Kawai CA99 Review

We rated the Kawai CA99 a 10/10. This full-sized hybrid digital piano has an extremely intuitive interface and real wood keys. The harmonic imagining technology that went into the making of the sounds in the CA99 sound bank is wonderful. And, with the new technology that is integrated into this keyboard, you can play, record, and overdub anything you like. We couldn’t help but give this stunner of an instrument a full 10/10!

Kawai CA99 Overview

The Kawai CA99 is part of the Kawai Artists Series. It was designed to replace the Kawai CA98, another hybrid digital piano. The CA99 is the current flagship model in the Kawai Concert Artist Series. 

This video gives us a taste of what the CA99 is like in this piano overview.

The Concert Artist series is touted as “The most authentic playing experience”. It is said that the CA pianos capture both the feel and sound of playing an acoustic grand. Is it really as good as they say? Let’s find out!

In this Kawai CA99 review, we will check out this instrument’s one-of-a-kind speaker system, stellar keyfeel, educational tools, and more. 

Kawai CA99 Features

Ebony and Ivory Touch 

Ebony and ivory touch simulates the feel of a grand piano by replicating the texture of the keys. The key surface on this instrument has more grabs than regular plastic keys. Ebony and Ivory touch help prevent slipping, and make the instrument feel more expensive as a whole. 

Graded Counterweights and Triple Sensors

Graded counterweights are added to the Kawai CA99’s keys in order to balance the weight of the key. Essentially, the hammers are more even with the added counterweights. I haven’t read much about digital pianos having counterweights- I’d attribute this addition to the hybrid side of things. Kawai is looking to blend acoustic and digital features in the CA99, and this is a great start. Pianos that have counterweights respond better in soft dynamics and fast passages. 

Many keyboards only have two sensors in the keybed, but this one has three. Triple sensors improve the articulation in repeated notes and give you a more responsive instrument as a whole. You are more likely to find triple sensors on a keyboard than you are graded counterweights. I am blown away that the Kawai CA99 has both- Go Kawai! 

Wooden Keys

The keys on the Kawai CA99 are made of real wood. This is such a rarity in digital pianos!  According to Kawai “Each wooden key pivots smoothly on a balance pin – the ends rising and falling to replicate the familiar ‘seesaw’ motion of an acoustic”. As if this instrument wasn’t dreamy enough as it is…Let’s get into the technical side of things with harmonic imaging, digital modeling, and more. 

Harmonic Imaging XL Multi-Channel Sampling

According to Kawai, “Simply put, Harmonic Imaging is a blend of technology and techniques aimed at producing the most realistic recreation of our 9-foot concert grand piano possible.”

Multi-channel sampling is a sampling technique where several channels are recorded into a device at the same time. Like harmonic imaging, it improves the quality of the instrument’s sound as a whole.

Resonance Modeling, Damper, and String Resonance 

Kawai went heavy in the sound quality department with their stellar technology! Overall, this instrument sounds authentic, warm, full, and high quality. Here are a few more reasons why: 

Resonance modeling imitates the way tones interact with one another inside an acoustic piano, giving it a fuller, richer sound. Damper and string resonance adds to this fullness by digitally recreating a grand piano. 

SK-EX Rendering

SK-EX rendering is a Kawai-developed sound engine that is made up of piano tones. When the performer selects SK-EX, you can choose from a variety of piano sounds samples/ timbres, such as: 

• Boogie Woogie
• Jazz
• Romantic

The SK-EX engine has 10 pianos in total. While that doesn’t sound like very many, it’s all in the quality rather than the quantity. Let us take a listen: 

The sound quality of the Kawai Concert Artists series has been described as full, and warm. The SK-EX Rending makes the newer Concert Artist pianos a notch above the rest. 

Intuitive Interface

The Kawai CA99 has a very impressive touchscreen interface. It has three different home screens on the LCD touch panel. It looks modern and sleek and is easy to navigate. This updated feature is one of the big selling points of this model. 

6 Reverbs, Preset FX 

The Kawai CA99 has 6 reverbs, 10 presets, and 24 other total effects. 

Soft Close Fallboard

A soft close fallboard is another feature we only typically see in an acoustic piano. The fallboard (or, case) has been designed so that when you close it, the movement is slowed. This prevents damage to the instrument, as well as pinched fingers! I can tell that a lot of thought has gone into the creation of this instrument. 

Play, Record, and Overdub in MP3 or WAV

Being able to record and overdub in multiple sound formats makes it so you don’t have to spend your precious time converting files in Audacity. You can do it all from the piano!

Concert Magic

There are 40 included songs in the Concert Magic section of the instrument. According to Kawai, Concert Magic is an intelligent, interactive system that makes playing songs incredibly simple and fun.

This feature helps non-musicians have some fun at the keyboard. Concert Magic corrects the notes for you, but lets you decide the tone/ mood of the song and the rhythm. While this definitely isn’t my favorite tool (I’m a strong believer in proper lessons and practice!) It is a feature that is kind of neat, that many people will enjoy. 

Great Speakers / Onkyo Collaboration

The Kawai CA99 has both tweeters and speakers! The Kawai CA99 was made in collaboration with the company Onkyo. This made all the difference in the quality of this piano. 

Onkyo is a Japanese electronics company that is known for its stellar speakers. The Kawai CA99 has Onkyo’s DIRDC circuits, transducer components, and speakers. While other Kawai CA models have Onkyo speakers as well, the updated CA98 and CA99 models have the Twindrive soundboard. This soundboard is made of real wood, which makes it sound absolutely dreamy. In addition to all of this, Onkyo also contributed their technology to improve the quality of the headphones as well. With their spatial headphone sound and new headphone amplifier, listening with headphones will be just as enjoyable as playing out loud.

12 Lesson Song Books 

The 12 lesson song books included in the CA99 help you get started on the piano. Kawai has included books such as Alfred’s Lesson Songs, and Alfred’s Premier Piano (1A), which are very standard books you would see in (beginning) classical piano lessons. If you are an intermediate player, there is something for you inside the 99 as well. This model also has lesson songs, such as Bach Inventions and Chopin etudes and waltzes. There is a little something for everyone. 

176 Included Songs

From quirky songs titled “The Mythical Unicorn” to Nocturne No. 2, there are songs that fit just about every age range. You can see the full list of included songs here.

Drum Rhythms 

While this model doesn’t have drum kits, it does have drum rhythms that can serve as an accompaniment as you play. 

Virtual Technician 

Virtual technician is a tool that helps teach you how to use the parameters of the instrument as you go. 

3 Pedals

The 99 includes all three pedals on the pedal board. In addition to this, the damper pedal on this instrument supports half-pedaling. 

Piano Remote

Piano remote is compatible with both IOS and Android devices. 

Other Features

• MIDI compatible 
• Split mode
• It has a sliding key cover
• It comes in 3 colors: Ebony polish, Rosewood, Satin Black, and Satin White 
• Internal and USB Recorder 
• Dual and 4 Hands Modes

Specifications

• Weight: 183.3 pounds / 86 kg
• Dimensions: 
• Width: 144.5 cm
• Depth:47 cm 
• Height:101 cm 
• Keyboard Type: Hybrid digital piano with upright cabinet design
• LCD Screen: 5 inches
• Speaker Dimensions: 8 cm x 4, 2 cm x 2
• Number of Drum Rhythms: 100

Who Is It Suitable For?

This piano is suitable for a wide range of players. Given the large scope of learning tools available (as well as the extremely high sound quality), this piano could easily suit the needs of beginners professionals, and both children and adults. 

The only demographic I wouldn’t recommend this instrument for is those who are looking to perform experimental music or those who want to take this on the go. The Kawai CA99 is a beautifully designed, traditional cabinet piano. 

The Kawai CA 99 In Action 

Take a listen to this All Playing video by Kraft music, and decide about the CA 99 for yourself!

Kawai CA 99 Reviews

The user reviews I found all clock in at 5/5 stars. 

Kawai CA 99 Pros and Cons

Pros

• The keys are made of real wood
• The action is beautiful
• It has all 3 pedals on the pedalboard
• The sound technology and speakers are stellar
• The soundboard is made of wood, making it warmer and more resonant
• It suits a wide range of players
• The virtual technician helps you learn how to adjust the instrument
• The included learning tools include standard piano repertoire
• The instrument has tools to improve your performances, such as drum tools and Concert Magic 
• You get a ton of features and bang for your buck 

Cons

• The Kawai CA99 price is quite steep
• There are only 19 total voices
• The internal recorder only has 2 tracks

Most beginners, and many intermediates, can’t afford the steep price of this instrument. 

Many $5-6k pianos have hundreds of voices, but this one only has 19. Are you really getting what you pay for here?! The harmonic imaging is impressive. I’m seeing a lot of quality, but not much quantity. This has got to be the biggest con of the instrument. It makes it not as ideal for composers and experimental musicians. The genre is pretty clear on the Kawai CA99: This is an instrument built for classical players. It has a 10-song, 2-track recorder. 

Once again, this piano isn’t super ideal for composers, given that the internal recorder only has two tracks. This feature was almost really good, but it leaves me wanting more. Overall, I have a surprisingly small amount of cons. Despite my handful of gripes, I would still rate this instrument 5/5 stars. 

Quick View 

Comparable Instruments 

• Kawai CA-79
• Kawai CA-98
• Mp11se
• Yamaha CLP 785
• Nv5
• Yamaha CLP 685

The Kawai CA-79, and the Yamaha CLP-785 are the two pianos we see compared to the Kawai CA99 most often. 

This video does a great job comparing and contrasting the Kawai ca79 vs ca99. Essentially, the Kawai CA-79 is an older model in the Kawai Concert Artists Series. 

The Yamaha Clavinova CLP-785 is an instrument that is comparable in price, and in features ($6,199.99). It is a digital upright that comes with a bench and has a gorgeous action (Grandtouch). The acoustic imaging rivals that of the CA99…So be sure to try it out, too! 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Kawai CA99 is a gorgeous instrument that has had a lot of time and care put into its creation. Sampling and acoustic imaging are some of the most up-to-date technology you will find on the market. If you are looking for a hybrid piano to give you the best of both worlds, then I would highly recommend it. 

Music quote of the week:

 “It’s like a whole orchestra, the piano for me.” -Dave Brubeck

10Expert Score

We rated the Kawai CA99 a 10/10. This full-sized hybrid digital piano has an extremely intuitive interface and real wood keys. The harmonic imagining technology that went into the making of the sounds in the CA99 sound bank is wonderful. And, wiith the new technology that is integrated into this keyboard, you can play, record, and overdub anything you like. We couldn’t help but give this stunner of an instrument a full 10/10!

PROS

• The keys are made of real wood
• The action is beautiful
• It has all 3 pedals in the pedalboard
• The sound technology and speakers are stellar
• The soundboard is made of wood, making it warmer and more resonant
• It suits a wide range of players
• The virtual technician helps you learn how to adjust the instrument
• The included learning tools include standard piano repertoire
• The instrument has tools to improve your performances, such as drum tools and Concert Magic
• You get a ton of features and bang for your buck

CONS

• The Kawai CA99 price is quite steep
• There are only 19 total voices
• The internal recorder only has 2 tracks