Best Digital Piano Under $1000 | Yamaha, Roland, Kawai & Casio

 

Welcome to a fresh rundown of our favorite pianos and keyboards between the $500 and $1000 (USD) price range available on the market. In this article, we'll be looking at various models for the best digital piano under $1000, from Kawai’s ES110 to Yamaha’s P125, Casio’s fairly new PX-S1000, or Roland’s FP30. Every piano on the list is an 88-note instrument with a graded hammer action keyboard and touch-sensitive weighted keys.

This current year is certainly giving us plenty of reasons to find interesting and fun things to do indoors, and the piano is one of those things that checks all kinds of boxes. It's mentally stimulating, it can be social, and you can learn some of your favorite songs pretty quickly from YouTube.

There are a ton of families and parents out there who are thinking about introducing piano either back into their home or possibly for the first time, but they don't necessarily want to invest substantially more in an acoustic piano and find some of the extra perks of a digital piano, such as the ability to play quietly via the headphone jacks.

 

Best-Selling Piano Category

The $500-$1000 class is an incredibly popular category, in fact, it’s actually the category that boasts the highest volume of units sold for each manufacturer. As such, every major manufacturer offers at least one model in this class, so it's great to see how they all stack up against one another.

While most folks revert to Amazon to do a lot of their shopping research these days, many of these models are not actually sold on Amazon so some of the models might be totally new to you. We'll split it up between portable digitals (lightweight, easily transportable options), as well as stationary, home digital pianos.

 

Portable Digitals | Best Digital Piano Under $1000

Kawai ES110

The first instrument on our list is the Kawai ES110. As a portable piano, in its most basic format out of the box the ES110 is designed to be picked up and taken around, and it's one of the most lightweight instruments currently on the market. Kawai pianos, generally speaking, are known for a very realistic feel, overall sound quality, and a focus on the piano experience. When it comes to other features, sometimes we call that edutainment (lots of instrument sounds and rhythms), Kawai's tends to not be as loaded up in that department. A lot of the focus is instead geared toward creating as good a piano experience as possible.

 

Harmonic Imaging Sound Engine

The ES110 uses the Harmonic Imaging engine, which is an additive synthesis on top of an existing sample of a Kawai EX Concert Grand Piano. Please note this is different than the SK-EX grand piano sample set that the new CN / CA pianos have. The ES110 can be connected via wireless Bluetooth to a tablet with Kawai’s Virtual Technician, which gives you microscopic control of all of the parameters.  It also gives the player 192-note polyphony, which is PLENTY for great textured playing at any level of complexity.

 

Responsive Hammer Compact Action

It uses Kawai's Responsive Hammer Compact action. This is a very well-weighted action. that has shown itself over the years to be a very durable action as well with good touch sensitivity.

 

Summary

For people who are looking at feel and piano tone as their main priorities with maybe a secondary priority being either the Bluetooth or just lightweight portability, the ES110 is an excellent choice. The ES110 is also compatible with a matching designer stand and triple pedal board from Kawai if you'd like more than the standard damper/sustain pedal that's included in the box.

 

Roland FP30

The next piano on our list is the Roland FP-30. Roland is the first company to have built a fully electric piano and has consistently been one of the key innovators of digital pianos for decades now. The FP-30 has been around for a little while and it's been a proven performer in the marketplace.

 

SuperNATURAL Piano Sound Engine

The FP30’s SuperNATURAL piano sound engine combines sampling with modern modeling technology for a convincing and expressive piano tone. The electric pianos are definite standouts as well.

Its onboard speakers aren’t quite as full-bodied as the ES110 for piano sound,  but of course, can always be sent through an amp to beef it up.

 

PHA4 Action

The biggest thing that stands out about the FP-30 is the action - Roland's PHA-4 action. You'll find this action across much of the Roland line (including some models almost triple the price), and most notably, it features a triple sensor which is actually a really big deal for people who are using this to trigger virtual instruments or potentially, or for accurate MIDI output in a studio setting. The action also comes with a very nicely textured white key, and could certainly double as a bare-bones stage piano.

 

Summary

The addition of the Piano Partner 2 app is almost a must with this one since it gives it the rhythm auto-accompaniment feature. Also, like the ES110, the FP30 is also very lightweight and easy to carry around, but it is available as well with the full permanent stand and a triple pedal.

 

Yamaha P125

Piano number three is another one that I'm sure lots of people have run into - the Yamaha P125, which is easily one of the best-selling digital pianos in this category. Yamaha is famous for its manufacturing quality control, and they have always done a great job of matching their product with the customer demands.

Pure CF Sound Engine

The P125’s Pure CF sound engine is probably the biggest highlight of this instrument. This is a quality sound engine producing excellent tone for the price point.

There’s also a really nice clear set of speakers on board with two speakers that are actually facing you, so in terms of the sonic playing experience that the player themselves gets with the P125, it's just excellent.

 

GHS Action

The GHS action may be a little more basic than what you’re getting on the ES110 and FP30 in that less focus has been given to creating as authentic a physical touch.

This is probably simply due to the fact that the GHS action has been out for quite a few years now, so compared to some of the newer actions coming out from other manufacturers, it is feeling a little bit dated.

That said, it’s by no means a bad action, and still more than up for the task of helping a student through piano lessons.

 

Summary

The other thing that we really appreciate about the P125 is the ease with which you can navigate the various sounds that it's equipped with. There's also onboard accompaniment that's really well executed and easy to navigate.

The P125 offers a really nice balance of performance and features. Just like the ES110 and FP30, you can get the P125 with a matching stand and triple pedal, though out of the box it's nice and lightweight as well.

 

Casio PXS1000

Fourth on the list is Casio's relatively new Privia PX-S1000 which serves as the spiritual successor to the immensely popular and groundbreaking Casio Privia PX-160. With the release of this as well as the upgraded PX-S3000, there's clearly been a much bigger emphasis by Casio on the overall look and feel of the instrument. The 1000 and 3000 models are very distinct because of the high gloss, shiny black finish.

Multi-Dimensional AiR Sound Source

Casio has paid particularly close attention to creating as much control and variety of different reverb effects and surround effects as you really could possibly expect in an instrument of this price point with their AiR Sound Source.

The AiR Sound Source is well regarded in the industry for its richness and sense of space around the notes themselves. Interestingly, all of the controls are touch-sensitive and there are no actual physical buttons, which also looks very slick.

Smart Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard

The Smart Scaled Hammer Action features key-tops that have exaggerated textures that may be something that is a very good thing for people, or it could be something that's a little overdone. Either way, it's something you really just have to try because you never know until your fingers touch the keys.

In general, this is a solid action that most would agree outperforms Yamaha’s GHS action and is probably on par with Kawai’s GHS action.

 

Summary

S1000 is available with a matching stand, however, it does not have a matching pedalboard, though it is available with a floating triple pedal system, something similar to the Roland FP-60. The PX-S1000 is the most affordable digital piano on our list.

Home Digitals | Best Digital Piano Under $1000

Let's move into the home digital category. These are instruments that are not designed to be portable but are still very affordable, very easy to move around the house if need be, and come with integrated stands (sometimes a bench too). Be sure to check every individual product page, so that you know exactly whether you need to get an extra bench or whether one is included.

 

Kawai KDP110

The first home digital on the list is the Kawai KDP110. This is an interesting choice and comes right in at around the $1,000 mark in the United States. Some dealers may have this for slightly more, but it's close enough that we wanted to include it in this list. All kinds of things stand out about the KDP110.

 

Harmonic Imaging Sound Engine With SKEX Grand Piano Sample

The main grand piano sound is the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX individually sampled engine, which is a huge plus as this is a super thick and realistic piano tone. The added SKEX sample means this version of the HI engine is an upgrade over the version featured in the ES110.

 

Speaker System

The speaker system is very well-equipped, with the 40 watts of power significantly outpacing the less expensive Kawai KDP70 or similarly priced Roland RP102.

The KDP110 is also Bluetooth-compatible, which means that this will connect easily with any DAW program that has Bluetooth over MIDI compatibility. It also lets you use the KDP110 with Kawai zone, Sound Museum, and any other Kawai app that is built to be compatible with the KDP110 making navigation a breeze.

 

Responsive Hammer Compact II Action With Triple Sensor

The KDP110 uses an upgraded action from the action on the ES110, and this one has a tri-sensor. It’s a very sensitive action that is well-liked for its responsiveness and dynamic control.

In fact, in our opinion, it’s second only to Roland’s PHA4 action overall in terms of all of the piano actions featured on this list.

 

Summary

It's not particularly surprising that the 110 actually happens to be one of the most popular instruments that we sell here at Merriam even with advanced players needing a practice instrument, to the point that it's been extremely difficult to get in 2020 during COVID-19. Even if you have to get on a long waiting list, the KDP110 is more than worth the wait as it's easily one of the best pianos in its class.

 

Yamaha YDP144

Next on our list is the Yamaha  Arius YDP-144. The YDP series is their entry point into home digital pianos with full actions. They share many components with their portable counterparts the P series, as well as the DGX series, including action and sample sets.

 

Yamaha CFX Sound Engine

The highlight of the YDP-144’s sound engine is the default grand piano tone which is a sample of Yamaha’s flagship CFX concert grand piano. Like the Shigeru Kawai SKEX, the CFX is one of the world’s finest concert grand pianos.

It comes across very nicely here and is without question one of the best default grand piano tones on our list.

The total number of tones is light at 10, but all are high quality. The speaker power is also on the lower end for the class with 16 watts of power. Still, the YDP-144 is producing a great tone.

 

GHS Action

Yamaha’s go-to action in this range is the same one featured in the P125 above - the Graded Hammer Standard (GHS), a satisfying albeit more basic design than some of the others in this category (Roland and Kawai both offer triple sensors, and the Roland additionally has escapement & textured key tops)

 

Summary

For the price, it tends to be a nice balance for a lot of people and certainly compares very well against things like either the KDP70 or the Roland RP102.

 

Roland RP102

The Roland RP102 is next on our list. This is a home digital that's the baby brother of the Roland RP501, and a little bit lower priced than the Roland F140, but with a more traditional cabinet.

 

SuperNATURAL Piano Sound Engine

The RP102 takes advantage of Roland's legendary supernatural sound engine, which is something that they've been working on for well over a decade. This sound technology is a really interesting cutting-edge way in which to combine real samples with some synthesis on top to add all kinds of interesting nuance to the tone.

The only sound-related downside is the relatively weak speaker output at 12 watts of power, especially contrasted with the KDP110’s 40-watt speaker output for example.

 

PHA4 Action

Even with the increased cost of the RP102 over the FP30, the PHA4 action is still widely regarded as the best action in the class and still a great value at this price point.

The combination of triple sensor, escapement, and textured key tops has no peer in this class.

 

Summary

Being that it is Bluetooth-compatible, Roland has several apps that work with the RP102.

Overall, the RP102 is a great option, with the only real downside being its lower power speaker output.

 

Kawai KDP70

Very last on the list is the Kawai KDP70. This is the little brother of the KDP110 and takes away a few things that you would get on the 110, but also saves you a few hundred dollars. Really, you can actually think of it as the console home version of the ES110.

Harmonic Imaging Sound Engine

Like the ES110, the KDP70 has a version of the Harmonic Imaging engine that is built around the EX sample. This is still a great-sounding sample with 88-key individual sampling and 192-note polyphony, but you can hear that it’s not quite as nice as the SKEX sample on the KDP110.

The speakers come in at 16 watts which is tied with the YDP144 and actually better than the RP102, but still a step down from the KDP110.

 

Responsive Hammer Compact Action

This is the same dual-sensor version of this action that is also found in the ES110. A solid, reliable action, if not as sensitive as the RHCII or PHA4.

 

Summary

The other big difference from the KDP110 is that the Bluetooth functionality is not present on the KDP70.

That being said, all in all, this is still a well-built, high-value unit. In many ways, it's an excellent comparison to the Roland RP102. It looks fantastic in the home and slightly different sound than you would get from the Roland.

 

Conclusions

This year more than any in living memory has given us lots of reasons to find fun, engaging things to do indoors. What better to do than get a piano and start to explore some of those musical preferences and tastes that we all have and love with young piano players? If you've been thinking of buying a piano for the first time and plan on spending up to about $1,000 USD, you've got a lot of great options. Shop Here for more digital pianos. We hope you've found this article helpful!

The post Best Digital Piano Under $1000 | Yamaha, Roland, Kawai & Casio first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Kawai ES110 Digital Piano | 12 FAQs Including Performance Features & Overall Value

 

Continuing our “12 FAQs” series, today we’ll be setting our sights on another immensely successful and well-regarded 88-key weighted action portable digital piano - the Kawai ES110.

The ES110 has been one of Kawai’s best-selling musical instruments since its release in early 2017 and considering everything it has to offer for the price point, most notably its rich piano tone and stereo speaker system, it’s not hard to see why.

We’ve checked Google to find out the 12 most common questions people have about the Kawai ES110, and we’ll be answering them all here. While the answers to these questions are available in different places around the internet, such as specs sheers and digital piano reviews, this article and companion video will save you by putting it all in one place.

 

FAQ #1: How Good is the Kawai ES110?

Kawai ES110 88-Key Digital Piano[/caption] While this is obviously a very general question, it’s also a very important one, especially for folks that aren’t interested in burying themselves in months of research. Rather, they’d simply like to know; is the ES110 a good instrument, and if so, how good?

Simply, the ES110 is very good, especially when you consider the price range and what else is available in the class. The quality of the piano sound and the way it’s paired with the built-in speakers and amplifier is very impressive. In fact, we think the piano tone is without question one of the contenders for the top spot in the class, especially due to its full 88-key piano sampling and synthesis of things like damper resonance, damper noise and fall-back noise.

The ES110 also has a 1/4” line out, which when it came out, was a rarity for the class, though competing models have since added this feature, such as the Yamaha P-125 and Roland FP30-X.

The ES110 was also one of the first pianos in the class to include Bluetooth MIDI at the price point, and its light weight makes it truly portable. Kawai’s great warranty coverage caps everything off.

 

FAQ #2: Is the ES110 Good for Beginners?

The answer here is a resounding “Yes.” There are other pianos that cost that will also work for piano lessons, but the ES110 is going to provide a wonderful piano experience for a beginner that they’ll be able to grow with for several years.

Of course, you can spend as little as $100 on a keyboard, but that’s not going to serve a beginner for long if piano lessons are part of the picture.

The ES110 is going to set a beginner on a great path, especially if eventually learning classical piano is the goal, and the free damper pedal Kawai includes is actually very solid (with some Casio Privia and Korg products, for example, an upgrade over the included pedal is almost essential.)

One other consideration when shopping for a beginner is the potential trade-in and resale value; given the ES110’s success and high praise, it’s certainly an instrument that is going to retain strong resale value on the secondary market, and great trade-in value at a piano dealer.

 

FAQ #3: Does the ES110 Have Weighted Keys?

The to this question is another “Yes.” Kawai uses the Responsive Hammer Compact Action in the ES110, which is a well-regarded key action featuring a dual sensor and textured keytops. The weighting is similar to the average 48” upright piano, or even smaller baby grand piano.

The RHC action also boasts solid repetition speed and response. While Kawai is more known for their actions in their more expensive, super high-quality instruments, the RHC is very solid.

 

FAQ #4: When was the Kawai ES110 Released?

The ES110 was first announced by Kawai at NAMM 2017 in January of that year and first started appearing in North American showrooms by the Springtime.

In the summer of 2022, Kawai announced the replacement to the ES110 in the form of the new ES120, capping off what ended up being more than a 5-year production run for the ES110.

Given that there are still plenty of ES10s sitting in warehouses, expect some great clearance pricing on remaining stock at various dealers until the ES120 has shipped.

 

FAQ #5: How do you Connect an ES110 to a Computer?

It’s actually quite easy to connect the ES110 to a computer. Start by getting your hands on a standard USB cable, and from there, it’s as simple as plugging one end into the ES110 and the other into the computer.

Connecting via Bluetooth connectivity is also a possibility, but since it’s an older version of Bluetooth technology present here we’d recommend going with a cable to avoid latency issues- fortunately, there are no latency issues with the connection between the ES110 and Smart Devices like phones or tablets.

 

FAQ #6: How do you Connect the ES110 to Bluetooth MIDI?

The last question dovetails with this next one; how do you connect an ES110 to Bluetooth MIDI? The first step is to press the function button and the B-flat 5 key, which is three B-flats from the top of the keyboard.

This turns the Bluetooth function on, and from there, you can open up the Bluetooth setting on your device, whether that’s an iOS or Android device, and select the ES110.

Kawai’s Sound Museum app is a great app to check out as it allows you to control the ES110 remotely, navigating between sounds like the concert grand piano and other grand piano sounds, to the synthesizers and electric piano tones.

You can also navigate through the drum rhythms, Virtual Technician feature, song recorder, keyboard modes and metronome this way too.

 

FAQ #7: How Much Does the ES110 Weigh?

This is going to be an important consideration for folks seeking maximum portability. The ES110 weighs in at a mere 26.5lbs, making it one of the lightest and most portable 88-key weighted action digital pianos around.

Some of Casio’s PX-S series digital pianos are slightly lighter and slimmer, but we’re talking about less than a 2lb difference here.

 

FAQ #8: How do you connect the Kawai ES110 to an iPad?

The steps are essentially the same here as they were in FAQ # 6 as Apple’s iOS systems are the same on iPhones and iPads.

Please see the answer to FAQ #6 for the step-by-step guide.

 

FAQ #9: What is the difference between the Kawai ES110 and Kawai ES120?

We have a video over on our YouTube channel that breaks this answer down with what we know so far, and we’ll certainly be doing a full product review of the ES120 once it ships.

Head over to that video for a fuller breakdown, but in summary, the ES120 is going to feature an updated user interface, inclusion of the SKEX sample set into the Harmonic Imaging Sound Technology, upgrade from a 14-watt amplifier to a 20-watt amp, improved key cushioning and the addition of Bluetooth Audio.

These are some very nice upgrades sure to make the ES120 appeal to a wide range of customers - beginners, semi-professionals and even professionals.

 

FAQ #10: How does the Kawai ES110 compare to Yamaha?

Kawai and Yamaha are always pitted against one another, so of course, people will want to know how the ES110 compares to the equivalent Yamaha models.

Most industry observers will have a preference between Kawai and Yamaha, and there are very loyal camps on both sides. That said, from a quality standpoint, we’re talking about two companies that are very much neck in neck.

The best Yamaha comparable to the ES110 would be the Yamaha P125. Both pianos have good acoustic piano sound engines with equal 192-note polyphony, and solid actions, though the Yamaha GHS action in the P125 is considered a little bit dated by some measures. That said, the GHS action still has many ardent supporters.

In terms of features and connectivity, their offerings are fairly similar and both notably have line-out jacks. The ES110 has Bluetooth which the P125 does not, but the P125 features a built-in USB audio interface which the ES110 does not.

 

FAQ #11: Can you fit the Kawai ES110 in a car?

Given that the ES110 is billed as a portable piano, it’s pretty important to know whether or not it will fit in an average-sized car. Fortunately, even in the original box, the ES110 will fit in an even small-sized sedan, unlike some stage pianos.

The best wait to go about getting the ES110 into a small sedan in the box is to fold down the front passenger seat and feed the ES110 in the car from the rear, positing it on top of the reclined front passenger seat.

In a more compact carrying case when going to and from gigs or rehearsals, you won’t have a problem at all, assuming you haven’t affixed it to the HML1 stand or triple pedal/pedalboard/pedal unit. The ES110 truly is a very portable instrument.

 

FAQ #12: How do you transpose on the Kawai ES110?

Kawai ES110 Transposition[/caption] The transpose feature is quite easy to use on the ES110. There’s a nice visual demonstration in the owner’s manual, but simply, you press and hold the ‘Piano’ button and press the F-Sharp and G-Sharp just to the right of the ‘Piano’ button to either raise or lower the key.

 

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or experienced pianist, we hope you’ve found this article covering the 12 most common FAQs about the Kawai ES110 helpful.

The ES110 was hugely successful during its production run, and will undoubtedly continue to serve musicians of all stripes even after the release of the new ES120. 

The post Kawai ES110 Digital Piano | 12 FAQs Including Performance Features & Overall Value first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Roland FP-30 vs Kawai ES110 | Digital Piano Comparison, Review & Demo

One of the most requested videos we’ve ever done was our comparison of the Roland FP-30 digital piano (since replaced by the Roland FP-30X) and Kawai ES110 (soon to be replaced by the Kawai ES120). These are two of the best-selling portable digital pianos in the world, and both are often touted as the two best options in the price range.

In this companion article to the video comparison, we’ll be taking a close look at both pianos, detailing their similarities and differences, while trying to paint a picture as to which one might be the best fit for you based on your personal needs.

Let’s get right into it.

Roland FP-30 vs Kawai ES110 - General Impressions

Let's start with some general impressions first. The ES110 is a great instrument for a wide number of reasons. For one, it weighs 26lbs meaning it’s one of the most portable 88-key weighted action digital pianos available. The FP-30 alternatively weighs a little bit over 31lbs.

The trade-off here is that due to the lower weight, the ES110 has less amplifier power with 14 watts in total compared to the FP-30, which has 22 watts of total power, and as a result, has a fuller sound overall, even though the ES110 actually has a warmer bass register.

Both pianos have very good actions, sound engines and overall functionality which is why both are so popular, with both beginners and more experienced musicians. Let’s compare how they sound.

Digital Piano Sound Comparison

Kawai’s Harmonic Imaging Sound Technology vs Roland’s SuperNATURAL Piano Sound

The ES110 is using Kawai’s Harmonic Imaging engine, with a handful of different concert grand piano samples. The core sample is from their EX concert grand piano, and this is recorded with 88-key piano sampling for a very high degree of authenticity. 192-note polyphony means you’re not going to have any concerns in this regard, and there’s a nice variety of reverb settings including Concert Hall and Small Hall.

On the FP-30, we’ve got the SuperNATURAL sound engine, with 128 notes of polyphony. More or less, the difference in piano tone between these two really just comes down to personal preference. Both sounds have tons of detail and complexity to the tone with additional elements like damper resonance, damper noise and fallback noise, and they offer the user the ability to edit a decent number of parameters within those tones.

At this point, pop over to the video to hear some playing examples of both of these pianos as you’ll really get a clearer idea of the tonal differences that way.

Importance of High-Quality Sound

Something we tell everybody who's shopping for a piano, whether it's an acoustic or a digital, and whether you’re browsing Amazon or actually setting foot in a showroom, is to never compromise on the acoustic piano sound because at the end of the day, it's really nice to be able to just sit down, turn your piano on, and immediately piano sound that you love and inspires you to play.

If you're starting with a foundation where the primary objective is to start building piano playing experience, especially for beginners, the odds increase of successful endeavour increase if the player really enjoys the piano sound.

Non-Acoustic Piano Sounds

While the ES110 has 8 total acoustic piano patches compared to 6 on the FP-30, there are 19 total sounds on the ES110 which is nearly doubled up on the FP-30 with 35.

Both pianos have a nice selection of harpsichord tones that are going to work quite well if you’re practicing some Baroque music.

Electric pianos and synths are probably the highlights aside from the acoustic piano patches on both instruments as the ES110 and FP-30 have a nice selection of highly useable e-piano and even some synthesizer tones.

Overall, quality is pretty much a draw, but the FP-30 of course wins from a quantity perspective

Stereo Speaker Systems

As we briefly noted above, both pianos have a solid set of speakers. The ES110 is somewhat limited from a power output perspective with only 14 watts of power, but the quality of the speaker system is very high and the result is an especially warm bass register.

The FP-30 has more punch with 22 watts of power though the difference is not as pronounced as one may think when comparing the specs sheets.

Sound Wrap-Up

To sum up, what you're getting with both pianos regarding sound as a whole when it comes to the acoustic piano sounds, there’s no question that both instruments have excellent default piano patches.

The ES110 has a wider dynamic range and a more authentic tonal palette with the differences between loud and soft playing. This dynamic range tends to be a little bit compressed on the FP-30, which for a classical musician may be a consideration. For contemporary styles, it probably won’t matter.

The ES110 also has a greater polyphony count, though, at 128 notes, the FP-30 is no slouch in this category with many fine stage pianos sitting at 128 notes.

On the other hand, the FP-30 has almost double the total sounds and a more powerful speaker system.

Digital Piano Action Comparison

The key actions on both of these instruments considering the price point they’re both available at, are simply outstanding. You can’t go wrong selecting either one of these, whether from a performance or durability perspective.

Kawai’s Responsive Hammer Compact Action

The ES110 is using Kawai’s first-generation version of their Responsive Hammer Compact action (RHC). There’s a second-generation version of this action now featured in their newest KDP series home digital pianos with a triple sensor, but this first generation is still using a dual sensor.

The dual sensor means this action will not be quite as accurate from a MIDI output perspective as a triple sensor keyboard action, so that’s something to keep in mind.

There’s a slight texture on both the white and black keys, and the edges are nicely rounded. This makes it really easy and smooth for playing anything with a lot of thick chords where your fingers have to straddle multiple keys.

In terms of the sense of weighting, this action is a little bit lighter than we have over on the FP-30, but it’s not as light as what you would get over on the Yamaha P125 for example.

Roland’s PHA4 Standard Hammer Action

Over on the FP-30, we have Roland’s PHA-4 Standard action, and you’ll find this action throughout Roland’s lineup on models up to twice the price of the FP-30.

This is a very well-liked and popular action and is generally regarded as the top action available at this price point. In fact, some people even prefer this action to the more expensive PHA50 action featured throughout the upper portion of Roland’s lineup.

The PHA4 is equipped with a triple sensor, meaning the touch sensitivity is very good and capable of highly accurate MIDI output. The texture on the keytops here is more dramatic than the texture on the RHC action, and Roland refers to this as the Ivory Feel.

Another thing that's important to note is that the PHA4 also has escapement on the action, whereas the Kawai does not have any escapement. Escapement simulates the sensation one gets when playing a grand piano and can help with increasing repetition speed.

Digital Piano Action Wrap Up

There’s an interesting quandary in terms of making a clear recommendation between the Roland FP-30 vs Kawai ES110. On the action front, we would say that the FP-30 is going to accommodate a wider range of pianists since it’s slightly heavier and has a triple sensor along with escapement - classical players will certainly appreciate all of these things.

On the other hand, we really appreciate the dynamic nature and the richness of the Kawai piano sound, and the action is still good enough even for piano lessons so if you prefer the sound of the ES110, you’re not really sacrificing with the RHC action.

Hardware Accessories

Both pianos come with all of the basics in the box, but there are also some additional accessories you may wish to consider as well.

To start with what’s included at no extra charge, both pianos come with sustain pedals, otherwise known as damper pedals (DP2 on the FP-30, F-10H Damper Pedal on the ES110) as well as music rests.

Of course, they both also include a power supply and owner’s manual so you have everything you need to plug your keyboard in and start playing without the need for additional purchases.

In terms of optional upgrades, you may wish to purchase, both pianos are available with matching designer keyboard stands and triple pedal units.

If you’re looking at one of these pianos primarily for portability, these accessories probably aren’t necessary. If however, you envision both pianos being fairly stationary in your home, you may want to consider these additions.

In the case of the Roland FP30, the stand is referred to as the KSC-70, while the pedal unit is called the KPD-70. Over on the ES110, the stand is the HML1 stand, while the pedals are called the F350.

Bluetooth and MIDI Connectivity

In terms of connectors, both pianos have a pretty solid selection built right in. For starters, both pianos are equipped with Bluetooth MIDI, and while this is quite common now when both of these pianos came out, this was a pretty big deal for the time.

Bluetooth Wireless MIDI connectivity is very convenient as it allows you to connect to iOS and Android devices and access music apps like Garageband without cables. You can also view sheet music from a tablet which is great.

Both companies also have their own apps that allow you to control the features and functions of the keyboards from a smart device like an iPad, meaning you use things like the metronome, transpose, drum rhythms, twin piano mode and even reverb setting without having to menu dive on the instrument itself.

Both pianos also have dual headphone jacks, but from here, this is where the connectivity options start to diverge.

The FP-30 has both USB Type A and Type B meaning there’s a flash drive that you can use the song recorder to record WAV files directly onto. The ES110 does not have any physical USB ports.

The ES110 however has traditional 5-pin MIDI ports both in and out, and more significantly, it also has dual 1/4” line out jacks (L/MONO, R) meaning you can connect it to an amplifier or PA system if you need more power.

The FP-30 does not have discreet line outputs, and this is probably the single biggest drawback of the instrument as it makes it that much more challenging to gig with since you need to fiddle around with adapters if you need to connect to an amp.

Final Thoughts

This pretty much wraps up our digital piano review and comparison of the Roland FP30 vs Kawai ES110. These are two highly capable instruments that absolutely dominate the class. Warranty claims are rare for both instances, but fortunately, coverage is great should a need arise.

The FP-30 costs about $100 more and that extra spend gets you a slightly more powerful amplifier, arguably better action and more built-in sounds.

On the Kawai side, the ES110 is about 5lbs lighter than the FP-30 at 26lbs and is an extremely portable instrument as a result. If the acoustic piano sound is really your main focus, the ES110 has arguably the top acoustic piano sound in the class (though some would argue Casio’s Privia grand piano sounds have a case here too).

Kawai has also included quite a few music books such as the Alfred method books built right in as part of a lesson function which is a nice bonus.

Thanks as always for reading, and make sure to check out the companion video on these great musical instruments!

The post Roland FP-30 vs Kawai ES110 | Digital Piano Comparison, Review & Demo first appeared on Merriam Pianos

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Kawai ES110 Digital Piano Review & Demo

Introduction

The Kawai ES110 is the latest addition to Kawai’s lineup of high-performance digital pianos. Using Kawai’s exclusive “Harmonic Imaging Technology” with an individual 88-key piano sampling, the Kawai ES110 outperforms every other piano in its class. The Kawai ES110 is also the first Kawai digital piano ever to feature a lightweight, high strength outer casing which gives maximum durability while keeping the weight to under 35 lbs and is also the only model from Kawai to ever sell for under $1000. This is a real breakthrough in digital technology and will allow for a whole new generation of young players to have access to an authentic touch and feel at an exceptional price point. Some of the other unique features on this model include a full weighted 88 key action, built-in speakers, 2 headphone jacks, and a music desk. This piano is also available with an optional designer stand and a 3-pedal system with a real working sostenuto pedal.

Kawai ES110 Digital Piano Review Video Transcription

The ES110 is a keyboard that's been out for a few years on the market, so it is not the new kid on the block by any means. That being said. in a testament to the engineering and the high-quality of what Kawai generally puts out there, this is an instrument that still tops many wishlists, still has a ton of relevance in the marketplace, and is still standing up to even the newest competitors in its price range. Along with the Roland FP-30, the ES-110 is undoubtedly one of the heavyweights of the $1,000 or so CAD price point.

Piano Sound:

Kawai ES110 Portable Digital Piano From a power standpoint, the power supply ES110 boats 14 watts of power consumption which is a little bit of an upgrade from where the ES100 was, the very popular model that preceded this. 14 watts, when it's configured properly and delivered through a solid stereo speaker system as is the case here, is enough to fill a small room. It's more than enough to be able to practice at a hobbyist level on your own without the need for an amplifier, and it provides enough presence that you can still get some bass response and warmth without having to use headphones.

As mentioned above, the sound is very impressive, and it's one of the things that drew me to this instrument initially. For something that only weighs 26 lbs to offer sound this good is remarkable. Lots of gigging musicians use the ES110 as a primary and secondary instrument on stage because of how light it is, and the quality of the tone that you get out of it.

The sound engine driving the speaker is referred to as Kawai's Harmonic Imaging Sound Technology. This sound engine is essentially a real piano sample with some extra synthesis sprinkled on top. The synthesized effects are added on top of an actual sample of a concert grand piano in a concert hall in which has settings that include Reverb, Damper Resonance, Voicing, Fall-back Noise, Damper Noise, Brilliance, Speaker EQ, and Effect On/Off. While this is now considered a previous generation sample set, its still very capable.

The sound engine boasts 192 note polyphony which is more than enough for solo piano playing. The stereo field is full, and there are all sorts of details for the ears to grab on to. There are acoustic piano sounds as well to choose from with variations on the tonal color when switching from various grand piano sounds and upright piano samples as well. The E. Piano sounds are quite nice as well. The Roads sound and Wurlitzer sound are both very convincing. I actually love the roads sound on the ES110 as it's very rich with nice tremolo for it.

The various other tones are quite nice as well such as pads, harpsichord and vibraphone. Overall, there's a nice selection of critical staple sounds that you would expect out of any portable digital piano, but executed at a high level. I would say for a lot of those patches, you're dealing with a professional-grade sample that will be good enough to perform on or I should say record on.

Piano Action:

Kawai ES110 Action

Now we'll shift our conversation to the keyboard action. If you are anything like me and have a need for a really convincing expressive piano action that's easy to lug around, the ES110 has some nice surprises in store. The action found in the ES110 is the Responsive Hammer Compact Action. This is the same action that appears in Kawai's KDP110 home digital piano. You can also think of it as a slightly lighter weight, slightly simplified version of the Responsive Hammer III action, which is widely regarded in the industry as the top plastic digital action currently on the market.

One thing that I really like about Kawai's plastic actions in general is that they all have micro textures on the key-tops. The texture provides a very nice grip that keeps the key-tops from getting slippery or sticky, and makes the action feel closer to an acoustic key action.

One thing to note with the RHC action here is that it doesn't have escapement. For people who are really hardcore classical players, you might want take a look at an action that does feature escapement. Of course, all three of the major brands, Yamaha, Kawai, Roland do feature actions on certain models with escapement, though it depends on the price point.

Features:

The first feature we'll highlight is one that's already come up in this article, but it deserves repeating just how light and easy it is to move this piano around. At a mere 26 lbs, the ES110 fits comfortably under one arm, and won't break your back if you have to carry long distances. This is a really big deal for anyone who's using this for professional use, or for someone who anticipates have to move their instrument around fairly often.

Another thing worth mentioning, despite becoming fairly standard across the board, is the included music rest. This means one less piece of gear to worry about as you won't require music stand to along with the ES-110.

In terms of connectivity, a standout feature, especially given the price point, is the inclusion of discrete stereo quarter-inch audio outputs. I this price range, discrete audio outputs are a bit of a rarity. You get better fidelity without having to use the headphone jacks if you'd like to connect the ES110 to an amplifier or a PA system.

The ES110 has the older five-pin MIDI outputs and does not have the USB. This a little unusual, and I were to say that there's one thing about the ES110 that's showing its age a little bit, the fact that it doesn't have the USB port. However, it does have Bluetooth wireless MIDI, which was not as common when the ES110 was released in 2017.  If you're using a modern tablet or even a computer, you can connect the ES110 wirelessly to those smart devices, which of course allows you to use Kawai's software like the Sound Museum or Virtual Technician, as well as other software such as programs like GarageBand, and Logic. There's a whole host of DAW and music education software out there that is all compatible with wireless Bluetooth MIDI and with its dedicated line-out jacks, plus MIDI ports, you'll have everything you need to take the stage.

In terms of accessories, the ES110 is available with an optional matching stand. An upgrade over the common X type stand, the Kawai HML1 stand is a furniture style keyboard stand and is compatible with the Kawai f-350 triple pedal system. With those accessories added the ES110b kind of turns into a more of a home based digital piano rather than just a portable instrument. The standard f-10h damper pedal/sustain pedal supports half-pedaling so you may not need to add the triple pedal, but it's an option none the less.

Last but not least, we should mention that the ES110 has all of your expected standard digital features as well. You can layer two sounds on top of one another,  split the keyboard into multiple sections and it also has a basic onboard song recorder. There's of course a built-in metronome as well as transpose function, not to me mention Built-in Alfred piano lesson function and Burgmuller etudes.

Conclusion

So, there you have it. Here's the ES110, out for a few years, but the verdict is still absolutely relevant because, for its price range, I would consider this to have class-leading piano tone. It definitely has some of the nicest speakers for its price range, and kind of the technology range. And probably one of the nicest things of all, this thing is super light and very, very easy to pick up and put wherever you want to be enjoying your piano.

So, once again, thank you so much for joining us for another video. This, of course, has been our review of the Kawai ES110. If you wanna hear this instrument just play it on its own, be sure to check out our ES110 playing-only video. I'm not doing any talking, just doing some playing experience on the most popular sounds. And as we said at the beginning, if this is the first time to the channel, we'd really appreciate it if you just click that subscribe button. It helps us to keep making new content, and it keeps you up-to-date on all things piano. We will see you back next time for another video. My name is Stu Harrison. You've been with Merriam Pianos.

The post Kawai ES110 Digital Piano Review & Demo first appeared on Merriam Pianos

2359 Bristol Cir #200, Oakville, ON L6H 6P8

merriammusic.com

(905) 829-2020