Kawai CA401 Digital Piano

Product Description

Kawai’s Concert Artist line has been internationally-acclaimed for its innovation over the years. With each new generation of CA models, Kawai continues to push the boundaries and expectations of what one can expect from a digital piano. The combination of high-fidelity samples of Kawai’s finest grand pianos and all-wooden key actions make the CA models some of the best performing digital pianos on the market.

While the Kawai CA401 possesses many of the impressive features of the higher-end Concert Artist models, its musical offering is more streamlined and directed towards the overall playing experience. If you are looking for a console piano that has hundreds of built-in sounds and can double as a workstation, the Kawai CA401 is not it. It is highly-focused in its intent, which makes it an excellent value purchase for customers that simply want the best possible piano experience without all of the extra bells and whistles.

Despite being the entry-point into the Concert Artist line, the Kawai CA401 features the all-wooden key Grand Feel Compact option, which is also used in the CA501 model, and two amazing grand piano sample sets in the SK-EX Competition Grand and SK-EX Concert Grand samples. This provides players with two equally-beautiful-but-contrasting sounds. The SK-EX Concert Grand sound, a remnant from the CA401’s predecessor (CA49), is quite warm and rich. On the other hand, the new SK-EX Competition Grand is bright and clear, which is perfect for vibrant and lively repertoire.

While the addition of the SK-EX Competition Grand is the most notable update, the Kawai CA401 has a plethora of other significant updates. A redesigned speaker system, an improved control panel with an OLED graphic display, and the inclusion of Bluetooth audio make the Kawai CA401 a meaningful step up from the CA49. If you are looking for one of the most affordable all-wooden key console digital pianos with the best value, the Kawai CA401 is certainly worth consideration.

 

Key Action

For the CA401, Kawai has stuck with the Grand Feel Compact action that was utilized on the CA49 and CA59 models. While it has a shorter pivot length than the Grand Feel III action of the CA701 and CA901 models, it is a full 88 wooden key action with escapement. Given its pivot length, most players find it to be more akin to the feel of a baby grand piano rather than a semi-concert or concert grand, which may very well be the preference for those that are accustomed to playing pianos of that size. It is an impressive offering from Kawai, especially at this price point, and the level of authenticity from the touch is quite high.

Another notable detail about the Kawai CA401 is that it has triple sensor detection. This ensures that even the subtlest of performance details and nuances are captured and accurately rendered. This also makes the Kawai CA401 a viable choice for MIDI control in situations where a player is looking to avoid a separate MIDI controller in order to access piano VSTs and other virtual instruments. The default touch curve setting is excellent, but it can be adjusted to suit the preferences of the player.

 

Sound Engine

The CA401’s piano and instrument sounds are generated from Kawai’s Progressive Harmonic Imaging, which is their lower-mid tier engine. The core piano sounds are still stereo-sampled recreations of the remarkable Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand, but they do not have the same degree of detail as the piano sounds from the Harmonic Imaging XL and SK-EX Rendering engines found on the higher-end models within the line. Nonetheless, the piano tone is very satisfying and rewarding to play.

One of the biggest selling points of this new model has to be the inclusion of the brand new SK-EX Competition Grand samples. Most Kawai aficionados still gush over the older SK-EX Concert Grand samples, which are still included, for their warmth and authenticity. However, for players that found the CA49’s core piano sound to be too dark, the SK-EX Competition Grand will be a breath of fresh air. It is a bright, lively, and crystalline tone, which represents a standard concert hall voicing. Naturally, having both samples at your fingertips leads to a best of both worlds scenario.

The Kawai CA401 is definitely more streamlined in terms of its onboard sounds, features, and max polyphony. It includes 19 total sounds and a max polyphony of 192 notes. This is more than sufficient if the primary use of the instrument is for piano practice and playing, which is the CA401’s main target audience ultimately. The onboard Virtual Piano Artisan also offers a decent amount of customization and flexibility when it comes to the piano tones.

A 40 W 4-speaker system is what you will find on the Kawai CA401. It includes a pair of 13 cm woofers and a pair of 5 cm tweeters. Once again, this is a more modest system in comparison to the CA line’s flagship models, but plenty of power and fidelity for at-home piano playing. All-in-all, the Kawai CA401 boasts impressive sound quality considering its very affordable price.

 

Connectivity

Like the CA49 before it, the CA401 is rather barebones on the connectivity end of things. The basic necessities like a dual headphone jack (⅛“ and ¼“ respectively) and USB to Host are what is included. The CA401 has received some connectivity updates on the Bluetooth front though. In addition to Bluetooth MIDI, the CA401 also supports Bluetooth Audio, which allows users to stream and playback music from their device to the CA401’s onboard speaker system.

The CA401 is also able to be used in conjunction with Kawai’s PianoRemote and PiaBookPlayer apps. This allows users to access adjustable parameters and sheet music/lesson books conveniently from their device.

 

Notable Features

As mentioned previously, the SK-EX Competition Grand sample set is going to be the biggest talking point for most pianists that are familiar with the previous generations of the CA401 model. With that said, Kawai has also made some refinements to the cabinet. Improvements to the pedal positioning and music rest’s score support pins have been made. While these changes may seem insignificant at first, it is a testament to Kawai’s commitment to every detail of their instruments.

• Kawai’s all-wood Grand Feel Compact action with Ivory Feel key surfaces, triple sensors, let-off, and counterweights
• Grand Feel Pedal System with half-pedal damper support
• 19 total onboard sounds
• Brand new SK-EX Competition Grand samples for even more tonal choices
• Onboard Virtual Piano Artisan engine for customization of piano sounds
• 40 W 4-speaker system, which provides a rich and well-defined sound
• Two headphone jacks (⅛” + ¼”) that allow users to experience Kawai’s impressive Spatial Headphone Sound
• Updated cabinet with refined control interface, OLED display, improved pedal position, new music rest sheet music support pins, and three attractive finish options
• Bluetooth MIDI allows the CA401 to be used with Kawai’s PianoRemote and PiaBookPlayer apps
• New addition of Bluetooth Audio allows the CA401 to be used to stream and playback music through the piano’s onboard speaker system
• Extensive collections of lesson songs from Alfred, Czerny, Beyer, Burgmüller, and more
• Built-in metronome for optimal convenience
• Internal Recorder with 3 songs and approximately 10,000 notes of memory
• USB to Host allows for wired connectivity to computers, laptops, and other devices

Conclusion

For players seeking a solid wooden key action and an authentic piano sound on the tightest budget possible, the Kawai CA401 is a no-brainer. It presents one of the best cost-to-value ratios on the market in the premium console digital category. The Grand Feel Compact action is super responsive. The two SK-EX samples are impressively realistic. The overall playing experience is exceptional. If you do not require an extensive library of sounds and tons of bells and whistles, the Kawai CA401 is one of the best ways to optimize the value of your investment where it matters the most: the piano experience.

CA401 Specifications:

Width: 136 cm

Height: 91.5 cm

Depth: 48 cm

Weight: 57.5 kg

Action: Grand Feel Compact

Solid Wooden Keys: Yes

Counterweights: Yes

Triple Sensor Key Detection: Yes

Let-off Simulation: Yes

Soundboard Speaker System: No

Multi-channel Acoustic Rendering: No

88-key Stereo Sampling: Yes

Number of Sounds: 19

Interface: 128 x 128 Dots OLED

Internal Recorder: ~10,000 Notes

Bluetooth: Bluetooth MIDI + Audio

Output power: 40 W

Speakers: 13 cm x 2 (Woofers) + 5 cm x 2 (Tweeters)

Colours Available: Satin Black, Satin White, Premium Rosewood

Warranty: 5 Years