Excellent side-by-side comparison stu. Just ordered a 920 due for delivery late April to Mid May- I can’t wait! Thank you for all the excellent information.
Thank you Merrian, great presentation, like all you do. However I would decided for the ES8. The built quality of the ES8 is very premium, and the ES920 has lost the premium feeling using plastic, which makes it lighter but very standard piano. Metallic case is made for professionals and for stage pianos. I think the ES8 speakers sound great I even find them enough powerful and high quality. The ES8 has more conections in the back of the piano, and the USB is in the front (very comfortable). It’s a pitty Kawai switch from metal to plastic dropping quality in this price level, since Kawai its a synonymous of high quality. Personally I will not expend 1.600€ in a plastic piano, having the MP7SE at 1.350€, which is much better than the ES920, with metal case, 250 sounds, 4 faders to mix 4 sounds at the same time, and so on. Even the Yamaha P515 has better finish than the ES920 and its a bit cheaper.
You're very welcome! We're happy to hear that you enjoyed the comparison! The Kawai ES8 definitely has a very loyal fanbase. It is true that the cabinet was a bit more robust and built for life on the road. With that said, I think that is why Kawai altered the design. For gigging players that need a stage piano, the MP7SE and MP11SE are wonderful options. While the ES920 can still be used for those purposes, it is targeted a bit more towards players using it for home use. I believe the goal was to streamline the enclosure to cut some costs in order to invest in other areas of the piano.
Quality? Yours is the classic case of confirmation bias attitude. Stop the ridiculous drama queen attitude. It's not some piece of junk plastic first of all and it's very sturdy plus it makes the piano much lighter as well. So enjoy your piece of metal while I enjoy a vastly superior piano in all aspects
@@shaolin95 mi actitud es la que es al igual que la tuya es la que es, ni dramas ni leches. A mi dame mil veces el MP7SE o el MP8 que el 920 que tiene muchas menos funciones y sonidos que el MP7 y parece un juguete de plástico comparado con el ES8 y MP7SE. Un timo de 1.600€ comparado con el MP7SE que cuesta 1.350€. Pero hay gente para todo por eso lo fabrican para que lo compren clientes como tu que les encaja perfectamente. Que lo disfrutes mucho 😉
The ES8 has much better built quality, and I don't understand that in this review Merriam did not even mention this big difference which gives a big advantage to the ES8. A solid piano on stage its a very important feature for a pianist, so what is "ridiculous" is your answer to this comment shaolin95. Check the great review from PianoForever where he compares not only the sound but the built quality as a very important feature when you buy a piano, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-AOo3uvVXqXo.html@@shaolin95
I just got myself an ES920, partly thanks to you guys ! By the way, I love the summaries in the description, sometimes I can't watch a video through, so it's soo nice to be able to read that instead.
@@famousatmidnight15 Agree with Martin. You won't notice the noise at all. I think Stu himself said that people think keyboards are noisy because you can turn off the sound, but in reality the key noise is quieter than on acoustic pianos.
@@gustavopaulette3496 what? Are you referring to the key noise? Stu from Merriam Music himself said that most digitals have a quieter key action than acoustics, and I'm certain he has tried plenty of top end pianos.
I was going to get the Roland FP60 x but after hearing the difference in sound I ordered the Kawai ES 920 , should be getting it sometime in May , they are back ordered . Great playing as usual Stu .
One of the reasons why it's good to have built-in speakers is that when you play you can usually feel some of the vibration through the keys. Stu is listening with his hands too, and we viewers can't of course. If the speakers are better, maybe the playing experience is extra-enhanced, as opposed to the passive listening experience. So the difference in built-in speaker sound between these two pianos is probably extra apparent to Stu, the person who is playing. And the player always hears better/differently anyway, due to aural anticipation of each note. I would love to try the ES920 for myself.
The thing about all digital pianos is that they can imitate nice sound, nice keys feeling, half-pedal options, but they have a huge leak of true pedal mechanism, I mean, if You press a sustain pedal on the grand or upright piano, the keyboard became lighter! Its cornerstone important if you play fast technic pieces like Chopin's or Liszt's etudes! I had never seen the same imitation for digital pianos. What Do You think about it, Merriam?
Thank you, Stu, for your hard work on these in-depth reviews that come from your high degree of technical understanding and very observant experience. I have one comment on comparing the speaker systems in the two instruments without having them side-by-side. For human hearing, we always need a reference to truly critique sound quality fully. Being a sound guy and teaching others has shown me how adaptable and subjective even a well-trained ear can be. I have found that when I think I have a band and room tweaked in reasonably well that if I leave the room for a bit and re-enter, I hear things that I had not noticed before. I have also encouraged others to do the same and seen other people come to some surprising realizations when they return to a room. If you are listening to some music and notch out some fairly narrow frequency band that is noticeable to you but continue to listening for a period of time, you will not notice the notch as much after a while. Your ears adapt. I usually have a reference output device available when I do serious tweaking, so that I can use it as a palate cleanser. It does not have to be a perfect device, but one that is good and that you understand its imperfections.
Stu mentions the usefulness of quick recordings of SMF/wav/mp3 using a thumb drive. Simulating a bass line or combo is invaluable while practising jazz and other modern music. I use this facility on my own dp all the time, creating backing tracks for both practice and performance. It has revolutionised my playing. I can see how the ES920 would be great on light gigs, particularly with its beautiful inbuilt speakers. Note that the P-515 (main competitor) goes a step further, with a basic 16-track MIDI recording facility onboard.
@@MerriamPianosthank you. I am very pleased. Its a total joy to play. I wake up every morning excited to play it whereas my Yamaha p515 was the opposite for me.😂
I watch most of your videos and I have never seen you this excited you are fully pumped up with exuberance with this one Please keep the videos coming you are our go to person for solid and factual information
Thanks so much for tuning into our videos and channel! We appreciate it immensely. It is always awesome to see Stu get truly amped up by what an instrument offers! From that perspective, it is hard to not get excited by the ES920 with what it offers (especially when you see the amazing price).
As usual, Stu does an examplary job at detailing differences from subtle to large, and opine when one is better than the other. I'm super happy with having bought the ES920 and very glad I didhn;t go with older technology and generation as I would have been disappointed I am sure. The sounds, other than the pianos, aren';t of huge interest to me as I've got other synth hardware if I need those types of things. But, the ones in the 920 are perfectly fine and useable, such as their DX-7 imitation, electric pianos and various organs, and I really like the vibes sound too. Sure nice to see how much these companies have gone beyond the old sampled ones, which now sound so wooden and unmusical.
@@michellemonet4358 That's a great DX-7 type sound, lots of that digital glassy clarity, but I like most of them. By far, the one I use as a go to is the E. Piano 2. Not quite as bland as #1, and lots more body than the Modern, The Modern really doesn;t cover C2 and down very well if you are using it as a solo instrument.
Hello, Stu 👋 . Thank you for a new very interesting video. I'm afraid I have to admit that the sound of the ES920 on external speakers is much better than the sound of the ES8 speakers... 😢 However, I do my ES8 on external active speaker 👍 The sound is even better 😉
GREAT comparison!!! Really liked it. Very informative and pedagogic. As allways.... Wish you would do one on ES920 vs MP7SE. I own the MP11SE and just love it. But I'm presently in the market for a second piano for practice when in our summer house. And I'm really hesitant which one of these two to go for. / Stay safe!
Totally agree. One review that's been conspicuous by its absence has been that of an MP7SE. Would love to see that either on its own or vs ES920, please.
I don't know, not having played either one. I had a pre-order in for the es-920 until I learned about the Yamaha DGX-670. Now I have a pre-order in for the DGX. My situation is that I already play Pianoteq Pro 7, and there is almost universal agreement that Pianoteq is one of the most authentic voices out there. In your video the es-920 sounds very good. I was never that convinced of the tone of the es-920 perhaps because my ear has been spoiled from practicing regularly on Pianoteq which literally has 100's of top quality grand piano voices. Perhaps the DGX is a step down, but the auto-accompaniment features appeal to me. And as far as I know that's something the es-920 just doesn't have.
Does Pianoteq Pro give the same results on all quality keyboards/pianos? Seems like a sort of arranged marriage, where the bride and groom (action and soft patch) never meet till they're wed. If it works it works, but I'm just asking. As a performer, I'm guessing that Pianoteq would be less useful to me, but for home studios, I can see the attraction, so long as the keyboard sensors (and internal amplification?) match up nicely with the Pianoteq patches.
Maestro e sempre complimenti per i tuoi video?!!! quale secondo te ha il miglior sistema di amplificazione tra il Roland fp90x, il kawai es920 e il dexibell s8 m? Seguo sempre i tuoi video tantissimi auguri e saluti dalla Sicilia
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for tuning in! The FP90X has a higher rated speaker system compared to the ES920 (I can't comment on the Dexibell as we do not carry that line), but more wattage does not always lead to a louder perceived volume. To my ears, the speaker fidelity and power is quite comparable between the ES920 and FP90X. They are both quite impressive!
I'm looking forward to seeing Stu's comparison of the Kawai ES-920 and the Roland FP-90X if ever it comes out. I realise they are different prices, but they are the new portable flagships of these two companies.
Hey Mike! If you can believe it, I still haven't had my paws on an FP90x yet. Just like most instruments in this category, construction time is longer, chip shortages are hampering construction, and production numbers are always lower than the home digitals. All of this = TAKING FOREVER :/
@@MerriamPianos Wow, how unfair for you, and after you gave such glowing but fair reviews of the FP30X & FP60X. That's actually very interesting about production numbers for home digitals. Maybe there's a potential follow-up video to your excellent video explaining/categorising the types of digital piano. It would be interesting to see an overview of these categories based on production and sales.
I have ES8 & prior to buying had already decided to attach quality speakers, & glad i did, as theres no way i'd have settled for the onboard speakers which i found totaly inadequate, so my interest is Only concerning other factors in the 920, as i'm sure the onboard speakers are far superior, but as i already have quality speakers which i'd certainly be using, then the upgrade of onboard sound is negated for me. I'm at the beginning of review, i'll watch on to determine if other factors really can put the Fab ES8 in the shade.
The ES8 is an awesome machine and still holds up as a great instrument! The sonic possibilities will usually always be superior when using external speakers, but I will say that the new ES920 has some excellent sounding speakers. It comes down to a matter of personal preference of course, but it may be worth testing out the ES920 if you have the chance to see how it stacks up against your ES8. :)
So a dramatic difference on the on-board speakers. How about the line out difference? Is it all Onkyo, in regard to sound? Great review, you are the best!
Thanks again Stu for another great review !!! Yes big improvement in sound for sure. Unfortunately, not the action except for the contact strip problem (I also was lucky enough to have like so many.) However wish they had upgraded the action to GFC1. Wish you had compared the return noise on the ES8 vs the 920 to hear as I thought you were about to. It has been a pain for me playing quietly or with headphones in home quiet time on the ES8. Could you comment on that ? Is the return quieter in the 920 vs ES8 or did I miss you saying that ? I appreciate that all keyboards have it but that clunk is the real bother and why I am ditching it for a CA49 with GFC1.
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for tuning in! We're happy to hear that you enjoyed the review. An ES920 with GFC action would be an exciting prospect! Perhaps, Kawai will make the jump to wooden action for one of their all-in portable digital pianos down the road. :) In terms of the return noise between the ES8 and ES920, I can't personally comment on that. While I have spent a great deal of time on both instruments, I have never compared them side-by-side while focusing on the return noise. My guess is that they would be quite comparable. Also, the CA49 is an excellent digital piano and, in my opinion, one of the best cost-to-value offerings on the market right now. I think you will be thrilled with what it offers. :)
@@MerriamPianos Thanks for Response Brent! You guys videos are technically awesome and I learn much from them. As Stu said on the action "issue" with many ES8's. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-EMw4Mr8nYKY.html I had no idea it was a problem with so many till I found a thread on Piano World. Kawai "service" did not even take the time to answer my Q on getting the parts a few months back. I finally found them though.* You can find a couple of ES8 repair videos on here regarding the circuit board and the old gray contact strips. Here is the new and "improved" (because they are blue :) contact strips and maybe new boards for the old CS8. Worth repairing but at 200 bucks and a couple of hours work. That said, now I really want the GFC1 action in a p o r t a b l e stage piano WITH speakers. It really is much an improvement vs RH3, as in the MP11se. * instrumentalparts.com/key-contacts-upgrade-replacement-w-pcb-kawai-cn24-c11-ksa-es7-2/
Thanks. I had problems on my ES8 and just bought a new pair of circuit boards which apparently is the same for the new ES920. the upgrade of the ES920 is not enough to buy a whole new piano of 1500 dollar. So for 180 dollar my ES8 works perfectly with the new version of the triple sensor boards....
Hello Stu! Partially based on your reviews we bought a ca-79 last fall. We spend up to half a year in a cottage. I don't fancy the thought of moving the 160 lb piano back and forth. I considered buying a second ca-79, not that I could afford it, but the cottage is unheated in the winter and it drops down to -40 degrees in ventral Alberta. So my question is, how does the rh3 action compare to the GF III on my ca-79? I'm especially wondering about how much heavier it feels close to the fallboard? I'm familiar with the PHA - 4 and the PHA - 50, is it close to either of those? Will it feel at all familiar to a ca-79 owner?
You might try the CA49 or 59 with GFC1. Or maybe the MP11SE with the GFC1 also but no speakers but easier to lug around that the cabinet models above. The RH3 might be a significant downgrade from those actions for you, but the CA49/59 from the CA79 might not. Of course, everyone is different and some even like the heavier less natural feeling PHA50 Roland actions (but if you can tolerate the action FP90X is very portable with included speakers but modeled vs sampled Stu talks about it in another video) or even worse action but portable, the Yama 515's. I am saying worse only in the context of if your really like your GF action GF3 which of course is the best you can get.
I listened in headphones and the sound has some differences half through your playing, something with your setup must have affected it. Thank you again, Stu, I am wondering whether it's worth the upgrade as I've had a rough ride with my ES8-4 times in the repairs during warranty. But I love the action and neither Roland FP90 or Yamaha 515 impressed me in the action department...
You're very welcome! Thanks for tuning in! It may be that the audio source is shifting between the direct line-out and camera microphone (particularly at spots when Stu is speaking while playing). The ES920 is certainly a wonderful instrument! The best bet is to make your way into a showroom to do some thorough auditioning of the ES920 to see if an update is the right fit. :)
Fair enough. It’s a debatable decision for sure - if we take Kawai at their word that’s this was for portability sake, hard to argue that’s a bad thing. You could also prob argue that a heavier board is more likely to be dropped. But for those who had a preference for either the aesthetic or a specific use case where the metal was a critical component, fair point. Thanks for the comment!! - stu
@@Kyuuketsuki02 It's a 12 lb. difference between the two units; that really isn't much. I'll take the build quality and aesthetics of a metal case over the more easily damaged and potential sympathetic resonance plastic can have due to speakers being in the unit.
I agree. Built quality of the ES8 is very premium, and the ES920. has lost the premium feeling using plastic, which makes it lighter but very standard piano. Metallic case is made for professionals and stage pianos. I think the ES8 speakers sound great I even find them warmer than the ES920, not everything is a question of power, but of quality. It has more conexions in the back, and the USB is in the front. It’s a pitty Kawai switch from metal to plastic. Personally I will not expend 1.600€ in a plastic piano, having the MP7SE in 1.350€, which is much better than the ES920.
Hi Stu. Thank you for an enjoyable and most informative review... have you found at all that the cheaper (although lighter) plastic build quality on the es920 versus the solid metal casing on the ES8 makes any difference? Might there be more mechanical key sound or plastic buzz vibration on the ES920?
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! The ES920 is still a very robust portable piano. I'm sure it wouldn't compete with the ES8 in terms of a "drop test", but the lighter weight construction makes it quite convenient to gig and perform with. :)
Thank you for perfect comparison as always Stu! You mentioned about issue with RHIII in early batches of ES8, are you familiar, was this issue present at MP7SE as well, and if so, was it fixed in later batches like you said it was for ES8?
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Thanks for tuning in! We sincerely appreciate it. If I recall correctly, I believe there were some revisions made to the MP7SE at later batches to eliminate some known issues with the action (clicking keys, etc.).
What would you recommend for practicing piano for college in the price range 1000-1500 dollar? (internal speakers are not important. I'll either use headphones or my big speakers)
On my home speakers the difference between FP30 and FP30X was bigger than between those two models. I guess the microphones can not capture the speakers output as well as the line out does on a different sound processor.
I’ve been waiting for four months for my ES 920! Still on back order. I’m afraid I might have to cancel the order and get something else unfortunately.
Love your reviews Stu. Amazing playing too. I still can’t decide between the es920, p525, mp11se, nords, Yamaha modx8. I think ultimately I want speakers so thinking the es920 or Yamaha p525. If it had timber keys it would make it an easier decision. I like the timber keys of the Yamaha. Unfortunately I don’t live near shops so I rely on RU-vid. I will need to one day check Them out in person to really decide. I currently use a Roland fp90x at work and a real piano and yamaha yc73 at home. Oh and an old kawaii mp4
Hi! Brent here! The first step would be deciding how important onboard speakers are of course. With that said, if you are looking for an all-in portable digital piano with speakers, for me, the Kawai ES920 is really tough to beat (especially for the money). It is the most authentic piano experience I have personally found at that price point. The SK-EX samples onboard the piano are fantastic!
you say "both come with the music stand"-not much difference, but the ES8 stand is ugly metal thing, ES920 has a much nicer stand, which is also wider. Would you happen to know when does Kawai plan to release a new model? I am still looking for the one with a nice Honky tonk...
Like many piano-related elements, a lot of it comes down the preference and subjectivity. I know the ES8 and ES920 both have their advocates in terms of their overall aesthetic. In terms of a new model/update to the ES920, we have not received any timeline yet from Kawai on this. With that said, they just recently announced/released a few updates to other models, including the ES110, CN29 and CN39. Thanks and all the best! :)
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! Both of these Kawai pianos feature the RHIII action. To that point, the tactile playing experience between the two instruments is virtually the same. With that said, I believe that the overall music experience that the ES920 provides (i.e. tone engine, speaker system, features, etc.) is superior.
I imagine Stu would have better insights on this, but I have personally not done a thorough comparison of the ES920 and ES8 side-by-side in terms of how they sound in headphones. With that said, they both sound excellent when playing with headphones. :)
Hi! Brent from Merriam Music here! I am not sure if I am fully understanding the question, but if you are referring to the post-processing work that was completed for the sounds captured in this video, there was no additional signal-processing added to either the ES8 or ES920. We want to ensure that the sound you are hearing is as transparent as possible. :)
@@MerriamPianos Hey Brent, I meant the sound technology in the pianos. I'm trying to decide between the ES920 and MP7SE. If I would listen to these 2 pianos with the same headphones, would I hear the same quality sound, or would the ES920 have an improved sound? Or is the sound improvement on the ES920 (vs ES8) only in the speakers and the speaker amp? (That would mean no difference between ES920 and MP7SE). I thought I heard Stu mention something about post signal processing improvement in the ES920 because of a new motherboard design in cooperation with Onkyo. Thanks in advance!
The ES920 and MP7SE have the same tone engine and core piano samples. So, from that perspective, they are virtually the same. Naturally, there will be some differences depending on the speakers you're using, etc.
There are both key similarities and differences between these two models. In any case, even the most discerning of players will appreciate the musical experience either provides. :)
@@someguyfromarcticfreezer6854 Ha, you sound brain washed. 😂 I'm just saying if external speakers, good ones, can improve the sound sound ff the E.S.8.
@@bryanbarajasBB I'm not "brain washed", I had digital pianos until try Kawai Onkyo products, that's blown my mind how Onkyo really good at making sound without hissing or lagging or overtune. For my surprise speakers are almost indestructible.
I have the ES8 for 3 years I am looking to upgrade to a higher model in KAWAI digital line is 920 the move or should I move to the CA 49 59 79. Can anyone tell me a noticeable upgrade for the price ? I have noticed moving up a model # is just not worth the fee. I appreciate any advise Thank You community
The ES8 is a wonderful piano! While there are certainly some notable improvements with the ES920, it features the same RHIII action as the ES8. With that said, if you are looking for an upgrade in action and a more authentic playing experience, the CA series is definitely worth consideration. The CA49 is not a massive jump in price fro the ES920 package with the stand and triple pedal system. The CA79 is a benchmark will there will be a really noticeable difference as well. The Grand Feel III's extended key sticks give a feel and touch that is more comparable to a grand piano. If budget permits, the CA79 or CA99 is certainly worth consideration. :)
I just came back from playing the c49 c59 there not much of a difference to the ES8 to my experience The 920 in this video sounds like a better move for a upgrade especially for the price
You are certainly not the only player to prefer the ES8. It was a wonderful model and is not without its diehard fan base! In either case, the ES920 is still a really remarkable portable digital with one of the best cost-to-value ratios on the market as far as I'm concerned. :)
@@michellemonet4358 my previous digital piano Kawai ES110's plastic case developed a clunking sound every time a key is pressed after a few months of use. I moved to a DGX670 which has a more rigid plastic case. Let's just hope Kawai already improved their plastic cases. I've never came across any ES920s in my area due to them being made to order where I'm at🎹🎶
