Product Description

Kawai has introduced a brand new and exciting model to their line of portable digital pianos with the ES60. This piano is a fantastic option for anyone looking for a reliable digital piano with a natural, responsive touch and beautiful sounding piano tones all packed into a portable and lightweight housing. It is certainly a fantastic – and affordable – option for beginner players, or even seasoned musicians looking for a digital piano that plays great, sounds great and is easy to take on the go.

The Kawai ES60 is equipped with the company’s new Responsive Hammer Lite (RHL) action, which offers players the authentic feel of a grand piano and grade-weighted keys. This action provides a natural, comfortable feel and balanced touch with its key weighting right across the entire deck. Kawai has also refined the cushioning design on this action, which further contributes to its enjoyable playability, while also reducing mechanical key noise.

As with many other Kawai digital pianos in the current product lineup, the sound engine of the Kawai ES60 is built upon the well-loved sampling of Kawai’s SK-EX concert grand piano. Kawai has also included an additional 17 voices with a range of very usable instruments incorporating grand pianos, electric pianos and organs. With 192 note polyphony and dual/split modes, a lot can be accomplished in terms of tonal options and combinations of instruments. In addition to this, there are 30 drum rhythms at your disposal for further inspiration and an adjustable on-board metronome for practice sessions.

The Kawai ES60 also includes basic connectivity features including dedicated line out jacks, a headphone jack and a USB-MIDI port for connectivity to computers and smart devices to act as a MIDI controller for a vast range of available VST instruments as well as providing access to the Kawai’s PianoRemote and PiaBookPlayer apps.

Weighing in at just 11kg (24lbs), the Kawai ES60 is a super portable and reliable choice for both at home players and gigging musicians looking for an easy to carry digital piano with great tones on board. With the optional HML-3 stand, the piano can be transformed into a more traditional digital piano setup with a stylized and robust wooden base. All of these factors contribute to the incredible value offered in the new ES60, which will certainly become a favourite in the Kawai lineup of portable digital pianos.

Kawai has utilized their new (and improved) Responsive Hammer Lite (RHL) action on the ES60. This action will be familiar to frequent players of Kawai digital pianos, offering the natural feel of their graded and touch sensitive keys in a very compact package. This new action has also been greatly enhanced with the addition of a novel cushioning design that will inspire even more dynamic and expressive playing, bringing it even closer to the feel of playing an acoustic grand piano.

In addition to being appreciated by seasoned pianists, beginner players will certainly find the action comfortable and easy to play with a smooth response on every key stroke. The ES60 is a fantastic option for those just starting their musical journey and will inspire many hours of practice.

At the heart of the ES60’s sound engine is Kawai’s world-renowned and much-loved SK-EX samples. This sample set was meticulously recorded to capture all the beauty and tonal nuances provided by this beloved grand piano model. Unlike other manufacturers, Kawai has taken this practice very seriously and carefully captured all 88 keys at a vast range of velocities with stereo imaging. The results certainly demonstrate that these efforts were not made in vain, as the sample set provides a truly authentic and convincing acoustic piano playing experience.

With all these beautifully captured samples in place, the ES60 is powered by Kawai’s reliable and advanced Harmonic Imaging sound engine. This proprietary technology utilizes the SK-EX rendering to provide a very rich and authentic core piano sound loved by pianists around the world.

With the addition of 192-note polyphony, the tonal layering possibilities are seemingly endless offering even the most advanced composers plenty of voices to work with, without the risk of note drop-off.
The on-board speaker system on the Kawai ES60 offers 20W of power, which is certainly loud enough to offer a range of playing volume from quiet individual practice to room filling sound. Paired with the Harmonic Imagining sound engine and authentic SK-EX piano sample set, the ES60 is a compact piano powerhouse at an amazing price point.

The Kawai ES60 offers a simple, yet essential package of connectivity options. A single headphone jack is provided for private practice sessions as well as stereo line out ¼” jacks for connection to PA systems and amplifiers for live performance and stage use. Although the unit does not offer any Bluetooth connectivity, users may still interact with Kawai’s PianoRemote and PiaBookPlayer apps via the USB-MIDI port. In addition to this, users can also connect with other 3rd party apps on their computer or smart device to expand the capabilities of their Kawai ES60 with an extensive range of available VST instruments and MIDI recording applications. The unit also includes a damper pedal port for use with Kawai’s F-10H or F-1SP single pedals. In fact, the F-1SP pedal is included with the Kawai ES60 in the box.

Kawai has certainly offered a ton of great and usable features packed into a compact housing with the new ES60. At this price point, you really can’t go wrong considering everything you are getting with this exciting new portable digital piano model. Here is a list of what we’ve reviewed so far:

• Responsive Hammer Lite action with grade-weighted keys for a realistic piano touch.
• Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano sampling provides rich, expressive sound.
• Includes 17 instrument sounds, Dual and Split modes, and 30 drum rhythms.
• Practical connectivity options, including 1/4” Line Out jacks, a USB-MIDI port, and a headphone jack.
• PianoRemote app allows easy customization of sound and settings.
• The piano is lightweight at just 11 kg and has a sleek, modern design.
• HML-3 stand transforms it into a full piano setup.

Overall, the Kawai ES60 is a super impressive package offering tons of features, amazing piano sounds and an action that inspiring pianists will love to sit down and play for hours on end. Offering a grade-weighted action, Kawai’s Harmonic Imaging engine (fueled by the SK-EX samples) in a lightweight package, the Kawai ES60 offers a lot of bang for your buck. Seasoned players and beginners alike will not be disappointed by the performance and sonic capabilities of this portable digital piano.

• [English] ES60 Owner’s Manual