This is my first post so please bear with me if I make any mistakes or if this question has already been answered. I've recently taken up the piano and am looking to purchase a digital piano to practice on. My budget is around $1200. I've spent the past month testing various brands and have come to like a Kawai ES-4. Here where I live, it's $995. I basically have two questions: Is this a good price for the ES-4? and Is the MP5 that much better? The closest MP5 for me to test is 5 hours away, and I don't have time to drive that far to test a piano. It's only $100 more and I just wanted to know if it was that much better. I'd appreciate any help you can provide. Thanks.

The MP5 is a more advanced product, typically aimed at performing stage musicians. There are a range of features that - with all due respect - piano novices are unlikely to fully exploit, such as independent zone balances/EQ-ing.

Is the MP5 a better product than the ES4? Well, technically speaking, yes, however for straight-forward simplicity - a digital piano that you can simply switch on, and sit down to play, the ES4 is arguably the more suitable instrument.

Having said all of that, you may live to regret not paying the extra $100...

...gosh that's a difficult choice!

Good luck!
James
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I do not think the MP5 has internal speakers.
( please verify that )

More abouit the MP5 here :

http://www.pianoworld.com/ubb/ubb/ultimatebb.php?/topic/6/4023.html

No, it doesn't have speakers, that doesn't bother me. I'm more concerned with the key action on the mp5 in comparison with the es4, because there's not one for me to play around here.

I tried 2 different Kawaii EP2's .....
loved the sound and feel but just could not handle the click/clack of some of the black keys.

Theres someone around here called "The Pro" who plays professionally (I believe) and uses the ES4 and has no problems with his keys.

May show up and give more advice on MP5/ES4.

Hi. Yes, I play professionally fulltime and the Kawai ES4 is one of the pianos I use often. I've owned and used it since February 2006 with no problems whatsoever, and I am a fairly heavy-handed player. It is a fine instrument in every way, action/feel, sound, appearance, and it's in a comfortable weight range for frequent transport.

I was really looking for a DP with internal speakers when I bought it and I still like them... some of my gigs are intimate and it's nice to have that option. I use a stereo keyboard amp with it (either my Motion Sound KP-100s or the KP-200s) and that gives me a nice warm surround-sound effect when I play. You can also plug an iPod into the ES4 for practice or MP3 backing accompaniment. I think internal speakers increases the resale value of the piano also because more people would be interested in it than just the prosumers.

I haven't played an MP5 yet so I have no opinion about it. I could've gotten an MP4 instead of the ES4 if I wanted to go the better-controller/no-internal speakers route but the ES4 is simple and satisfying and it's all I need for stage.

This is a picture of my Kawai ES4 on it's Ultimate Support V-Stand with a Freehand Music Pad Pro.

Thanks you all for your help, I really appreciate it. I guess I'm going to have to find an MP5 to try out.

woodstock, the ES4 and MP5 utilise the 'Advanced Hammer Action 4' plastic key action, however the version found inside the MP5 is the newer, slightly improved AHA-IV 'E' type.

Depending on your playing style, you may / may not be able to feel the difference between the two instruments.

Kind regards,
James
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