Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Any opinion or experience about the Kawai CN32?

Hi.

I'm waiting to get a Kawai CN32, I tested some digital pianos and finally that was my choice. I know almost everything about its specifications, I've tested many times, but I would like to consider other opinions.

Thanks!

I tried the CN 32 and the CA51 in the same room. The CA 51 won hands down--and I bought one. The CN series has more voices and I suppose is more techno-savvy, but for sheer playing enjoyment I'd recommend the CA51: the feel is nicer, and the 40 voices are more than I ever use.

Hi again, and sorry for the delay.

Finally it has taken more than a month, but I own the CN32 since last friday.

Now I can say that it's a really good digital piano: good sounds (specially the main piano, slow strings, some organs, specially those with rotary effect, harpsichord and electric pianos), very nice action and a beutiful design.

I doubt if 2x16w was enought, but after playing for a while at home I can say yes, it can sound loud and clear, without any kind of distortion or strange noise.

The most negative points for me are tha lack of any type of songbook or something like that, the same with any CD, and the construction of the pedals. Visually, they look very solid, but a closer view reveal a plastic material, altough the big problem is that you can raise them from the floor. Anyway, the action is very good.

I'm almost sure the CA series is better than CN, but it's only a supposition, because I can't test them in my area (Gran Canaria, Spain).

I have a very good relationship with the store, so I got a very good price, so the value of this digital piano has improved for me. For this price, the options from other manufacturers were Yamaha CLP-320 and Roland RP-101 (again, in my city), and there's no doubt for me about which one to choose.

I'm really curious about the CA series, specially those hybrid with harmonic table.

If you have the opportunity, could you compare the Kawai key action with the Roland PHA II with Escapement keys (RD700-GX for example), and please tell us which keyboard you think resembles an acoustic the most.

Well, where I can test Yamaha and Roland there's no Kawai, but I'll try, once I'll know a little bit more the action of the CN32. There is another problem, I need any acoustic piano to compare them. Anyway, I'm very interesting about that question, so I'll take time to get an answer.

For now, I can say that before having the Kawai, the action of Roland and Yamaha seemed to be harder, but now I have to ensure. Perhaps the rebound of the key is more natural in the Kawai.

Hello Ángel,

I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying your new CN32.

May I please ask you to elaborate a little more on your grievances about the pedals?

Kind regards,
James
x

Sure James. Perhaps it was only a impression of mine, but I'm not sure if pedals are made of steel or any kind of metal or just plastic. I've not removed the plastics that protect them.

The main problem for me is that if you put your foot under a pedal and raise it, the pedal goes up, so I suposse it's better to take care with them in order to don't broke them.

Can you confirm if the material is or not any type of metal?

Hello Ángel,

I'm 99% certain that the pedals are metal, with brass or silver plating depending on the cabinet finish. I shall confirm which metal is used for the CN32 pedals tomorrow.

When first assembling the instrument, it is essential that the pedal support bolt (beneath the pedals) is extended all the way to the floor to ensure that the pedal board does not flex when the pedals are pressed. This design is common to most, if not all digital pianos.

Kind regards,
James
x

Yes, that bolt is right, as it were a "leg" to supoort the weight in that point. I mean that if you put your foot between the floor and the pedal, and raise it, the pedal goes up, like if you press it from below.

Sorry if I can't explain better, as you know, english is not my language.

But I said before, the action of every pedal is perfect, and they work nice.

Hi Huygens, when I started to look for a digital piano I found the Roland HP-207, it was impressive: look, sound, action... which is the PHA II. Well, sincerely, at first it seems fantastic to me, that was my option, altough it was very expensive (3100€ with a great discount). The feel of the keys was amazing, with its "ivory" surface, and the action too. The plastic surface of the white keys in the CN32 is not so good, altough I love the black ones. Please sorry, I can talk only about what I remember, and I think that Roland's action was more real compared to some grand pianos (Petrof), there was more "click", but now I'm not sure, becuase the AHA IV-F is very nice, and it remembers to my old upright piano. Let me test again as soon as possible and I'll let you know.

Thanks, if possible there are 4-5 parts of the movement in the key action I would like you to try out, both slow, then fast, then soft and hard:

1. Initial resistance, the resistance where the key starts moving. It is light.
2. The drop, the lighter movement from the initial resistance down to the hammer resistance. This second movement is probably the lightest.
3. The hammer resistance, the part where you increase force to make the fake hammer start moving.
4. The swing resistance, the movement where the fake hammer actually swings out to target the strings.
5. The escapement, the part where there is no more hammer resistance, this part should be as light as the drop, but I'm not sure as there might still be parts of the mechanism that creates resistance.

Then:

6. The movement up. If there is quality in the keyboard you should be able to start your next strike of the hammer when you reach the borderline between the drop and the hammer resistance, and be able to repeatedly push the key quickly.

OK, I'll try to do the test on the Kawai CN32 and then let you know, and if were possible I'll do the same on a Roland (probably the HP-207).

I haven't played seriously an acoustic piano since 8 years or so, until the last two months, where I started to test and compare digital pianos. Keeping this in mind, I hope can do the test.

Thanks, you have given us a good vocabulary to explain key action. But I think there may be one more aspect of this that needs to be describbed and I don't know how.

When I play with a Roland PHA II I can deperess the keys half way and notice the weight of the yes on my finger and I can "bounce" or play sea-saw with the weights on the other end of the keys and there seems to be very little friction or "dampping" in the action. But on a Yamaha or kawai keyboard there is more friction. Friction you do not feel unless the keys are moving but weight and inertia of the keys is felt on the Roland even if not moving.

I don't have experience with acoustic grands but I hear they can have this efect vary between brands in the same way.

Is there a name for this effect? It to me seemed to be the major different between Roland's top key actions and the others.

One other way the describe this. Have you ever played with ball bearings from, say a bicycle or skate board? There is a different in how they feel if you put light oil or grease on them. The greese adds a bit of drag or damping feel.. You can't spin a greased bearing.

I'm not English speaking so some parts I don't understand. What is "the yes of my finger"? Is it the palm of your finger top?

When you play sea-saw, do you put another finger on the farther part of the key? I can't quite get it.

The part about the grease, do you mean that PHA II is _not_ greased (rather oiled)?

Hi.

This afternoon I could try a Roland HP-203 and a Yamaha CLP-320. Really I could play some notes on each one (that store is the one with "Please, don't touch" everywhere, and there wasn't any bench to sit and try). Now I'm only sure I have to try more. I thought that the AHA IV-F action was a little weak, but now I consider it very realistic. Of course, it's my digital piano and I play it every day, so I'll try to play more on other brands and be unbiased (PHA II vs AHA IV-F).

The PHA II is stronger than the GH, but compared to AHA IV-F, I just assume that PHA II is a little too weak, so that comparison was really not my intention.

In my original posting (please, page up) I suggested "PHA II with Escapement" compared against the AHA IV-F.

Sorry, I understood what you meant, but I'm not able to do that test for now, so I only wanted to explain my impressions about the keyboards. I need time to read carefully, understand and perform the steps ;-)