I've had so many requests for this comparison that I thought it would be the first one I'd do with the new Kawai ES920. The competition is incredibly tight, which one will come out on top? / @milanrecordingstudios...
Keep up the great work dude! Your videos are honestly really interesting to watch, and I could definitely say that I've taken a lot of points from your videos. I'd definitely consider one of these two for the next time I buy a new keyboard! Right now I've got a Yamaha DGX-650, and it works great, but your videos really give me insight on what to consider next, so thanks, and keep it up!
Great video again, thank you for providing such quick quality comparisons! I love the fullness of sound in the P515, while the ES920 has an open magical quality to the tone.
Great review James.I haven't played the ES920 so i can't say anything about it, but i have the P515 and i love it,love the heavy action and wooden keys.I also like the Sound of the CFX and Bosendorfer and the good built quality and that is heavy so its stays put where you put it.
The big one! Thanks for this video. Hope to have one of these boards in the next twelve months. Don’t forget to review the Korg D1, low price and feels great, sounds awesome with headphones.
I haven't watched it yet, but it's only been a few days since your first ES 920 video and i was waiting on this one with quite some anticipation. So i just want to say thanks beforehand for putting in work to deliver it so quickly!
What do you think about the RD2000 compared to these 2? I could get a used one for the same price, but I heard that the stock profiles don't sound that great unless you mod the v-piano sound to your liking. I'd mostly use it at home for practicing and live loops in combination with Ableton live
Hi James, Thank you so much for this review. As you probably know I have waited a long time for you to do this comparison. The ES920 has been out in the UK for a couple of months now, similar price to the p515. I think you have done both pianos good reviews and I think it really is a matter of personal choice. I can only say to all who are interested in buying either one, go and try them, if possible side by side because it really is a matter of preference. My personal favourite is the Yamaha p515, but that's my choice. Thanks again for a brilliant review, by a most talented pianist. Just keep them coming.
Hi James, thank you very much for a detailed review on both electric Piano's. I agree with you on the built quality of the Yamaha, there's much more metal, and the plastics used are more sturdy. I know the P515 has been around for a couple of years but still is able to keep up with the new releases. James, because of your review, I think Yamaha is my preferred purchase. It would be very interesting to see when Yamaha will start releasing their new digital Piano's. Possibly another jump in sound and built quality. Once again, thank you James, and I wish you much success.
Another stellar review, James ! PLEASE do a review of the Kawai MP7se. I am seriously considering buying the MP7se. I have watched every review on RU-vid about it, but I would really like to watch one done by you. You are very honest and really tell it like it is.
well James all i can say is thanks for your reviews, I thought the keys on the ES920 were much better than ES-8 yet still a little clunky left wanting, I'm happy i waited for the P-515 to come back in stock..
Great review! There really a match to each other. But I am also happy that I still can hold the p515 on top of my list. The sounds of the Kawai are good, really good. But some of the sounds, like the bösendorfer. There is just no match for that. That one is so good. And strange enough the guitar. I love that sound. But other than that there pretty much alike. You already mentioned that the sounds, and effects, can be altered in both of them but the standard autopan of the Kawai is just to strong in my tast. So, the p515 still stands. Thank you for sharing and playing.
The ES920 is 11.5 lbs lighter than either the P515 or the Kawai ES8. I don't think Kawai was just trying to cut corners. I for one appreciate the lighter weight as I do a lot of moving around with my portable.
If you are looking for something to move around often, these are probably the wrong instruments to start with. This is more a home piano for people with little space and as a second instrument for playing with headphones. The build quality from Kawai was never very good. Had some issues with my es8. At least is had a metal build.
I went into Yamaha London to try it on Sunday. They had two left in stock. On Monday, I rang to order - they've all sold out, and now it is a wait until the end of July! I really liked it though. I've read so much about the "heavy action", but it was absolutely fine (I usually play a Yamaha U1 acoustic). Yamaha have a lot of pianos and keyboards there in their flagship store. Broadly speaking, it felt the same as some nearby Clavinovas, but it was a little heavier than a baby grand. It should be emphasised that "heavy" doesn't mean leaden, unresponsive or slow (as can be heard from JPS's playing!). It is just the initial pressure. My friend has a Roland digital upright, and I thought that it felt a bit light compared to what I was used to! As usual - you have to try these things for yourself.
@@ThePianoforever I had a moment when I was playing it when I thought “This is meant to be heavy. I read it on the internet. But, umm, it is not, and it copes easily with fast runs, at least for me.” Anyway - thanks for the great reviews!
Hey I’ve been watching a lot of your videos recently to help me pick my first piano and I really respect your opinion. Could you try to review the FP-30x?
Extraordinary review! 👍🏻 Extremely complete! 👍🏻 Only for the build quality and lack of bouncing sound on the action of the P-515, it's worthy the Yamaha, in my opinion. Thank you!
Yet another great video, James. Dare I say your dual piano playing is improving. Dunno where it'll get ya but fun to watch! 😄 With regards to the audio, any thoughts(value/worth it) of adding a Yamaha KS-SW100 keyboard subwoofer to help bring out the bass without the distortion? Would you add a subwoofer before monitors? Would love your thoughts on the Yamaha Smart Pianist app to better relieve "menu diving". Of what I saw, it was pretty impressive. Have you ever considered reviewing the Kawai VPC1 with a good virtual piano sample set like Ravenscroft 275? So, which is better? Maybe too close to call but I'm eagerly awaiting my P515. Keep up the great work and best success to you!
Hey James! I have a question for you...hypothetically, let's say you were hired (by me) to add piano to an original song ...what piano/digital piano would you use and why? What is your go-to recording piano? Awesome demo. I am not in the market for a new keyboard, but I always learn a lot from these videos. Anytime I can hear someone passionately talk about their instrument, I take the time to listen. Have a great weekend, dude. 🐰❤️🎸🎵✨🤝✌️
I have an ES8, enjoy it. Not a fan of Yamaha's. Don't know if I would buy a ES 920, as the ES8 definitely has a more sound structure. However, it weighs close to 50 lbs as does the p515. The ES920 only weighs around 38 lbs. That is the goal of the plastic structure it would seem to make the weight more useful for a gigging musician. Something to be considered in deciding between the two.
Beautiful review that makes me re-evaluate the P515. In other face to face comparisons the kawai (ES8) looks much nicer than the Yamaha. Can you predict when the new P515 model might come out?
Thank you, was on the fence which of these 2 to buy, and I've watched almost all videos comparing these 2 and you made my decision for me to go with Yamaha 515, because of the action of the keys. Your comparison on the action is so far the best i've seen, mentioning the heavier wooden keys, no bounce.. Thank you very much.
Kawai digital pianos are amazing; my friend's got an ES8; I play it all the time when I'm over his house. I am eventually thinking about getting one of these things in the near future. I would have thought of the DG30, perhaps.
I’m stuck between these 2 regarding the keybed action. I’ve gotten acclimated and like the heavy action from my Roland FP30. So I’m sure the Yamaha P515 will be similar. But with the ES920 being lighter action, is it too light or does it feel like a semi-weighted? No stores around me have the ES920 in stock for me to test. The key action for me is the deciding factor between these two.
Are you sure that they weren't just trying to make it lighter? You know, for portability. I guess you could make it out of space-age composites if you needed strength with less weight, but that would bump the cost way up.
Hi James. I would really value your opinion on a few overlooked 88 note keyboards. These are the Kurzweil PC4, Kurzweil SP 6 and the Yamaha MX88. I have heard the sounds, but have not received any good indication of the action of these. Would really be interested in how they compare to a Yamaha P-515.
FWIW, I believe Kawai was trying to reduce the weight of the ES920 and this is probably part of the reason for the feeling of a lesser build quality. ES920 is about 17 kg, whereas P515 is 22 kg.
Interesting that some of the samples in the p515 like the church organ and harpsichord are still the same ones from the old p series such as the p45, p120 and p140
Will you be doing a review of the new Yamaha YC88? I'm very torn about what to buy atm because I want it to be portable for live performances but also good for recording studio purposes...I also want it to have that weighted acoustic feel to the keys. Would you consider the Kawai MP11SE to still be your favorite digital piano or has that changed?
Thank you James for this review. Both instruments are at comparable level. I think that the Kawai has better stage qualities. It is 5 kg lighter than the Yamaha, which is better for your back when traveling around. And the Kawai has a special line out for the stage sound engineer. I wish that all stage piano's had that feature. I use my digital as a side piano for my grand piano. My piano friend and I play a lot of repertoire with two piano's. Then tuning is very important. The tuning on the Kawai is in 0.5 hertz steps. The tuning of the Yamaha is in 0.2 hertz steps. For me, the winning argument for the Yamaha P-515.
The more expensive digital pianos with wooden keys usualy make less noise and are more (close to) natural to play. As you can see and hear in this video, Kawai Es plastic keys makes more noise and is disturbing your play when you want to play quiet clasical pieces, vs the Yamaha's P515 wooden keys wich are way more quieter and more plesant play/feel. But i would still not reccomend Yamaha, they put too much EQ (boosted mid freq) on the piano samples wich makes them un-natural soundig on upper octaves. Other good digital pianos with wooden keys is Roland FP 90 and the Kawai MP 11. (Kawai MP 7 has plastic keys) Still before buying one, is best to go to a store and test to see wich one has acceptable noise-action for you.
I am planning to buy Kawai MP7SE. Same keybed and Engine like ES920, but more sounds and features, also 200€ cheaper, which I could use for buying a good headphone or budget monitor. speakers.
I am hoping to do the same. I think the mp7se is by far the best buy out there for digital pianos. I wish James would review it. He is not afraid to talk about the negatives , as well as the positives of the instruments he is reviewing.
Be careful in your decision to buy the MP7SE if you plan to keep it for a while. There have been numerous problems with this model. It's not the same quality as the MP11.
James what you really need to do is compare the real acoustic instruments to their equivalent samplings on these digital pianos (and multiple digitals with the same samplings not just the P515 and ES920)
This is as I thought it would be with James giving a fair and very comprehensive review of these two instruments. I agree, it's all about preference regardless as to whoever comments one is better than the other. They've very comparable. To my ears, Kawai has tweaked the SK-EX sound engine and it seems to have a lighter bodied sound than the ES8. Maybe the aim was for more brightness and clarity? I'm not sure. Or maybe they changed the defaults. I'm OK with the piano feeling less substantial because the weight is down significantly. The P515 sounds stronger than ever here it's just that Yamaha has come out with the CLP700 series and this model is a slab version of the CLP645. The CLP745 has enhancements, sound engine and sound modeling enhancements over the already nice ones in the CLP645. Therefore I'm not sure if I'd want to get the P515 or wait for its successor. And if you do wait for the P515's successor, how long will that be?
James, Overall the Kawai has a lighter(thinner?) more flexible sound which lends itself to Pop, Jazz funk etc. The Yamaha is more stolid, not stuffy, the sound is just more there for you in most cases. It can carry you more realistically through classical compositions. I think Debussy's, "the Maid With the Flaxen Hair" would sound better on the Kawai whereas, a more complex piece like Claire de Lune needs the heavier(thicker?) sound of the Yamaha. What do you think? Cheers, Rik Spector
@@ActuallyJamesS Yamaha doesn't have a competitor for the ES520. However, the DGX 670 is getting rave reviews. But that's a piano arranger. It does have the CFX patch compared to the P125's CF patch.
As a long time Kawai MP7 owner, if I had to choose between those two, I would choose Yamaha P-515 without a doubt. But I'm waiting to see what MP11SE's successor will offer.
The ES920 key bounce sounds just like the Arturia Keylab 88 MK II. Mine hasn't held up well with some of the keys developing rattles and the sound of the hammers swinging and thumping away is horrible.
Marty said.... _"Mine hasn't held up well"_ The Arturia? or the Kawai? I'm a beginner looking for a reliable digital that is _'close-to-acoustic-feel'_ but the Kawai build quality is the only thing holding me back. So, your comment is making me wonder : )
Please, please, make a comparison between ES8 and ES920! I bought the ES8 last April and I can play ES920 this year, and I think the speakers are a little better at ES920, it has Bluetooth and the keyboard is a little better to play... But ES8 has the same sound quality, it feels more massive, and it's not plastic! I didn't hear a really better sound at ES920. Overall, I think the ES8 is the more successful instrument! I'm very excited about what you think! Thank you for your excellent, super professional and interesting work! Stay well! Roland
I don't have ES8... ES920 may be a minor updated to ES8. But simply, I think the pros of ES920 over ES8 is (1) Less Weight (2) Four Virtual Technician addition ( cabinet Resonance, undamped string, etc). (3) Real time Equalizer four band EQ. (4) Better external sound system, more powerful, onko. Although the only cons I think of ES920 over ES8 yeah it is more plastic. But, since ES920 is my frst DP & only cost $1000 here (Indonesia, same island with the kawai manufacture factory) For me, I think this is more worth than P515 or ES8. I ever tried Yamaha DP it is too heavy, since I am generally not a professional pianist (self learned). Kawai action is easier to be controlled & expressive for me, to do some trill example... But I also like Yamaha grand piano sound from my old keyboard psr e313, I like Yamaha sound for pop /rock song, meanwhile kawai for classic/jazz/blues. Warm piano sound on ES920 is the closest sound tone to Yamaha grand piano from my old PSR E313 keyboard I think...
The bottom one sounds way better. The top one sounds centered, while the bottom one I feel the sound coming from both of my ears. Not sure how to explain it, but the bottom one sounds wider.
You can't regulate the weight, just the touch sensitivity. This won't change the actual weight of the action, but can create the illusion that the action is lighter.
@@ThePianoforever well that’s why I didn’t notice much of a difference! But anyways I don’t think it’s that heavy, although my Yamaha upright is definitely lighter
As a P515 owner myself, I think I prefer the Kawai sound. Action, otherwise, seems better on the P515 although I've never played on a Kawai's RH3. But the Yamaha sample is still amazing, I have no complains at all, I just prefer the tenderness of the Kawai since the P515's Bösendorfer is quite digital next to CFX.
Bought before the ES920's release. Besides, Kawai is ridiculously expensive in my country. From the P515 price I could get a... Kawai ES110! I love the CFX sound, not sure if I prefer the Kawai since I didnt play both of them, but Im very satisfied with the overall quality of the Yamaha. Plus, Im pretty sure the P515 got better action.
Secondo me il P515 è superiore,in primis la tastiera in legno,ed in seconda il suono.Personalmente penso che il "vecchio",Kawai ES8,aveva un suono veramente eccezionale da vero pianoforte e più dolce.Con il 920 hanno creato un " ibrido"fra il suono Kawai e lo Yamaha, morale....non e ne zuppa ne pan bagnato.
It’s a big shame. I used to have an ES8 and was really satisfied. These instruments are made to be stationary most of the time and should be perfectly built. The build quality is a big issue for me. I would never buy a piece of plastic for that price. I think if you spend that much money and sit in front of your instrument, you want to be happy and satisfied also with looks. Good build quality is also important for reselling. It’s just more durable. I do love the Kawai sound more than the Yamaha. I think it will be a choice between the MP7se and the P515.
