Kawai's New Mid-Range ES Series Keyboard - ES520 Review 

If you would like me to compare the ES520 to other ES series Kawai keyboards let me know the model that you would like to see compared to the 520 (es110 or es920).

I don't often comment on youtube videos but man your youtube channel is such a gift. Your reviews are the best I've ever seen on music products! Keep the good work! So glad you could cover the 920 and 520

Wow! First white keyboard review! Awesome!🎹🎶

Great review. I've had the ES520 for a week now and really enjoying it. Good to hear your thoughts on it. Upgraded from a P115. My budget wouldn't allow for the ES920, however I'm not at all disappointed with this.

The piano sample on Kawais looks all the same, which is great to whoever wants to get one (lower or higher level). The difference is the action. If you play the MP11 SE and then the ES8 you can really sense that the experience is different. Anyway, all Kawai Digital Pianos are very nice and will be suitable for a student or for gigging. Thanks for these amazing videos, James.

Found your channel today from the bamboo sax vid. I don't play piano, or know squat about em. Still subscribing. You play really well! lol

Excellent video, thanks James! ES520 sounds beautiful. I would like to know if it is worth paying extra for this one instead of the ES110 in terms of piano sound. The light action doesn't bother me, actually I prefer it slightly.

Rather splendid review / demo !

Also I am truly grateful to you for your honest review about Casio PX1000, Thanks

Absolutely love your reviews 💯

An incredible review and an incredible piano. I have to choose a new stage piano and idk which one really to choose between models as this one, Roland FP90X, Yamaha P-515... That would be an incredible review: comparing that trio, as a suggestion. I'm sure that many people have the same issue as me hahah.

It's cool... The keys seem to jump back to position! It looks quite noisier than my Korg B2, but it's a very different action, of course... BTW, if you ever have the chance to pick up one, I think you'll be pleased... (it's in the Yamaha p-125, Roland fp-10, Casio CS100 league, but cheaper) Keep up the great job!

You are getting funnier (in the most positive sense). :)

Thank you for all your efforts. I hope you do a full review of korg grandstage 88 as well.

That's beautiful James, thank you. 3 of my children are getting new keyboards. Could you review these please, my daughter wants to get the Roland fp60x, my son wants the Yamaha DGX670 and the youngest doesn't know what he wants. what do you recommend the third keyboard be? under $1200 please. They are young and play quite well, their teacher says the 9 year old is a prodigy. They don't have RU-vid yet, but they watch your channel via my account all the time and they love you. Thank you for inspiring them! You are parent approved! :D

Merci ! 😃 Another great review ! Bravo ! 😃

James do you have an opinion on the ES520 vs the P515?

Hello James, In your ES920 review, when you flexed the front of the piano, you said that you can touch the front of the keys. How about on the ES520, do you also touch the keys when you flex the front? Thank you and I really enjoy all of your piano reviews.

I own a M-Audio hammer88 & pro-keys 88sx. I would love to see you do a in depth video review on the Hammer88 or the pro-keys 88sx . I appreciate all of your in depth reviews you do for all levels of players

Thanks so much, been waiting for your reviews of the the Kawai ES series, and as others have already mentioned possibly the new Roland FP30, 60 & 90x.

what a legend he just starts playing minecraft music xD 30:00

Still waiting for ES8 vs ES920; before you sell ES8.

Sounds good.

OK, weird comment: can you imagine if you brought this back in time to a piano scholar of say the 1500s? Such a person would think it's either magic or that person would think the future MUST be an incredible grand place to live. Like I said "weird comment" lol

The playing at 7:57 is that speaker sound or Line out? This is my first video of you that I watch, but so far this seems like a great genuine review

In my head I try to see/hear the difference between this one and the E10. And maybe this one is even better. Not completely sure. I don’t know if you’re going to do some comparison but I am interested in the difference between this one and the E10. In whole I like it. It got the same problem as a lot other keyboards in that when you change to another sound the new sound starts or the better the new echo starts. That’s a pity but not a major point. I still think that almost all keyboards are lacking organs. But that personal and this one is no exception on that. That said it’s a pretty keyboard with a good sound. You are right about the white being nice btw. Oh maybe a comparison with my favorite the p515? That would be nice. Thank you for sharing, playing and fiddling. It’s fun to see you fiddling. Really like it.

30:15 I THOUGHT I WAS HALLUCINATING. You're awesome

Good contender to the yam P515

Thanks James. I read that when you record on the ES920 you can save an mp3 to a memory stick. However the ES520 will only save a midi file. Fine for playing back on the ES520, but only usable with Logic, Cubase or similar music software

Great review! Thanks. What are the build-in speakers like in terms of quality and volume? It’s not really mentioned in the review. They are supposedly developed by onkyo.

Thank you for the review. What is your overall take on the ES520 vs the ES8? If you were to choose between these, which one will you buy based on the sound and the action?

Hello JPS, thanks for all your reviews! :-) Can you please review the Nord Piano 4, especially with respect to the action and the dynamics?

nice playing and review as usual :) I'm just torn apart between Es520 vs used ES8 and used or New MP7SE. MP7SE is only 350 euros extra. On the other hand i'm a intermediate player and use it only for home use. I just love the SK sounds and hence i'm checking the Kawai models with SK sounds. What would you propose out of the above 3?

Hi, I want to say that the music you use to test the treble of the pianos is amazing! Is it your original composition? Is its sheet music available for purchase? Thank you

Is there sheet music for your treble test piece? I really love that melody again and again in every of your videos. Thanks for your excellent reviews.

Hello, I am a early-intermediate player and I am thinking of buying my first digital keyboard and pondering whether I should go for ES520 or ES110. ES920 is unfortunately too expensive for me but I could step up to the price point of ES520 if it's worth the extra cash. The action feel is most important factor for me (that it's close to a real acoustic piano feel), and then I also need it to work as a midi controller with an audio interface in my computer since I also tend to compose a lot of music with vst/libraries and samples with it. What would you recommend? Thanks in advance.

This one looks and sounds great! One question though, can i stream audio via bluetooth and play the piano along with the streamed audio?

can i get your input on this. Looking at getting either the fp30 or es110. now that the fp30x has proper line outputs would you still recomend the es110 over the fp30.

Ok this is driving me crazy, what song are you playing at 07:35 ? Also, I ordered an es520 today based on this review, so thanks!

ThePianoforever, Would you consider doing a video of the Yamaha DGX660 keyboard?

Thank you :)

I could see a use for the transpose down an octave on that church organ to replicate those really huge pipes in the bass register.

What piano model from what company would be better for Chopin Nocturnes ? Roland Kawai and Yamaha for around 1000$ ( DGX 670 and ES520 included ofc)

Hi! Will you do a review of the Kawai mp7se? I saw your video on the mp11se and I am very interested to hear your opinion on the mp7se (I think here there are many interested people beyond me)

Am looking for a good portable piano but without all these crazy sounds and gimmicks - just a very good piano sound and touch. What would you (or vieweres) recommend?

@thepianoforever Hey James, I was curious about the A-B recording feature, you mentioned it in your ES920 video, but it's not there I checked twice :) I was hoping it would be here. Nope. If you decide to do a video on that, it would be nice. thank you :)

You should do a review on the nord grand piano

Hello, thinking in a future change to acoustic piano, what time frame could be expected to adapt the playing to the acoustic? What difference could make learn in a light action like the ES110 or ES520 compared to the heavier action of the FP30X (assuming it have the same weight than FP30)? Which action from the 3 mentioned could be better for a 5 years old kid? Thanks in advance for the answers.

Can we get a full Korg D1 review?

Amazing like always... Do you think that the money for es920 justified considering the action noise, by the way just for home use... Or do you think a kawai ca79 though the double price would a better choice for long term... Thank you in advance

Thank you very much for your excellent in-depth reviews. I know you've surely been asked many many times before, but, can you make some recommendations for me? I'm looking for a quality digital piano that will be reliable for a long time. I intend to learn primarily classical music. I'm not an absolute beginner, but, not intermediate level either. Do you have a video where you make recommendations. I want something simple, reliable, amazing key action, and excellent sound. As for price range, not sure yet. Any help you can provide is appreciated, thanks.

Why do you have to buy these pianos? Shouldn't they send them for free for review?

Hi ThePianoforever great work for piano lovers .I have a lot of confidence in you. Kawai ES520 or Kawai es110 ? please choose for me,??? thank you very much greetings from Portugal,

what is the name of the first song? so beautiful.

Do you teach piano? Or can you recommend a method, if one can't have a private teacher?

Can you record something and then play over it?

7:04 What is that clicking noise there?

Your reviews are completely addictive. But there is one question bugging me: how many years can you expect to use one of these digital pianos, and is there a difference in durability between one firm and another, or between a cheap model and an expensive one? Obviously for a new model this an idiotic question, but less so for something like ES110, Yamaha P-125 or Roland FP-30 that has been around several years. This is similar but not really the same as what James calls "build quality", which seems to be more like "if I drop this instrument down a flight of stairs will it still be playable?" - my question is like counting how much maintenance a car needs at 100 000 km, James' is more like a crash test. Or you could say: "is this thing more like an acoustic piano (still playable in 100 years if maintained), or more like a smartphone (guaranteed to be junk in 5 years time)?" For instance I saw a customer review by a music teacher saying he recommended the Kawai ES 110, and he used one himself for teaching, but he had to get a new one every 3 years or so. Now I don't think I could put in even a quarter as many hours per week as a professional teacher, but do we know eg a keyboard he could go on using for 10 years instead of 3? In general, if a 500 $ keyboard lasts 3 years and a 1000 $ one lasts 30 years, then it's false economy to buy the 500 $ one [EDIT] (assuming you can get hold of the extra 500 $ of course)... but if a 3000 $ piano goes to pieces in 3 years, same as the 500 $ one, then it's not such a good buy.

It doesn't fold up