Kawai may be well known for their line of premium instruments, but they are not usually in the conversation about entry-level electric pianos.
This is why the KDP110 is such a noteworthy instrument—it combines Kawai quality with a price tag suited to entry-level players.
Replacing the now discontinued KDP90, this instrument comes with important upgrades and a great set of features.
The KDP110 is surely an exciting addition to Kawai’s line of great-sounding and feeling digital pianos. But does it live up to the hype?
Note: In regions, this instrument is marketed as the Kawai CN-17, which is basically the same piano as the KDP110 but available in different colors.
Kawai KDP110 Specs
- 88 fully weighted keys with matte black/white keytops
- Responsive Hammer Compact II (RHCII) action
- Touch Sensitivity (Light, Normal, Heavy, OFF)
- Sound: Harmonic Imaging, SK-EX Concert Grand Samples
- 192-note polyphony
- 15 instrument sounds (4 pianos)
- 5 built-in song books (over 200 songs and exercises)
- Modes: Dual, Four Hand
- Lesson Function (ability to practice each hand’s part of the preset songs separately)
- 1-track MIDI recorder (3 songs)
- Sound settings: damper resonance, brilliance, touch response, reverb + Virtual Technician (13 parameters)
- Metronome, Transpose, Fine-tuning
- Speakers: 20W + 20W (12cm x 2)
- Connections: MIDI In/Out, USB to Host (type B), Bluetooth 4.0, Headphone jacks (2), Pedal Unit jack
- 136 x 40.5 x 85.5 cm (53.5” x 16” x 33.6”)
- 39 kg (86 lbs)
- Release Date: January 2018
Check the availability and current price of the Kawai KDP110 in your region:
Design
The 88 key KDP110 is a home piano and not designed to be easily transported.
However, it is a great piece to have around your house—elegant and simple.
This piano that I saw was a very dark brown, reminiscent of traditional acoustic pianos. It also comes in black and in white, though these colors are only available in certain countries (not in the US).
This is not what I would call a sleek piano, but neither is it overwhelmingly bulky. It is well-constructed (weighing in at 86 pounds), and is nearly 16 inches deep.
At 53.5 inches wide and 33.6 inches tall, this piece is not the kind of thing you or your guests will be able to ignore in your home—it is surely another piece of furniture.
| View on Amazon | Keys | Width | Depth | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 88 | 53.5" | 16" | 33.6" | 86 lbs |
 | 88 | 53" | 13.6" | 36.4" | 77.1 lbs |
 | 88 | 53.5" | 13.5" | 30.6" | 76 lbs |
 | 88 | 53.4" | 16.6" | 32" | 83.7 lbs |
 | 88 | 54.8" | 11.7" | 31.5" | 75.6 lbs |
 | 88 | 54.3" | 16.2" | 32.1" | 83.3 lbs |
The KDP110 comes with what Kawai calls the Grand Feel Pedal System, which recreates the weight and position of the pedals found on the Kawai SK-EX concert grand, providing a realistic pedaling experience.
And it’s very nice to see something like this on a budget-friendly instrument such as the KDP110.
The KDP110 has the standard three piano pedals – sustain, sostenuto, and soft. The sustain pedal supports half pedaling which more experienced musicians will appreciate.
The good thing about most furniture-style digital pianos is that they come with a keyboard cover, and this piano is no exception.
The KDP110 is equipped with a sliding key cover which helps to keep the keys away from dust and dirt when the piano is not in use.
It is nice sometimes to have something simple, and in the case of this instrument, it helps the company keep the price tag lower.
I have always appreciated gear that just works at the push of one or two buttons.
This is the sort of design you will find with the KDP110, although it does sometimes mean that you have to memorize button sequences to get where you’re going.
In this case, it isn’t terribly arduous since there aren’t so many sounds to choose from to begin with (compared to some higher-priced models that really do need touchscreens to be easily navigated).
But, it’s still would be very helpful to at least have the names of the sounds and functions printed above the keys so that you don’t have to refer to the manual each time you want to change a sound or a setting.
As with many pianos in this price range, there isn’t a screen to be found on the KDP110. Even the control panel is simple—a few buttons and nothing else.
Besides, there is very little in the way of adornment on this instrument.
That may be to your liking, it may not, but it is rather standard fare for an instrument of this class (and really for digital pianos in general, which are designed visually to replicate the look of acoustic uprights).
Keyboard
The KDP110 has a full-size 88-key keyboard. The action of this keyboard is called Responsive Hammer Compact II action.
While this is an entry-level piece, Kawai has tried to make the keyboard feel nearly as good as premium pianos, and the RHCII is not an entry-level action.
For the price, it has an impressive feel overall and adds significantly to the quality of the instrument.
This action is a 3-sensor version of the ES110’s action. The fact that it is 3-sensor improves its responsiveness, particularly when you are playing passages that require a lot of speed and a light touch.
I’ve also noticed that the RHCII is less bouncy, quieter, and a little bit heavier compared to the RHC, which gives it a more substantial feel.
The keys are both weighted and graded, which makes for a natural feel that simulates an acoustic piano.
The feel of the KDP110’s keyboard is somewhere between heavy and light, though it leans more in the direction of lightness.
It’s lighter than Yamaha’s GH3 action (used in the YDP-164), and a little lighter than Roland’s PHA-4 Standard (RP-102, F-140R).
It is marginally faster and more responsive, albeit also slightly bouncier, than the above keyboard actions.
In terms of weight and feel of the keys, I’d say the RHCII is closer to Korg’s RH3 and Casio’s Tri-sensor Scaled Hammer action, though they all feel slightly different and you need to play them to see which one feels the most natural to your fingers.
You can adjust touch response of the keyboard to better suit different players and different styles.
There are the Light, Normal, and Heavy preset settings.
You can also turn the touch sensitivity off so that the instrument produces the same amount of volume no matter how hard or soft you play the keys.
The keys themselves are made of plastic, and they have a matte finish (both white and black keys). I found this finish to feel quite natural and aid in grip.
Overall this may be one of the best actions on the market for entry-level pianos. There is very little left to be desired here, particularly for a piano at this price point.
Kawai has done a great job injecting some of the quality of their well-known premium keyboard actions into an entry-level instrument.
Sound
As you would expect from Kawai, the sound quality here is top notch.
The KDP110 features Harmonic Imaging sound engine, which uses stereo samples from Kawai’s famous Shigeru SK-EX 9-foot concert grand piano captured from each key at different velocities.
The sound of the SK-EX grand is the main piano tone on the KDP110, which is also named “Concert Grand”.
This is the sound you’ll hear when you turn on the instrument and start playing. It’s a very deep, nuanced tone that is a joy to listen to.
In most cases, it would be hard to tell on a recording whether you were playing this instrument or an acoustic one. And that’s the point, after all, isn’t it?
Though Kawai have more advanced technologies in place for their higher-end instruments, this one stands up well against virtually all entry-level competitors.
Here’s a great video demonstration that shows off the beautiful tones of the KDP110:
The KDP110 is Kawai’s most affordable digital piano that offers the Shigeru SK-EX samples.
The ES110, which is the younger brother of the KDP110, uses samples recorded from the world’s acclaimed Kawai EX Grand Piano.
They both sound wonderful but, to my ears, the SK-EX has something raw and unique in its character, which makes the sound even more interesting and satisfying.
Pianos aren’t the only sounds available on the KDP110.
Sound Settings & Effects
What makes the KDP110 stand out from the competition is its Virtual Technician feature.
What it does is it allows you to change the character of the tone to better suit playing different music genres and your personal preferences.
There are two ways you can use this feature.
One is to use Virtual Technician in Smart Mode, which provides you with preset settings that virtually adjust various characteristics of the piano sound such as Touch Response, Damper Resonance, Hammer Response, Brilliance, etc. changing the character of the sound.
If you feel that you need more control over the tone and want to adjust the elements individually, you can download the Virtual Technician app (available for iPad) and change 13 different parameters using an intuitive graphical interface.
It’s the way that Kawai gets around the minimalism of its control panel—allowing you to control elements of its sound remotely from the app, which can be connected via Bluetooth.
The app will also explain what each parameter means and how it will affect the sound.
The parameters you can change are as follows:
1) Touch Curve (Light, Normal, Heavy, Off)
Responsiveness of the keyboard, or in other words, how much force you need to apply to play the loudest sound.
2) Voicing (Normal, Mellow, Dynamic, Bright)
The overall tonal character of the piano.
3) Damper Resonance (1-3, Off)
Adjusts how much damper resonance is applied to the sound. Damper resonance occurs when you depress the sustain pedal and all dampers lift off the strings allowing them to resonate sympathetically with the ones that you actually play.
4) Key-off Effect (1-3, Off)
The prominence and length of the noise occurring when you release a key and the damper falls back on the string.
5) Hammer Delay (1-10, Off)
Allows you to change the perceived delay of the hammer before it strikes the string, or in other words, a delay between when you press a key and when the sound is produced.
6) Topboard Simulation (Partially Open, Half Open, Fully Open, Closed)
Adjusts the position/angle of the lid of the grand piano, which makes the sound more open or dark.
7) Decay Time (1-10)
This parameter adjusts the rate of decay, or how long the note will sound while you keep your finger on the key.
8) Minimum Touch (1-20)
Adjusts the minimum force you need to apply in order to produce a sound.
9) Stretch Tuning (On, Off)
A tuning method used my piano technicians to tune the piano where the lower octaves are tuned a bit flatter, and the upper octaves are tuned a bit sharper.
10) Half-Pedal Adjust (1-10)
Adjusts the point where the sustain pedal becomes effective and start sustaining the notes.
11) Soft Pedal Depth (1-10)
Adjusts the level of the effect produced by the Soft Pedal (how much it softens the sound)
12) Temperament (Equal, Pure Major, Pure Minor, Pythagorean, Meantone, Werckmeister III, Kirnberger III)
Most modern acoustic pianos these days use the standard “Equal Temperament” but you can also use other tuning methods used in the past to better suit playing certain music genres.
13) Temperament Key
There are also some parameters and effects that you can adjust from the instrument (no app needed).
For example, you can adjust the brightness of the sound within the -10 +10 using the “Brilliance” setting.
To add more reverberation to the sound and make it bigger and wider you can choose from 6 different reverb settings that simulate various acoustic environment including: Room, Lounge, Small Hall, Concert Hall, Live Hall, Cathedral.
One of the new features on the KDP110 is the Spatial Headphone Sound feature.
What it does is improves the listening experience when you use headphones by adjusting the depth and spacing of the sound.
There are 4 preset settings you can choose from including the Forward, Normal, Wide, and Off.
Another useful setting is called Phone Type that allows you to optimize the sound depending on which headphone type you’re using (Open, Semi-open, Closed, Canal or Inner-ear).
Other parameters that you can adjust via the control panel include Damper Resonance and Touch Response.
Polyphony
The KDP110 is equipped with 192-note polyphony, which ensures that you’ll hear every detail and nuance of your performance.
Pretty much all digital pianos at this price point have either 128- or 192-note polyphony, which is more than enough in most situations, even when you layer several sounds on top of each other, play along with the preset songs, etc.
Speakers
The KDP110 features two 20-watt speakers, which are definitely loud enough to do the job of conveying an acoustic piano sound.
In fact, in this price range, only the Casio PX-870 with its 40W speaker system can compete with the KDP110 in this department.
So compared to other digital pianos in this price range, these two will likely to outperform them in terms of maximum volume and boldness (though you won’t probably use any of these digital pianos at the maximum volume, as they do get quite loud).
Overall the sound of this piece, particularly when you combine its sampling technology with the ability to tweak elements of the sound remotely, is quite impressive and may be the best in its class.
Features
As with most console digital pianos in this price range, you would expect there not to be a whole lot going on in terms of onboard features. And you would be right.
The KDP110 is first and foremost designed with piano players in mind.
You won’t find a wide selection of built-in tones, recording features, accompaniment styles, and other so-called bells and whistles.
But I can’t say the KDP110 is lacking anything in this department either. There are still quite a few useful features here that you can take advantage of. Let’s take a look!
Modes
As with most digital pianos these days you can use the keyboard of the instrument in different ways.
Dual Mode will allow you to layer two different tones on the KDP110 so that they sound simultaneously when you play the keys.
You can also adjust the volume balance to make one instrument louder than the other.
Four Hands Mode (aka Duet Play, Duo Mode) might be useful for people who like to play duets or in the class environment where you can play the same notes with your teacher simultaneously sitting next to each other.
What this mode does is splits the keyboard into two equal parts. Each part has the same octave range and its own middle C.
Unfortunately, the KDP110 doesn’t have a Split Mode. This means you won’t be able to assign a different sound to the left and right-hand sections to play two sounds at the same time.
Recording & Playback
There is an onboard MIDI recorder, but it isn’t multitrack, and it can only record 3 songs.
This is still useful (and enough in most situations), but in an age where an entire multitrack DAW can be held on a tablet (or even a phone), it is a little surprising (even though it is frankly common at this price range).
Lesson Function
The KDP110 also has some cool features for learners, which you won’t find in many digital pianos at this price point.
Unlike instruments of other makers that come with preset songs, the Kawai comes with built-in song books.
It isn’t a self-contained lesson-system, but it allows the user to hear a given song played on the piano while seeing it on the page.
It also allows the left and right hands to be separated and learned individually, which is something I wish I had when I was learning.
Note that the books themselves are not included with the piano, and you’ll have to purchase them separately (if you want to see the scores of the songs).
All of these books are widely used in teaching beginner and early-intermediate students, so you might want to consider buying them anyway.
The cool thing is that all the songs and exercises from those books are already built into the KDP110 so you can listen to them, practice, etc.
Take a look at another great demonstration of the Kawai KDP110 by Tony from Bonners Music:
Another educational feature built into the instrument is called Concert Magic, though I find it more fun than educational.
The Concert Magic includes 40 songs that you can play by simply pressing any keys on the keyboard with a steady rhythm and tempo.
Depending on the difficulty level, you can choose from different arrangements types: Easy Beat, Melody Play, and Skillful.
Since you don’t actually learn any songs using this feature (you can play any keys), I wouldn’t call it a very useful learning tool.
But for complete beginners, it can be an easy and entertaining way to start their musical journey by practicing their rhythmic skills and getting familiar with different music genres.
Other Features
All standard features such as Transpose, Master Tuning, and Metronome are also built into the piano.
The metronome has an adjustable tempo, time-signature, and volume.
Connectivity
Connectivity is important in 2019. No device lives all by itself: we connect them to speakers, computers, phones, tablets, and whatnot.
And when it comes to connectivity, the KDP110 doesn’t disappoint.
On the front, right below the keyboard, you’ll find two headphone jacks (one is 1/8″ and the other one is 1/4″), which you can use simultaneously when playing duets for example.
There are no dedicated Line Out jacks, so if you ever need to connect external speakers or amplifier to the KDP110, you’ll have to use one of those headphone jacks.
The rest of the connectors are located on the right center underneath the keyboard.
There you’ll find a USB type B (aka USB to Host) port, which you can use to connect to a computer or a smart device to control various MIDI compatible music apps such as GarageBand, FlowKey, Playground Sessions, etc.
The good news is instead of using the USB port you can connect to your smart devices wirelessly via Bluetooth, which means no cables and less hassle.
As of March 2019, only Roland and Kawai equip their entry-level digital pianos with Bluetooth MIDI, which I think is a very handy feature that more digital pianos should have. It’s 2019 after all!
The piano also features MIDI In and Out ports, which you can use as an alternative to the USB port (some people actually prefer MIDI ports), or to connect to other MIDI-keyboards, audio interfaces, sound modules, and other audio gear.
The overall connectivity design of this piano is, as the whole design is, simple. But it does what it needs to do, and that’s all we really need here.
Accessories
Bench
When it comes to benches, there are tons of options available out there – cheap and expensive, adjustable and non-adjustable, with and without storage for sheet music, made from genuine leather, faux leather, fabric, and so on.
Here are a few great benches I recommend:
- 1) Option 1 (non-adjustable + storage )
- 2) Option 2 (adjustable + storage)
- 3) Option 2 (adjustable + storage + 100% genuine leather)
Headphones
Headphones come in very handy when you want to practice in private, focusing solely on your playing and not disturbing others nearby.
Moreover, a good pair of headphones will provide a clearer and more detailed sound compared to the onboard speakers.
Check out this guide to learn how to choose the best-sounding headphones for your digital piano.
Summary
- Simple and Elegant Design
- Quick and Responsive 3-sensor Keyboard Action
- Fantastic Reproduction of Kawai’s SK-EX Grand Piano Sound
- Lots of Options for Tweaking the Sound (Virtual Technician)
- 192-note Polyphony
- Powerful 40W Speaker System
- 5 Built-in Song Books
- Bluetooth Connectivity
- The controls are not very intuitive
- No Multi-track Recorder
- No Split Mode
- No USB to Device Port (to play back WAV/MIDI files from a flash drive)
Overall, the KDP110 is an impressive offering by a great company. And it can be had at a great price.
I recommended it for beginners and intermediate players more than any others, but to be honest, any player can sound good in it.
No player is too far along to make use of the realistic sounds and authentic feel of this instrument.
In the end, beyond all the accouterments and flash, a digital piano is meant to sound and feel as close to an acoustic piano as possible. And this piece does that.
The KDP110 is for home use, and that is how I will recommend it. You aren’t going to want to break it down and set it up on stage.
But once you have it set up (which, by the way, requires 2 people to do without extra effort), it is a great instrument for almost any player who may be on a bit of a budget.
This is also a great instrument for learners — particularly when you include the realistic fully weighted keyboard and lesson functions.
I recommend it highly for anyone looking for an introductory digital piano or anyone looking for a piano in this price range for any reason. It is hard to go wrong here.
There are quite a few things that set the KDP110 apart from the competition including the powerful onboard speakers, fully-customizable piano sound (Virtual Technician feature), Bluetooth connectivity and built-in lesson books.
So, if you’re in the market for a home digital piano under $1500, definitely add the Kawai KDP110 to your list.
Check the availability and current price of the Kawai KDP110 in your region:
Alternatives
There are a lot of worthy competitors to the Kawai KDP110 in this price range to consider. Let’s focus on the ones that come the closest to the Kawai in terms of design, features, and price.
Kawai KDP110 vs Korg C1 Air (Full Review)
Korg and their recent C1 Air and G1 Air models have upped the game in the entry-level segment of the digital piano market.
They’re both really good instruments that feature Korg’s best hammer action (RH3) used in their pro-grade keyboards and workstations (Kronos, Grandstage, etc.) as well as 30 high-quality tones including 3 of the world’s famous grand pianos – Austrian (G1 Air only), German, and Japanese.
Another notable feature of the C1 is its powerful 50W speaker system, which you won’t find in any digital piano at this price point.
I also like the elegant design of the C1 with the front supporting legs which add to the look of the instrument.
From the standpoint of the playing experience, the C1 and the KDP110 are quite similar.
But as with many digital pianos of different makers, you’ll find that each of the instruments has their own unique character (sound-wise and feel-wise).
To me, the RH3 action of the C1 Air felt a bit heavier and more realistic than the Kawai’s action. It also seemed to have a bit longer keys (invisible part) and “higher” pivot point which made it easier to play towards the back of the keys.
With that said, the Kawai RHII action is a bit quicker and bouncier, which some people might actually like and prefer. So I do recommend playing both of these keyboards to decide which one you prefer.
You can’t really go wrong here, as both of these actions are arguably the best entry-level hammer key actions (along with Roland’s PHA-4 Standard key action).
Sound is also quite subjective and can be difficult to evaluate depending on what headphones, onboard or external speakers you’re using.
Plus, the instruments use samples of different grand pianos, which obviously makes their sound slightly different in character.
Now let’s take a closer look at some of the other unique features of these two pianos and the main differences between them.
- 15 Built-in Sounds
- 5 Music Books (over 250 songs)
- 192-note Polyphony
- 40W Speakers
- Bluetooth (MIDI)
- 1-track MIDI recorder
- Depth: 15.9″
- Weighs 86 lbs
- Damper Resonance, Key Off Simulation, Topboard Simulation, Hammer Delay, Stretch Tuning
- Virtual Technician (13 adjustable parameters)
- USB to Host port (USB type B)
- 30 Built-in Sounds
- 40 Preset Songs (classics)
- 120-note Polyphony
- 50W Speakers
- Bluetooth (Audio)
- 2-track MIDI recorder
- Depth: 13.6″
- Weighs 77.1 lbs
- Damper Resonance, Key Off Simulation
Kawai KDP110 vs Roland F-140R (Full Review)
Being a very successful model in Roland’s arsenal, the F-140R is another contender that you might want to add to your list.
Unlike the KDP110 that has a more traditional look, the F-140R is a slim modern styled piano that you’ll be able to fit in virtually any room.
The F-140R comes with Roland’s PHA-4 Standard keyboard with 3-sensor detection mechanism, ivory touch keys, and escapement action.
Overall, it’s a really good action, which I’d place between the Korg’s RH3 and Kawai’s RHII actions as far as my personal preference is concerned.
Nevertheless, they are all high-quality actions and are definitely among the best you can get under $1500.
If you prefer a lighter and quicker action, you’ll probably like the RHII action of the KDP110 the most.
The RH3 and PHA-4 Standard felt slightly heavier to my fingers, though they are still very responsive and aren’t stiff by any means.
When it comes to tone generation, the F-140R features Roland’s famous SuperNATURAL sound engine that uses samples coupled with modeling technologies, recreating the deep complex sound of a grand piano.
Roland digital pianos are known for their bright rich piano sound, which some people find a bit too bright, but you can easily adjust the tone using the Brilliance and Ambiance settings, so I don’t see a big problem here.
Apart from that, the F-140R sounds wonderful, and unlike the KDP110 and C1 Air, it reproduces Sympathetic String Resonance which makes the sound even more full and natural.
Let’s see what other differences the F-140R and KDP110 have.
- 15 Built-in Sounds
- 5 Music Books (over 250 songs)
- 192-note Polyphony
- 40W Speakers
- Depth: 15.9″
- Weighs 86 lbs
- Damper Resonance, Key Off Simulation, Topboard Simulation, Hammer Delay, Stretch Tuning
- Virtual Technician (13 adjustable parameters)
- MIDI In/Out Ports
- 316 Built-in Sounds
- 189 Preset Songs (classics)
- 128-note Polyphony
- 24W Speakers
- Depth: 13.6″
- Weighs 76 lbs
- Damper Resonance, Key Off Simulation, String Resonance
- Split Mode
- Piano Partner 2 app
- 72 Accompaniment Styles (rhythms)
- USB to Device (type A) port
- Audio In Jack
Kawai KDP110 vs Yamaha YDP-144 (Full Review)
Yamaha has just updated their YDP series by introducing the successors to the hugely popular YDP-143 and YDP-163 models.
The new YDP-144 and YDP-164 digital pianos are not a great deal of improvement compared to the previous models.
The biggest change you’ll find is that the new instruments come with piano tones sampled from Yamaha’s flagship CFX Concert Grand as opposed to the Yamaha CFIIIS used in the older models.
Other than that, they are pretty much the same pianos.
The Yamaha YDP-144 features Yamaha’s Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) action, also found in their portable P-45 and P-125 models.
It’s a decent entry-level action that Yamaha has been using in their digital pianos for well over a decade.
In my opinion, the GHS doesn’t feel as good as the actions of the Kawai, Korg, and Roland pianos mentioned above.
To me, the GHS is a bit springy and mushy, which makes it less realistic and a bit harder to control.
I also found it harder to play closer to the back of the keys (shorter pivot point) on the GHS, which can be a big deal if you’re an experienced pianist (if you’re just starting out, don’t worry about that too much).
So I feel that the YDP-164 is a better competitor to the KDP110 than the YDP-144 even though price-wise the KDP110 is closer to the YDP-144.
Here are the main differences between the Yamaha YDP-144 and the Kawai KDP110:
- 15 Built-in Sounds
- 5 Music Books (over 250 songs)
- 40W Speakers
- 1-track MIDI recorder
- Depth: 15.9″
- Weighs 86 lbs
- Damper Resonance, Key Off Simulation, Topboard Simulation, Hammer Delay, Stretch Tuning
- Bluetooth (MIDI)
- Virtual Technician (13 adjustable parameters)
- MIDI In/Out ports
- 10 Built-in Sounds
- 50 Preset Songs (classics)
- 16W Speakers
- 2-track MIDI recorder
- Depth: 16.6″
- Weighs 83.7 lbs
- Damper Resonance, Key Off Simulation, String Resonance
- USB Audio Interface (USB port can transfer both MIDI and Audio data)
Hi Lucas!
Great review as always. I have read plenty of reviews here and I finally decided to get a Roland fp30 instead of Kawai es110, despite not being completely satistified with the sound of the fp30. I like the feeling and both the lower and higher register, how ever, I can’t stand the middle octave, especially E4. I am thinking of returning it and get the kdp 110/cn-17 and there are no possibilities for me to try it anywhere, so I would really like som help. I had to buy both a stand and pedals for my fp30 and that almost made it a similar price to this kdp 110.
What do you think I should do? what digital piano sounds and feels more similar to an acoustic piano of the fp30 or kdp 110?
I would really appreciate some advice.
Cheers Simon
Hi Simon, I can’t tell you if you’ll like the tone of the KDP110 more than that of the FP-30, as only you can find that out by listening to both of these pianos. To me, they are both really good instruments in their price categories. I prefer the feel of the FP-30, while the KDP110 sounds slightly more natural to my ears. The KDP110 has a slightly lighter action compared to the FP-30, so again depending on what feel you prefer, this can be a factor.
I decided to return the fp30 and get a cn-17 instead, since I really like the deep sound instead of this bright metallic one. I guess that the key action is good nonetheless. Thanks for your help. Hopefully I can settle with the cn-17 now.
I hope you like your new CN-17 better than the Roland!
By the way, have you tried playing around with the Brilliance setting on the FP-30? It should be able to make the sound more mellow and less metallic.
I actually thought the sound of the FP-30 is deep and rich, and when I adjusted the brilliance/ambience settings it actually sounded quite nice. But yeah, as I said it’s all very personal.
Yes I tried everything. I changed the touch sensitivity to the heaviest setting even (it actually changes the volume for some reason) and I tried all the piano sounds. Could not accept the tone so I had to do this because I really wanted to adjust it to my preference. Thanks again for writing these reviews to future clueless piano beginners like me haha! keep going! 🙂
Hi Lucas! any thoughts for the KDP110 to the Korg C1? I don’t have an opportunity to try either out. I played piano, somewhat competitively through high school and gave it up once i entered college. My 5 year old is about to begin lessons and I would like to pick it back up again as well. What would you recommend for the at-home player. I don’t want to upgrade in a few years, so if there’s something else that you think I should start with “out of the gate” please let me know. I really enjoy your reviews.
Hi Amy, either one would be perfectly fine for your needs. The KDP110 has a slightly lighter keyboard compared to the Korg, it also has fewer tones. The piano sound is great on both, though I prefer Kawai’s (your mileage may vary).
Overall, these two are comparable, and I can’t say one is clearly better than the other.
If you can’t try them out in person, I’d recommend taking a listen to demos online, and also check out my “Best Home DPs Under $1500” where I talk about both of these pianos in detail.
I hope this helps.
Wow! Extremely extensive review! Just solidified my decision to go with the KDP110 even more. Thank you!
Thank you, Jordan. Happy to be of help!
Buying piano for my partner,she is a intermediate player. Which would you recommend the kawai cn17 or ydp164?
Both are solid options, I’d go with the KDP110/CN-17 as my personal preference. The Yamaha YDP-164 is a good instrument as well with a slightly heavier key action, and a different grand piano tone. The best option would be to take your partner to a music store and see what she prefers. If that’s not an option, then choosing either of these models is a safe bet, in my opinion.
Hi ! Your review is amazing, so I’ve just bought a new KDP110 , tried it and I’m greatly dissapointed !Sound is very dull, muffle and colourless like playing from beneath cotton wool or under a pillow. Nothing like Youtube recordings ! Perharps my piano is somehow damaged? Keyboard action is great ! I love it ,but now i have to figure out what is wrong with sound.
Hi Georgy, are you referring to the sound via the built-in speakers or when listening through headphones? What you described doesn’t sound normal to me, though it’s important to remember that the sound via onboard speakers will NOT sound the same as when using headphones. A good pair of headphones will always provide more detail and better quality than the built-in sound system of virtually any entry-level or mid-range digital piano out there. For that reason, many players prefer to use high-quality headphones to get the most out of their digital piano in terms of sound quality.
YouTube video demos are usually recorded directly from the audio output and almost never represent how the built-in speakers would sound like. However, they will give you a good idea of how the piano will sound via headphones, provided there was no additional editing (e.g. effects, compression) done to the audio.
Hi Lucas ! Thank You for your responce !
Yes, built-in speakers are definitely awful ! They are faced downwards toward the floor and produce very poor sound . I’ve tried headphones which gave me nearly perfect sound . But I want somebody else to hear me playing piano, so probably I have to buy additional hifi speakers. Why nobody does mention this problem in the reviews ? Why does the manufacturer put speakers on bottom of the piano? It seems to me that only Casio AP470 has two more speakers facing upwards.
While the speaker position may affect the character of the sound, it’s not the biggest factor when it comes to sound quality. So, even the speakers were facing upwards, it wouldn’t change the sound too much. Most console digital pianos have speakers pointing down, which makes them invisible, which would be hard to achieve with front-facing speakers.
What matters is the quality of the speakers themselves, their size and output power. I wouldn’t say the speakers on the KDP110 are terrible. They are comparable to other digital pianos in this price range. For home practice, they should be just fine. But, of course, if we’re comparing the speakers on the KDP110 to expensive multi-speaker systems used in the premium LX series or dedicated monitor speakers, which can be as expensive as the piano itself, the KDP110 is not going to beat them.
It looks like this video uses the sound coming from the speakers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMZLbI0GoP0
Does your KDP110 sound similar to this? If not, maybe you got a defective unit after all.
I don’t know how had they recorded sound in this video. Probably using some external microphone installed lower near the floor and setting sound brightness near to maximum.As I can see volume is also set to max in this video. Actually I’ve somehow got used to this sound but i’m still planning to buy external speakers certainly not as expensive as the piano itself . I love the mechanic of this Kawai ! Thank You !
You’re welcome Georgy, the external speakers should definitely help make the sound clearer and more detailed. Happy playing!
Hi Lucas, I just want to say first of all that I have found your reviews to be a fantastic source of information for me and I have learnt a great deal. Your knowledge on each piano is so detailed and you make very easier for somebody like me to understand some of the more technical features. I do not personally play piano myself but I have been looking to purchase a digital piano for my girlfriend for a while now. She grew up playing an acoustic at her parents and for practical reasons purchased a keyboard some time ago which is now her only source of playing. I know she would love an acoustic piano but it is just not practical for us right now. Due to a few main factors (budget/authenticity/overall quality) I have narrowed it down to a potential 6 and further to a more likely 3.
I have been looking at the AP-270 (£550), YDP-144 (£640), PX-870 (£670), AP-470 (£710), KDP110 (£710) and YDP-164 (£800). Those are the approximate cheapest prices I can find for each piano (piano only with no stool etc.) here in the UK (+/- a few £ depending on the day I check). Out of those 6, I think I am most likely to settle on one of the mid priced pianos – PX-870, AP-470 or the KDP110. For the price difference, I do not think it is worth downgrading to the YDP-144 due to the lesser GHS key action/speakers/plastic keys. I am then left with a fair increase/decrease in price at either end of the scale for either the YDP-164 or the AP-270 (outside of the 3 mid priced pianos).
First of all, based on the 3 mid price pianos (870/470/110), which would you say has the edge? The 2 Casio models appear extremely similar/identical in terms of spec but the 470 is probably more “traditional” in terms of design. For me and what I am looking for, I feel the 470 would probably be the best option here (for the sake of approx. £40 extra). I am then left with a shoot out between the Kawai KDP110 and the Casio AP-470. Either one seems to have the edge in different areas and I am really struggling to decide. From what I can see, the Casio does have the edge on some features but I am uncertain of how much emphasis to put on each feature. The Casio seems to have the better keys (ivory/ebony feel vs. plastic), 256 polyphony vs. 192, 4 speakers vs. 2, WAV recording and split mode. I am not sure either of us would notice the difference in 256 vs 192 polyphony and although I like the idea of the 2x12cm and 2x4cm speakers creating a more surrounding sound, if the Kawai speakers are better quality perhaps they would produce a better/cleaner sound? The WAV recording/split mode sound like nice features but not sure they are going to be used much. As for key material, I would imagine this can be quite important so I do think the Casio edges it here but is the plastic used on the Kawai really a poor substitute?
As for the Kawai, I do really like the idea of the Bluetooth connectivity but again is that enough of a reson to choose the Kawai over the Casio? If I went for the Casio I would be purchasing the required cable to connect to an iPad as I think connecting an iPad to either piano is a very nice feature. Out of interest though, do you know if I would be able to connect the Kawai to my Bluetooth headphones (albeit with potentially some minor latency) or does it need something with a processor/software to understand the information being sent out by the piano? Alternatively, once I connect either piano to an iPad, could I then connect my headphones to my iPad to hear the piano via Bluetooth? I know I can purchse the cables/adaptors/MIDI Bluetooth adaptors to bring the Casio back in line with the Kawai here but obviously this then all adds to the price. Finally, the only thing I am unable to truly judge is the one thing I think is probably the most important – the key action. How does the SHA II compare to the RHC II?
In an ideal world I would probably go for the YDP-164 full package with matching stool and everything but realistically this is just too far out of my price range. I may just about be able to go for the piano on its own but again this would be stretching it and I would have to feel it was really worth the extra. On the other hand, I could relatively easily go for the full package AP-270 (including matching stool) without any concern for the extra I would have to pay for any adaptors/cables but I am not sure if I would regret not spending that little bit extra for a better piano.
I am sorry if I have rambled on a bit here and I am aware as I have written this I have probably answered some of my questions. I initially felt like if forced into a decision I would go for the Kawai but after writing this I think I have changed to the AP-470. It would be nice to present my girlfriend with a complete package digital piano with matching stool but I think she would probably value a better piano initially and borrow an old piano stool with the view to upgrading at a later date. From a pianists point of view, do you think what I have written makes sense and would you agree with my conclusions? Again sorry for rambling, I hope this makes sense!
Thanks,
Wes
Hi Wesley, thanks for such a detailed explanation of your dilemma 🙂 I mostly agree with your choices, I would actually pick the same models out of the list you provided. Also, since the price difference between the PX-870 and AP-470 is relatively small, it would make sense to go for the AP-470 as it’s slightly superior to the PX-870 mostly due to its nice American grand piano tone that the PX-870 doesn’t have.
The Kawai KDP110 does have Bluetooth but it’s not designed to transfer audio data (your Bluetooth headphones won’t work). It can only transfer MIDI, which means you can use it with MIDI-based apps such as Garage Band, Flowkey, and tons of other MIDI compatible apps.
The speakers are fine on both the KDP110 and AP-470, so no big difference there. As for the key action, my personal preference would be Kawai’s RHC II due to the slightly longer pivot length and arguably more realistic feel but that stuff is subjective and your girlfriend may think otherwise.
With that said, Wesley, my best piece of advice would be to take your lady to a music store and let her try out different models to see which ones she likes better. That would be the best course of action since she already has some prior experience with pianos, so she will know better what feel/sound she prefers. Even if the store doesn’t have all of the models on your list, she will at least be able to pick the key action she likes the most since many piano models of the same brand share the same key action (if the instruments are in the same price range).
Anyway, I hope this answers most of your questions. Let me know if I missed anything.
Cheers,
Lucas
Hi Lucas, I’m trying to figure if I should go for the KDP110 or Casion PX 870 / AP 470? What are your thoughts?
If budget is not a concern, my personal pick would be the Kawai KDP110. Great action, beautiful sound, decent speakers. However, if you’re looking purely at the price/value ratio, the PX-870 is hard to beat.
Hello Lucas,
I am also thorn between KDP-110 and PX-870. I’ve read in another review that KDP-110 has individual sample for each key, while PX-870 seems to be sampled in groups. For Px-870 there is written that it has 4 velocity layers, but I can’t find the same information about KDP-110. Are you aware with how many velocity layers is sampled KDP-110?
Hi Kris,
As far as I know, the PX-870 uses individual key sampling as well. But again, I wouldn’t worry too much about the specs and would instead use my ears to determine how good the instrument sounds in real life rather than on paper.
Thank you, Lucas!
Hello, Lucas!
I’m comparing the yamaha YDP-164 with the Kawai KDP, could you tell which one has quieter key action?
I like to play using headphones, so key noise is an important detail, and I heard that Yamaha keys are “noisier” than Kawai, but I’m not so sure about it.
Thanks!
Hi Dennis, regardless of which key action a digital piano uses, there will inevitably be some amount of noise, because of the physical movement of the keys and the action. There’ no way around it. Between the two models you mentioned, I’d say the Yamaha has a quieter action but not to the point that would make it a deal-breaker, in my opinion.
Thanks, Lucas!
I’ll try the YDP in the store when I get the chance. The keys of my Yamaha P-85 are getting loose, thats why it annoys me so, but I’ll try to fix them. My main concern is that the sound of the keys could be annoying to people in other rooms (I play with headphones), or even close neighbors if I play in an apartment, but I assume it shouldnt happen with any keyboard.
Yeah, it’s unlikely that the noise would be a problem for someone in a different room.
Hi Lucas,
I found that Kawai’s product review only have 3 piano on the list. How about CN29/CN39, CA33/CA
30, MP7SE/MP11SE?
Hi Shippo,
We have plans to review some of the models you mentioned, so stay tuned!
Hi Lucas!
Thank you for this review, it was very insightful and fun to read! After reading a few reviews, this was the one that convinced me to get a Kawai KDP110. However, I came across an offer on a (older) Casio Celviano AP-650M. Now I understand that they are a strange pair to compare. I am usually inclined towards newer gadgets and products, however, the higher end of the Casio is making me doubt if it would be a better purchase than the Kawai.
I would really appreciate some advice.
Thank you again,
Rafa.
Hi Rafa,
The AP-650M is a very capable instrument for sure. More features, connectivity options, more powerful speakers, a fancier looking cabinet, however, I still prefer the feel of the Kawai action…Overall, the AP-650M is great value for money though (like most Casio instruments).
Hello, Lucas! If you could have the KDP110 or the RP501 for about the same price, which one would you pick?
Hey Odair, hmm…these two are comparable, so I don’t have a strong preference here. The KDP110 has a lighter key action and perhaps a more “neutral” piano tone, but the RP501 is also a popular choice in this price category. Plus, it comes with more options such as additional tones, rhythms, etc., so really depends on what you’re looking for in a digital piano.
If you decide to go for the RP501, it might be worth holding off on pulling the trigger, since Roland just announced some new keyboards including the RP701, which seems to be the successor to the RP501 model.
Hi Lucas, firstly can’t tell you how much i appreciate your reviews. I read quite a lot of them before purchasing my KDP110 and everything you said about it was spot it. Having had it for about six months now i can say that i am really impressed with the feel of the action and the sound of the piano. I was keen for a digital piano that was really focussed on trying to be an acoustic piano more than a digital smorgusboard of features with things like fifteen different types of Harpsichords and i think this achieves that.
I did however think i might setup something like Playground sessions for my daughter at some point to see if she could tolerate Harry Connick Jnr and stir some interest in her to pursue the piano further and noted the following points:
1. Bare in mind this piano doesn’t have a line in jack. Personally i think buying a beautiful instrument only to hear the piano sounds come from your device (laptop/iPad ect when using something like Playground sessions) is a crazy notion, I wanted to hear the piano sounds from the piano itself, not the learning app. I also wanted to be able to watch the video lessons or Youtube videos of technique ect using the same headphones i was wearing to hear the piano. Unfortunately without a line in jack that isn’t possible without purchasing an external mixer. An external mixer is cheap though (i paid $80 AUD for mine) but it does add more cables and complexity plus you need to put it somewhere (mine is irritatingly hanging around the bottom of the piano like a rabid dog trying to steal your lunch). However, having said that, you dont seem to get a line in jack until you spend considerably more so this might not be a huge concern, but still something worth noting if you dont like the idea of your otherwise visually appealing instrument looking like it dragged an underemployed financially constrained DJ in with it – it does somewhat affect its ‘look’.
2. I thought having bluetooth was a great idea, to again connect the piano to my laptop to use youtube or my daughters Android tablet for things like Playground sessions, however unless you have an apple device forget it – Kawai don’t publish a bluetooth driver for Android or windows, just Apple products – i ended up using a traditional USB cable and realising in hindsite that the bluetooth functionality wasn’t worth taking into account when i was trying to choose a piano, which at the time led me to exclude pianos like the Casio PX-870 for example.
3. The Virtual Technician app is only available for Apple users – which makes the Virtual Technician virtually useless if like me your one of the 86% of users worldwide running Android instead of iOS. The only android app available is the PiaBookPlayer app which is as useful as a very small spoon with a very big hole in it. The only decent App for Android Kawai make (PianoRemote) isn’t available until you step up to a CA model.
If i wasn’t so tight, i would of spent the extra grand and purchased the Kawai CA49, however i also recognised that it would be many years before either of us would be at a level to appreciate the difference between them, if we ever get there at all, and by then its likely there will be an even better model available with even more Harpsichords that no one cares about – so for now the KDP110 it is and despite the shortcomings above, which might be of particular interest to a learner of which this seems aimed at, in this price range, if given the choice again – i’d still buy it.
Thanks a lot for sharing your insights, Dean. Much appreciated!
Hi Lucas! Thank you very much for your superb review.
I’m an absolute beginner in music in general and I’m about to start some private lessons and buy my first digital piano. Would this be an adequate option? Should I buy a cabinet or portable piano? My idea is to use it to practise at home. The options I’m considering are the Kawai KDP110/ES110 or the Roland FP-10/Fp-30. To be honest, I’m in love with how the KDP110 looks like! 🙂
Hi there! Will you be doing reviews of the new Kawai ES520 and ES920? I would love to know how these compare to each other, and to the many others you’ve written about. Thanks!
Hi! Thanks for a really great site, it has helped me a lot in narrowing down what I want. I’m on the fence between a Yamaha ydp 165 and Kawai kdp 120. I’m only able to try the Yamaha, kawai’s nearest store is hours away. Are you planning to review these anytime soon?
KDP 110 vs KDP 120 vs YDP 145. Which one should I go for?