The CA-501 from Kawai is an excellently playable digital piano with a classic, classy look and excellent sound characteristics. The instrument features a weighted 88-key "Grand Feel Compact" wooden keyboard with hammer action. The Grand Feel Compact keyboard's key length is longer than other digital piano keyboards; the keys themselves are made of wood. Like a real grand piano, each key moves smoothly on a balance beam. When a key is struck, a weighted hammer moves upward. Precise 3-sensor technology in the keys creates optimal repetition and allows for nuanced playing. The white keys are equipped with ivory-like coatings (Ivory Touch), giving the player a more grippy surface and significantly reducing slippage.

Sounds & Recording

The digital sound generation provides a total of 45 first-class sounds, including sounds from the top-class models Shigeru Kawai EX Competition, Shigeru Kawai SK-5 and Kawai EX. Using a sophisticated Harmonic Imaging XL sampling process, all 88 keys of these extraordinary instruments were carefully recorded, analyzed and made playable in this perfection. In this way it was possible to bring out the special characteristics of these concert grand pianos in detail and to create an excellent sound image. Due to the 256 voices, the CA-501 is fully polyphonic playable, which is also positively noticeable when playing together in pairs. For the recording function, you primarily have two options: recording is done as an audio file in MP3 or WAV format on a separately available USB stick or in note form in the internal memory. The latter has a capacity of about 90,000 notes and manages ten songs that can be two-track. This is useful to check yourself, but also to replace the third and fourth hand on the instrument.