Kawai CA-701 Review

Here at BestPianoKeyboards, we loved the textured all-wooden key action and sound rendering in the CA-701! That’s why we rated it a 9.5/10.

This piano has real felts inside, and a long key pivot for a more acoustic-like experience, and allowing better control while you’re playing. We also appreciate the improvements that have been made to the two new models, including an updated virtual artisan, a new anti-glare screen, and new sounds. The updated Bluetooth helps with latency, and the improved speaker system is quite powerful. 

We did end up taking just one-half of a point off due to reports of key drift after several years.

Kawai CA-701 Overview

Both the Kawai CA-701 and Kawai CA-901 releases were announced and released in Japan in the fall of 2022- But we’re still waiting for Western instrument producers to catch up!

The CA-701 is a beautiful piano that 2 engines in one- it’s actually like getting 2 digital pianos for the price of one. This has wooden keys that feel similar to that of a grand piano. It also has lovely rendered grand piano tones. The CA-701 was designed to replace the earlier CA-79 model, and has many splendid updates. This concert artist’s home piano is in the upper tier of this line, second only to the (aforementioned) CA-901. 

A note on the CA Series

Kawai’s Concert Artist series has been around for several decades now. Interestingly enough, this series was the first to have their harmonic imaging technology. There are currently 6 available CA pianos, ranging from $3,000 to about $7,300. While the CA-701 might not have as nice of a speaker system as its older sibling, the CA-901, it is very similar to the current flagship model.

Features

Grand Feel 3 Keyboard with Wood Keys

The Kawai CA-7-1 has the same action Grand Feel 3 action as the model it replaced (The CA79). The grand feel keyboard has triple sensor action as well as letoff and counterweights The length of the keys on this is comparable to that of an acoustics, which is lovely. 

Another interesting fact about this model is that the amount of texture on the keys is relatively light. On many popular high-end models, just the black keys are textured, but this model has both, which I really enjoyed. I also noticed that the black keys have more texture than the others, and found this helpful, as slippage is more likely to occur on the black keys.

Circling back to the keyboard itself, the triple-sensors go a long way in adding at extra realism. 2-sensor keyboards often feel flat in comparison. 

SK-EK Rendered Grand Pianos

In the SK-EK engine, there are 2 high-quality grand piano recordings, including the Competition Grand, and Concert Grand Piano recordings. These instruments were created with high-quality 88-key multi-channel piano sampling. 

Resonance Modeling

Speaking of SK-EK, the CA-701 piano also has SK-EX resonance modeling which includes the following: damper resonance, string resonance, undamped string resonance, the 88-key resonance modeling, and aliquot resonance modeling. These all go a long way in making this home piano feel like “the real thin”. 

Colors

The CA-701 is available in 4 colors including ebony, rosewood, satin white, and satin black. All of them are stunning, but the ebony wood is my personal favorite. 

Touchscreen

The new, updated touchscreen has an anti-glare feature that I really appreciated while playing. This new feature is a direct result of Kawai listened to their customers!

Spatial Headphone Sound

Kawai’s spatial headphone sound (SHS) helps to make the experience of playing plugged in more realistic. This technology helps re-add depth back into the sound. 

Lovely Adjustable Music Rest

Normally, I don’t talk much about the music that rests in digital pianos, but I was particularly impressed by the one on this model. The music rest has 6 angles in total and is collapsible. The composer’s desk angle allows you to draft ideas comfortably. 

Another basic accessory I enjoyed was the sliding key cover, which makes this piano more protected when not in use.  

Learning Tools

Lesson songs/Alfred lessons and finger exercises are also included inside the Kawai CA-701. The piano also has 49 demo songs, and 29 or 42 music songs (depending on where you buy it from and where you are located).

Like other Kawai’s, this model also provides Concert Magic. There are 176 songs in this model total. Concert Magic is interactive, meaning that you can just tap some keys and get a good sound. When this feature is included in higher-end models like this one, it makes the instrument accessible- Friendly and fun for everyone. 

I’d also like to add that the lesson songs/ lesson book songs are really quite good. From J.S. back to Czerny and Chopin to Alfred’s actual books, there’s a lot to unpack. Here are all of the items included in the lesson book songs: (Info sourced from KawaiUs)

6 Speakers, Rich Bass

The speaker output of the two new CA’s has been improved in the CA-701 since the previous models. The lower end of the range comes out from the underneath of the instrument which adds even more depth and ‘umph’.

USB and Internal Recorders

This model has a 10-song, 2-track recorder Internal recorder with a 90,000-note memory. It also has a USB recorder with playback. In the USB recorder, you can overdub, record MP3 or WAV, as well as do line-in or Bluetooth recording. The playback is available in multiple formats as well (MP3, WAV, SMF, KSO).

Virtual Piano Artisan

The improved virtual piano technician- called the virtual piano artisan has 20 different parameters users can adjust. The virtual recreation of acoustic clinks and bumps and resonances can be adjusted here (string resonance, damper noise, cabinet resonance, key-off effect, fall-back etc.!). But if that feels too overwhelming or time-consuming, you can also scroll through the 10 piano artisan presets, which are quite good on their own. 

Other Features

• It is compatible with Bluetooth MIDI and audio
• Also compatible with Pianoremote and PiaBookPlayer apps
• Includes basics like split, dual, four hands, transpose and tuning
• Low Volume Balance
• Favorite
• There are 100 different drum patterns which you can use a metronome
• Smoother touch/ playing experience
• New Rendering

This model offers significant improvements when compared to the earlier CA-79, including having a smoother feel, a newer, better sound rendering, as well as the basics like app compatibility, etc.  I always appreciate seeing these basics as well as the low-volume balance element, which greatly improves the sound when playing quietly. Overall, the piano comes at a very fair price given the high-end built, all-wood keys, updated speaker system, and learning features. 

Specifications

• Weight: 168.6 pounds
• Dimensions: 
• Width: 57”
• Depth: 19 ½”
• Height: 38 ⅕”
• Effects: Reverb (x16 types), brilliance, and 24 more

Who is it Suitable for?

The Kawai CA-701 is best suited for those looking for a mid-range digital home piano that has the feel of an acoustic. The large amount of sounds and recording options make it ideal for composers and singer-songwriters, whereas the learning features make it appeal to beginners to intermediates. The Kawai CA-701 is for everyone, but ultimately, upper intermediates to advanced players will likely appreciate it the most. 

CA-701 In Action

Check out this demo video to get a better feel for the instrument.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The updates this piano has undergone bring Kawai to a new, higher standard
• Bluetooth has been updated in this model to reduce latency/lag
• The touch/feel and materials are great for the price
• Both types of keys are textured
• All the keys are wood
• The nuance that has gone into the instrument is apparent
• The included sliding key cover helps to protect the instrument
• The touch screen has been improved and is anti-glare
• The longer pivot length allows for more expression and control 

The fact that all the keys are wood and all the keys are textured is excellent for the price. The little touches like the adjustable music rest, sliding key cover, and tweaked speaker system make it worth a lot more than its predecessor. All the small adjustments have added up to something great.

Cons

• Not all the colors cost the same
• Several customers reported having key drifting issues in forums

Everyone loves ebony wood- And Kawai knows it. The dark wood option of this model costs significantly more than the others, which is a (very small) con. 

Another more pressing issue is key drifting,I did a deep dive into some Kawai forums online and learned that both this model and the model before it tend to have what is called ‘key drift’ issues. The key drifting has to do with the inner workings and design- Meaning that, even though this is a digital piano, it will eventually need some maintenance by a Kawai expert.  

Comparable Instruments

• Kawai CA79, Kawai CA99 
• Kawai CA901

As I mentioned earlier, this instrument was designed to replace the CA79. If you don’t feel you need the latest speaker updates and little tweaks, you may find that CA79 serves you just fine. Another discontinued model from the Kawai Concert Artist Series is the CA99- So you may also be able to find a CA99 used.

On the other hand, the older sibling (CA901) is a similar instrument, but has 10 more watts of power inside the speaker system, and front-facing speakers. The learning features and sounds are pretty much the same, but the CA901 has a much more honed-in speaker system.

Since these pianos are so new, you may not be able to find them in stores.

For a lower-tier home piano by Kawai, consider the CA49 and CN301: 

And lastly, if you are looking for an hybrid digital instrument that is by a different maker, check out: Casio Celvianos, and Yamahas in the CLP line.

Quick View 

Kawai CA701: Conclusion

Thanks for sticking around for this Kawai CA-701 review! In conclusion, the CA701 model is a lovely home piano that has features meant to please a wide range of pianists. The combination of all the little updates paired with the fair price and all-wood keys makes the CA701 an excellent option for many. 

Music quote of the week:

 “My music will go on forever. Maybe it’s a fool say that, but when me know facts me can say facts. My music will go on forever.” -Bob Marley 

9.5Expert Score

Here at BestPianoKeyboards, we loved the textured all-wooden key action and sound rendering in the CA-701! That’s why we rated it a 9.5/10. This piano has real felts inside, and a long key pivot for a more acoustic-like experience, and allowing better control while you’re playing. We also appreciate the improvements that have been made to the two new models, including an updated virtual artisan, a new anti-glare screen, and new sounds. The updated Bluetooth helps with latency, and the improved speaker system is quite powerful. We did end up taking just one-half of a point off due to reports of key drift after several years.

PROS

• The updates this piano has undergone bring Kawai to a new, higher standard
• Bluetooth has been updated in this model to reduce latency/lag
• The touch/feel and materials are great for the price
• Both types of keys are textured
• All the keys are wood
• The nuance that has gone into the instrument is apparent
• The included sliding key cover helps to protect the instrument
• The touch screen has been improved and is anti-glare
• The longer pivot length allows for more expression and control

CONS

• Not all the colors cost the same
• Several customers reported having key drifting issues in forums