🎹 Yamaha vs Kawai Blindfold Test: Can We Tell These Digital Pianos Apart? 🎹
Вставка
- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- 🛒 Get the Kawai Digital Piano HERE ▸ www.merriammus...
🛒 Shop Yamaha Digital Pianos HERE ▸ geni.us/Yamaha...
💕 Subscribe to Merriam Pianos HERE ▸ bit.ly/Subscrib...
🔔 Click the 🔔 bell to be notified of all videos! ▸ bit.ly/Subscrib...
#kawaidigitalpiano#yamahadigitalpiano#bestdigitalpiano
Video Description: Blind Test of Kawai vs. Yamaha Digital Pianos
Welcome to our exciting blind test where we pit two of the biggest names in digital pianos against each other: Kawai and Yamaha! In this video, we will be evaluating four different digital pianos based on four key criteria: action, acoustic piano sound, e-piano sound, and dynamic range and response. Join us as we explore the nuances of these instruments and share your thoughts in the comments below!
What to Expect:
Blind Test Setup: Our host, along with Lee and the team, will be testing a selection of digital pianos without knowing which models or brands they are playing. This ensures an unbiased evaluation based solely on sound and feel.
Evaluation Criteria: We will be scoring each piano on:
Acoustic Piano Tone: How closely does it mimic a traditional acoustic piano?
E-Piano Tone: How well does it replicate the sound of electric pianos, like the Rhodes?
Action: How does the keybed feel? Is it responsive and satisfying to play?
Dynamic Range and Response: How well does the piano respond to different playing intensities and how varied is the tonal output?
Piano Breakdown:
1. Piano #1:
Acoustic Tone: 7/10
Dynamic Range: 6/10
Action: 7/10
E-Piano Tone: 6.5/10
Notable Features: Bright sound, good volume range, but lacks tonal variety.
2. Piano #2:
Acoustic Tone: 7.5/10
Dynamic Range: 7/10
Action: 7/10
E-Piano Tone: 7/10
Notable Features: More character in tone, deeper action, and a better overall playing experience.
3. Piano #3:
Acoustic Tone: 7/10
Dynamic Range: 7/10
Action: 6.5/10
E-Piano Tone: 7/10
Notable Features: Unique action feel, good tonal variety, but not as dynamic as others.
4. Piano #4:
Acoustic Tone: 8/10
Dynamic Range: 7/10
Action: 6.5/10
E-Piano Tone: 8/10
Notable Features: Widest dynamic range, detailed Rhodes sound, and a bright character.
Engagement with Viewers:
We encourage you to leave your thoughts and scores for each piano in the comments section below! What did you think of the acoustic and e-piano tones? How did you feel about the action and dynamic response of each instrument? Your feedback is invaluable as we prepare to reveal the brands and models in our next video!
Stay Tuned:
Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you won't miss the upcoming video where we will unveil the identities of the pianos we tested today. Thank you for joining us on this musical journey, and we look forward to hearing your insights!
Final Scores Recap:
Piano #1: Acoustic Tone 7, Dynamic Range 6, Action 7, E-Piano Tone 6.5
Piano #2: Acoustic Tone 7.5, Dynamic Range 7, Action 7, E-Piano Tone 7
Piano #3: Acoustic Tone 7, Dynamic Range 7, Action 6.5, E-Piano Tone 7
Piano #4: Acoustic Tone 8, Dynamic Range 7, Action 6.5, E-Piano Tone 8
Connect with Merriam Music:
● Website ▸ www.merriammus...
● Contact Us ▸ www.merriammus...
● Instagram ▸ / merriammusic
● Facebook ▸ / merriammusic
● Twitter ▸ / merriammusicinc
Fantastic! The funniest thing is doing a blind test between Yamaha and Kawai with a Roland scarf covering your eyes 😀
Hahaha good catch! You gotta show some love to all of the big players in the industry. ;)
Well, the fact that the most pronounced brand in this video was Roland is purely accidental 🤣
Anyway, it's a great concept.
I came to say the same thing. Roland scarf being passive aggressive, lol.
Crap - I thought no one else would notice that but me! Good viewers here!
ohh I wanted to write this comment too haha :) indeed funny !
I'm going to guess 1 & 4 are Yamahas and 2 & 3 are Kawais. The white keys on 1 & 4 seemed to have clearer, less-diffuse light reflections than 2 & 3. Which makes them Yamaha's glossy versus Kawai's matte. Did your fingers feel any difference on that front?
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for tuning in and sharing your guesses. I imagine Stu was able to detect the difference of the key touch (which would certainly help in answering things as well). :)
Love the driving-to-the-studio intro. Very LA, Stu!
Hi! Brent here! Thanks so much for tuning in! We appreciate the feedback. :)
The first and fourth pianos are definitely Yamaha. If indeed only two brands took part in the test, then the second and third pianos are Kawai, although I’m not convinced about the third one since it sounds a bit like Casio.
If I had to stick with one version:
1, Yamaha
2. Kawai
3. Kawai
4. Yamaha
I’m curious to see how it ages :)
Thank you for partaking in this fun little test! We appreciate it. :)
Yep I thought the third one might be a Casio, but I hope they didn't make fun of us that way :)
I would say 1 and 3 Yamaha, 2 and 4 kawai!
Thank you kindly for sharing!
Snowy up in 🇨🇦! Awesome video, and your insight is always so informative! Thank you for the blind taste test! 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
It certainly is! Thank you so much! We really appreciate that. And you're welcome! We're glad you enjoyed it. :)
My guess:
Piano #1: Yamaha
Piano #2: Kawai
Piano #3: Yamaha
Piano #4: Kawai
I don't know exactly what the models names are, but it's clear that the first ones (piano 1 and 2) are entry-level models
*it wasn't too hard to guess, knowing Stu's brand preference 😅
I totally agree and for me the Kawai pianos (piano#2 and piano#4) are the winners, although I have a Roland myself. 😉
If that’s the case then it’s probably:
1. P-225
2. ES120
3. P-525
4. ES920
Thanks for tuning in and sharing your thoughts! :)
@@pianowhizznah, I don't think es920 or p525 fit under that cover. More likely es60, es120, p145 and p225
As others have said, the easiest way to recognize a piano is to pay attention to the action response. As a matter of fact, I always payed far less attention to the sound of digital pianos as I could always use my VSTs. Action has been my primary focus. When we deal with synthesizers and even stage keyboards, the focus will move a bit more toward the sounds although one can always get something like Arturia V Collection or NI software.
It is never a bad idea to prioritize action when selecting digital pianos given that it is invariable component of the design. Through VSTs, one can always expand the sonic palette, and through external amplification, one can always access more volume output.
Stu ...great as always. Thank you. Has Kawai abandoned the MP series? 8 years since an update.
Hi! Brent here! Thanks for watching! I don't think Kawai has abandoned the MP series. There just haven't been many pianos released onto the market in that time that can hold a candle to the MP11SE (especially due to its excellent all wooden key action). With that said, I imagine Kawai will release updated models at some point.
This is very interessting Test and video 🍀🌺🌿
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it. :)
My guess is:
1 - Yamaha P-145
2 - Kawai ES-520/920
3 - Kawai ES-60
4 - Yamaha CK88
Thanks for sharing! We appreciate it. :)
I watch all the vides I knew in the first 5 seconds. The Best piano information on the internet is Merriam music Love you guys!
Thank you so much! We really appreciate that. :)
1. Yamaha P145, 2. Kawai ES120, 3. Kawai ES60, 4. Yamaha P225
Thanks for taking parting in our blind test! We appreciate it. :)
based on sound I would say 1,2 and 4 are Yamaha, while no. 3 is a Kawai. I'm doing this whitout going back and comparing again, so I'm trying a very honest and spontaneous response.
Thanks for partaking in this listening quiz! We appreciate it. :)
1: Yamaha; 2: Kawai; 3: Yamaha; 4: Kawai
Especially that no.2 sounded very Kawai to me!
Let's see if it's correct...
Thanks for tuning in and partaking in the test! :)
That was my guess.
First is a Yamaha P145.
Fourth is a Yamaha P225 / P515.
The Kawais I don’t really know. What I know about them is that they sound, … unpleasant to say the least.
Good ideas to compare them this way!
Thanks for partaking in the test. Tonal preference is certainly a very subjective matter, which can also make tests like this extra tricky.
1 - Yamaha, 2 - Kawai, 3 - Kawai and 4 - Yamaha. I liked #4 the best because of the tone quality and dynamic range.
Thank you kindly for partaking and sharing your guesses! :)
I like the sound of two and four , I I do not like one and three!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I got lost trying to score them and ended up trying to figure out which one sounded more like my Yamaha P225. Gave up. I would be happy with any of them. When I bought my P225, it was the same thing. I was comparing it against the Kawaii and Roland and finally rationalized that I would be happy with any of them but believed the Yamaha offered with the best value. They had just blundered with their P125B "upgrade" and I suspected they were making up for it by pricing the P225 at a discount. Who knows? In any case, even after one year I am starting to think about my next piano. Not because the P225 isn't a great piano for the price but because I am coming to appreciate more and more what a difference playing on a great piano makes as a motivational factor. Someone here once replied to a comment I had made about my not deserving a Steinway by making that suggestion. I deserve whatever piano that makes playing piano a joy whatever my level. I am just outgrowing the P225.
Thanks for sharing! I definitely agree with that sentiment. I don't think high-end pianos are off limits based on skill level. The piano in your budget that offers you the most joy and inspiration is the ideal piano regardless of skill level or experience. :)
I don’t know who made it, but I love the second acoustic piano, the best… Sounds like a real metal and wood thing of beauty… I’m guessing Kawai.
Thank you kindly for partaking in the test and sharing your thoughts! We appreciate it. :)
Can't give this a good watch until next week, but I just want to say that this has been a fascinating channel over the years.
Thank you kindly! We really appreciate the nice words and support. :)
My guess is 1 and 4 are Yamahas, 2 and 3 are Kawais. I didn't look while listening because I think there is a different look to the keys on each.
We appreciate you taking the test honestly! ;)
Like the sound of 3 overall the best to my ears, then 4, 1, lastly #2. Those are my choices. As far as what I think the brands are. 1 Yamaha, 2 Kawai, 3 Kawai, 4 Yamaha.
Thanks for tuning in and sharing your take! We appreciate that. :)
1&3 Kawai 2&4 Yamaha
Thanks for sharing your answers! :)
ES120, P-525, P-225, ES920
Thanks for submitting your guess! :)
At last!
…I wonder if there will ever be a piano with Kawai’s action and Nord sound.
I would watch blind tests every week provided the person playing them doesn’t sell them)
Otherwise, very interesting!
Thank you
That already exists. Nord uses Kawai's RHIII action in several models.
Piano 1 guess: YAMAHA (4.5; 5/10 acoustic, 4/10 electric)
Piano 2 guess: KAWAI (5.5; 6/10 acoustic, 5/10 electric)
Piano 3 guess: KAWAI (6.0; 6/10 acoustic; 6/10 electric)
Piano 3 guess: YAMAHA (7.0; 7/10 acoustic; 7/10 electric)
My brand perception here is weak; not confident.
I associate YAMAHA with fairly stale, flat, most generally applicable and sort of traditional-leaning sounds.
I am less familiar with KAWAI, but what I've heard tells me their sound is maybe with greater dynamic range and even brightness.
I don't think I'd want piano 1 or 2 for anything more than learning. They sound inadequate for me.
Thanks so much for sharing! It is always a fun experiment to put our ears to the test like this. :)
I leaned towards #3
Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts! :)
1 & 3 Yamaha, 2 & 4 Kawai
Thanks for sharing your guesses! We appreciate it. :)
nice test :)
Thank you! We appreciate that. :)
When it comes to acoustic pianos I prefer the Yamaha for touch, feel and playability, both Kawai and Yamaha pianos sound good. I had a Yamaha P250 keyboard that I enjoyed, I suppose it comes down to preference.
Absolutely! Musical preference is a very subjective matter. Every player will have a different impression of what the perfect piano is.
Yamaha, Kawai, Yamaha, Kawai. I prefer #2 for acoustic piano tone and #4 for e-piano tone.
Why was Roland not included?
Rolands sound is very obvious
Thanks so much for joining in on this fun listening test! We appreciate it! :)
I'm currently looking for a piano for myself as an intermediate player. I'm a fan of Kawai and wondering if CN201 is worth an upgrade from the KDP120. And if it is, what about CN301? Does it make a big difference from the CN201. Thank you for answering in advance
Hi there! The CN201 and CN301 will certainly offer a meaningful improvement in terms of touch and tone. The heavier RHIII action with let-off simulation offers a more authentic feeling action that provides greater control to the player. The CN301 will be an even bigger step up given the four-speaker system. It will provide a superior touch and sonic experience. :)
The CN201 is a huge upgrade over the KDP120 due to the RHIII action. It's simply night and day playing these two. The 301 is a speaker upgrade over the 201, one that's well worth the price difference IMO if you're mainly going to play with speakers. The top diffusers make the instrument sound present and alive in the room.
And if the 301 is in your price range, the CA401 is usually only a few hundred dollars more, offering a very different action and an improved piano sample set.
One - Kawai (8), Two - Yamaha (6), Three - Kawai (7), Four- Yamaha (5).
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We appreciate that. :)
1,3 Yamaha and 2,4 Kawai
Thanks for sharing your guesses! We appreciate that. :)
hey, this may be a little bit out of topic but i'm looking to buy my first digital piano and i cant decide between the Kawai ES60 for €479, the Yamaha P145 for €399 and the Roland FP10 for €409, which one of these piano would be the best deal?
As someone who has owned a FP30x and Yamaha p225, I replaced it with the P145 because I preferred the sound. Kawai ES60 as brighter sound that I'm not the biggest fan of, but Roland's FP-10 sounds pretty solid and has bluetooth connectivity. It's really just comes down to preference, and what sound you like :)
Hi there! Thanks for the question. It is a matter of personal taste. In my opinion, the ES60 has the best sound out of the bunch, but the FP10 has the best touch. If you prioritize sound, I would recommend the ES60. But, if you are looking for the most authentic feeling action, I would lean in the direction of the FP10.
I would say 1 & 4 are Yamahas and 2 & 3 are Kawais.
Thanks for sharing! We appreciate it! :)
Six more days for the reveal? That’s brutal Stu, but I have my guesses 😏 one of these I’m almost certain I own
Patience is a virtue as they say! ;)
Now im hyped!
But in general if I had to do a rank on the 1000$ budget I will go: KAWAI, ROLAND, CASIO, YAMAHA
Thanks so much for tuning in! Glad you enjoyed it! :)
You'd put Yamaha last?
@ yes, too bright , keys wobbly even at 2000$ range , less dynamic and tone not really changing according to dynamic. Yes Yamaha last ( I’m a pianist tried many many many digital pianos )
@@mchannel100 interesting! Good to know. hopefully I get to visit a music store this week and compare Yamaha and Kawai! I'm Pretty much choosing between the es120 and the p225, unless I see a big reason to jump up to the Kawai es520 or Yamaha p525. Any suggestions?
@ piano is very personal you have to play and feel it. Kawai es120 is good for budget. Try if you can between Roland fp30 ( or fp 30x ) and Kawai es 120 or 520… play them if you can compare them. Roland has better action in this price point. Kawai sounds better. ( in this price point ) . Try and choose and LET ME KNOW
#1 Yamaha P145?, 7/5
#2 Kawai ES120, 6/5
#3 Yamaha YDP-145 6/7
#4 Kawai ES60 5/7
Really just trying to embarrass myself with some random models, for sure nothing even close :D
Thank you for joining in on the blind listening test! We appreciate you sharing your guesses. :)
is there a digital piano that can keep my fingers strong enough to play on an accousitc grand piano??
The Roland PHA4 and PHA50 actions are quite heavy, which will ensure that your fingers/technique are strong enough for an acoustic grand.
I think #1 is Kawai, then Yamaha is #2, Kawai #3, with Yamaha #4. Yamaha tends to have more bite on its default patches with more harmonics over all, and a more forward sound in the midrange. But who knows, maybe I have it backward! :p
It is always fun to test our ears - that is for sure! :)
Hi !
You have some news about Kawai NV6 ?
Hi there, we will certainly be sharing news about any Kawai Novus updates as it comes! :)
yes the nv6!!! its a reality, but it won't be out for a few months... stay tuned. I don't think Stu went to Namm this year.
and what about the MP7se / MP11se successor ?
They heve been out in the market for quite some years now, wondering when the next wave of stage pianos will be presented
In my opinion, in very budget level, Yamaha (with Roland) is thriving, in terms of samples. Those older and lowest Kawais sound engines, are unfortunately hearable, in negative way. The problem I always found with kawai is that you have to pay a solid amount of money, to experience true quality and possibility of this manufacturer. Yamaha and Roland are more entry level friendly, offering outstanding product quality in low price category
Hi there, Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. At the end of the day, it will always come down to a matter of personal preferences. With that said, I would strongly recommend checking out models like the Kawai KDP75/KDP120 or ES60/ES120. They have extremely impressive samples for the money and, consequently, are becoming some of the top-sellers in their respective categories.
@@MerriamPianos If we only can create digital piano, with kawai action, yamaha build quality, casio air modeling (especially GP series) and roland prices - I would be the first to buy
@@MattJ-n8n I prefer Yamaha actions too. Especially the NWX and GrandTouch-S variants, it was my no#1 reason for not choosing the ES-920.
1. Yamaha (favorite acoustic), 2. Kawai, 3. Yamaha, 4. Kawai (favorite EP)
Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
Can you please compare Yamaha YDP 165 with RP 701.
I cannot find any relevant video on this and also comparison between the RP series, Is it worth purchasing 701 instead of 107? Considering I am a beginner at piano and have keyboard playing experience.
Looking for your guidance on this
Hi there! Thanks for the suggestion! I'll be happy to pass along the suggestion to our production team. In terms of the RP107 versus the RP701, the main differences are the speaker system, aesthetic, and number of onboard sounds/features. If you are only using the piano for piano practice, you might not need to jump up to the RP107 unless you enjoy the upgraded speaker system.
@@MerriamPianos So sound and key action wise , they are exactly same ?
Prediction: you are going to tell the difference with little trouble...
Tune in to find out. ;)
Kawai first, Yamaha rest (last one definitely). 🤔
Well, 2nd may be Kawai. Plus Yamaha does EP so well.
Thanks for partaking in the blind listening test! We appreciate it. :)
This video was made to flex Stu's ability to make blind piano play 😂😂😂
Hahaha while not necessarily intended, I agree that it does. ;)
Haven't watched yet. I'm with Stu's thinking on this, because IMO they are like chalk and cheese. Let's sse if Stu and I and many others have to eat our words!
It is always an interesting experiment to test our ears like this!
The last one wasn't covered quite well, so you can see the black felt Strip which means it's a Kawai...
A little bit of detective work can certainly help with this test. ;)
Yamaha CK88 also has black felt ;)
@@sergiosoares4638 I guess you're right (-: but by the shape of the corners, it's not the one. Signed, Sherlock Holmes 😉
@@idoronen211 We're both detectives then, I've searched for the corners and the sides of the keybed, the CK88 has a tiny extra bit of plastic flat body on both sides next to the end of the keys, so I stick with the CK88 🕵♂😉 Also, I'm a Kawai MP7 owner, and I can tell that the tone of the piano nr 4 is clearly not of a Shigeru 🙃
My guess is...1.Yamaha, 2.Kawai 3.Roland/Kawai, 4.Yamaha
Thanks for watching and sharing your guesses!
1,4 y amaha 2,4 kawai
Thanks so much for sharing your guesses! :)
I like more the sound of Yamaha over Kawai with the fat samples and all, but over all, I chose Roland, it's good I bought it before the tariffs, jajaja, greetings from Nogales México
Kawai, Yamaha, and Roland all make very solid instruments! The decision really comes down to a matter of personal preferences. Congrats on your new Roland piano! :)
Thank you @@MerriamPianos
Kawai .Yamaha siempre tacto duro. Demasiado . No son así los pianos . Algún día cambiarán
It is a matter of personal preference of course. Every piano manufacturer has their own philosophy of what makes the perfect musical experience.
dead give away on their acoustics, Kawai black keys on their grands our thinner than Yamaha
There are a number of strategies one could deploy to figure things out. ;)
Oh this is also a shameful flex on keyboard geography :)
I'm not sure if I know what you mean by keyboard geography, but thank you for tuning in! :)
😂
Surely you can feel the piano brand from the keys?!!!
I don't think this is a valid test, because you are too skilled.
If you hand a blindfold, play and guess the brand and model, that would be closer to your skill level.
This simply isn't credible. Unless you want to claim you cannot tell the difference between pianos from their keyboard texture?!
In short, you are too skilled for such a blindfold test to be credible.
Even I can tell the difference between leading brands from the keys, and I have only been playing for ten months now, daily.
It is true that the difference in key touch will help guide the decision making. But the test really tackles the overall musical experience these various models offer.
After listening to the first one, it sounds terrible to me. too thin. too bright. no life at all and not realistic. Probably Yamaha (who should probably stick to making acoustic pianos...)
Piano is passable, might give it a 4 out of 10 (no comparison with a decent multisampled VST, or even a Nord Piano/Grand) and I'm being kind.
EP on first one feels like a 20 year old + EP sound you'd find on a basic stage piano. 1.5 out of 10
Second piano is slightly better already soundwise but still thin and too bright (3/10). Same for the EP (3.5 out of 10)
3rd piano is the most realistic so far (more tones indeed, but less of a range). the mids still sound really thinned out (4/10). EP 4.5/10
4th one I'd give similar score to the 3rd but we're splitting hair (4.5 piano - or 6 for Rhodes)
EPs really need tweakability though, so for a stage piano that's why you want something like a Nord or similar
I was brought onto this page after listening to a superb demo for the new VSL Concert D-274 Essentials plugin. Night and day really I'm afraid
Thank you kindly for partaking in the blind listening test and sharing your thoughts/insights! We really appreciate that. And glad to hear that you have stumbled upon our other videos. :)