Kawai ES-X

This is a follow-up review on the Kawai ES-X review posted by anonymous on 7/08/2001. My review comments basically stand as written, after 3 months of using this instrument on a daily basis, and several public performances.

The keyboard has few bells and whistles, and I have been playing the basic piano sounds 99% of the time. One feature I would like to have is separate volume controls for the speakers and the line level outputs. If I don't get it adjusted correctly with the hall empty, I can't tweak my on-board speakers during the performance without affecting the hall's volume.

I also bought the Kawai case made for this keyboard. Its a simple thing, with a handle, and skateboard roller wheels at one end. One certainly needs some sort of case to move the keyboard, and the Kawai case is the least expensive ($100) solution I found.

The sounds are terrific when heard over a big JBL sound system. I was really impressed when I got to stnad out front, with my friend playing the keyboard. I did have some trouble getting it back though.

I have had no problems at all.

Still no dealings.

I would buy it again without looking at the Kurzweil. I have come to this conclusion after carrying the Kawai to gigs and practices. Forty pounds gets heavy! The Kurzweil weighs 52 pounds, and that must be onerous to carry. I really wish they would make a 76 key weighted action version. It would be lighter and smaller, and 76 keys is enough for almost any kind of music.

I did not buy this keyboard. I did play it for about an hour in a store, which, given the simplicity of the thing, is more than enough time to put it through its paces. I own a Kawaii MP9000, though I was trying not to compare it to that but rather to the competition for the ES-X, other lightweight digital pianos such as the Roland FP-3 and the Yamaha P-80.

But apparently some people are going to compare the ES-X to the MP9000. A friend of mine was shopping for a digital piano and the salesman showed him the ES-X and claimed it had the same action as the MP9000 except with plastic instead of wooden keys. Well, first of all, that statement in itself is absurd. Secondly, anyone who has played both keyboards would know there is no comparison, the MP9000 has real hammers and feels more like a real acoustic piano than anything else out there for under $4,000. The action on the ES-X is not bad, but not nearly as good as the MP9000. This salesperson just wanted to move floor stock rather than order a new keyboard.

The ES-X is very easy to use. And at 40 lbs its very easy to move.

I think polyphony is 32, which is really not what you want for most piano applications where a sustain pedal comes into play. The sounds are supposedly "based on" the same technology as the MP9000. I like the MP9000 sounds. I would have to play them side by side through the same headphones or amp system to compare. Even without doing that, I noticed the electric piano on the ES-X does not sound of the same quality.

The action is quite nice. Not as heavy and substantial as the Yamaha P-80 or the Roland FP-3, both of which make you feel like you're playing a much heavier keyboard. And again, nothing like the MP9000.

The built in speakers don'e produce much volume and what there is lacks bass in a big way. They might be adequate for some purposes, though I don't know what those would be exactly.

There is a scratch pad sequencer which does about what you'd expect.

Unfortunately I had to listen to this through its built in speakers and through some poor quality headphones so I don't feel I gave it a very fair hearing. The piano sounds seemed good to me. I wasn't thrilled with any of the other sounds. I would use the onboard piano sounds but if I needed to go beyond that for any professional purpose, I would use a module.

Well, its got nice action for a light, portable keyboard, and the piano sounds are nice enough. The action might seem too light for people used to playing a real piano. If so, check out the P-80 and the FP-3. The P-80 costs substantially less, the FP-3 a bit more. They're in the same ballpark pricewise so the important thing is to find action and sounds you'll be happy with for a few years at least. I personally don't feel the built-in speakers are a great selling point. I just don't think they're any much good for anything except if you absolutely have no other way to produce sound. The ES-X seems a bit overpriced compared to the rest of the lightweight digi piano market.

The MP9000 is currently selling for about $1600, and you get quite a bit more keyboard for the money. If portability and a difference of a few hundred dollars wasn't a primary concern, it would just make sense to go for the MP9000. But its 73 lbs vs 40 lbs (cases excluded).

I'll be honest in that I did not actually buy this instrument. It was one of the items I tried out in the store before determining that I wanted Kawai's considerably nicer MP9000 stage piano. Despite the salesperson's insistance that this was *just like* the MP9000 sound-wise, I found the highs and lows of this instrument to be a bit sour to my taste in comparison. It was also obvious to my ears that the main acoustic piano presets weren't as full nor as high quality as its larger cousin, the MP9000.

It might be nice for people who simply want a nice little home piano to bang around on, but as a serious instrument with a serious sound, I would highly recommend the Kawai MP9000 if you can afford the difference. The polyphony appears to be half of the MP9000 (at a measly 32 notes versus the MP9000's 64), which might cause a problem for some people, particularly "training pianists". I think those individuals would also find the piano action to be inferior to the MP9000, which I might add is a selling point of this instrument for many people.

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Kawai's technical support is exceptional in my experience. I have dealt with them a number of times regarding my K5000's, and even had one unit fixed. I highly recommend them.

Once more, I'd like to emphasize that you should buy Kawai's MP9000 if you can afford the difference. The MP9000 has a better keyboard action, sounds a lot better and is considerably more flexible [particularly for a stage piano].

The Kawai ES-X is a digital stage piano; it accepts no programming and has few "bells" or "whistles". You basically turn it on and play piano. The preset sounds are good, about 8/10 on them. If you want more than a few sounds, use it as a controller to another synthesiser. The manual is 21 pages short, reflecting the simple style of this keyboard.

It has 32 note polyphony. Keyboard action is very realistic compared to a spinnet piano. For a heavier action, try the Yamaha P-80. For a lighter action try the Korg SP-100. For a similar action try the Kurzweil SP-88X. Sound effects are reverb and chorus (room, stage and hall) and equalizers 1 and 2. There is a midi-in and midi-out jack, as well as headphones-x2, line in(stereo) line out (L/Mono, R) and a PC interface good with Macs and IBM PCs. The on board sequencer is 3-song, 2-part, 1,800 notes. Its easy to use, and doesn't do much. This is not meant to be a sequencer/keyboard. There is a 14 watt speaker system built-in, which is good for practice or stage monitoring. It sounds tinny though, so you'll need a keyboard amp to appreciate the sounds.

The major fetures for me were keyboard action and light weight. This keyboard weighs in at 40 pounds, a remarkably light weight for an 88-key weighted-action keyboard. The action is very realistic. Its dimensions are 53x13x5 inches.

The piano is very realistic. There are three types. There is also organ, harpsichord, vibraphone, strings. As usual, strings are pretty lame. The keyboard has a "constant" setting that removes the piano touch sensitivity, which works well for organ and harpsichord.

It works well for piano music. Any kind at all. Thats why I bought it. It reacts like a piano, sounds like a piano, has a piano sustain pedal, with an optional pedal that the manual doesn't explain. Velocity and aftertouch is piano-like in every way. Onboard effects are good, but limited. Its not a synthesiser, but would be a great controller for one.

This is a new product, so reliabilty data is non-existent. It all worked out of the box. I plan to take it on gigs (40 pounds light) without backup, so wish me luck.

No dealings.

If it were lost or stolen I would get another one. I've been playing 5 years on an acoustic piano. I hated my Yamaha PSR-85 keyboard because the key action is straight from Toys-R-Us. Now I can connect the midi-out from the ES-X to the PSR-85 and its a great combination. I love the piano action. I hate the strange key combinations needed for some of the effects, especially "function" mode, which controls tuning, midi channel select, local on/off, multi-timbral mode, and midi program changes.

I compared it to the Yamaha P-80, Korg SP-100, Roland RD-150, and Kurzweil SP-88X. Be sure you compare before you buy. I chose this one because it had the right action for the lightest weight. My favorite keyboard was the Kurzweil, but at 52 pounds and no on-board speakers, it was too heavy. The Korg had the best piano sound, but the action was mushy. The Kawai ES-X is a good product entry in lightweight stage pianos, and it helps me to make music when I can't use an acoustic piano. It would be great as a controller to a big fancy synthesiser. Some day when I'm rich...