Review: Kawai CA-701 – Digital Piano with Wooden Keyboard

The Kawai CA-701 could also be described as the second top-of-line model of the current CA series. The most important features – keyboard and piano sound – are identical to those on the CA-901. The main differences concern the design and speaker system.

Among mid-range digital pianos, the predecessor models CA-79 and CA-99 positioned themselves as top instruments. This was especially due to certain features that are usually only found on hybrid digital pianos.

For example, a real wooden keyboard with hammer action modeled after a grand piano. In addition, the top model features a transducer-driven acoustic soundboard. The new CA-701 and CA-901 digital pianos continue to build on these features but bring significant improvements in the details.

New Piano Sound: SK-EX Competition Grand Piano

The Shigeru Kawai SK-EX – Kawai’s concert grand piano is the flagship model of the Japanese piano manufacturer. Sampled in great detail, you can enjoy this sound in many Kawai digital pianos, such as the SK-EX Concert Grand. With the CA-701, you get this sound in the highest resolution and quality, thanks to SK-EX Rendering. This is what Kawai calls their most sophisticated sound generation.

In simple terms, SK-EX Rendering dynamically assembles the piano sound from a large number of individual recordings. A modeling process then merges the string resonances. The result is a wonderfully detailed and transparent grand piano sound, which – and this is the special feature of SK-EX rendering – can be optimized and voiced for a wide variety of genres (Virtual Technician).

You can find the latest SK-EX Rendering type in both the CA-701 and CA-901 models. In addition to the SK-EX Concert Grand, which is already well-known from the previous series, there is now a second rendering sound: the “Competition Grand”. The sampled instrument was a Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano selected for a piano competition.

Similarities in the general sound of the two grand pianos are not surprising, but it is the fine details that make the difference. I like the intonation better on the Competition Grand – the sound is more open here. The attack and interaction of the acoustic resonances also seem more finely tuned. Both pianos are on an absolutely high level: “better” or “worse” – it’s almost impossible to use these terms here.

Piano Mode and Sound Mode

The Kawai CA-701 offers even more piano sounds than the two SK-EX concert grands. There is also an EX Concert Grand, an SK-5, an Upright Piano, and many variations for different genres or playing styles. These piano sounds are also excellent, although they do not quite reach the high resolution of the two SK-EX variants.

Nevertheless, all of the CA-701’s piano sounds play at a high level. However, there are a few technical details that are worth mentioning.

Rendering sounds requires the signal processor’s full attention, so combining an SK-EX sound with other sounds is impossible. If you wish to do so, you can only use the sounds in Sound Mode. You can choose from over 90 sounds, including acoustic pianos, electric pianos, pads, strings, choirs, organs, and all kinds of synthesizer sounds, as well as a wide range of effects.

Virtual Technician – Piano Voicing Made Easy

A special feature of Kawai’s digital pianos is the ability to customize the piano sound. Thanks to the Virtual Technician, which you can also find in the PianoRemote app, you don’t need any special knowledge and can proceed very intuitively.

In Piano Mode (SK-EX Rendering), you can choose from five rendering types to vary the sound character of the SK-EX pianos. This allows you to influence the acoustic representation of the sound. The Virtual Technician allows you to delve even deeper into the details. You can adjust details such as string resonance, damper noise, key-off effect, and fall-back noise here.

A special feature is the voicing function – only available on Kawai digital pianos. Here, you can influence the sound: Make the piano sound softer for a neo-classical piece or more dynamic and percussive for a lively jazz solo with lots of articulation and accents. This also explains the great flexibility of Kawai digital pianos. Even the smallest models offer this – naturally, on the CA-701, this already works on a different, very high level.

PianoRemote App & Bluetooth

Just as with all current Kawai digital pianos, you can control the CA-701 via the PianoRemote App. Although operating the digital piano functions using the large touch screen is just as convenient as using a smartphone, the app makes many functions – not least the Virtual Technician – even more transparent.

The PianoRemote app works only with Kawai instruments and is available for free for iOS and Android devices. You can connect it wirelessly to the CA-701 via Bluetooth MIDI or via USB MIDI.

Further, you can establish a wireless audio connection between mobile devices and the Kawai CA-701 via Bluetooth Audio. This is useful for streaming online lessons or play-alongs directly to the piano’s playback system.

Learn Piano with the Kawai CA-701

As sound and playing feel are of a very high standard, the CA-701 is an absolute recommendation for piano lessons, learning, and practicing. The Grand Feel III wooden keyboard, which simulates an authentic piano touch, is of exceptional quality in the mid-range class. Of course, there is also a metronome and a recorder to record etudes for control purposes.

A wide selection of piano literature is stored, which you can play separately for the left and right hand using the built-in player. Using Kawai’s free PiaBook Player app makes this even more convenient – the app also displays sheet music.

Kawai CA-701 in Comparison

Kawai’s CA-701 sets the standard for home pianos in the upper mid-range. Genuine wooden keys and a hammer action modeled on a grand piano are features that are otherwise only found in more expensive hybrid digital pianos.

Kawai CA-79 vs. CA-701: Apparently, there are hardly any differences, but Kawai has changed the speaker system compared to the previous model. The CA-701 does without ONKYO components, and overall, the sound has been improved. New is the Competition Grand piano sound, another high-resolution SK-EX Rendering sound that expands the sound spectrum of the CA-701 with a very beautiful concert grand piano sound. A small detail perhaps, but a very practical one: the music rest has been given two raisable support pins to hold sheet music in place.

CA-701 vs. CA-901: Both models are identical in terms of keyboard and sound generation. The reason for the price difference of about 1,000 Euros between the models is likely mainly the transducer soundboard. However, the upright design also plays a role. The CA-701 is the right choice for anyone who doesn’t want to compromise on sound and feel but still wants a classic digital piano design. The CA-901 is the right choice for those who want the best digital piano in terms of acoustic sound.

Conclusion: High-Quality Mid-Range Digital Piano

The Kawai CA-701 is a digital piano for the whole family. The high-resolution piano sounds and the Grand Feel III wooden keyboard are the best prerequisites for learning how to play the piano with a digital piano. An even better mid-range digital piano is the top model of the current CA series: Kawai CA-901.

Kawai CA-701 – Overview

Release date: 11.2022
Keyboard: Grand Feel III wooden keyboard with graded hammer action, let-off mechanism, Ivory Feel
Polyphony: 256 voices
Piano app: PianoRemote (Android/iOS), PiaBookPlayer (Android/iOS)
Manufacturer/Distributor: Kawai

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