Dear all

I have narrowed down my first DP to

Kawai CN24
Yamaha CLP 440

I live in Qatar(Middle east).

The price of CLP 440 here is 8000 Qatari riyal (approx $2200)

Kawai is not available here, I want to go to near by country(UAE) to get it.

Which model you people suggest.

I think specs vise yamaha has a bit more
40W Speakers
256 polyphony
Line out & line in

Which model you people recommend as a pianist.

Kawai CN24 meets my needs

But I dont know how much it cost for Kawai CN24.
(James can you help me to get the approx price of CN24 & CN34 in UAE. I dont mind driving 7 hours to get Kawai if it's a better deal. I tried to contact the distributor, but no reply)

Hello MVshabeer2,

If you do not receive a response from Kawai's distributor in UAE, may I recommend that you send a message to Kawai Japan directly using the enquiry form at the URL below:

http://www.kawai.co.jp/worldwide/support/

Kind regards,
James
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Nothing against the quality of the KAWAI instrument, but if you might be unlucky and run into technical problems with it, who will help you? The closest store selling it (only 7 driving hours away) does not even answer on your e-mail, although it for them is an e-mail offer to earn your money! You really want to 'force' them to earn your money and then just 'hope' that their service will work if you would need it?
In your situation, and knowing that the CLP-440 is a really fine instrument, I would go with it. Your local dealer might have been in contact with the other brands and have good reasons to not offer all the other brands in your region.

You made a good point there

So Is CLP 440 as good as Kawai DP's?

I already have yamah motif, so if I get kawai I will have a different piano sound. that's why I am leaning towards Kawai

Unfortunately I can not tell you anything about the Kawai CN 24, because I haven´t touched that one. So I could not give you a relibale comparison. I could only make you rethink about your situation with not having any good serving Kawai dealer around. I once touched a CA-65 and a CS 9, and they have been very good pianos. As I prefer the darker, warmer, mellow Roland sound, I never went into more detail on the Kawai sound, and as the Yamaha sound is the same bright I neither compared the Yamaha and Kawai sound quality in more detail.

I have touched the CLP 440 once, and I liked it. The keys are well done, the easy access to all functions is what Yamaha is unbeaten for, and the sound - as I pointed out - is a personal question. If I remember correctly, then the CLP 440 has a "loudness" button on the right side, which you can use to improve sound if playing at low volume. Something I haven´t seen on other pianos. As I said, Yamaha is doing the best job in providing you easy access to the functions. But, better you check yourself about the provided features, as I am not completly sure no more after half a year that I have touched it.

MVshabeer2, I would say that the Yamaha CLP-440 is perhaps closer - in terms of features and specifications - to the CN43 than the CN24.

However, there is currently no direct replacement for the CN43 (i.e. no CN44 model) that features the latest sound and action technology of the CN24/CN34. Therefore, perhaps the closest latest generation Kawai would be the CN34.

The CN24 is a simpler, lower specification instrument that's more closely comparable to a YDP-161/YDP-162.

Kind regards,
James
x

Thanks for your reply James.
I considered YDP series, but I am worried about 3rd sensor. I haven't played it.
Is it hard to do trills on GH keyboard compared to GH3.
What is the exact advantage of 3rd sensor & when will I think I really need it.

The third sensor allows you to play a note again without having to allow the key to come back as high as it does with the two-sensor action (by a couple of millimeters or so). It is possible to play repeats of the same note more quickly with a three-sensor action.

However, the difference is not very large, especially for pianists who are not super advanced. Upright acoustic pianos behave the same way as two-sensor digitals and can repeat at the same speed. Acoustic grands can repeat more quickly because of their double escapement mechanism, which is what the three-sensor action emulates.

In other words, a three sensor action is better than a two sensor in the same way and to the same degree (approximately) as an acoustic grand action is better than an acoustic upright action. For players who are not super-advanced, there is no discernible difference.

MVshabeer2, gvfarns' explanation is correct.

An audible comparison between 2-sensor and 3-sensor actions is available on the VPC website here. Scroll down to 'Superb Action Details', then click the 'Triple-sensor' button.

Kind regards,
James
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I must say you are a wondeful asset to out piano community and forum with your wealth of knowledge and infomation Kawai James! Thanks for everything you do!