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Hello everyone
and thank you all for the useful info you share on this blog.
After months of research about digital pianos, and after having tried sevaral brands (Roland, Casio, Yamaha etc..) I narrowed down my search and finally made the decision of getting the Kaway CA65.
Today after I placed the order at the store here in Brussels, I fooled around with some other pianos on the floor and stumbled across the CS7.
I know the CS7 is supposed to be a luxury, glossy version of the CA65, infact they have exactly the same specs.
BUT
Wait until you try them side by side.
Today as soon as I noodled around the CS7 I noticed a big difference in sound richness and expressiveness and found it overal brighter, sharper, but full and rich at the same time.
Does the polished ebony body of the CS7 make such a big difference in terms of sound quality?
It even sounded better than the CA95 when I kept jumping from one model to the next.
Is it just a wrong impression?
I checked the display and they all had the main Concert hall Piano sound selected, with no reverb. Could it be that there was a different setting in the EQ of the CS7.

Last but not least: I'm still in time to switch the order I placed today from the CA65 to the CS7. What do you folks recommend??

Big dilemma

ciao
Emi

The physical construction of the piano may make a difference, but also the location of the pianos in the store will affect the sound. Did you listen with headphones? There is another thread on here that found something similar with the CS10 and CA95, so maybe you're onto something.

I did listen to both on the headphones and I confirm what the seller was telling me: they sound the same!
Today I'll go back to the store and make sure the EQ settings are the same. In any case, the one thing I noticed is that the whole body and wood of the CS7 vibrates much more when you play it. That, probably, increases the overtones and fullness of the sound.....
Anyone else with the same experience?

Well , if you're convinced the CS sounds (much) better to your ears and can shelve the money , you could change the order and get a much nicer cabinet design as a bonus . It's your piano, you decide which DP you're most happy with...

Every DP cabinet design will sound different ; due to the physical characteristics and materials used. Kawai has a fixed EQ between sound engine and amp/ speaker system on each model that is designed to match the sound you hear over speakers to the sound you hear over headphones. Of course not exactly 100% , but without the EQ it would sound totally different and most probably pretty bad. If this EQ on the CA and CS is the exact same one, the DP's will defenitely sound different, because they have different cabinets and the EQ was tuned to the CA model. But most probably the EQ on the CS is especially tuned to the cabinet of the CS and the Kawai designers may have decided that a bit other sound than on the equivalent CA model is an improvement. On the CS7 that may have worked out well, according to your impression. On the CS10 it may be to bright, according to another poster. The buyer decides..

so you think, to a certain extent, that I can modify the EQ through the Virtual Technician to make the CA65 sound more like the CS7?
Honestly I don't care about the aspect: they both look very good and well built. My main concearn is piano sound....

The EQ I am talking about is a fixed - presumably hardwired - EQ that is switched between sound engine and amp/ speaker system. It's a vey delicate curve that compensates for the non-flat frequency response an acoustic system has. The virtual technician EQ is very rudimentary and by far not fine grained enough to do something similar. But you can always try ;-)

Again , if you have the feeling the CS sounds much better, than you should think if you want to hand over the extra money for the difference you perceive or not. It's up to you...

Cheers, J

I'll pay it in monthly installments and the CS7 will only be 10 euros more than the CA65, so in terms of money is not a big difference.
I was checking in the specs of both models and the built in speakers have the same size and wattage: in spite of that, do you also think they have different qualities to match the different material and cabinet?

Emiliano, the CA65 and CS7 utilise the same speaker systems. However, as noted above (and in the CA95 vs CS10 thread), differences to the form factor and construction can influence the tonal character of the sound. The position of the speakers relative to the player can also be a factor.

All Kawai digital pianos go through rigorous 'setup' process during product development, whereby engineers from Kawai Japan and Kawai's subsidiaries overseas work together, preparing the instrument's internal EQ to create a balanced tone.

However, back to the topic of your post: if you prefer the CS7's piano tone, and are happy to pay the premium for the luxury cabinet design, I would recommend doing so. Over the life-time of the instrument, it's a relatively small price to pay for complete satisfaction and peace of mind.

Kind regards,
James
x

Exactly my thought too. If you really like the CS7 sound over the CA65 , go for it ; it looks much better anyway - that's worth something too ;-)

so you think, to a certain level, that I can change the EQ through the Exclusive Specialist to create the CA65 audio more like the CS7?
Honestly I don't proper worry about the aspect: they both look very excellent and well designed. My primary concearn is keyboard audio....






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hello folks and thanx for the advice. I spent the whole day at the store and jumped from the CS7 to the CA65......back and fourth, relentlessly.
I even asked other people in the store to play them for me, so that i could get their impression and listen to the sound from a different spot other than the player.
We all agreed than the CS7 was much louder and sounded brighter and more acoustic.
I also made sure to restore the default settings on both pianos.
So, the final decision was...... CS7
It'll be delivered on Oct 12..... I can't wait to hear what it'll sound like in the apartment ....

Hi Emiliano,

how did it go? Are you happy with the sound of the CS7 at home?

It was quite interesting to read about your findings, because "once upon a time", before the CS7 had arrived, I compared the CS6 to the CA65 and heard the same difference in sound "tone"!

Luckily enough I waited and bought the CS7 as soon as it arrived!

I am enjoying the sound every day now since then and I am convinced you cannot find a better E-piano for the money - and with that astonishing looks as a bonus!


Take Care,
Michael

I too tried the CA65, CA95 and CS7 all together, not knowing that the CA65 and CS7 were the same specs, and came to the same conclusion. I didn't find anything to choose between the sound of the CA95 and CS7, but the CA65 was noticeably worse (also much inferior to the Roland HP505). I didn't check the EQ settings because I didn't have time and didn't know how, but it seems unlikely anyone would have altered them. The finish of the CS7 was also a lot nicer, but not sure I could justify £500 extra for the same specs.

I'm in the market for a new piano, but currently holding off to see how the new Rolands (HP506 etc) are received, and if anything else good comes out of NAMM in late January. Maybe this will also lead to some bargains on the current range as shops clear stock and consumers upgrade.

Is that the piano that will feature the new PHA4 action? We heard about it some time ago but no one has yet reported trying it out. The description indicated that they have addressed the things people don't like about the action. I'm super curious to see to what degree they were successful in doing so.

I stumbled upon an HP506 the other day. I was with company, and we were in a hurry, so I didn't have time to try the action for more than 30 seconds or so.

Cheers,
James
x

The sound through the CA65's external speakers, yes. But if you are listening with headphones, there is absolutely no difference at all - which is why I selected the CA65.

Yes. You can read about it from some Japanese dealers with a little help from Google Translate.

PHA-4 seems to involve 1) higher resolution sensors, and 2) better padding to make it quieter.

Other significant changes to the range are 1) "dynamic overtone" - maybe higher dynamic range? 2) 88-note adjustment of volume/pitch/timbre 3) light walnut-effect case available (woot!)


Yup - and you probably would think the CA65 speakers sounded pretty good if it weren't put side by side with these other beasts. Certainly good enough for practicing. But the difference between it and the CS7 seems real and somewhat mysterious (shininess of finish not usually being a direct contributor to sound quality).

@lolatu - thanks for the link, it indeed looks like Roland adressed the most discussed shortcomings of PHAIII and HP series pianos in general. Might be some interesting new blood on the DP scene. Too bad they couldn't hold off with the FP50/80 to make them on par with HP508 (& co.) but I guess it was a calculated marketing decision.

@James - interesting info about first confirmed sighting, next time you stumble upon new HP pianos with more time on your hands, please do share you impressions!

Actually, I didn't think the external speakers on the CA95, CS7 or HP505 were all that great either - even if they were somewhat better. I've probably been spoiled by playing acoustics for the past six decades !! BUT - all are terrific with headphones !!!!!

Can you explain my this sentence regarding the CS7 and CA95? So the CA95 is much better than CS7?

And interesting that all of you are saying that the CS7 sound much better than CA65...