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Hi there,

I’m planning on upgrading from my Yamaha DGX505 and I have about ($1600~$1800) £800~£900 to spend (before buying the stand etc).

There are two things that I am looking for which is weighted keys and somewhat portable not heavier than 25kg at the most.

So that leaves me with the following:

Yamaha P140 (17.8kg) (£593.00)
Roland FP-7 (23.9kg) (£799.99)
Yamaha CP-33 (18kg) (£799.00)

Is there any other digital piano that I might have overlooked and which one would you recommend in this case?

In terms of value and performance, you may wish to look into Casio's Privia range, while the more expensive KAWAI MP5 and ES4 (and soon to be released ES6) should also be considered.

Kind regards,
James
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if you're looking for something to do gigs or to travel with, then the one without built-in speakers would be a better choice, such as CP33, because you would have external speakers/amps to hook up with for better sound.

After the horror stories I've read about Kawai pianos I am not happy to spend my money with them.

I'm not going to be taking the piano to gigs but I do want to be able to take it with me if I have to move house in the next year or so.

don't bother buying CP33 if FP7 is priced 99 pence higher.

Out of curiosity how portable are the Clavinovas?

Thanks for the fast replies btw.

I played all 3 just last Saturday. FP-7 is the runaway winnner IMO.

Incidentally, where did you find the FP-7 at only £800?

What is the "soon to be released" Kawai ES6? How much different/better is it from the ES4? Where did you get your information from?

I found it here . I've read on the forums that the stand for the FP-7 isn't that great is that true?

For classical music I found that FP7 is actually inferior in terms of touch to the FP4 - rigid bottoming out ruins the whole fp7 action. Yamahas action (CP33, Cp300) is very "springy" (the key pushes on your finger when pressed), also unrealistic.
For touch there are only two options for me - the FP4, or Kawai MP5. The stand of FP7/FP4 is perfectly fine for home use, but way too heavy to take outside. I am grade 8 btw, so YMMV:)

Does the CLP 340 have a springy action as well?

The Clavinovas aren't portable at all in the usual sense. A couple of strong blokes could move a Clavinova around a room, but Clavinovas are console instruments and are neither small nor lightweight. I personally like the touch of the Yamaha P140 and it is indeed portable.

frivolus, the KAWAI ES6 is an improved version of the ES4, with 192 polyphony, a revised action, new 88-key piano sampling, and 'Rhythm Section' backing accompaniments.

There is more information available on the KAWAI Japan website (in Japanese):

http://www.kawai.co.jp/ep/products/stylish/es6/index.html

I have English language brochure PDFs here, however these will probably not be uploaded to the KAWAI Europe / KAWAI US websites until next month.

Kind regards,
James
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Hey James, thanks very much for the info. Does the new es6 have the same action and soundset as the mp5? Is the power supply internal? What about those 3 brass-like pedals, is that what it comes with or does/can it use a single one for portability? Is the weight the same as the es4? My apologies for all the questions. I obviously play an es4 and would like to upgrade, if it was actually better over-all, especially acoustic piano-wise than the 4.

frivolus, you're most welcome. I was a little reluctant to write too much about the ES6 initially, however the Japanese website was launched earlier in the week, allowing me to answer your questions in greater detail.

The ES6 uses the AHA-IV-F action, which is the same generation as that found in the MP5, albeit slightly improved in response to customer feedback.

In terms of variety of sound, the MP5 features 256 different voices, contrasting with the 32 voices of the ES6. However, as mentioned previously, the ES6 is one of the first instruments from KAWAI to use the new 88-key piano sampling process, offering a superior piano sound to either the MP5 or your current ES4.

No, the ES6 uses an AC adaptor, just like the ES4.

The ES6 is sold with a single pedal. The ES6 stand is sold separately, and is very similar in design to the stand produced for the ES4. However, as you correctly note, there is also the option to purchase an additional brass pedal unit, offering soft, sostenuto, and sustain functionality. Both the stand and pedal unit are of course easily detachable from the ES6 for portability, in which case you would use the included single pedal for sustain or the double pedal unit (also sold as an accessory) for sustain and soft.

The ES4 weighs 20.7 kg, while the ES6 is a little heavier at 21.5 kg, owing to changes in design and speaker configuration.

Well, personal opinions are largely subjective, however I would say that if you enjoy playing your ES4, you'll certainly appreciate the improvements that have been made to the ES6.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards,
James
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Jim. is that new piano emulation process, the same as es4, ie part sampling and part modeling, except, I'm guessing an individual sample/model for each key? Oh, are the output/pedal jacks and ac input on the side, again, or on the back? When will it be available to play in the US? Really do appreciate the info, Jim.

Hello frivolus,

My apologies for the delayed reply - I have been away from the office during the Obon holiday season.

To answer your question, both the ES4 and ES6 use Harmonic Imaging, however the newer ES6 utilises a more modern 88 key piano sampling process. The main connectors are all located on the back of the instrument, and no longer placed on the side. The only exception are the headphone jacks, located at the front, on the left and right cheek.

As for release date, the Japan release date is scheduled for 09/20, however the overseas date may be slightly later. I would recommend contact KAWAI US, requesting information on the closest dealer that will be stocking the ES6.

Kind regards,
James
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