If you’d like some insight and clarity with regard to the Kawai keyboard actions available in their home and hybrid digital pianos, you’ve come to the right place. This is the second entry in a 2-part series covering Kawai digital piano actions.
To read the first entry where we looked at all of Kawai’s actions currently in use in portable digital pianos and covered a lot of general information related to digital piano actions, click here:
As we stated in the first article, Kawai has a wide lineup of different action designs available in different models at different price points and is universally regarded as one of the industry leaders in this department.
In fact, the actions in their NOVUS hybrid series models make a pretty strong case for being the best actions available in any digital piano since these actions are fully acoustic piano actions with very slight modifications.
If acquiring a home digital piano is on your to-do list and you’re considering a Kawai, this article might just help in narrowing down your choice. Be sure to check out our individual digital piano reviews for any models mentioned throughout this article that pique your interest.
Kawai Digital Piano Actions – Background
We were initially very excited to get into this 2-part series because we get more questions about Kawai Digital piano actions than any other manufacturer, and this is probably because Kawai’s lineup features more action models than any other manufacturer.
Casio and Roland are currently running 4 action designs through their 88-key models, while Yamaha is technically running 6. Kawai on the other hand has no less than 9, so they’re clearly the outlier.
Having 9 distinct action models, all of which featured graded hammers, naturally leads people to wonder what the exact differences are between all of these actions. So, we wanted to help add some clarity, depth and detail for anyone looking to get their Kawai hammer action-related questions answered.
Out of Kawai’s current 9 model lineup of digital piano actions, 7 are currently available in their Home Digital line. This includes everything from the entry-level KDP75 all the way up to the flagship Novus NV10S.
We’ll start from the bottom and work our way up price point wise, generally speaking.
Responsive Hammer Compact (RHC)
The first action on our list is Kawai’s Responsive Hammer Compact, or RHC for short. This is a shortened version of their original Responsive Hammer action which you could find in the early versions of their CN series models.
The RHC therefore has a shorter key stick and it was purposely made lighter so that it could fit in the ES110, which is of course a very slim portable digital piano.
Due to the success of the action, Kawai would then include it in the KDP-70 and KDP-110 home digital pianos and its current versions in the KDP-75, which is the follow-up to the KDP-70.
No-Let Off and Double Sensor Key Detection
This is a fine action for beginner students because it’s easier to access from a budget standpoint but will still allow beginners to develop good technique and good habits.
But there are a few things to note about why this action is less expensive than more advanced designs. First of all, it’s using a double sensor so from a sensitivity standpoint, this action won’t be able to produce as expressive a piano sound from a dynamic perspective as actions with a triple sensor.
It’s also void of any let-off or escapement which makes for a departure from the feel of an acoustic grand piano, and because of its shorter key stick more advanced players will notice a difference in the weight of the key depending on where the piano keys are played.
Where Does it Fit in the Marketplace?
Those three reasons listed directly above are why an experienced player may not find this action to be as satisfying as a beginner or intermediate player likely will.
That said, the KDP-75 is the only home digital piano in Kawai’s lineup to feature this action, and given the price a 75 can be had for and what else is available in the class, the RHC actually performs quite well.
Responsive Hammer Compact II (RHCII)
When we move up to the Kawai KDP120 we get a slightly tweaked version of the RHC, simply referred to as the Responsive Hammer Compact II or RHC II action.
The geometry, key length and key tops all remain the same, so what separates the RHC II from the RHC?
Triple Sensor Key Detection
The critical difference between these two actions is that the double sensor on the RHC has been upgraded to a triple sensor with the RHC II. Why is this important? For people tackling more advanced repertoire, the triple sensor will add more accuracy to the MIDI output and overall sense of expressiveness.
For people looking for more accurate output but not in need of a deeper key bed for truly nuanced classical playing, the RHC II will work really well.
Where Does it Fit in the Marketplace?
The KDP-120 is currently the only home digital piano model to feature the RHC II, so in terms of the market as a whole, we would argue that it’s a top 3 action available for the price, though Roland’s PHA4 found throughout the Roland FP series takes the top spot.
Responsive Hammer III Action (RHIII)
Moving on and now we’re into the Responsive Hammer III, or RHIII for short. This has been a widely acclaimed digital piano action available for several years now and is widely heralded as the top plastic key action currently available.
The RHIII can currently be found in the CN201 and CN301, two new models that just replaced the CN29 and CN39. It’s also the action featured in the DG30, which is Kawai’s Compact Digital Grand Piano, and it’s a staple of their portable lineup featured in the Kawai ES920 and MP7SE.
Triple Sensor, Let-Off, Textured Keys
The RHIII improves on a number of things from the RHCII, and these improvements have a very tangible impact on the playing experience.
It has the triple sensor as the RHCII does, but the key surface is now more advanced and closer to an acoustic piano, and the key stick is longer, so you’re now getting a much more even feel from the front to the back of the keys.
It also adds escapement or let-off simulation which gives the player a better sense of control when playing in lower dynamic ranges (pianissimo). The key bed on the RH3 is more reinforced as well, so you’re able to lay into that action with more physical force without feeling any give at all which also makes this action feel more like an acoustic piano’s.
Where Does it Fit in the Marketplace?
The RHIII really is the first true all-around professional quality action in Kawai’s home digital line. It’s so well regarded that a special edition version of the Nord can be ordered that comes equipped with the RHIII piano keyboard action as opposed to Nord’s more basic, standard action.
Grand Feel Compact (GFC)
A big jump occurs once we move to our next action, the Grand Feel Compact or GFC for short, as we’re now into a wooden-key action. Wood improves the overall durability and even further makes the action feel more like an acoustic piano action.
The GFC can be found in the CA49 and CA59, and it’s quite similar to the Grand Feel action found in the Kawai MP11SE stage piano, although the GFC does feature a slightly shorter key stick and shorter pivot length.
Bass Region Counterweights, Triple Sensor, Let-Off, Textured Keys
The pivot length in fact is approximately the same as the RHIII, and while it does add bass register counterweights, the big difference between these two really is the swapping of plastic for wood.
Other key specs like the triple sensor, let-off and the same ivory touch key surfaces and the black and white keys are carried over.
Some people online actually report preferring the responsiveness of the RHIII, and Kawai is charging a premium to get the wooden keys, so there are those who feel a CN201 is a better buy than a CA49 for example. That said, the durability advantage of wood is undoubted.
Where Does it Fit in the Marketplace?
The GFC is Kawai’s entry point for someone seeking a wooden action in a home digital piano and ultimately delivers a fairly similar experience to Roland’s equivalent PHA50 action.
Grand Feel III
The Grand Feel III action is Kawai’s most advanced digital action before jumping to the NOVUS series pianos and their full acoustic piano actions.
The GFIII is currently only featured at the top of the CA series lineup in the CA701 and 901, and like the GFC, uses 100% wood keys.
Extended Length Keysticks
Where the GFIII differs however is with regard to the length of the keys and the pivot length. The key stick is lengthened to the point that the pivot length is the same as a mid-sized grand piano, offering a deep sense of control.
Some of Kawai’s marketing literature states that the GFIII feels like a concert grand piano action, and while this is a bit of an exaggeration, there’s no denying that this action definitely does feel like a grand piano.
The GFIII was also re-engineered from the GFII and is now even more durable, plus it adds a full complement of 88 counterweights for a very authentic playing experience.
Where Does it Fit in the Marketplace?
The GFIII is a highly regarded action that is considered to be among the top 3 available in the class, with the other 2 being the Roland Hybrid Grand and Casio’s Natural Grand Hammer Action, all three of which are high-quality wood-based actions.
Novus NV5S and NV10S Actions
Now we get to the very top of the heap, which is our Novus 5S and Novus 10S actions. These actions are literally the same acoustic piano actions used in Kawai’s K series uprights and GL series grands with the only difference being instead of a felt hammerhead the hammer shanks have an ABS equivalent on the end.
High Precision Optical Sensors
Instead of a hammer striking a string on an acoustic piano, the ABS hammer passes through a high-precision optical sensor which is able to measure the exact pressure at which the hammer has crossed the sensor.
Paired with Kawai’s advanced Rendering and Harmonic Imaging sound engines and the result is a stunningly sensitive and accurate piano touch.
Where Does it Fit in the Marketplace?
These actions and the instruments that featured them are so good that our company president and chief piano reviewer Stu Harrison even bought an NV5 for his home.
In fact, we would contend that these are the two most advanced action assemblies available in a digital piano. Yamaha’s Avant-Grand instruments are built with the same principle in mind, however, Yamaha isn’t using a literal acoustic piano action in the Avant-Grands. Kawai is in truly unique territory here.
Closing Thoughts
Thanks for joining us for this rundown of the 7 piano actions currently in use throughout Kawai’s entire home digital piano lineup.
As you can see, the differences between the KDP75’s RHC action to the CA701/901 GFIII actions are massive, let alone the NOVUS actions.
We hope this has been helpful, thanks for reading!
