Kawai CA701From real comments

Verdict distilled from 42 mentions across 12 aspects in comments under product review videos.

Positive sentiment63%
PROS 63%
CONS 37%

Rank based on 42 mentions across 12 aspects

View the verdict as

Buy this if...

  • You mostly play with headphones and want a natural, high-quality piano sound
  • You want a light, fast wooden-key action for expressive classical playing
  • You're comparing similarly priced Yamaha, Roland or Casio models and want superior touch and tone for the money

What users love

Skip this if...

  • You need loud, room-filling sound from the built-in speakers without added external speakers
  • You require a heavier, more resistant action for advanced classical diploma-level technique
  • You want to avoid any risk of key clicking/sticking or speaker defects needing warranty repair

What users complain about

Compare in seconds

Based on user comments

Best choice
1Mid
Articulate soundGreat with extended-range guitarsStrong overall tone qualityPrice concerns
Articulate sound
Great with extended-range guitars
Strong overall tone quality
Price concerns
2Premium
Musical analog toneLong-term reliability and board loyaltySimple, intuitive controlsHigh price pointCheaper alternatives seen as comparableDistortion at high settings
Musical analog tone
Long-term reliability and board loyalty
Simple, intuitive controls
High price point
Cheaper alternatives seen as comparable
Distortion at high settings
3Premium
Touch-sensitive dynamicsLong-term favorite / durability of appealSweet, low-gain tone qualityHigh price versus clonesDeluxe loses some original characterLimited mid control
Touch-sensitive dynamics
Long-term favorite / durability of appeal
Sweet, low-gain tone quality
High price versus clones
Deluxe loses some original character
Limited mid control
Best value
4Mid
Exceptional versatilityNatural, amp-like tonePowerful 3-band EQDemo videos undersell the pedalNoticeable noise floorVolume drop when engaged
Exceptional versatility
Natural, amp-like tone
Powerful 3-band EQ
Demo videos undersell the pedal
Noticeable noise floor
Volume drop when engaged
5Premium
Exceptional reverb qualityHigh-quality warm pitch shiftingStrong aspirational appealHigh priceCheaper alternatives may sufficeEffect can feel like it plays for you
Exceptional reverb quality
High-quality warm pitch shifting
Strong aspirational appeal
High price
Cheaper alternatives may suffice
Effect can feel like it plays for you
6Premium
Authentic amp-like toneExcellent low-to-mid gain driveUnderrated favorite among ownersHigh price pointLimited gain-staging flexibilityNo built-in reverb
Authentic amp-like tone
Excellent low-to-mid gain drive
Underrated favorite among owners
High price point
Limited gain-staging flexibility
No built-in reverb
7Premium
Iconic, powerful kick drumWarmer, more alive analog characterCultural and historical influenceExtremely high collector priceAnalog noise and static requiring EQReliability concerns of aging hardware
Iconic, powerful kick drum
Warmer, more alive analog character
Cultural and historical influence
Extremely high collector price
Analog noise and static requiring EQ
Reliability concerns of aging hardware
8Premium
Inspiring and addictive to playWarm, fat analog toneStrong DAW/VST editor integrationHigh price for what it offersLimited versatility outside bass rangeNeeds effects/partner gear to shine
Inspiring and addictive to play
Warm, fat analog tone
Strong DAW/VST editor integration
High price for what it offers
Limited versatility outside bass range
Needs effects/partner gear to shine
9
Klon Centaur-style toneConvincing demo influenced purchaseExcellent clean boostNot suited for metal tones
Klon Centaur-style tone
Convincing demo influenced purchase
Excellent clean boost
Not suited for metal tones
10Mid
Transparent toneVersatile across genresWorks well across many guitar typesTwo-channel routing complexityDry signal bleed-throughInconsistent demo impressions
Transparent tone
Versatile across genres
Works well across many guitar types
Two-channel routing complexity
Dry signal bleed-through
Inconsistent demo impressions
You are here
31Mid
Kawai CA701
Natural, expressive actionExcellent headphone sound experienceHigh-quality SK-EX piano samplesKey clicking and sticky key issuesMuffled or boxy built-in speaker soundAction too light for advanced technique
Kawai CA701
Natural, expressive action
Excellent headphone sound experience
High-quality SK-EX piano samples
Key clicking and sticky key issues
Muffled or boxy built-in speaker sound
Action too light for advanced technique

Who wins on what

Ranked by what users actually praise

Overall Impression

The Grand Feel III action and new piano samples impress most players. Multiple owners and shoppers describe the wooden-key action as light, fast, and superior to competitors like Roland LX6/GP-6 and Casio GP-310/GP-510, even citing longer key levers than typical digital actions. The SK-EX Rendering and Competition Grand samples are frequently singled out as beautiful, especially through headphones and internal recordings, though a few advanced players felt the touch too light for serious classical technique compared to an acoustic grand.

Built-in speaker performance divides owners, with many favoring headphones instead. Several users call the onboard speakers muffled, boxed-in, or underpowered, especially in the midrange, and one added external studio monitors for more power. Others found the sound fine or good depending on room and volume needs. Because speakers face backward, some note it can't be pushed flush against a wall like a typical upright, and volume-sensitive players wonder how it compares to acoustic loudness.

Build quality complaints surface repeatedly around keys and speakers. Multiple comments describe clicking, crunchy, or sticky keys, sometimes recurring after repair, plus reports of faulty or buzzing speakers needing replacement. A GrandFeel III mechanical key-click issue is noted as unrelated to settings or misuse. Despite this, most affected owners still praise the piano's sound and consider Kawai's warranty support adequate, though repair wait times were sometimes long.

Outdated / Not-accurate data?