Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Help! CA95 instead of an acoustic piano, feasible?

I live in Beijing, China. 2012, I retired, to find a good piano teacher, started decades desire - to learn the piano, has been almost a year. In the future, I will have a few months per year to China's Hainan Island, to spend the winter, where warm and humid, for my cardiovascular and respiratory systems are very good. However, in the Hainan Island apartment because moisture and easily disturb the neighbors, inconvenient to use an acoustic piano. I was studying whether to choose a digital piano instead of an acoustic piano. By browsing on the internet, I am very interested in Kawai CA95, however, CA65/CA95 other pianos do not have to enter the Chinese market, I can not go and listen and try them. Hope to get your help, welcome any suggestions. Thank you!
(Excuse my bad english.)

Well, those CA-line Kawai's are among the best available digitals (along with some of the high-end Roland and Yamaha digitals and the Yamaha AvantGrands). If any digital piano can be a substitute for an acoustic, it's them. They have the added benefit of having been modeled after Shigeru-line Kawai grands, so the touch should be as similar to your acoustic as you will find among pure digitals. I own an older Kawai digital with wooden keys and it's quite similar to a Kawai grand I play regularly.

Digitals are obviously not exactly like acoustics--you will definitely notice differences and shortcomings--but they are wonderful substitutes and particularly suited to situations where you don't want noise to be an issue. I personally use my digital piano almost exclusively with headphones because I like to play at night after the kids go to bed. At the moment I don't actually have use for an acoustic at home because I would never get the chance to play it without interference from my kids.

Another note: In this forum we are very discriminating and tend to gravitate toward the higher end models in our discussions, but in a pinch even the less expensive models are great for playing, especially on a limited basis, as you will on your trips. Of course, if you can afford it, the very best digitals, like the Kawai models you mention, really offer something above and beyond the entry level models.

gvfarns,
Thank you for your reply. Your insights and experience makes me more convinced CA95 or AvantGrand should be a more ideal choice. If I choose CA95 (I really really like Shigeru sound and action), I have some concerns: First, this forum, some people have mentioned CA65/CA95 not play pp, even if it is slightly press a key, the start sound still be significant. At this point do not even like CA63/CA93; Secondly, if a few months, or even six months, just use the CA95, can not touch the acoustic piano, will seriously affect the effectiveness of my learning the piano and processes.

Hi Lakeside,

I'm an owner of the CA-95 and coincidentally, I had a friend, who was/is a long time (upright) piano player, come to my place yesterday to try out the Kawai and he very much liked the key action -- he even said it was the best action of any digital piano he has played so far, which was nice to hear. He also liked the sound of the piano (especially the bottom end, which sounded powerful with the soundboard sending vibrations to the rest of the piano) even though he thought the default "Concert Grand" piano sound was too soft (which is kind of paradoxical since Kawai piano sounds are usually on the brighter side of the spectrum). Anyway, he seemed happy with the "Upright Piano" sound we then selected. An evening well spent.

At any rate, I cannot comment on your first concern regarding pp playing as I'm not yet that far with my skills. As for the second concern -- I don't think playing the CA-95 exclusively without touching an acoustic piano can harm the effectiveness of your playing in general. After all, the key action of the CA-95 has been specifically designed to be as close to that of an acoustic (grand) piano as possible. If anything, it may even improve your playing.

In any case, you'd be best served to visit your local Kawai dealer and get the hang of the key action and sound yourself. That is really the best you can do.

Good luck with your search!

A couple of months ago I play tested the CA95 (which you can read about here: Comparing the CA65/95, CLP-470/480, and the NU1 ).

If it weren't for the looks (my wife prefers ebony polish), I would have gone with the CA-95 without any hesitations. I would also have considered the CS10 which is a CA-95 in a K-2 cabinet, but those pianos are only starting to be rolled out this year and are not widely available as of yet.

Hi Lakeside

I've spent a bit of time on the CA65, which has an identical key action to the CA95. I have no problem playing pp. The sound was very good and the touch was excellent--quite representative of a Kawai small grand I spent some time on as well. Good practice substitute for an acoustic in my opinion where an acoustic isn't feasible. For what it's worth, I preferred the action on the Kawai to the Yamaha NU1, although this is based on initial impressions of the NU1 only.

The CA65/CA95 keyboard action is very good. Very close to the Kawai EX concert grand. The sound is enjoyable, especially on the CA95 with the soundboard.

However, I imagine that the soundboard will have the same problem with humidity as an acoustic piano--though maybe not as much as there are other speakers other than the soundboard in the CA95.

You have to imagine that having a 7' grand in your living room, playing pp or ppp might take some efforts. Again I think playing pp on the CA95 is easier than on the CA65, not sure if other people have the same experience.

For various reasons I recently sold my RX2 and bought a Kawai ES7. I have played acoustic pianos all my life. I too am retired. A friend has a CA95, which I have played and is superior to the ES7 - action and sound. However, I am very happy with the ES7, having spent some time adjusting to the touch and creating a sound that I am happy with. I see no reason why you should not enjoy playing a CA95 for some months of the year. If you do buy a CA95 or something similar, you may also consider using a software piano: these provide the cabinet/string resonance that DPs are weak on and hearing a good sound also psychologically creates the illusion - to a degree - of playing an acoustic piano.

The soundboard is not made of spruce planks but of vinyl covered plywood. For the price, it can not be made of solid wood. It should be very stable dimensionally unless immersed in water directly.

Lakeside,

Hi. I'm going to provide some CA95 feedback from a beginner's perspective. I have a Casio PX-850. It is hooked to good computer running Galaxy Instruments Vintage D software piano.

About four weeks ago, I happened to be near the local Kawai dealer and decided to drop in and see why everyone was raving about the CA95. When I tried it, it sounded great. OTOH, since I have Vintage D virtual piano software, I didn't expect the CA95 to sound substantially better using headphones. And I was pretty much correct. OTOH...

I also expected the CA95 to play much better that my Casio if I was an advance player. However, since I'm a beginner, I didn't think I'd notice much difference. How wrong I was. My intent was to play it for maybe 5 minutes. After more than 30 minutes, I finally stopped. The CA95 keyboard action was incredibly good. Even a rank amateur like me could tell the difference.

The amazing part is that *I* played better on the CA95 than I ever had on my Casio. I can't tell you why. The action was sooooo nice that it took a massive effort to control my urge to whip out my credit card and tell the salesman, "Gimme, gimme, gimme!" My goal is to get CA95 or maybe a VPC1 when my skill level justifies the expense.

If you can possibly find one to test-play, that's a good idea. That said, you'll probably not find too many other pianos that play and sound as the CA95.

Good luck with your decision.

Regards,

Dan.

I wonder what the Physispiano V100 will do. In terms of price, delivery date a d Acoustic realism (sound system and projection). Could be a contender to ca-95/ CS10 and hp507 / lx15 .

Hi Clayman，
Thank you for your letter, as well as relevant and pertinent observations. My doubts are gradually being eliminated. Unfortunately, I can not come into contact with CA95 in Beijing or other brands of high-end digital piano, so I can only listen to widespread use of these or similar digital piano's friends experience and opinions. Thank you very much!

Lakeside

Hi Thalanor，
I read your post (which you can read about here: Comparing the CA65/95, CLP-470/480, and the NU1 ), Those opinions, of great help to me,"I noticed that CA-65/95 and the HP-505/507 had the same feel respectively. However, they both felt enough like a real piano for me that it did not bother me.The touch felt lighter than some of the cheaper/older accustic pianos but not quite as light as a grand piano. Beyond that I couldn't tell more. For me they felt responsive enough. A couple of small things to notes on the keyboard: I tried the pianos out with the sound off to hear just how the keyboard action sounds. I noticed that the Roland action is slightly louder compared to the Kawai. Both pianos had their own version Ivory-feel keys that served their purpose.” I like to see. To tell you the truth, I for action attention to high to voice concerns.
Lakeside.

Hi stng,
Thanks for the advice. I have no problem playing pp.. "This is the first I see very positive results. However, "Good practice substitute for an acoustic in my opinionwhere an acoustic isn't feasible. For what it's worth, I preferred the action on theKawai to the Yamaha NU1, although this is based on initial impressions of the NU1only". I didn't quite understand (forgive my English). You mean -- morerecommended Yamaha NU1, it has better action and touch. My understanding of?
Thanks again!

Hi semo,
Do you think "The CA65/CA95 keyboard action is very good. Very close to the Kawai EX concert grand". This is really let me be overjoyed! Soooo thanks (write like this, right?)! Although I have no chance to play EX, but, I tried SK5.
Wet for the soundboard effect, I think it is easier than for the overall structure of the acoustic piano is accepted.
Thank you very much!

You must really like it! (500th post)

Hi sandalholme,
The RX2 is a very good grand piano. When I was young, without conditions and opportunities to learn the piano. But, I am eager to appreciate classical music have been half a century. In the charming piano timbre, even playing a chord is pleasant.Because of this, as a beginner I should step in to buy a SK3, so far I am very happy and grateful (a little regret, why I did not break the budget to buy SK5?).
I appreciate your comments -- "there is no reason why you should not enjoy a yearfor a few months to play a ca95.". Especially about the software piano wonderfuleffect, it seems that I have to try.
Thank you！
Lakeside

Lakeside

I meant the opposite. I prefer the CA65/95 action to the NU1 action. The CA65/95 action feels like a grand action, whereas the NU1 doesnt. Not surprising because the NU1 action is from a Yamaha upright. But it's based on maybe an hour on the NU1. I suggest trying wherever possible. From a sound perspective, I'm not sure I had a preference.

Simon

This is really a good news!