I've been trying to decide which digital piano to buy and I fell in love with the look and sound of the Kawai CS3. I was all set to order when I came across the cn43 which has loads more features. I probably won't use many of them, however the speaker wattage, usb record and extra polyphony is very tempting. Both are the same price, but only the CS3 comes in polished ebony which is the finish I really want. Can anyone vouch for either of them? I want something that looks and sounds beautiful, is the cn43 piano sound compromised as it has so many other functions? Which would you choose?

I have a CN43. The sound is great.

Did you play both?

NO, unfortunately the piano shops in my area only stock Yamaha so haven't actually played either, but have read reviews and watched the demos on utube for them both. What colour cn43 do you have? Does the cabinet look and feel high quality? The thing that drew me to the Cs3 was the fact that it is in an actual piano cabinet, can the same be said of the cn43? Thanks for taking the time to answer my post

Big mistake IMHO to buy a DP at these prices on recommendation or online reviews alone. Even if they are mostly or all good. Just saying.

Hello AbbyJ,



No, the CS3 and CN43 share the same 'PHI' sound technology. The CN33/CN43 offer more features, while the CS3 is more like a slightly higher specification CN23 within a polished ebony cabinet.



Online reviews and video demos are certainly useful, but they will only get you so far - I strongly recommend that you also play-test these instruments thoroughly in order to assess their individual qualities.



The polished ebony finish of the CS3 is certainly more visually appealing than the standard finishes of the CN43, however I don't believe either instrument can truly be described as having a 'piano cabinet'. Currently, only the CS9 model offers the appearance of an acoustic, as this instrument is modelled on the K-2 upright piano.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards,
James
x

YOU MUST PLAY!!

My CN43 is in rosewood, which fits in nicely with my antique mahogany furniture.

However, my buying decision was made based upon the touch, sound and features of the instrument; not the furniture cabinet.