Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Kawai MP11 vs CA95

The discussion to this point has helped me decide I need to at least try the MP11. Since there aren't any around I'll order one from Musicians Friend and will have 45 days to try it at home. I'm out shipping both ways if I return it, but that's more than fair.

It'll be good to switch between it and the K3 as well, and I'll visit the Kawai dealer to try the CA95 again. Should be able to get a good pedal comparison that way.

Will include the K&M 18950 stand in the order. I'll report back on the minimum floor to key top height; I don't think that's been definitively reported in the forums yet.

Thanks everyone for the discussion so far, it's been excellent and very helpful.

Mark, I look forward to hearing your thoughts about the MP11.

Good choice on the K&M 18950 too!

James
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It will be my pleasure to report back. Should be shipping in a week or so.

Hey - it was your say so that sold me on the K&M 18950!

Great. I think those folks in Germany owe me a commission.

Yes, please do so. I am looking at the same setup and the stand seems a wee bit high to me (or to the limit at best even tho short I am not)

Is this a stand for playing standing ? (rather than sitting)

Cheers.

MP11 was supposed to be in stock today at Musician's Friend. Checked and now the date is July 28.

I also got that stand on your say so for my MP10 (I'll give my own impressions on the MP10 when I've finalized the speakers). It's a big DP and having seen my last stand (X stand) collapse with a light P-35 I wanted something safe and stable for this.

I also got the MP10 from a local shop even though it was a bit more expensive than what Thomann had it for based on what you'd said in another thread about dealing with Kawai Europe as opposed to Kawai UK. Thomann had it for £1294 just before they sold out.

The MP11 finally arrived! Sitting on the K&M 18950 with the extenders inserted but fully collapsed the floor to key top height is just under 29 1/4". Same measurement for K-3 upright is 30 1/4" .. almost exactly 1" greater. I'll measure a Steinway grand where I'm taking lessons someday to compare.

Rock solid and unmoving on the K&M 18950. Thanks James! Oh if anyone knows whether there's a preferred placement of the MP11 on the K&M please clue me in. I saw nothing in the manual and no obvious indications on the bottom of the MP11 where it should contact the stand.

The action of the MP11 is better than I remember the action on the CA95 - which doesn't make a lot of sense but it's not a side to side comparison. It's very very good. Sound is excellent, too! Right now have it hooked up to a re-purposed Bose 3.2.1 Series II system with the little main speakers on top at either end of the MP11 and the subwoofer under one side. Sounds good to me.

Still wondering what I'm missing without a soundboard. But the cost difference is very large just for that, especially with the 15% discount on the MP11 ($2,379 from Musician's Friend; add another $240 for the stand).

Very glad to have the K-3 in the same room to easily compare actions and sound. Very much prefer the action of the MP11 - the upright is way harder to play. The MP11 feels about the same weight-wise as a Steinway concert grand I've been taking lessons on - perhaps slightly lighter but again that's from memory. Still the Steinway action and sound is in an entirely different league. For $100,000+ it better be. And acoustic actions vary widely, I've learned that much.

Oh, and I had a chance to try an RD800 for a few days in my home. Didn't like the action on it at all - keys bounced back in a way that felt sort of spring loaded. Not for me.

Now I'll have to see what my teacher says about my practicing on a digital. Pretty sure I know the answer to that one, unfortunately.

One last thought - heavy things have definitely gotten heavier since I was young. Had thought I might pack the MP11 in my car for an upcoming vacation. That seems unlikely now.

Thanks to everyone for all your advice in helping me make this decision!

Congrats Mark!

Thank you for sharing your initial thoughts about the MP11.

Cheers,
James
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Mark, congratulations on the MP11.

I'm placing an order for the K&M 18950 from Thomann.

I have a brand new scissor X stand from Proel that I had bought for my erstwhile MP7.

I now use it with my MP11 on gigs because of the ease of assembly, but I sweat with worry everytime it wobbles during heavy playing.

I saw a video somewhere of these X stands suddenly come crashing down. Cheaper to buy a new stand than a new MP11.

Thanks Abby!

The K&M 18950 earns all its praises. Can't say a thing against it.

Wow. The thought of the MP11 crashing down with all that mass .. crinkles.

Please tell me what you decide is the best place to situate the MP11 on the stand. Seems like any place is fine but would like your opinion. Wouldn't want the bottom pushed out, it'd be gutted (me too!).

Enjoy!

Thanks James!

It's a pleasure.

Sorry, I missed your query about this earlier.

I cannot quite remember how we set-up the MP11 on the 18950 for the Asuka Matsumoto videos. Generally speaking, the MP11 should 'sit' comfortably on the stand without any movement. It may be possible to align the holes on the top of the stand with the rubber feet on the base of the MP11, however this may require the stand width to be fully extended.

Best of luck!

James
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Hi, I'm pretty much also undecided between these two pianos. Which setup do you guys recommend? I'm playing mostly at home (living room) with 2-3 other instruments or probably can stretch to small gigs of 10-12 people (also at my living room).

Aesthetic is secondary to me. My primary deciding factor is sound quality potential.

1. CA95 (no amplification needed)
2. MP11 + stand + yamaha stagepas 400i (this allows all of my instruments to be mixed)
3. MP11 + stand + studio monitor (i.e. krk) + powered mixers (this might be the costliest)

up.. any comment is much appreciated.

FWIW --

I've used a Stagepas 300, and it's capable of filling that room with good sound , as loud as you'd ever want it. So the Stagepas 400 should be even better.

The small monitor speakers (e.g. KRK) seem to be designed to have one "sweet spot", in line with the tweeter. Not so good for an audience, and not so good if you're mixing other instruments through them.

I don't know how MP11 + Stagepas would compare to a CA95, but I'd be quite happy with it.

. Charles

Thanks Charles for your opinion.

The remaining options are:
1. MP11 + keyboard stand + Stagepas 400i + cables
2. CA95 (with built in speakers + soundboard)

These two options will eventually fall into the same price range..
Does anyone have opinion Which would produce better sound (at home)?
My feeling is that CA95 will sound better....

I think if you are going to play the Kawai internal sound, then the CA95 is the best choice, because of its soundboard.
If the ability to play VST instruments is important for you, you should consider the MP11 + a pair of active monitors, IMO.
For this kind of application the problem is that you can never be sure about how the internal sound system of the piano will transmit the sound from an external sound card... For example, on my HP-507 it is ok, I am satisfied, for the CA-95 I don't know.