Yamaha P515 vs Kawai ES8 | Digital Piano Review | Buyers Guide

High-end all-in-one portable digital pianos have been increasing in popularity for quite some time now, and it’s pretty easy to see why. Top-of-the-line stage pianos are of course not getting anywhere, but the idea of a professional quality keyboard with built-in speakers, great sound, and weighted keys makes a lot of sense for a lot of people. Today we’re going to compare two of the three most popular professional all-in-one portable digital pianos on the market (with the Roland FP90 being the third) as we look at the P-Series Yamaha P515 vs Kawai ES8 from their ES lineup. These two pianos are priced very close to one another and serve the exact same part of the market. As a result, they are direct competitors so odds are if you’re looking for a nice portable digital piano with onboard speakers, you’re very likely to have both of these pianos on your shortlist. Be sure to check out the companion video to hear these pianos in action for yourself.

Piano Sounds: Yamaha P515 vs Kawai ES8

Let’s start by comparing the sound engines. The piano sound is one of the most critical aspects of any digital piano, and when discussing high-end instruments like these where overall features and functionality are pretty much a wash, the sound comparison becomes that much more important. In the case of pianos, we’re dealing with superb sound engines - it’s certainly not fair to say one easily outguns the other. Instead, it’s really going to come down to which piano sound you happen to connect with more.

Kawai’s Harmonic Imaging XL

The Kawai ES8 is equipped with Kawai’s highly regarded Harmonic Imaging XL (HIXL) engine, the core of which is built around a piano sample of their Shigeru Kawai SKEX, though there are also high-quality samples of their EX concert grand piano and Shigeru Kawai SK-5. These are all 88-note, individually sampled engines brimming without detail and the individual note sampling means there’s no note stretching going on.

Yamaha’s CFX & Bosendorfer Imperial

Over on the Yamaha P515, we’ve got a sample of the legendary Bosendorfer Imperial piano as well as a sample of their CFX Grand, both of which are also 88-note individual samples. These samples incorporate Yamaha’s Virtual Resonance Modeling (VRM) for some extra synthesis, as well as the Stereophonic Optimizer, Binaural Sampling, and Sound Boost for extra power.

Polyphony

Polyphony is even on both pianos at 256 notes which is pretty much as high as it gets from a sample-based engine before jumping to a modeled engine that has the potential to offer limitless polyphony. 256-note polyphony is plenty - you won’t have to worry about notes dropping away on either of these pianos regardless of how busy you get.

Musical Observations

Let's start by comparing the acoustic piano sounds - for most users, the primary focus is going to be an authentic acoustic grand sound that’s able to adequately replicate the acoustic piano playing experience. Flip over to the video if you’d like to hear this comparison for yourself. It’s apparent right after playing both pianos that the sound engines do sound quite different from one another. The Yamaha P515 is definitely producing a brighter sound, while the ES8 certainly has a far darker tone, especially in the mid-range, but the treble still manages to be super clear. The attack, particularly in the treble, tends to be more direct and crisp on the P515 with lots of fundamentals but a lack of complexity at the same time. The sound quality is great with both instruments, but we’re definitely hearing a more detailed, complex tone over on the ES8.

Yamaha’s Piano Room & Kawai’s Virtual Technician

In terms of the ability to modify that sound on both the P515 and ES8, both pianos give the user a lot of options. Over on the P515, Yamaha calls this feature the Piano Room, and this allows you to modify things like the lid position, brightness, touch sensitivity, reverb, master tuning, key-off samples, aliquot resonance, body resonance, and string resonance. On the Kawai ES8, we have essentially the same thing, which Kawai refers to as their Virtual Technician. Some of the editable effects available here include touch curve, voicing, damper resonance, damper noise, string resonance, key-off effect, fallback noise, hammer delay, top board, decay, minimum touch temperament, stretch tuning, user key volumes, half-pedalling adjustments.

Other Sounds

Moving onto the non-acoustic piano sounds and both pianos have a solid stable of additional presets, though there are certainly far more on the P515. For context, the ES8 has 34 total sounds, while the P515 has 40 core sounds, plus 480 XG voices, which are essentially like General MIDI 2. If you need that huge variety of sounds here, the P515 looks pretty compelling here. That said, the quantity of high-quality core sounds is of course much closer with only 6 more on the P515. The first of these core sounds is a selection of electric pianos, and both the P515 and ES8 are very strong in this regard. Both pianos also have some really solid organs to choose from, these tend to sound more realistic on the ES8. Other core sounds include things like strings, choir, vibes, and others. Navigating the various sounds is a little bit easier on the P515 due to a larger LCD display - the ES8 has an LCD display as well, but it’s just smaller.

Speaker Comparison

The P515 and ES8 both have a high-quality set of built-in speakers. The P515 has a 4-speaker system with 40 watts of amplifier power, compared to a dual speaker system and 30 watts of power on the ES8. Despite this rated power output difference, in terms of actual power, they sound pretty much the same when the volume is cranked.

Piano Action: Yamaha P515 vs Kawai ES8

Let's dive into the actions on both pianos. As important as piano sound is, action is pretty close, if not more important for some people depending on their priorities. If you've got an action that feels great, it’s going to make you want to practice. On the other hand, if you've got an action that is simply unsatisfying, it doesn't matter how good the tone is, as the action will mechanically get in the way of enjoying the musical instrument.

Yamaha’s Natural Wood X vs Kawai’s Responsive Hammer III

The P515 is equipped with Yamaha’s Natural Wood X action (NWX) while the ES8 is outfitted with Kawai’s Responsive Hammer III (RHIII) action. Given that these pianos directly compete in the same price range you might assume that their actions are quite similar, however, this is far from the case. In fact, these actions do not feel anything like one another, to the point that it’s actually quite shocking to play them side by side. The NWX features wooden keys while the RHIII is plastic, but interestingly, this isn’t why they feel so different. The first big difference that jumps out is the weighting, as in, the amount of force it takes to get the key in motion. On an upright piano, for example, it should take somewhere between 45 to 55 grams to put the key in motion. On a grand piano, the range is about 50 to 60. We haven't gone so far as to measure this out, but we would guess that the Yamaha P-515’s NWX action is well above 60 grams as it feels substantially heavier than what one would get even on a grand piano. The RHIII on the other hand is right down the middle in terms of its weighting, but when compared to the NWX, it feels considerably lighter.

Escapement

This brings us to the second big point of departure, which is the feature of an escapement. Both piano actions feature escapement, or as it’s also known, let-off, and this essentially simulates the feeling you get when playing a grand piano action. where there’s a lip about 2/3 of the way down where the key resets. On the Kawai ES8, the escapement is very apparent. Over on the P515, it’s really not apparent, to the point that we had to double-check the specs sheet.

Textured Key Tops

The third significant difference is in the tactile touch of the keytops themselves with regard to the texture. Both piano actions feature textured synthetic ivory white keys, but the texture is much more exaggerated on the ES8. Over on the black keys, both sets of keytops are again textured with synthetic ebony but in this case, the P515’s black keys feel more textured. This might seem like a really granular observation, but it is very noticeable and has the potential to impact one’s overall enjoyment of the action depending on their preference.

Triple Sensor Key Detection

Underneath the hood, we've got triple sensor key detection in both actions so the MIDI output is highly accurate in both cases.

Keyboard Action Wrap Up

Action is not something that you want to gloss over when you’re comparing these pianos. Of course, we always recommend carefully considering the action of the piano you plan to purchase, but in the case of this comparison, it’s especially important. These two actions feel so different, especially from a weighting perspective, to the point that you’re very likely going to have a strong, immediate preference for one or the other.

Yamaha P515 vs Kawai ES8 | Features & Connectivity

Accessories

Both pianos are fairly similar in size and come in a basic slab format with a single sustain pedal, however, both are compatible with matching designer keyboard stands and triple pedal units for anyone looking for a more stationary instrument. Out of the box, the included sustain pedal is a high-quality damper pedal in both cases, and this is great as no upgrade is necessary even if you’re looking at either of these as a professional gigging instrument. Both pianos include a music rest in the box at no extra charge.

Connectivity

Both pianos have a solid offering in terms of connectivity ports. Critically, both pianos have 1/4” Aux Out ports so connecting to an amplifier or external speaker for performance purposes is no problem at all. From there, they both also have Aux In, dual headphone jacks, MIDI In and Out, USB to Host, USB to Device, and of course, a jack for your power supply adapter. The Kawai ES8 does not have any Bluetooth connectivity, while the P515 has Bluetooth Audio by virtue of being a newer instrument. In terms of accessing apps on your iPad, other iOS devices, or Android devices such as the Yamaha Smart Pianist App which can actually convert songs from your iOS device’s music library into chord charts for you, you’ll need to use the USB connection.

Auto-Accompaniment

Both pianos have a really solid onboard rhythm and accompaniment function that’s good enough for use in professional playing situations. This feature is also just plain old fun, and you can also control which of the various accompanying instruments get activated, such as bass, guitar, and drums.

On-board Audio Recording & Other Functions

Both pianos also have USB recording functionality. This is great because you have the option of recording WAV audio straight onto a USB key for playback later. Other standard functions such as a metronome, transpose, split, layer, and so on are covered on both as well. The Yamaha P515 has one additional feature, a sequencer, which may be important for so.

Closing Thoughts

Thanks so much for joining us for this article, and hopefully you checked out the companion video as well. As we often say, at the end of the day, when comparing two similar instruments such as these, it’s really ideal to try to play and experience both for yourself. This is extra true for this comparison because these two specs out so close to one another, yet offer totally diverging musical experiences. Like most Yamaha digital pianos, especially their Clavinova series, the P515 has a bright sound engine and also a very heavy action. The Kawai ES8 is comparatively much warmer sounding and features a substantially lighter action. These make for really big differences that will definitely be apparent to anyone with the opportunity to play both of these pianos. Thanks for reading! Shop more digital pianos here.

The post Yamaha P515 vs Kawai ES8 | Digital Piano Review | Buyers Guide first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Kawai ES8 vs Roland FP-90 Digital Piano Comparison, Review, & Demo

Hi everybody, and welcome to another piano review here at Merriam Pianos. Today, we'll be comparing Kawai's ES8 with Roland's FP-90, two stellar examples of all-in-one portable pianos, both right at the top of the class in terms of the overall piano playing experience.

This is a really exciting comparison since many people feel that these are the top two options available in the category, both suited for use on stage or at home.

We'll be comparing their respective actions, tone engines, and their full feature offerings to try to determine if a clear winner emerges from these two heavyweights.

We'll start with some quick context and background information on both pianos. Enjoy!

Kawai ES8 vs Roland FP-90: Background

Both of these occupy an interesting spot in the market as they're both all-in-one portable digital pianos, meaning they combine elements of stage pianos with elements of home digital pianos.

They're not true stage pianos in that they both have a set of built-in high-quality speakers like you'd find in a home digital piano, but at the same time, many of the features are reminiscent of what you find in a stage piano.

As two of the top three models on the market in this category and price range (the third model being the Yamaha P515), the FP-90 and the ES8 are inevitably always compared against one another when people are selecting an instrument of this ilk.

The Kawai ES8 has been out on the market for longer than the FP-90, so it's not a perfect apples-to-apples comparison in terms of some of the technology, but at the end of the day, we're talking about two wildly divergent playing experiences here.

With that out of the way, let's dive into the sound portion of our comparison.

Kawai ES8 vs Roland FP-90 | Sound Engines

The Kawai ES8 digital piano uses Kawai's Harmonic Imaging XL sound technology (HIXL). This essentially combines some synthesis technology on top of an 88-note piano sampling base. The basis for the core piano sound is the Shigeru Kawai SK EX concert grand piano, and each note is individually recorded at multiple dynamic levels in stereo.

This is Kawai's top conventional sampling engine, and the best digital piano engine they make aside from the SK Rendering engine found in their hybrid digital pianos, and it's got a strong 256 notes of max polyphony.

In practice, the tone is very rich, complex, and on the darker side of the tonal spectrum. It's also a very colorful tone with a wide dynamic range, just like the real Shigeru Kawai EX concert grand.

You can also edit the sound via Kawai's Virtual Technician feature with available parameters like damper resonance and string resonance.

Over on the FP-90, we've got Roland's SuperNATURAL Piano Modeling technology engine which unlike the version of the SuperNATURAL engine that Roland uses in the rest of the FP line, this version features full piano modeling on acoustic piano tones.

This engine offers limitless polyphony on acoustic piano tones and a whopping 384 notes on all non-acoustic piano tones. You've again got a rich sound, a complex sound, and an all-around high level of sound quality.

Since the FP90 is using a modeling-based piano sound engine, you're given even more flexibility to edit the sound via Piano Designer by being given access to the modeling engine itself. Now does that actually translate into a difference in the playing experience?

Definitely, but for instruments at this level, the only way you'll be able to make an informed decision as to which experience you prefer is to get in front of both pianos yourself and get playing.

What we're hearing though is that the Roland definitely has a greater level of space around the note, and that's not really reverb.

Then again, there's a certain superior level of realism that we're hearing from the ES8 because the sample is derived from a world-class grand piano.

Really, you can't go wrong, either way, those odds are you will certainly find yourself connecting to one sound more than the other.

In terms of the speaker systems, the ES8 has a depth of tone that's kind of alarming, to be honest, because, on paper, these two should not even be remotely close. The FP-90 has 60 watts of total power output with their multichannel speaker system (2 mains, 2 tweeters) versus 30 watts with the ES8, and yet, they don't sound dramatically different in terms of power output.

This likely comes down to the speaker box configuration on the Kawai as it appears to be a lot more efficient to the point that the bass response is actually fairly even.

The FP-90 is still definitely louder when maxed, but it's to the point where you would need a set of earplugs if the powerful sound system was maxed out, as the sounds just come right at you. There's more than enough power here for gigging in intimate venues and other smaller venues.

Where there is a big difference however is in the number of onboard instrument sounds. The FP-90 has well over 300 patches, whereas the ES8 is capped out at 34.

Pretty much all 34 of the ES8's tones are well-rendered, but it just can't compete with the sheer volume of tones on the FP-90, which are pretty much pro-quality across the board, especially the premium selection of electric piano tones and synth sounds.

One area where the ES8 has a leg up in this department though is the fact that it has an amp simulator effect with things like a believable rotary speaker effect.

That about sums up the conversation on sound. Let's move over to piano actions now.

 

Kawai ES8 vs Roland FP-90 | Piano Keyboard Action

Roland equips the FP-90 with their ivory feel PHA-50 action (Progressive Hammer Action with Escapement). This action features a wooden core, it's got escapement, an ivory key surfaced, and a triple sensor. It's a very accurate action, both in terms of how sensitive it is, but also with regard to the physical feel.

There's a soft cushion to the bottom of the key bed, and it's a little heavier than their PHA4 plastic action.

The Kawai ES8 is using Kawai's Responsive Hammer III Keyboard Action (RHIII). This is the top plastic hammer action Kawai makes, and it's even used by Nord in the Nord Grand.

It also has a triple sensor, let-off simulation, ivory touch key surfaces, and counterweights. The big difference is of course the RHIII's all-plastic construction vs the PHA50's use of wood.

In terms of some general impressions, even though the PHA-50 is more cushioned on the bottom than the PHA-4, it's still not as much of a cushion as what you get on the RHII. In that sense, the ES8 simulates the keybed of a full grand piano a little bit better for a slightly more authentic grand piano touch.

With that in mind, the RHIII might feel a little bit more comfortable to someone with a lot of grand piano experience, though the PHA50 wouldn't take much getting used to.

 

Kawai ES8 vs Roland FP-90 | Features & Connectivity

Looking down the range of controls and the buttons on these two pianos, you'll notice that there are a lot of similarities. For example, the location and the style of how they've laid out the tone categories are virtually identical. You've got the same menu controls and the display is in the same place. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if Roland took a few cues from the ES8 before they actually came out with this design.

Here's a big difference, though - the FP-90 has both MIDI and Audio Bluetooth connectivity, while the ES8 has no Bluetooth technology. This is where the ES8 shows its age a little bit, and you'll have to use a wired connection via the USB ports to connect to a smartphone, iPad, or computer to use music apps.

The second difference is with the basic tone controls, as the FP90 has a tactile Equalizer slider on the front panel, whereas the ES8 requires some menu diving on the screen to edit your EQ.

The metronome, dual-mode, split and four-hand modes, and transpose are very similarly laid out and easily accessible on both pianos. The next big difference is with the intelligent accompaniment. The ES8 has the rhythm section accompaniment styles accessible onboard with the touch of a button, while the FP90 requires pairing with Roland's Piano Partner 2 app to access the rhythm accompaniment.

On the other hand, the FP-90bk has a mic input with some nice onboard vocal effects, which could be a big deal for you.

Both pianos are both equipped with 1/4-inch line-outs, so you can connect to a PA or amp. They both have headphone jacks, and line in's, and both of these are available with designer stands and triple pedal units with damper, sostenuto, and soft pedals to more closely resemble an upright piano (they both come standard with a sustain pedal), or they're available to be used of course just as slab units with portable stands.

Roland's stand is the KSC-90, which is required for the KPD-90 pedal to operate, but you can also opt for the floating RPU-3 triple pedal instead of the DP-10 damper pedal.

The Kawai ES8 is available in Gloss Black and Snow White, while Roland makes the FP90 available in Matte Black and Matte White.

 

Closing Thoughts

So there you have it. We've got the Kawai ES8, a veteran of the category, but still impressing thousands of people out there in this market with the lovely SK-EX sample bank, beautifully designed onboard speakers, great action, and useful onboard features for a variety of musical occasions.

We've got the Roland FP-90 digital piano, equipped with the wooden core PHA-50 action, beautifully modeled and detailed piano sound, 60 watts of onboard power, and again, useful onboard features.

Of course, there's no real clear winner here. Both instruments are bringing their A-game to the table and are equally suited for live performances and home use.

If you were hoping we would declare a victor, we're sorry, but that's just the reality of a time when the top manufacturers are bringing super comparable instruments to market, which is certainly a good thing for the rest of us!

See more digital pianos here

The post Kawai ES8 vs Roland FP-90 | Digital Piano | Comparison & Review first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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