Thanks for letting us hear the differences in sound between those two instruments. It's pretty rare to get a side by side comparison like that! (Love that lamp on the Yamaha, too!)
Thanks Paul. I try to do for others people what I would like to find for myself. I mean for music instruments, specially piano and keys. For the lamp, it's a "zan design", USB alimented. I love it too.
« KAWAI // ES920 HOW DOES IT SOUND WITH INTERNAL SPEAKERS » Hello, Here is a new audio demo of ES920. Just to ear the sound from internal speakers. No effects, no reverb, no talking. studio.ua-cam.com/users/videoKuvle2yVfH8/edit
dear friend musician and pianist. I congratulate you. Of hundreds of piano keyboard demonstration videos, yours is without a doubt the best. Really playing musical themes and not showing how quick you are on the keyboard. Without being a crazy jazzman. Well done !!!
Thank you so much for making your demo's of the ES 920 and 520. And for your wonderful music as well. I am drawn to the Yamaha sound, not quite so much to the Kawai sound, but this video helped me see that the distance between the two sounds is not the barrier that I thought. The sound of a P 515 is pleasant in videos, but when I finally was able to play one, I did not like the heavy initial touch of the keys. I share a Roland FP 60 with my girlfriend, but am not so keen on its piano sound. Based on your comment "the best numeric piano I ever played" and Stu Harrison's initial comment that he could not think of another digital slab that sounds this good, I decided to buy an ES 920 without ever playing it. And I find the ES 920 to be as wonderful as had been described, exactly. Would I like a Yamaha CFX packaged inside the 920? Sure. And the Roland electronic sounds as well. Would I like a grand piano in my living room? Of course, but first I would have to buy the house. For what I need, a perpetual beginner from age 7, now 68, the ES 920 is close to perfect, better than an acoustic console piano I once owned. Dialing up one of the 10 pianos inside the 920 is a luxury, and I can't even be bothered to start tweaking them yet. Thanks again.
I agree. I Looove my 920. I play it all the time. Its a joy! Like you I felt the Yamaha p515 was far too heavy. I rarely wanted to play it because it.was painful 😮
I agree too. Just bought the es920 this week. Very good. Yes I’d love a p525 also, and a nord, and a Kawai mp11se… but the latter 2 don’t come with speakers and I love the immediacy of and closeness of playing with a keyboard with speakers. I do own a piano so I have the luxury of that if I need it too… and a Yamaha yc73… I’m keen to try that through the es920. I think the action is great, better than expected, and the sounds are really good. I find it hard though to get the perfect volume with speakers or headphones. I often play late when my ears are tired.
The best pianist in demonstrating here on yt..no talking just playing to compare and judge the soundquality..David Henry my compliments , you are a wonderfull musician/pianist. The proof is in the pudding..thx
I LOVE my 520 and am going to get a 920 as soon as funds permit. Kawai's "Virtual Technician" adds so much flexibility in customizing the sound. Kawai has the best digital acoustic pianos by FAR. Listen to Stu Harrison's review on the Merriam Music channel
Amazing way to do the demo. Nice professional audio quality it makes so easy to judge the sound. This Kawai ES930 sounds so close to the real acoustic piano and the samples of Kawai sounds like the Yamaha C3 😍 great review and fabulous playing. Love it! ❤️
This is how a review is done. Let the keys do the talking. Kawai knows how to do digital pianos, right. Excellent song choices. Keep the videos coming. That Yamaha. Wow! Always one of my favorites to play.
Thank you for the beautiful playing and the comparison .For 1400 euro ( this is how much it costs now in europe ) , the es920 is good/close enough. the most piano like digital piano ( at least sound wise) . What is your opinion regarding the es920 action? thank you!
Hello, first of all, thank you for your post. Then your question : as a pianist, I find the ES920 very realistic and efficient. But, you need to have strong fingers ! it's louder than a 520 for example. For me, a real numeric piano for pianist much than keybordist only (synthetisor).
A real piano is a real piano is a real ❤ buuuut I had ES8 from Kawai which has same sounds and was the last sturdy quality keyboard from Kawai and it was always my go to as my neighbours were sleeping and I did not use my grand piano. The sound was amazing. Great comparison and thank you for creating such great content
How's the keyboard action compared to the real grand piano? And did they fix the loudness of it? The ES8 suffered from really loud clanks whenever the keys bumped up, an advantage for the P515 from Yamaha which are dead silent. But the Yamaha P515 is a tad heavy on it's action. BTW; have you tested the P515 and can you give any thoughtful comparisons between the ES920 and P515? I'm trying to decide what to go with.
Hello David, I watched a recent review from a youtuber, ThePianoforever, and as he said, I noticed in your video how the keys bounce when you release them, which does not happen on the Yamaha. isn't that a bit annoying when playing quickly ?
I have a $699 Casio Privia 350 I think. I picked it over its price line competitors because the keybed felt so good to me. Sounds are passable for practice. Not anywhere near the $1500+ models. It's keys bounce, which I never noticed until James Pavel Shawcross pointed out the Kawai ES line does it. So I went and tested mine and mine does it too. I'm not a concert pianist and I'm sure I can't outplay my keys. But in 8 years I never noticed. I'm not 100% sure it's even a valid test or tells you anything. I'm sure the Kawai engineers could 'fix' it, but they haven't. I wish they'd talk about it. Perhaps they have? Probably a design trade off.
I have a Yamaha PF 500 that has been my recording piano for the past 10 years...I’m able to go in and enhance string resonance and other settings to really make it sound convincing....I’m loving your video here . The C3 is such an incredible piano ....I’ve played a few in my career and love everything about them. Even though I can play some very sensitive classical music on my PF 500 there will never be any digital piano that will ever be like playing a fine acoustic piano...especially in very loud passages where you hear that cabinet and the true string response. I do own a few sampled pianos that are computer based...Ivory 2 to name one. You have to really break a sweat and dive deep into them and understand a lot about them to make them really expressive...I always go back to the PF though..even with your video here the difference in the tone color is very different between the digital and the acoustic...
Nowadays, digital pianos have reached a quality standard that lets you choose what is best for the situation. I prefer a good digital piano to a grand piano on stage, which is usually somehow out of tune and has rather suboptimal microphonics. On the other hand, you won't play a classical chamber concert with a digital piano. The Kawai here is really excellent as a digital piano, while the Yamaha grand is not recorded optimally. But this is just my personal taste.
David, thank you for the demo absolutely great, all about the sound and tone, brilliant. Is this Kawai ES 920 really that good? I am in the market for either the Kawai ES 920 or the Yamaha p515, which would you go for. I would really appreciate your guidance. Thank you.
Hello Denise ? Thanks for your congratulations. Wether the Kawai ES920 and the P515 are both really good instrument. It's not really my job to guide but I prefer Kawai instrument for many reasons but it's really subjectiv. You can look forward the ES 520 wich is a really nice piano two.
@@grandav94 Thank you David for replying so quickly, Your playing is wonderful, I have listened to all your playing and reviews. Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble in making your reviews so real. I am very taken by the ES920 and will probably order one before the end of the month with stand and foot pedals. Thank you so much.
If you're going for sound alone (which isn't the only factor when buying a piano) this video won't tell you what to buy. You'd need a side by side comparison of the two pianos you're considering. Again, it's not only the sound you should be thinking about. Another huge factor to note is the quality of the mic used to capture the audio Vs what your ears will actually hear in real life. I've been waiting for a side by side p515 and es920 review (not audio comparison) but there's yet to be one on UA-cam.
@@LagunaLeonhart I have asked James Pavell Shawcross to do a comparison between the p515 and the ES920. He has responded and has a ES 920 being delivered in the next couple of days, hopefully. He will then do a comparison of them, so we have to be patient. Sorry if this does not help you.
@@philipdenisevinton3181 that's good to know. James has been quiet on his channel in this regard. How did you contact him? I didn't see a reply on his video
Digital pianos in general still seem to have some weaknesses with respect to resonances while half-pedaling. This is not specific to the ES920. In fact, there are other digital pianos that are even worse with respect to this. Apart from that, the differences are neglectable for me. Just for interest: What are your resonance settings (string resonance, damper resonance, etc.)?
Hello, thanks for this video, good job, can you tell me what do you thing about the speakers of Kawai 920 (the power and the sound), can i play with a choral without additionnal speaker ?
Hello Ekip. I can answer to your question because myself, I'm vocal coach. And I affim that you can play without speaker with a choral. I don't know how much you are but compared to others keyboards with internal speakers, the ES920 integrate 40W (2*20W) speaker and It's enough to be listened by a choral for myself. But if your choral is beside 50 chorists, perhaps you will need another PA system.
Hello Ekip. You asked me about internal speakers and I told you that I would try to record the kawai, with 2 microphones. Here is the demo. For me, no distortion. EVen with louder touching. ua-cam.com/video/Kuvle2yVfH8/v-deo.html
The es920 sounds great for a digital piano, but there is no digital match for the inspiration an acoustic gives. I get that both from this video and my own experience. I own both.
Hi David, this is an excellent demo, thanks. I can hear the mid-range from Kawai sounds a bit thinner than the properly-miced Yamaha. Do you think it's from the original sample inside the Kawai, or do you think you can adjust this using the onboard EQ?
Hello Hiroshi, thanks for your congratulations. The famous mid range ! I agree with you. Then, I just haved used ONE sound on the Kawai. Natrally, the mid range would have been different with other sounds. And It is very easy to adjust with the onboard eq. Perhaps could you hear some other sounds on my other demo : ua-cam.com/video/hl3XTMV56E0/v-deo.html
Merci pour cette présentation. Pouvez-vous me dire si le clavier, les touches sont corrects ? Votre sensation en jouant. Si les sons des touches lors des pressions ne sont pas trop forts ? Merci par avance.
Bonjour Olivier. Ce que je peux vous dire restera très subjectif évidemment. Le clavier, sur toute sa téssiture, est lourd. Franchement, ça muscle les doigts. La sensation de lourdeur est plus forte d'ailleurs sur le Kawai, que sur le C3. C'est vraiment un clavier pour pianiste. Ceux qui n'auront besoin que d'un clavier peuvent se tourner vers d'autres références. Pour ma part, je pense que le 920 est destiné aux pianistes, débutants ou expérimentés, mais qui voudront évoluer de façon très cohérente sur un numérique et ne seront pas perdus le jour où ils passeront sur un acoustique. L'inverse est aussi vrai. La clavier et les touches ne sont donc pas forvément "faciles" à jouer. Cela pré-suppose de savoir doser la dynamique des notes, d'être déjà conscient des nuances car justement, ce clavier le permet. Au contraire des touches plus légers justement. Sur votre question du son des touches, en revanche, c'est très discret. Beaucoup plus cette fois que sur un acoustique.
Hello David, A question on the recording of the Kawai ES920, did you mic it so we were hearing the inbuilt speaker output of the Kawai or were you recording the Audio output from the back of the piano direct into your DAW? If those are the inbuilt speakers, yes Kawai has done a great job. I am looking at this or the ES520 for a portable gig piano. Time to put the Technics P50 to pasture.
Hello Pierre (french ?), your question is interesting and presently, I recorded the audio output kawai direct into my daw. I could have recorded the two instrument with the exactly same protocole, with same stereo mic. Even if with a digital instrument, it's really not the best way to record. Thanks
@@grandav94 Hello again, No not French but the first name is a French take on mine as well as Ancestry . Ok, yes Kawai have excellent samples and put them to good use. I was asking just to ensure what I was listening to. My current gig piano requires external Amp/Speaker for gigs so was wondering how the inbuilt speakers sound on the Kawai. Some say there is some interference from the chassis. Hard to get a demo around my area. The instrument is used for accompanying classical singers in Chamber style venues (small to medium sized). As a tech head - I also like what Kawai seems to have done with the instrument and the versatility it has with connectivity. I imagine it would be great in a Studio situation.
Dear Luigi, It's an evidence that I prefer my old Yamaha C3 to any digital piano. But, I need digital piano for many reasons. And today, companies such as Kawai (or Yamaha or others), have done a lot of progress in keyboard emulation.
Yeah.. Real Piano have more dynamic and sound variety, and ES-920 i able to hear "digital artifact". But since I'm a bit price sensitive, I can't expect more from ES-920
Hi David, I like kawai es110 a while ago but I didn’t bought that because I want something better in term of closer to a real acoustic piano touching feel and sound. Is that es930 close enough? Recently I bought a Roland fp10 composer with bench & stand for 1/3 of the price compare to es930. Is go 10 ok? Should I settle for the cost? Help? I could still return that, Thanks
Hello, I am a big fan of roland digital piano. I have both roland FP4, FP50 & FP60 in y studio. I appreciate PHA-4 touching technology and I do like the sound with supernatural tones. The FP10 is the "smaller" one but really a nice key. But between those instrument and the new kawai, there is really a big difference (touching feel and sound). Perhaps Roland will soon answer to Kawai with a new model. Perhaps should you compare your FP10 with the ES520 (and not the ES920), a 128 voices poly, a different touch, a litlle weight but the strictly same sound than ES920.
@@grandav94 Regarding sound in ES520. The magic of digital pianos, in my experience, is not just in the samples themselves but in the sound modeling. All the resonances that make a digital sound close to an acoustic. The ES520 has a different and probably cheaper modeling engine. Also the key action os their cheaper version.
Thanks! Are the keys a little slow or sluggish returning from the depressed position compared to the acoustic piano. If so does this impact in a restrictive way faster passages? Great playing by the way.
HELLO Daniel, the key feeling is not so good on the ES920 than on the C3, but it's not a surprise. It's slower on the ES920 but for me, better than concurrence. But VPC1 Kawai and Grand Piano clavia have something nicer about the feeling, the touch. It's thrue that faster passages are more sluggish returning on the ES920. I would be interrested by a comparison with the ES520.
@@grandav94 Thanks! I am replacing my pc88mx I’ve had going on 26 years. There are no stores close enough that have any selection so I’m trying to replace using these videos. The sound of your recordings are great and I dig your playing.
« KAWAI // ES920 HOW DOES IT SOUND WITH INTERNAL SPEAKERS » Hello, Here is a new audio demo of ES920. Just to ear the sound from internal speakers. No effects, no reverb, no talking. studio.ua-cam.com/users/videoKuvle2yVfH8/edit
The ES920 sounds perfect, the acoustic dosnt - this is partly how he records here (which isnt perfect) but mainly cause of how these instruments work. And I think thats the whole thing with digital vs acoustic, I woud mostly prefare a perfect sound, but sometimes slight imperfections sound better (this is usually what we call character in tone) - I think this depends massivly on what you actually want to play right now which is the better choice but both have time to shine. Sadly I dont have the money for a that good acoustic varriant. Thanks for the comparisson.
Hello, thanks for your post. The object of this comparison is less to tell that one instrument is better than the other naturally, but to show that, in term of sound (and not feeling), both instrument can be really equal. It would be interesting to make a blind test. And I agree with you for the rest of arguments (character and so on).
Hello Raja. You're right ! Line out for the ES920. Microphones for acoustic piano. If you want to have an idea of how the sound is, with just MICROPHONES on the ES920, you can listen to my other video. ua-cam.com/video/Kuvle2yVfH8/v-deo.html
Yep its a nice idea.. but when I think about it... you are showing a real piano recording with basic microphones against a digital piano recorded with the best microphones possible. So the digital actually sounds better here. Nice playing though! I have the Yamaha C3x too... seems like yours was like mine used to be and needs toning down a bit... hard to tell with those mics though... I'm using some really cheap AKG condensers and I think I got better results than you got but still a long way from being happy with it.
Hello, I recognize than my recording setup (microphones) are basics naturally. But I didn't want to record with the best setup "of the world" though. Yamaha C3 would have been the king. But, this demo shows that with democratic tools (microphones, basic sound card ...), the use of the ES920 is really as useful as an acoustic one. Thank you.
In un altro video riguardante questo Kawai,ho scritto che mi sembrava(a differenza del Es8)che avesse un suono più simile alle sonorità dello Yamaha.Guarda caso è quasi simile al gran coda Yamaha.Io ho lo Yamaha P515,quasi stessa sonorità,ma con tastiera in legno.Morale....diciamo che sulla sonorità di questo nuovo Kawai non ho sbagliato.Che ovviamente è ottima.
Thanks David for your advice. I will take a look of es520 to hear the difference between Roland Fp10 sound quality. Is the es520 keyboard touch feel as good as Roland fp19 or close to acoustic piano?
Thanx for such a good review! To me, C3 vs ES920 looks like mineral water vs. distilled water. More associated sound with C3, i.e. mechanical, harmonic sounds from piano parts. I feel C3 more alive than 920. But I am waiting for the delivery of my order; ES920. :)
I am majorly disappointed with the ES 920 noisy key action. It sounds like each and every key stroke is followed by a mini drum roll. I can even hear it when using headphones. The only time I don't hear is when playing at full volume. This would otherwise be my favourite ever digital piano but because of the noisy action it falls way short, especially so when playing pianissimo.
Ash, sorry but I do with materiel that everybody can use. And I just have a dynamic micro on the bass range (which is off) and the piano is recorded with only 2 DPA 4099, static microphones (and not dynamics). The recorded sound is the most natural for my C3. My C3 is very clear. each C3 as a particular sound. And I find the comparison very interisting.
@@grandav94 You do realize that the mics used to record the piano samples in E920 are multi-thousand dollar mics and the room is a million-dollar anechoic chamber? This video only represents the deficiency of the equipment you used to record the C3. E920 is a great digital piano, but nowhere near C3!
@@abdolreza82 I agree. But it's something positiv for the ES920 ! Imagine just my C3 was recorded with the same protocole as the ES920, there would be a huge difference certainly. But, a lot of musicians, no professional, have got the same protocole than me. And this video demonstrate for many of people, than a digital piano such as the kawai (or other) can really do the job.
@@grandav94 I have to agree with ASh; a UA-cam audio comparison of a digital piano and an acoustic piano is pointless. It would have been more useful for you to simply describe the differences between the two pianos, as perceived in the room by your ears, and then to describe the difference in the feel of the two pianos. No matter how good the microphones used, to record the acoustic piano, the compression of the sound for consumption by the internet masses is going to mask any qualitative differences between the two pianos.
Me too. I neither have the money to buy a grand piano nor a place for it. Also neighbors who like to sleep at night when i am practicing. Weird music hating people....
You're right but you have to keep in mind that the recorded sound depend on the recording setup. As far as my piano is concerned, those are just 2 stereo mic. I could have done much more. But it's really closer of the natural sound. I can chek here !
« KAWAI // ES920 HOW DOES IT SOUND WITH INTERNAL SPEAKERS » Hello, Here is a new audio demo of ES920. Just to ear the sound from internal speakers. No effects, no reverb, no talking. studio.ua-cam.com/users/videoKuvle2yVfH8/edit
People who calling this a review really baffle me. It's a audio comparison using basic microphones. I don't even know how this sways anybody to buying the es920 over a different digital piano since the price difference between that and the acoustic is huge. A video like this won't really show you what your ears hear in person. It's like comparing the exhaust sound of a Mustang Vs a Bugatti with a phone mic and people deciding the Mustang is a better car than a Porsche 911 from that recording alone somehow. It would be more useful to use digital pianos in the same price point to compare the sound only. Again this is NOT a review. A review would include everything about the piano including action, key presses, features, opinions etc.
Hello Leonhart. Thank you for your post. But, I would like to clear up a potential misunderstanding. This video just gives an audio comparison between a digital and an acoustic piano. Not a "feeling" and technical comparison. If you understood, thru this comparison, that it's no use to have an acoustic piano, mine is a wonderfull C3 Yamaha, I didn't explain clearly. Naturally, betwwen a C3 and a digital piano (even a ES920), I will ever prefer the sound and feeling of the acoustic one. Then, this video just demonstrates that the sound of those 2 instruments are very close. And one more time, it doesn't speak about the feeling ! I just want people to ear the sounding difference because it's the principal for me. And even if I would have used wonderfull microphones, the ES920 wouldn't have sounded like a poor car. I will record both instrument with same protocole, same microphones, to be near the most realistic natural sounding.
@@grandav94 the problem is that people are taking your video as a reason to go out and buy an es920 when there's nothing here to say it's a great piano. You said yourself you're only showing the similarities in sound between acoustic and digital in 2020. It could have been any similarly priced digital piano and it'd sound just as good but there seem to be lots of people somehow taking this as a review and getting excited for the wrong reasons.
Thanks for letting us hear the differences in sound between those two instruments. It's pretty rare to get a side by side comparison like that! (Love that lamp on the Yamaha, too!)
Thanks Paul. I try to do for others people what I would like to find for myself. I mean for music instruments, specially piano and keys. For the lamp, it's a "zan design", USB alimented. I love it too.
« KAWAI // ES920 HOW DOES IT SOUND WITH INTERNAL SPEAKERS » Hello, Here is a new audio demo of ES920. Just to ear the sound from internal speakers. No effects, no reverb, no talking.
studio.ua-cam.com/users/videoKuvle2yVfH8/edit
Just deposited for a Kawai ES920 :) Super excited to get it.
dear friend musician and pianist. I congratulate you. Of hundreds of piano keyboard demonstration videos, yours is without a doubt the best. Really playing musical themes and not showing how quick you are on the keyboard. Without being a crazy jazzman. Well done !!!
Thank you so much for making your demo's of the ES 920 and 520. And for your wonderful music as well. I am drawn to the Yamaha sound, not quite so much to the Kawai sound, but this video helped me see that the distance between the two sounds is not the barrier that I thought. The sound of a P 515 is pleasant in videos, but when I finally was able to play one, I did not like the heavy initial touch of the keys. I share a Roland FP 60 with my girlfriend, but am not so keen on its piano sound. Based on your comment "the best numeric piano I ever played" and Stu Harrison's initial comment that he could not think of another digital slab that sounds this good, I decided to buy an ES 920 without ever playing it. And I find the ES 920 to be as wonderful as had been described, exactly. Would I like a Yamaha CFX packaged inside the 920? Sure. And the Roland electronic sounds as well. Would I like a grand piano in my living room? Of course, but first I would have to buy the house. For what I need, a perpetual beginner from age 7, now 68, the ES 920 is close to perfect, better than an acoustic console piano I once owned. Dialing up one of the 10 pianos inside the 920 is a luxury, and I can't even be bothered to start tweaking them yet. Thanks again.
I agree. I Looove my 920. I play it all the time. Its a joy!
Like you I felt the Yamaha p515 was far too heavy. I rarely wanted to play it because it.was painful
😮
I agree too. Just bought the es920 this week. Very good. Yes I’d love a p525 also, and a nord, and a Kawai mp11se… but the latter 2 don’t come with speakers and I love the immediacy of and closeness of playing with a keyboard with speakers. I do own a piano so I have the luxury of that if I need it too… and a Yamaha yc73… I’m keen to try that through the es920. I think the action is great, better than expected, and the sounds are really good. I find it hard though to get the perfect volume with speakers or headphones. I often play late when my ears are tired.
The best pianist in demonstrating here on yt..no talking just playing to compare and judge the soundquality..David Henry my compliments , you are a wonderfull musician/pianist. The proof is in the pudding..thx
I LOVE my 520 and am going to get a 920 as soon as funds permit. Kawai's "Virtual Technician" adds so much flexibility in customizing the sound. Kawai has the best digital acoustic pianos by FAR. Listen to Stu Harrison's review on the Merriam Music channel
Amazing way to do the demo. Nice professional audio quality it makes so easy to judge the sound. This Kawai ES930 sounds so close to the real acoustic piano and the samples of Kawai sounds like the Yamaha C3 😍 great review and fabulous playing. Love it! ❤️
Thank you for your appreciation.
Love that you just get straight to the playing
This is how a review is done. Let the keys do the talking. Kawai knows how to do digital pianos, right. Excellent song choices. Keep the videos coming. That Yamaha. Wow! Always one of my favorites to play.
This isn't s review...
Thank you for the beautiful playing and the comparison .For 1400 euro ( this is how much it costs now in europe ) , the es920 is good/close enough. the most piano like digital piano ( at least sound wise) . What is your opinion regarding the es920 action? thank you!
Hello, first of all, thank you for your post. Then your question : as a pianist, I find the ES920 very realistic and efficient. But, you need to have strong fingers ! it's louder than a 520 for example. For me, a real numeric piano for pianist much than keybordist only (synthetisor).
Thank you, thank you, thank you - brilliant.
A real piano is a real piano is a real ❤ buuuut I had ES8 from Kawai which has same sounds and was the last sturdy quality keyboard from Kawai and it was always my go to as my neighbours were sleeping and I did not use my grand piano. The sound was amazing. Great comparison and thank you for creating such great content
thanks a lot Joerg
How's the keyboard action compared to the real grand piano? And did they fix the loudness of it? The ES8 suffered from really loud clanks whenever the keys bumped up, an advantage for the P515 from Yamaha which are dead silent. But the Yamaha P515 is a tad heavy on it's action. BTW; have you tested the P515 and can you give any thoughtful comparisons between the ES920 and P515? I'm trying to decide what to go with.
A tad heavy? Its painfully heavy😂
Hello David, I watched a recent review from a youtuber, ThePianoforever, and as he said, I noticed in your video how the keys bounce when you release them, which does not happen on the Yamaha. isn't that a bit annoying when playing quickly ?
I have a $699 Casio Privia 350 I think. I picked it over its price line competitors because the keybed felt so good to me. Sounds are passable for practice. Not anywhere near the $1500+ models.
It's keys bounce, which I never noticed until James Pavel Shawcross pointed out the Kawai ES line does it. So I went and tested mine and mine does it too. I'm not a concert pianist and I'm sure I can't outplay my keys. But in 8 years I never noticed. I'm not 100% sure it's even a valid test or tells you anything. I'm sure the Kawai engineers could 'fix' it, but they haven't. I wish they'd talk about it. Perhaps they have? Probably a design trade off.
I have a Yamaha PF 500 that has been my recording piano for the past 10 years...I’m able to go in and enhance string resonance and other settings to really make it sound convincing....I’m loving your video here . The C3 is such an incredible piano ....I’ve played a few in my career and love everything about them. Even though I can play some very sensitive classical music on my PF 500 there will never be any digital piano that will ever be like playing a fine acoustic piano...especially in very loud passages where you hear that cabinet and the true string response. I do own a few sampled pianos that are computer based...Ivory 2 to name one. You have to really break a sweat and dive deep into them and understand a lot about them to make them really expressive...I always go back to the PF though..even with your video here the difference in the tone color is very different between the digital and the acoustic...
Nowadays, digital pianos have reached a quality standard that lets you choose what is best for the situation. I prefer a good digital piano to a grand piano on stage, which is usually somehow out of tune and has rather suboptimal microphonics. On the other hand, you won't play a classical chamber concert with a digital piano.
The Kawai here is really excellent as a digital piano, while the Yamaha grand is not recorded optimally. But this is just my personal taste.
Very cool video - thank you for doing this - was really interesting hearing the difference
Wow pretty dam amazing for the price of the es920..thankyou pretty cool demo..
thank you
Hi David am looking for a hard case for travel for ES920 can you help>
Hi. There is a lot of case. I have personnaly 2 ways : A Kawai SC-1 specially for the ES. An hard case Gator 88, very light and easy to care too.
David, thank you for the demo absolutely great, all about the sound and tone, brilliant. Is this Kawai ES 920 really that good? I am in the market for either the Kawai ES 920
or the Yamaha p515, which would you go for. I would really appreciate your guidance. Thank you.
Hello Denise ? Thanks for your congratulations. Wether the Kawai ES920 and the P515 are both really good instrument. It's not really my job to guide but I prefer Kawai instrument for many reasons but it's really subjectiv. You can look forward the ES 520 wich is a really nice piano two.
@@grandav94 Thank you David for replying so quickly, Your playing is wonderful, I have listened to all your playing and reviews. Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble in making your reviews so real. I am very taken by the ES920 and will probably order one before the end of the month with stand and foot pedals. Thank you so much.
If you're going for sound alone (which isn't the only factor when buying a piano) this video won't tell you what to buy. You'd need a side by side comparison of the two pianos you're considering. Again, it's not only the sound you should be thinking about. Another huge factor to note is the quality of the mic used to capture the audio Vs what your ears will actually hear in real life. I've been waiting for a side by side p515 and es920 review (not audio comparison) but there's yet to be one on UA-cam.
@@LagunaLeonhart I have asked James Pavell Shawcross to do a comparison between the p515 and the ES920. He has responded and has a ES 920 being delivered in the next couple of days, hopefully. He will then do a comparison of them, so we have to be patient. Sorry if this does not help you.
@@philipdenisevinton3181 that's good to know. James has been quiet on his channel in this regard. How did you contact him? I didn't see a reply on his video
Digital pianos in general still seem to have some weaknesses with respect to resonances while half-pedaling. This is not specific to the ES920. In fact, there are other digital pianos that are even worse with respect to this. Apart from that, the differences are neglectable for me.
Just for interest: What are your resonance settings (string resonance, damper resonance, etc.)?
Hello Robert, agree with what you tell. Here are my settings : damper resonnance 6 / Damper noise 8 /string resonnance 5 / undamped string resonnance 5 / cabinet resonnance 1 / keyy off effect 9 / fallback noise 9 / hammer noise 9
E920 is decent, it doesn't begin to match the acoustic. The mic'ing on the acoustic makes it seem a bit distant
Hello Irminz; I agree with all. Mic setup is basic.
Did you record the line outputs or the ES920, or its onboard speakers with the DPA4099?
Thank you very much for the video. I want to buy a Kawaii es920 and this video helps me a lot. Great camparison.
Tanks Omar. If this comparison can help you, it's made on purpose.
What song is it that started at 1:12 min?
Can I ask you how the sound of the ES920 is recorded?
Hello Giuseppe, it's a stereo line (Jack 6.35) out from the ES920. Directly connected in y DAW.
Thanks David
Can you suggest what PA would provide the capability to the ES920 of comming close to the C3 in a performance setting?
Hello, thanks for this video, good job, can you tell me what do you thing about the speakers of Kawai 920 (the power and the sound), can i play with a choral without additionnal speaker ?
Hello Ekip. I can answer to your question because myself, I'm vocal coach. And I affim that you can play without speaker with a choral. I don't know how much you are but compared to others keyboards with internal speakers, the ES920 integrate 40W (2*20W) speaker and It's enough to be listened by a choral for myself. But if your choral is beside 50 chorists, perhaps you will need another PA system.
Hello Ekip. You asked me about internal speakers and I told you that I would try to record the kawai, with 2 microphones. Here is the demo. For me, no distortion. EVen with louder touching. ua-cam.com/video/Kuvle2yVfH8/v-deo.html
Which piano sound are you using on es920?
The es920 sounds great for a digital piano, but there is no digital match for the inspiration an acoustic gives. I get that both from this video and my own experience. I own both.
Hi David, this is an excellent demo, thanks. I can hear the mid-range from Kawai sounds a bit thinner than the properly-miced Yamaha. Do you think it's from the original sample inside the Kawai, or do you think you can adjust this using the onboard EQ?
Hello Hiroshi, thanks for your congratulations. The famous mid range ! I agree with you. Then, I just haved used ONE sound on the Kawai. Natrally, the mid range would have been different with other sounds. And It is very easy to adjust with the onboard eq. Perhaps could you hear some other sounds on my other demo : ua-cam.com/video/hl3XTMV56E0/v-deo.html
@@grandav94 that is very helpful advice. thank you.
Merci pour cette présentation.
Pouvez-vous me dire si le clavier, les touches sont corrects ? Votre sensation en jouant. Si les sons des touches lors des pressions ne sont pas trop forts ?
Merci par avance.
Bonjour Olivier. Ce que je peux vous dire restera très subjectif évidemment. Le clavier, sur toute sa téssiture, est lourd. Franchement, ça muscle les doigts. La sensation de lourdeur est plus forte d'ailleurs sur le Kawai, que sur le C3. C'est vraiment un clavier pour pianiste. Ceux qui n'auront besoin que d'un clavier peuvent se tourner vers d'autres références. Pour ma part, je pense que le 920 est destiné aux pianistes, débutants ou expérimentés, mais qui voudront évoluer de façon très cohérente sur un numérique et ne seront pas perdus le jour où ils passeront sur un acoustique. L'inverse est aussi vrai. La clavier et les touches ne sont donc pas forvément "faciles" à jouer. Cela pré-suppose de savoir doser la dynamique des notes, d'être déjà conscient des nuances car justement, ce clavier le permet. Au contraire des touches plus légers justement. Sur votre question du son des touches, en revanche, c'est très discret. Beaucoup plus cette fois que sur un acoustique.
@@grandav94 David, merci pour votre très instructive réponse.
Et bravo pour vos vidéos.
Love these songs..thx
Hello David,
A question on the recording of the Kawai ES920, did you mic it so we were hearing the inbuilt speaker output of the Kawai or were you recording the Audio output from the back of the piano direct into your DAW?
If those are the inbuilt speakers, yes Kawai has done a great job. I am looking at this or the ES520 for a portable gig piano. Time to put the Technics P50 to pasture.
Hello Pierre (french ?), your question is interesting and presently, I recorded the audio output kawai direct into my daw. I could have recorded the two instrument with the exactly same protocole, with same stereo mic. Even if with a digital instrument, it's really not the best way to record. Thanks
@@grandav94 Hello again, No not French but the first name is a French take on mine as well as Ancestry . Ok, yes Kawai have excellent samples and put them to good use. I was asking just to ensure what I was listening to. My current gig piano requires external Amp/Speaker for gigs so was wondering how the inbuilt speakers sound on the Kawai.
Some say there is some interference from the chassis. Hard to get a demo around my area. The instrument is used for accompanying classical singers in Chamber style venues (small to medium sized).
As a tech head - I also like what Kawai seems to have done with the instrument and the versatility it has with connectivity. I imagine it would be great in a Studio situation.
Nothing is like the real thing. I can't imagine You could prefer the digital one, having such a beauty beside...
Dear Luigi, It's an evidence that I prefer my old Yamaha C3 to any digital piano. But, I need digital piano for many reasons. And today, companies such as Kawai (or Yamaha or others), have done a lot of progress in keyboard emulation.
Yeah.. Real Piano have more dynamic and sound variety, and ES-920 i able to hear "digital artifact". But since I'm a bit price sensitive, I can't expect more from ES-920
Kawai ES920 sounded better for me.
Hi David, I like kawai es110 a while ago but I didn’t bought that because I want something better in term of closer to a real acoustic piano touching feel and sound. Is that es930 close enough? Recently I bought a Roland fp10 composer with bench & stand for 1/3 of the price compare to es930. Is go 10 ok? Should I settle for the cost? Help? I could still return that, Thanks
Hello, I am a big fan of roland digital piano. I have both roland FP4, FP50 & FP60 in y studio. I appreciate PHA-4 touching technology and I do like the sound with supernatural tones. The FP10 is the "smaller" one but really a nice key. But between those instrument and the new kawai, there is really a big difference (touching feel and sound). Perhaps Roland will soon answer to Kawai with a new model. Perhaps should you compare your FP10 with the ES520 (and not the ES920), a 128 voices poly, a different touch, a litlle weight but the strictly same sound than ES920.
@@grandav94 Regarding sound in ES520. The magic of digital pianos, in my experience, is not just in the samples themselves but in the sound modeling. All the resonances that make a digital sound close to an acoustic. The ES520 has a different and probably cheaper modeling engine. Also the key action os their cheaper version.
fp 10 fp 30
Sound artificial for me
Fp10 Vs Yamaha p45. + Entry level+
Very far to kawai 520 +mid-range
Thanks! Are the keys a little slow or sluggish returning from the depressed position compared to the acoustic piano. If so does this impact in a restrictive way faster passages? Great playing by the way.
The keys should be the same as the es8 model and I've seen many impressive pieces played on that model so I assume the keys are fine.
@@tofu9650 Thanks!
HELLO Daniel, the key feeling is not so good on the ES920 than on the C3, but it's not a surprise. It's slower on the ES920 but for me, better than concurrence. But VPC1 Kawai and Grand Piano clavia have something nicer about the feeling, the touch. It's thrue that faster passages are more sluggish returning on the ES920. I would be interrested by a comparison with the ES520.
@@grandav94 Thanks! I am replacing my pc88mx I’ve had going on 26 years. There are no stores close enough that have any selection so I’m trying to replace using these videos. The sound of your recordings are great and I dig your playing.
Loving kawai
« KAWAI // ES920 HOW DOES IT SOUND WITH INTERNAL SPEAKERS » Hello, Here is a new audio demo of ES920. Just to ear the sound from internal speakers. No effects, no reverb, no talking.
studio.ua-cam.com/users/videoKuvle2yVfH8/edit
The ES920 sounds perfect, the acoustic dosnt - this is partly how he records here (which isnt perfect) but mainly cause of how these instruments work. And I think thats the whole thing with digital vs acoustic, I woud mostly prefare a perfect sound, but sometimes slight imperfections sound better (this is usually what we call character in tone) - I think this depends massivly on what you actually want to play right now which is the better choice but both have time to shine. Sadly I dont have the money for a that good acoustic varriant.
Thanks for the comparisson.
Hello, thanks for your post. The object of this comparison is less to tell that one instrument is better than the other naturally, but to show that, in term of sound (and not feeling), both instrument can be really equal. It would be interesting to make a blind test. And I agree with you for the rest of arguments (character and so on).
@@grandav94 OH hey, thanks for your answer, this was supposed to be an answer to another comment, so my misstake.
Thanks for your great videos.
WAIT: you used a MICROPHONE for the Yamaha and a LINE OUT recording for the ES920? PLEASE CORRECT ME if I'm wrong!
Hello Raja. You're right ! Line out for the ES920. Microphones for acoustic piano. If you want to have an idea of how the sound is, with just MICROPHONES on the ES920, you can listen to my other video. ua-cam.com/video/Kuvle2yVfH8/v-deo.html
Yep its a nice idea.. but when I think about it... you are showing a real piano recording with basic microphones against a digital piano recorded with the best microphones possible. So the digital actually sounds better here. Nice playing though!
I have the Yamaha C3x too... seems like yours was like mine used to be and needs toning down a bit... hard to tell with those mics though... I'm using some really cheap AKG condensers and I think I got better results than you got but still a long way from being happy with it.
Hello, I recognize than my recording setup (microphones) are basics naturally. But I didn't want to record with the best setup "of the world" though. Yamaha C3 would have been the king. But, this demo shows that with democratic tools (microphones, basic sound card ...), the use of the ES920 is really as useful as an acoustic one. Thank you.
In un altro video riguardante questo Kawai,ho scritto che mi sembrava(a differenza del Es8)che avesse un suono più simile alle sonorità dello Yamaha.Guarda caso è quasi simile al gran coda Yamaha.Io ho lo Yamaha P515,quasi stessa sonorità,ma con tastiera in legno.Morale....diciamo che sulla sonorità di questo nuovo Kawai non ho sbagliato.Che ovviamente è ottima.
The Yamaha is an infinitely richer sound, but that may be the mic positioning
Thanks David for your advice. I will take a look of es520 to hear the difference between Roland Fp10 sound quality. Is the es520 keyboard touch feel as good as Roland fp19 or close to acoustic piano?
Thanx for such a good review!
To me, C3 vs ES920 looks like mineral water vs. distilled water. More associated sound with C3, i.e. mechanical, harmonic sounds from piano parts. I feel C3 more alive than 920. But I am waiting for the delivery of my order; ES920. :)
I am majorly disappointed with the ES 920 noisy key action. It sounds like each and every key stroke is followed by a mini drum roll. I can even hear it when using headphones. The only time I don't hear is when playing at full volume. This would otherwise be my favourite ever digital piano but because of the noisy action it falls way short, especially so when playing pianissimo.
I have not noticed the key noise being a problem for me. I love playing it.
I clearly loved yamaha one more
É notória a diferença, sem comparação o Yamaha é extremamente melhor, mas até que o Kawai se sai bem.
I prefer the sound of the kawai es920.
What are you trying to achieve by recording an acoustic piano using 3 dynamic mics in a non-treated room?
Ash, sorry but I do with materiel that everybody can use. And I just have a dynamic micro on the bass range (which is off) and the piano is recorded with only 2 DPA 4099, static microphones (and not dynamics). The recorded sound is the most natural for my C3. My C3 is very clear. each C3 as a particular sound. And I find the comparison very interisting.
@@grandav94 You do realize that the mics used to record the piano samples in E920 are multi-thousand dollar mics and the room is a million-dollar anechoic chamber? This video only represents the deficiency of the equipment you used to record the C3. E920 is a great digital piano, but nowhere near C3!
@@abdolreza82 I agree. But it's something positiv for the ES920 ! Imagine just my C3 was recorded with the same protocole as the ES920, there would be a huge difference certainly. But, a lot of musicians, no professional, have got the same protocole than me. And this video demonstrate for many of people, than a digital piano such as the kawai (or other) can really do the job.
@@grandav94 I have to agree with ASh; a UA-cam audio comparison of a digital piano and an acoustic piano is pointless. It would have been more useful for you to simply describe the differences between the two pianos, as perceived in the room by your ears, and then to describe the difference in the feel of the two pianos. No matter how good the microphones used, to record the acoustic piano, the compression of the sound for consumption by the internet masses is going to mask any qualitative differences between the two pianos.
That's impressive. I don't care who you are.
Try the Kawai MP11SE before buying the es-920
Hello Alexander. Naturally, the MP11SE is a really nice key but there is a huge difference of portability and price.
@@grandav94 And space requirement. For some of us it is really a matter of fitting it into our room. :P
I would prefer kawai es 920
Me too. I neither have the money to buy a grand piano nor a place for it. Also neighbors who like to sleep at night when i am practicing. Weird music hating people....
Acoustic piano tone is not clean as digital but fatter and deeper.
You're right but you have to keep in mind that the recorded sound depend on the recording setup. As far as my piano is concerned, those are just 2 stereo mic. I could have done much more. But it's really closer of the natural sound. I can chek here !
This video is going to sell a bunch of Kawais.
« KAWAI // ES920 HOW DOES IT SOUND WITH INTERNAL SPEAKERS » Hello, Here is a new audio demo of ES920. Just to ear the sound from internal speakers. No effects, no reverb, no talking.
studio.ua-cam.com/users/videoKuvle2yVfH8/edit
People who calling this a review really baffle me. It's a audio comparison using basic microphones. I don't even know how this sways anybody to buying the es920 over a different digital piano since the price difference between that and the acoustic is huge. A video like this won't really show you what your ears hear in person. It's like comparing the exhaust sound of a Mustang Vs a Bugatti with a phone mic and people deciding the Mustang is a better car than a Porsche 911 from that recording alone somehow. It would be more useful to use digital pianos in the same price point to compare the sound only. Again this is NOT a review. A review would include everything about the piano including action, key presses, features, opinions etc.
Hello Leonhart. Thank you for your post. But, I would like to clear up a potential misunderstanding. This video just gives an audio comparison between a digital and an acoustic piano. Not a "feeling" and technical comparison. If you understood, thru this comparison, that it's no use to have an acoustic piano, mine is a wonderfull C3 Yamaha, I didn't explain clearly. Naturally, betwwen a C3 and a digital piano (even a ES920), I will ever prefer the sound and feeling of the acoustic one. Then, this video just demonstrates that the sound of those 2 instruments are very close. And one more time, it doesn't speak about the feeling ! I just want people to ear the sounding difference because it's the principal for me. And even if I would have used wonderfull microphones, the ES920 wouldn't have sounded like a poor car. I will record both instrument with same protocole, same microphones, to be near the most realistic natural sounding.
@@grandav94 the problem is that people are taking your video as a reason to go out and buy an es920 when there's nothing here to say it's a great piano. You said yourself you're only showing the similarities in sound between acoustic and digital in 2020. It could have been any similarly priced digital piano and it'd sound just as good but there seem to be lots of people somehow taking this as a review and getting excited for the wrong reasons.