🎹 NAMM Show 2023 | Kawai CA501 Digital Piano | The New CA59 Successor! 🎹

[@WavPlayCreativ]

After 20 months of weekly lessons I finally placed an order and treated this to myself. The CA 701/901 in the show room feels light as I am used to practice on an Yamaha upright 😅. I enjoy how easy it is to play the black keys even on the back, major upgrade from my first keyboard.

[@MerriamPianos]

Congrats on your new Kawai CA501! You made an excellent choice. The combination of tone and touch that the CA501 provides is a wonderfully-impressive. I know that you will be very thrilled with what it has to offer musically for the next phase of your piano journey. :)

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

I personaly don't like how high end digital pianos remove the physical buttons, and replacing them with screens because it makes it impossible to use for blind users🎹🎶

[@MerriamPianos]

That is a very good point. Control interfaces with buttons are certainly more widely accessible. I suppose the best situation would be to have both options present. However, as company's seek to streamline manufacturing costs and keep the retail price lower and more competitive, I suppose that is unlikely to happen.

[@Biozene]

Voice-controlled could be a solution

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

@@Biozene yeah but would you really want your digital piano to talk back at you during a live gig or performance? The problem with voice accessibility features on digital pianos is you want the voice accessibility feature onn for the blind user, and at the same time you don't want the listeners or audience to hear a talking piano wile the user is adjusting settings, selectings sounds etcetera🎹🎶

[@baaltheguy]

on top of that, if find having a screen on the piano a bit redundant, as you can get the same options using the bluetooth app. it's hard to imagine many people would be using the deep tweaking options of the app daily, and for the everyday functions, buttons seem to be a much more straightforward solution. sit down, press one or two and enjoy!

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

@@baaltheguy exactlly🎹🎶

[@TrevorWicklund]

Played one of these today, absolutely amazing. Definitely gonna be the one I choose as my upgrade from the Yamaha P45 I've been using for 6 years

[@MerriamPianos]

That's awesome to hear! We haven't received our first batch of CA501 pianos here in Canada yet, but we are eagerly anticipating them. From what I've seen from the CA701 and CA901 models, the new CA401 and CA501 pianos are going to be splendid! :)

[@namakudamono]

Nice shirt Stu!

[@MerriamPianos]

I will be sure to pass on the compliment! :)

[@JoeLinux2000]

It''s made from a French table cloth.

[@jaws10278]

Nice video as always. One thing I like Kawai does is that it gives a very wide music stand on the console.

[@MerriamPianos]

Thank you kindly! And that is a good point! This is a particularly useful tool for people playing advanced classical repertoire or any type of accompaniment work. :)

[@vacation_generation]

Brilliant review as always. Proper details with valid trustworthy opinion. oh and by the way....tremendous playing🤣

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks so much for tuning in! I will happily pass on your kind words and compliments to Stu on your behalf! :)

[@IngoBlees]

Lucid explanation, excellent playing 👍

[@MerriamPianos]

Thank you so much! We appreciate it. :)

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

@Merriam Music yeah but would you really want your high end digital piano to talk back at you during a live gig or performance?🎹🎶

[@MerriamPianos]

Haha I suppose not! But, in an ideal world, there would be a way to enable and disable the feature when needed. ;)

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

@Merriam Music true, but I think the problem with voice accessibility features on a digital piano is you want the voice accessibility feature onn for the blind user, and at the same time you don't want the listeners or audience to hear a talking piano wile the user is adjusting settings, selecting sounds etcetera🎹🎶

[@MerriamPianos]

That is true! Hopefully, the innovative minds at these various piano companies will come up with novel solutions to these issues.

[@kelsangnyima3200]

Will you be releasing a review on the Kawai CN-301 soon? I'm very curious on that DP :) Thank you for your reviews, they feel very genuine and reliable.

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks for tuning in and supporting our channel! We will definitely be releasing a CN301 video in the near future. :)

[@kelsangnyima3200]

That would be great! For who would you recommend the 301 over the 201? I'm considering the cheaper alternative but do not want to regret my decision afterwards 😅

[@adriankanis8107]

Grand feel 3 compact is it big difference from the one on Ca 701?

[@MerriamPianos]

The Grand Feel Compact has a shorter key stick and pivot length than the Grand Feel III action. There is a fairly meaningful difference in the feel, but it really comes down to subjectivity and personal preference of course. :)

[@heta04]

In EU, CA501 is around 2500-2700€. I found a CA59 at 1900€ and just bought it because i felt CA501 additions in spite of being great werent worth 600€. Do you feel like that makes sense or was that an error ? Im not super interested in the speakers différence because i will 99.99% use headphones and the new sample feels a bit whatever since we have VSTs. I wanted CA59 at least for wooden action and harmonica sound engine. Thanks for your time !

[@MerriamPianos]

It is a very personal decision in the end of course. With that said, if you're primarily concerned about the action and you're using headphones and VST plugins for the sonic experience, there won't be much of a difference at all between the CA59 and CA501. :)

[@jibrijohnson700]

How does this compare to the Roland HP704? The new competition sample and the action seem to be better that’s the PHA-50 and the modeled sound of the Hp704. Maybe a comparison of the 2 is in the works? 😊

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks for the suggestion! The HP704 and CA501 would make for an interesting comparison. We will do our best to tackle that! It is a matter of preference between these two excellent console digital pianos. The all-wooden Grand Feel Compact action of the CA501 is remarkable, but I am also a huge fan of the PHA-50 action, which plays a touch heavier. The best bet is to make your way into a showroom to compare both options in person. :)

[@lennwel]

Great review, recently got the CA701, to me that’s the best I could possibly need (as a digital piano)

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks so much! Congrats on your CA701! They are awesome instruments! I know you will enjoy it for many years to come. :)

[@JoeLinux2000]

Good choice. I like the warmth and ambiance of the 701.

[@verymozart]

The sound is nice, but the action is too light, not firm. If you play advanced classical music on a digital piano like this only, you might struggling to play it on the acoustic grand pianos. I wanted to buy the 701, but it disappointed me for these reasons when I played it in a showroom. (The predecessor CA 99 is still light, but a little bit less light, it's odd because is the same grand feel 3 action, but the 99 is slightly heavier. But why the Kawai made the successors even lighter, it sounds a non sense)

[@JaclynFoster_HerLaw]

I just bought one. Any idea why it would have a noise like the sound you hear when you rub your finger on a crystal rim when playing keys B-F2?

[@MerriamPianos]

That is very strange. I haven't heard of that issue previously. My recommendation would be to connect with your dealer to have the instrument inspected in case there is something faulty with it.

[@tsizzle]

Thanks for a great first look! I wonder what are the equivalent comparable model with Yamaha and Roland? Yamaha CLP-745? Roland HP-704? Will Yamaha release new updated models for 2023 also at NAMM?

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for tuning in! I would say the Roland LX705 and Yamaha CLP775 would be a better point of comparison to the CA501 given its tremendous combination of touch, tone, and features. Also, given that NAMM has already happened, all of the updates and new models have already been announced. I was not at NAMM myself, but the only new piano product that I have seen any chatter about from Yamaha that was announced at NAMM is the TC3 TransAcoustic upright.

[@Zoco101]

A nice succinct review. But downgrading? Upgrading? Acoustic to digital is not always downgrading, except perhaps in cost. We didn't all have such nice acoustic pianos just before switching. Enjoyed the Waltz for Debbie variations. Bill Evans is not an easy act to follow. Congratulations Stu!

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent here! Thanks so much for tuning in! And that is a very good point. A digital piano (especially higher-end digitals like the CA series instruments) may very well be a huge upgrade from an acoustic piano depending on the instrument people are coming. :)

[@robbiepadilla]

I definitely agree that acoustics are not always better than digitals. I own a 7' grand, a CA99, and an older Arius. I play on pianos from old unmaintained uprights and baby grands to Steinway D pianos that range in quality from pretty decent to amazing. Moral of the story - I would rather play my CA99 than probably 50% of the acoustics I've played out there. Modern digital pianos have become incredibly capable. Even the cheaper name-brand ones like Casio CDP are pretty decent for less demanding repertoire.

[@verymozart]

​@@robbiepadillabut the CA 99 is too lighter than acoustic grand pianos, with a not firm touch. That is more difficult to play advanced classical music on acoustic grand pianos if you play it on the CA99/701/901 only

[@karpabla]

It is curious that in a couple of times, I read CASIO instead of CA501 🤔. It is not that similar, isn't it?

[@MerriamPianos]

I can see that! The way the letters and numbers look are actually quite comparable. :)

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🎹🎶

[@Dobermanator]

Does anyone know what happened with the Onkyo Kawai team up? Did Kawai take 100% back, or team up with other(s)? Improved Power Supply is something that might come from more of an Audiophile, so I was wondering about how (more like "who") the audio hardware decisions are being made.

[@MerriamPianos]

Even the Onkyo developments were done in collaboration. To my knowledge, Kawai is certainly capable of doing all of these designs in house. In any case, the most important thing is that the piano models a company outputs are capable of excellent performance. It is safe to say that Kawai is doing better than okay given the newest offerings in the CN and CA lines. :)

[@martoneill]

Looking forward to your deep dive on this. A comparison against the es 920 would be really interesting also. I appreciate they are aimed at different users/budget but they are the two I’m currently weighing up for a home piano to replace my ancient Yamaha. I’d be really interested to understand better what the differences are and how meaningful those are to the playing experience.

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi Martin! Thanks for the suggestion! We will do our best to tackle that review, but they are very different offerings from Kawai. The key difference between the CA501 and ES920 is the action (GFC all-wooden key action vs RHIII plastic key action) as well as the new SK-EX Competition Grand samples featured in the CA501, which are more brightly voiced samples of the amazing SKEX. Of course, there are several other differences, but these are some of the main ones that are centred around the core piano experience.

[@martoneill]

@@MerriamPianos Understand and thank you for the reply and guidance. Totally understood they are quite different offerings. I think I'll just have to find an excuse to make a trip to somewhere with a Kawai dealer and test the options out - could be fun! If you do get a chance to do the comparison I'd be really interested but totally understood if it doesn't make sense. Thanks again, M

[@thehahahaha88]

When will the ca501 will be available in the market?

[@MerriamPianos]

We are expecting them here in Canada within the next month or so. We're looking forward to the release! :)

[@vincedinga3070]

You mention in the video that they have added the "SK-EX Competition Grand" but in fact, this sound replaces the previous "SK-EX Concert Grand" sound altogether. Not an addition, unfortunately, it's a replacement.

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I have not personally played the CA401 and CA501 pianos, but it appears that you are correct. The CA701 and CA901 models possess both the SKEX Concert Grand and SKEX Competition Grand, but it appears that the CA501 does not. Thanks for pointing that out! :)

[@AliAhmed-kk8lt]

Can any one help me with that . Ca501 or ca99 . I want to choose one ,?

[@MerriamPianos]

It is a personal decision of course, but the CA99 is a remarkable instrument. It has a superior action and the TwinDrive Soundboard system provides an incredibly nuanced and authentic piano sound. :)

[@winterheat]

3:37 looks like Stu needs a super duper Sandisk or Samsung high speed V30 microSDXC card (and be sure to find ways to avoid the fake ones)

[@MerriamPianos]

Thanks for the suggestion! I will be sure to pass it on to Stu and the production team. All the best!

[@sleepwalkercris]

Waltz for Debby

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for tuning in! We appreciate it. The prices do vary from market to market, but the CA501 works out to be about $300 CAD more than the CA59 here in Canada. Thanks again and hope this helps! :)

[@sleepwalkercris]

@@MerriamPianos I see, thanks!

[@Zoco101]

Sleep Walker The CA59 has a very good specification and hits that sweet spot on value for money IMO. Anything cheaper is very limited. The models over €3000 are harder to justify in price, because 2nd hand acoustic pianos (which depreciate more slowly) start to become better investments, assuming you are able to house one. Seems the CA501 costs about 10% more than the CA59. It might be worth it. It comes down to you liking the sound better. If not... I presume you are very fond of Kawai sounds, so maybe you should stay with Kawai. Me, I would also look hard at the Casio GP-310, which is the only piano with some hybrid characteristics costing under €3000. The Casio German piano samples I hear online are very balanced and beautiful. The treble in particular, is very pretty to my ears.

[@sleepwalkercris]

@@Zoco101 thanks! I've tried the Casio Gp-300 and I wasn't very satisfied with the sounds (but it might have been the speaker system) and, especially, with the fact that I couldn't save the tweaks on them (while that was possible on the GP-500). If they improved in those areas with the new model I would actually consider it, as the action was very nice. I'm going towards Kawai mainly for the balance between action and sounds and the generally better prices than Yamaha (I like the Yamaha sounds too).

[@Zoco101]

@@sleepwalkercris That makes sense. Currently, my favourite digital piano (of those I've tried (including the CA99 and the Yamaha N1, N1U and N2? ) is the CLP-785, but I'm not sure I'd spend 5000 euros on a digital piano.

[@Biozene]

If someone is replacing an upright or a mini grand with something like this, is "downgrade" actually fair to say?

[@MerriamPianos]

It entirely depends on the piano you are coming from. The CA501 would be far superior in terms of performance compared to say an unmaintained 100+ year old upright piano.

[@vadergrd]

in EU , this and the CA701 have exactly the same price ... bar 100 euros or smth ... so the ca701 is the obvious choice!

[@MerriamPianos]

That is very strange! The gap here in North America is much more pronounced. I would personally choose the CA701 in that case as well! :)

[@michaelbaumann7451]

Probably just because it is new, this should change

[@narthasis89]

Yea same in czech, difference in price is just around 60 euros 🙈

[@verymozart]

Is the key action unrealistically light and unfirm as the Grand Feel 3 of the CA701/901?

[@MerriamPianos]

Hi! Brent here! While Stu had a chance to demo the CA501 at the NAMM show, we have not received our first batch of CA401 and CA501 pianos yet, so I have not personally had a chance to test out the action. With that said, I am guessing that it will play similar to the GFC action featured on the predecessors: the CA49 and CA59.

[@kg0173]

It's interesting that there are no comparison videos of Kawai CA 701 vs. CA 501. Talking about the marketing.

[@MerriamPianos]

We have just received our first batch of CA501 pianos here in Canada. So, we will do our best to feature the model in more videos. A CA501 versus CA701 comparison could be quite interesting. Thanks for the suggestion! :)

[@actie-reactie]

Overhere, in the Netherlands.... the ca 501 and ca 701 are the same price.....

[@MerriamPianos]

That is very interesting. It seems quite strange given the fact that the CA701 is a superior instrument in terms of its design and features. I suppose some players may prefer the lighter touch of the CA501 though.

[@actie-reactie]

Sorry for the late respons, but meanwhile the 501 is a good 300 euro cheaper.... but I played them both side side , and to me the 701 has a lighter touch than the 501.

[@mikee7534]

Good ole marketing. In a year or so we’ll be talking about the 502 and how it outshines the 501. 🤔

[@MerriamPianos]

Generally, digital piano models stick around for 3-5 years, so I don't think a new version will come out that quickly. Also, companies do legitimately update the designs and try to improve the overall musical experience they provide.

[@MERCEDES-BENZS600GUARD_V12]

@Merriam Music I guess PWDs will always be last in priority in this situation sadly🎹🎶

[@MerriamPianos]

I am optimistic that as newer technologies (such as voice command/control) become more prevalent on consumer electronics and products, the gap will be bridged in a meaningful way.