Kawai CA701 Premium Digital Piano

Product Description

Product Overview

The Concert Artist line has long been regarded as one of the best digital piano lines in the market. The latest instalments into the line, the CA701 and CA901, live up to and, possibly, even surpass this lofty reputation. Kawai’s most cutting-edge digital piano technology is reserved for this series, which leads to one of the most authentic and rewarding playing experiences one will find in a purely digital package.

In essence, the CA701 is a more streamlined and affordable version of its big brother, the CA901. While the CA701 does not feature the TwinDrive Soundboard Speaker System, it does share the vast majority of the CA901’s top-of-the-line features, including the all wood Grand Feel III action, Harmonic Imaging XL tone engine, SK-EX Rendering, and full-colour LCD display screen, which is embedded on the piano’s cheek block. This amalgamation of features offers a truly transformative playing experience that will make you forget you’re playing a digital piano.

The beautiful sound and feel of the CA701 is complimented with a stunning, brand new cabinet design. Convenient features like a 6-position music rest and music score support pins makes the CA701 an excellent musical companion for at home practice. Four premium finishes, including satin black, satin white, rosewood, and ebony polish, ensure that players have the perfect look to match the aesthetic of their home. 

Action

Kawai’s Grand Feel III action has been the benchmark within the digital piano market for a number of years now. With an extra-long grand piano pivot length, 100% wooden keyboard, grade-weighted hammers, triple sensors, simulated ivory and ebony key surfaces, and let-off simulation, the GFIII action provides one of the closest experiences you will find to an acoustic piano without making the jump to a hybrid digital piano.

Simply put, the GFIII action even manages to outplay the vast majority of entry and lower-mid level upright acoustic pianos. The extra-long pivot length in particular grants the player with a range of control and expressivity that is sufficient to track every performance nuance and detail of even the most demanding repertoire. With that said, for players seeking a top, industry-leading action with the best cost-to-value ratio, it is difficult to find a better option than the CA701 and its GFIII action. 

Sound Engine

The heart of the CA701’s piano sound is the amazing Shigeru Kawai SK-EX 9’ concert grand. This captivating piano is brought to life through the CA701’s Harmonic Imaging XL and SK-EX Rendering tone engines. Multi-channel samples and Resonance Modeling are used to provide one of the most authentic and nuanced recreations of Japan’s “premier piano.” 

While the CA701 still possesses the tried, tested, and true SK-EX Concert Grand samples, the model is updated with impressive SK-EX Competition Grand samples, which capture the beauty of the latest generation of Kawai’s flagship concert grand: the SK-EX-L model. The powerful tone of the SK-EX Competition Grand sample set is brighter and clearer than the warmer voice of the older SK-EX Concert Grand samples. This combination of sample sets offers a “best of both worlds” situation where players can choose between two distinctive piano sounds to select the most appropriate tonal profile for a specific piece of repertoire.

In addition to the five rendering characters of each SK-EX sample set, the Harmonic Imaging XL tone engine offers an additional 96 instrument tones with a max polyphony of 256 notes. A healthy offering of reverbs and other effects allow for a wide spectrum of sounds. 

The CA701’s grand piano and other instrument sounds are projected through an improved 6-speaker array, which includes a pair of 13 cm woofers, a pair of 5 cm tweeters, and a pair of 8 cm x 12 cm top speakers with diffusers. The lower frequencies are delivered through the CA701’s underside, while the mid and high frequencies are projected outwards through the top speakers and front-facing tweeters. The result of this sophisticated system is a broad and balanced sound-field that surpasses the expectations one might have of a digital instrument.

Connectivity

Bluetooth MIDI and audio capabilities are complemented with an array of physical connectivity options, including ⅛ inch and ¼ inch stereo headphone jacks, ¼ inch mono/stereo line outs, a volume adjustable ⅛ inch stereo line in, USB to Host, and USB to Device. The CA701’s USB Audio Recorder is notably capable of overdubbing and line-in recording.

The CA701 can also be paired with Kawai’s PianoRemote and PiaBookPlayer apps, which provide convenient access to adjustable tone parameters and music scores respectively. Furthermore, Bluetooth audio allows the CA701’s powerful speaker system to double as a high-fidelity home stereo system. 

Notable Features

While the main talking points about CA701 are often centred around its core piano experience, make no mistake; the CA701 is fully-equipped with a range of onboard features and functions. From a built-in recorder to the Virtual Piano Artisan engine, the CA701 is an incredibly-versatile instrument.

• Kawai’s industry-leading all wood Grand Feel III action with Ivory Feel and Ebony Feel key surfaces, triple sensors, let-off, and counterweights
• Grand Feel Pedal System with half-pedal support and sostenuto 
• Newly developed SK-EX Competition Grand samples for even more tonal options
• Onboard Virtual Piano Artisan engine with 20 adjustable parameters
• Powerful 110 W 6-speaker system, which provides robust and balanced tone
• Two headphone ports that allow users to experience Kawai’s cutting-edge Spatial Headphone Sound
• Updated cabinet with 5” cheekblock-embedded LCD touchscreen, sliding key cover, collapsible music rest with six angle adjustments, and four premium finish options
• Bluetooth MIDI allows the CA701 to be used in conjunction with Kawai’s PianoRemote and PiaBookPlayer apps
• Bluetooth audio allows the CA701 to double as a high-fidelity home speaker system
• 13 collections of lesson songs from Alfred, Czerny, Beyer, Burgmüller, and more
• 176 Concert Magic songs, 39 demo songs, and 29/42 (depending on market) piano songs
• Built-in metronome and 100 drum rhythm patterns
• Internal Recorder with 10 songs, 2 parts, and 90,000 notes of memory
• USB Audio Recorder with MP3/WAV recording and MP3/WAV/SMF playback
• USB to Host and USB to Device connectivity 

Conclusion

The Kawai CA701 is the ideal solution for a pianist seeking excellent tone, touch, and a top-level playing experience within a digital package. While the flagship CA901’s TwinDrive Soundboard Speaker System may deliver a richer and more nuanced sonic experience, the CA701 is the obvious choice for high-level players that will be practicing predominantly with headphones. With that said, the CA701’s sophisticated 6-speaker system definitely holds its own for those looking to fill a room with their musical performance. 

Specifications