Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards I GOT A Kawai CA 95 - Wow...

These console models are not permitted to be sold online with very few exceptions. That's true of all the big manufacturers.

You have to find an actual Kawai dealership and talk with them face to face. They may or may not have it in stock to try out. It's the curse of the digital piano world that brick and mortar stores are rare and disappearing but manufacturers will not sell home-styled pianos on the web (with few exceptions).

SirHuddlestonFudd, as gvfarns correctly notes, in the US most home-style console digital piano models are sold through independent piano dealers, rather than online/highstreet chains. This is true of Kawai, Yamaha, and Roland.

Regarding US-only/non-US models, the following lists should help to clear-up any confusion:

US-only Kawai DPs
- EP3
- CE220

non-US Kawai DPs
- CA13
- CL36
- CS9

Kind regards,
James
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@SirHuddlestonFudd,

The good news is that if you do know of a local Kawai dealer (or, shop) in your area, you should be able to negotiate right over the phone and by e-mail, as I did exactly that when I purchased my CA95. Never once did I have to make a trip out to the store to talk directly to a sales person.

After agreeing upon the final sales price and setting up a delivery day, my check was mailed in, and, all the rest fell into place.

This was quite easy to do, and, it was far more convenient!

It's something that is peculiar to the USA and Canada. The bigger companies (cough Yamaha) have the advantage here because they seem to have dealers everywhere. Kawai dealers are very few and far between.

I sometimes wonder in being a smaller player if it helps them or hurts them more by playing the game in the same way as the 800lb gorilla. Then again I've never understood what goes on in the heads of sales and marketing people.

@ONfrank,

You bring up a very good point, although my latest transaction (for the CA95) was seamless, as I just called the store and spoke with the sales person a few times, then e-mailed him my "asking" price, and, agreed to the very first offer.

The store matched my asking price (that I wanted) right off the top, and, there was no negotiation as such, which kept things simple. Would have also agreed to a higher price than what was given!

There's also a fellow on these forums who decided to go get a piano from a dealer in the state next door because the local Kawai dealer would not budge on price at all.

Not everyone has that option and I don't think anyone can argue that having few dealers around (B&M, online, or otherwise) is good for buyers.

@gvfarns,

I was very fortunate to have a very good Kawai dealer where I am, and, did the entire transaction from home with just a few phone calls and an e-mail, which included my "asking" price for the sales person.

After having agreed upon the final sales price (which included local sales tax, plus my two trade-ins and delivery), I gave them my payment. The piano was delivered, and, the other two were taken away.

This means that you don't always have to walk into a brick-and-mortar shop/store to talk to someone.

But a good Kawai dealer is a pleasure to deal with face-to-face!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KZknBsQ0ZQ

A demonstator who plays real music. Nice to hear that there is room for improvement in his ascending arpeggios! (Although they are still twenty times better than mine, no surprise there, then)

A good video that is informative and interesting.

I have an RD700NX and while I have heard a few comments about the heavy action I would prefer it heavier... go to show, you can't please everybody.

Hi, thanks for the reviews and comments in this thread! Really interesting.
I was intrigued by the fact that you prefer the ca95 to the Avant grand line, Justplay. Would you care to elaborate some on that? I've thought for some time now that no DPs can beat the Avant Grands in terms of action and "feel". But perhaps the ca95 puts up a good fight?

Anybody else tried both the ca95 and a avant grand, who might offer a comparison?

I've played both the CA93 (not 95) and the AG N1 and NU1. I am a 2+ year adult beginner. All are excellent and compare and compete very well with each other.

I prefer the NU1 appearance over the CA93 and N1. This may not be important to you.

Over headphones I find the dynamics and variation in tone have greater range on the AG's than the CA93. I won't comment about the basic piano sound(s) as I think that comes down more to personal preference - Yamaha versus Kawai.

The CA93 keyboard action was very smooth, slightly shallow I thought in the depth of key depression, but comfortable and expressive. The let off was too subtle for me. The action did not feel like my teachers acoustic or other acoustics I have played.

The N1 and NU1 actions were not as smooth as the CA93, slightly clunkier, and noisier, with more feel of the hammer action behind it. Just like an acoustic in fact (surprise!). The access to timbre and dynamics, and the control and feedback felt much better on the AG's.

Which is better - depends of course on what you want, or prefer, and budget.

I played the AG and I found it to sound like all the other digital pianos.. "piano in a box". The action felt very, very light and was not responsive as is the Kawai CA95. The AG did not provide, for me, the feeling/vibration as the Kawai CA95 does. I found the treble on the AG to be so sensitive, that I avoided it as much as possible and the piercing of the tone in the treble was so annoying that my ears got tired in no time. I was very, very disappointed in the AG as I was very, excited and had the money to buy it on the spot. As soon as I touched it, I thought, no way, it sounds like everything else out there and it wasn't for me. The speaker system in the AG reminded me of the Roland Digital Grands...just like someone put speakers in a box. I think what makes the biggest difference is the soundboard in the Kawai CA95, it just feels real.

I know this sounds subjective, and it is...lol, but the Kawai CA95 feels alive and even though I know it's not an acoustic, I get so much feed back from it as I play, I play for hours upon hours. I can feel my music in the CA95 and that's the best way I can describe it. I love the action so much that I'm having my Baldwin R's action worked on. If I can get my Baldwin R 1/2 as responsive as the Kawai CA95, I will be in heaven...if not, I might seriously consider a different acoustic grand.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for your replies! Appreciated.
And you do make a good job at selling the CA95, Justplay

Hm, I know that I have to try the CA95 for myself, obviously. But for some stupid reason it doesnt look like it will come to Norway, at least not for a while... the stores I've spoken to say they're only importing the CA65, and that aint happening yet either (sure sucks living up north). I've previously tried out the CA63 (not the 93) and the AGs in stores, and to me the action on the CA63 felt too smooth. I couldnt feel any real interaction with the instrument. I really really liked the N1 though. But as I also enjoy making occasional detours into rock, electronic jazz and electronica (in addition to the classical music and lyrical jazz which I usually play) I will really consider the CA95 since it's both cheaper than the AGs and has more bells and whistles. But that's only if the action is on a par with the AGs. And these things are, as you say, to a large degree subjective.

Guess I'll have to find a good piano store next time I go abroad!

oivavoi, may I suggest you contact Kawai Europe to enquire into the availability of the CA95 in Norway.

Kind regards,
James
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Good suggestion, James. Will do!

I got it in Denmark from Juhl-Sørensen (http://piano.dk/), and it is also available from Thomann in Germany (thomann.de).

Thomann will apparently ship it for almost nothing, but I ended up buying it in Denmark because I was afraid what was going to happen if it was faulty or needed repair.

I've also been thinking of ordering through Thomann (it will save me a lot of money compared to buying in Norway). However, I have to try it first:)

Oivavoi: I also live in Norway, and am currently considering getting a CA65 from Thomann. The shipping costs are not as cheap as it looks at first glance, as the quoted €20 rate for shipping to Norway only is valid for up to 30kg. The rate I was quoted was €145. In addition to that comes the freight companys handling fees for customs at about €60.

Nevertheless, after this cost it ends up about €4-500 cheaper than getting it from Norway (based on what CA63 used to sell for). This price difference, combined with the fact that the CA65 is not yet available in Norway (late 2012 is what they say) makes it very tempting to get it from Germany. Although I would like to buy at a local shop, the price diff is just too large.

I also checked digitalpiano.dk that have good prices, in line with thomann more or less. But they don't have the black satin available at the moment.

Ok, thanks for letting me know, abadaba! But luckily enough my family has a cabin in Sweden just across the border, so I can ask them to deliver the piano there. Since Sweden is in the EU they're delivering there almost for free. Unfair, I know