really looking for the pure uniqueness and arguable "spiritual connection" of real hammers striking real strings producing real live sound, the K300 will win out. 3. Durability - It's a highly tricky thing to judge the long term durability of these state-of-the-art digital instruments that have just come out in terms of years they will last. I'd like to give a rough estimate that the NV5S, with some maintenance and proper care, will last for many decades. It's built to incredible standards but at the end of the day, the internal complex electronical circuitry has a more definite lifespan than hard metal and wood construction. I will say that the K300 will age as all organic instruments do - expect brightening and thinning of the sound over the decades. Many, many environmental and usage factors go into how an acoustic piano ages but you can expect a well-constructed, high-quality upright like the K300, especially with its carbon fiber technology, to be in near ideal musical shape for many, many decades and to be very good for many decades after that. I would suspect the "viable musical instrument" lifespan to approach 100-125 years, though of course that will vary based on the amount of play, environmental factors, and maintenance received. TLDR: Both will last decades, K300 will last a lifetime but will age as all pianos do, NV5S will still sound like a new piano until its electrical components give out in an irreparable way which is well out of my field of expertise to accurately estimate when but likely many decades. 4. Temperature Regulation - Most modern-built homes (Think post 1950s era) are well equipped to prevent the kinds of large temperature and humidity swings that can damage an acoustic piano. The K300, with its carbon fiber Millenium III action, is better equipped to handle these than your typical piano. I would consider this a non-issue as long as your home is relatively modern and doesn't regularly experience major humidity and temperature drops (like 40-50F at night and 70-80F in the day). The standard advice of not putting it in front of heating vents and near showers or in kitchens of course applies. I wouldn't advise storing either the NV5S or K300 in a garage but if they're in a climate controlled home (you use air conditioning in summer, heating in winter, and humidity doesn't wildly swing throughout the day), you will likely not have much at all to worry about. Long response - but the core of the difference between the two of them as I see it from a teacher's perspective comes down to: How important is the pure acoustic touch and sound versus all the added features, voices, and benefits of a digital piano (especially when the digital piano has such an advanced action that it is approaching identical to the acoustic?). Personally, I own a CA79 and really love playing on it for many hours but at the least want to spend a few hours on an acoustic grand piano each week for the exact sense of touch and sense of spiritual connection to live sound that a digital just can't seem to replicate for me. But if all the awesome features of the NV5S encourage you to spend many more hours practicing on it than you would an acoustic, it's going to overcome the slight touch advantage of K300 and do you much more good overall in becoming a better pianist. -Max

[@carltongayle5461]

@@familypianoco Max. Fabulous reply Really appreciate the detailed post. Do you mind if I ask one more question. I tried the Ca79 and like you was very impressed. It's a lot cheaper and I'm actually thinking of buying this and save some money Vs the NV5s. Do you find the 79 satisfies you re sound and action? and do you think as a teacher it's good enough to learn on as a relative beginner? After playing it I find it hard to spend £3000 extra for something only a bit better?

[@familypianoco]

I find the GFIII action on the CA79/99 serves my needs quite well for the vast majority of music I'm working on - but still need to get in my acoustic piano fix as well. Having both a digital and an acoustic piano at home, or a hybrid piano, is becoming a very popular concept for this reason - the "true" touch and sound of real hammers producing live sound is fundamentally unmatchable. You can get real, real close but you cannot replicate it fully - that's the beauty of going for an acoustic hybrid piano. I find myself sometimes wishing I had went for the CA99 for the more natural sound. I love the sound of the CA79 but I'm pretty sensitive to the "digitized" nature of sound over time (say, course of a 2-hr practice session) and the soundboard of the CA99 helps a great deal with that. Overall the CA79 sounds great but there are certain styles of music that sound much much better on the CA79 than others (If you love playing romantic era music, modern music, multi-instrumental, and want warm, velvety, expansive sounds, for example, the CA79 is going to be right up your alley! If you want crunchy, percussive sounds, those are always best acoustic) Either a CA79 or 99 would certainly be "enough" for any beginner (they'll take you well past beginner level for sure!) and I would argue they're also great for my advanced piano students but I'd also encourage them to try to find access to an acoustic piano for at least a few hours a week in addition to having a great digital piano at home, if they want to go that route. There's a lot of very nuanced aspects of touch and interpretation that I and most teachers would agree are best learned on an acoustic instrument. Final thought: I started off as a child on a 61-key 1980's unweighted Casio keyboard, then moved up to an old spinet piano for years after that. Then later began to really advance quickly when I finally had access to great instruments starting in my teenage years but spent many years correcting all these issues that were caused by the subpar instruments I had spent so long struggling on. No matter which route you go, CA79/99/NV5S/K300, the tier of instruments you're looking at are going to be very, very much better than what I started with, these are instruments of fantastic quality, have no fear of being held back by them! -Max

[@rrjjgg101]

@@familypianoco Hi Respected Max...Wonderful meaningful detail Explanation for sellecting Right Instrument👏 Very rare on KZbin Videos we get this type of important Explanation👍 Earlier I received your great Experience answer for my question on CA 78 vs CA 79👌 I Respect Your Knowledge Combination of As Piano Teacher & Piano seller.. Most informative & Helpful Answer !!! Thank you & STAY SAFE🙏

[@familypianoco]

Hi again Carlton. If you're still curious, we recently put out a video comparing the NV5S and the K300 directly. Hopefully the video demos help further answer any questions you have! kzbin.info/www/bejne/gai4daWchq-Zo6M - Jess

[@verymozart]

could you advice me about the grand Feel Action III of CA99, Is enough to study to prepare the classical music piano diploma? or is it too light that can make fail the exam? I have to prepare the diploma exam but I can't possibly afford the price of any NV5S or more expensive than the CA 99

[@familypianoco]

I'll have Max follow up since he's obviously an excellent pianist -- and a teacher too. My immediate reaction is your only options aren't a CA99 and a NV5S. You might look into renting an acoustic locally, working out practice sessions with a place that has a nice regularly-tuned piano, etc. These are realllly nice digital pianos -- some of the best you can get. I know Max has a CA49 in his home so he wouldn't outright scoff at a CA99. But I do know he practices in the showroom regularly as well. You can play classical music on a CA99. And any other piano to a certain extent. The issue is feeling confident and transferring the muscle memory over to whatever piano you'll be doing the recital on. I'll get a reply from Max soon. But do follow-up with any other questions. Thanks for the comment! --Drew, 👪🎹

[@verymozart]

@@familypianocothanks for your reply. Ok I hope he'll reply about this issue

[@camerademuzica]

is the ca99 action softer or harder than the nv5s?

[@familypianoco]

Both feels are balanced well. The NV5S is just easier to play dynamically. Neither is particularly soft or hard though, and we prefer them to entry-level actions by a mile.

[@BFHPET]

is nv5 made in japan? how is the key touch feeling whit there is the hybrid and not sensors is the difference big? i only need one for pratice in headphone so dont need big speakers but the touch need to be good

[@familypianoco]

They're made in Kawai's Indonesian factory. The NV5S has a K200 action with sensors. It's basically as good as the feel can get in a digital piano outside of the NV10S which has an adapted GL10 action. You will be happy with the touch! --Drew

[@BFHPET]

@@familypianoco can you make a video about their action and how it feels like. I heard the action is heavy on low volume?

[@fkh3556]

To my ears accoustic pianos are too loud, so opt for a digital piano. Think its gonna be the CA 99 :) - great comparison!

[@familypianoco]

Yeah, the volume control on a good digital is soooo nice. Glad we could help!

[@hansweichselbaum2534]

Agreed! That's one of the reasons I sold my 110-year old Bechstein grand. Was simply too loud. I am very happy after replacing it with a CA99. Though it doesn't impress your guests so much as a grand.

[@kevind6006]

Nice review and piano skills, but reviewing a musical instrument with such poor sound quality really kills the pleasure and in my opinion makes no sense. You'd benefit a lot from investing in a suitable set of mics.

[@familypianoco]

Thanks for the feedback. Totally agree. We're sort of in debate internally on how to standardize and improve sound quality. It's kind of tough since we have like three people working on a good day, and only one person with an A/V background. Still, I agree with you totally, and I hope to put out more videos that meet the quality you all deserve -- especially being pianists and musicians! --Drew

[@Greenite]

NV5 2:30 7:32 CA99 4:28 8:03

[@marcusholder495]

May Yahweh bless you brother thank you for the video

[@familypianoco]

Thanks so much for the kind words and for watching! -Max

[@yayyaycats]

Really conflicted on NV5S or CA99.. do you think the action is heavier on the NV5S? And whether that affects fast passage playing? Also, wouldn't a simulated grand action like CA99 be better than an upright even if its acoustic? Thanks for the great review.

[@familypianoco]

Hi Animal Lover, the action on the NV5S is a bit heavier than on the CA99. This has to do with it having the hybrid upright Millennium III action - the full action mechanisms add a bit of weight bringing the overall feel to just about the exact same if not a tiny touch lighter than a Kawai K-series upright. In general the Kawai K-series is already on the lighter-weight side for upright acoustics so I'd say the NV5S is noticeably heavier than the CA99 but not at all to the point where it impairs fast passages (think like a moderately lightweight upright acoustic for NV5S vs. a particularly lightweight acoustic grand action for CA99) - though in my personal experience I often find the lighter weight GFIII makes fast passages even easier to play but your practice on the NV5S action would translate over to your typical acoustic piano better than the lighter weight CA99. The CA99's GFIII action tends to feel more like a lighter weight, "smoother" approximation of the Grand Millennium III action you'd find on the GL and GX grand series. It's sort of a toss up between which is "better" - the NV5S offers supreme realism and excellent control (again, very similar to a real upright acoustic). The CA99 GFIII action is extremely realistic and perceptive in its own right and has advantages with increased note repetition. The GFIII's keysticks are actually the size of an upright piano's keys, not a typical grand piano's keysticks, so both are the same length key stick. As I believe I said in the video, I could honestly see advanced players preferring either one depending on their personal playing styles. I have the CA79 with GFIII at home and love it thoroughly - so I can admit to having some bias here. I'd highly recommend trying both out back to back if you can, think you'll see what I mean. Either way, they're both top-level quality digital pianos that even very high-level players can get meaningful, productive practice in on - you wouldn't be making a wrong choice either way, just finding which agrees with you and your playing style the most. -Max

[@FingersKungfu]

@@familypianoco This is a really useful comment. Thank you.

[@fontexstudios]

You say nv5s suprised you how realist it feels, so is the nv5s very different than the nv5?

[@familypianoco]

The differences are in features and speakers. They both have the exact same action -- so no, not at all! --Drew, 👪🎹

[@zainalu]

Is CA79/99 touch close to a Kawai grand?

[@familypianoco]

Hi Azulian - yes, the Grand Feel III action on the CA79/99 feels remarkably similar to the touch of new Kawai grand pianos. Of course it's not 100% spot on the exact same (virtually impossible to feel 100% the same without having the full grand piano action), but trying both out back to back they are impressively similar. I would describe the difference as the GFIII feeling "smoother" than the new Kawai grands and with less upwards "bounce" on the keys when you lift off notes. The GFIII action is also more lightweight than your typical Kawai grand. Personally I own a CA79 and also practice frequently on Kawai grands and the GFIII action on the CA79/99 gets the feeling down to the point where transitioning between the instruments feels effortless and your practice on either one translates very well to the other. -Max

[@zainalu]

@@familypianoco Thanks Max!

[@tomzhao8262]

Just bought CA99 yesterday .... Cant afford nv5 obviously 🥺

[@familypianoco]

Hey, nothing wrong with that! I practice regularly on a CA79 with the same GFIII action as the CA99 and enjoy the heck out of it. Feel that my practice time on it has helped develop my overall technique, interpretations, and voicings tremendously. And what's more, you got the real soundboard with the CA99 vs the 79, really takes the "digitized" edge off the sound. The NV5S is definitely something special in terms of its hyper-realistic feel but I could easily imagine there will be a significant amount of advanced pianists trying these two instruments side by side and preferring the CA99 because it better suits their exact playing style. We all have our own idea of the "perfect" feeling piano but when you're comparing two very high level digital instruments like this I feel like there's no way to really make a wrong choice, just determining which is a better match to your musical needs, wants and budget. Enjoy your new piano! :) -Max

[@tomzhao8262]

@@familypianoco Thank you Max for the kind reply. And I agree with what you said because I did try every digital piano in the melbourne Australian Piano Warehouse(again and again) and I had to always get back to CA99 (also it's the most expensive I can afford). Anyway it's gonna arrive tomorrow😄 Excited and nervous...

[@MrKlawUK]

if you’re 90% needing to play on headphones, do you think its worth going for the CA99, or the CA79 would be as good for headphones?

[@familypianoco]

@@MrKlawUK Played with headphones on, the sound/playing experience between the CA99 and CA79 is going to be very similar. Same action (Both have GFIII), Same Discrete SpectraModule™ headphone amplifier and Spatial Headphone Sound. The sound difference when played through the onboard speakers without headphones is significant, but with headphones similar. The CA99 does have more onboard sounds (90 vs CA79's 66 non-piano voices), a better speaker system, and a (subjectively) sleeker cabinet design. It will sound much better the 10% of the time you're playing without headphones. Whether or not it's worth the upgrade really comes down to you and your wallet, both are fantastic digital pianos! I would definitely recommend getting Kawai's SH-9 headphones though. They're specifically designed for Kawai digital pianos and are quite lightweight and comfortable while sounding amazing. I own a pair for my CA79 at home and they're the first pair of headphones I've found comfortable enough to use for long practice sessions without breaks. You can watch our CA99 One Minute Improv Challenge video to get a good idea of the in-line sound that you'd be hearing from your headphones! -Max

[@MrKlawUK]

@@familypianoco thanks for that great reply. We have some sennheiser open 595s we use with our current one but will bear in mind Kawai’s too and demo both when we get to test them.

[@mupbelchen010701]

Ich finde das NV klingt mehr wie ein Klavier. Also etwas mehr nach Upright Piano. Das CA klingt mehr nach Flügel…

[@SoniaEljerman-ry2lx]

Oop😊😊😊😊 0:10 0:13 😊 0:15 😅😅😅