Kawai CN201From real comments

Verdict distilled from 23 mentions across 11 aspects in comments under product review videos.

Positive sentiment53%
PROS 53%
CONS 47%

Rank based on 23 mentions across 11 aspects

View the verdict as

Buy this if...

  • You want Kawai's praised tone and ivory-feel key action on a budget
  • You have limited space and prefer the CN201's more compact footprint over the CN301
  • You value Bluetooth connectivity and a complete package including a stool

What users love

Skip this if...

  • You need extensive built-in sound samples or easy USB file transfer
  • You dislike DIY flat-pack assembly or worry about particle-board stand durability
  • You need high polyphony for heavy sound layering beyond 192 notes

What users complain about

Compare in seconds

Based on user comments

Best choice
1Mid
Mad Professor Fire Red Fuzz
Articulate soundGreat with extended-range guitarsStrong overall tone qualityPrice concerns
Mad Professor Fire Red Fuzz
Articulate sound
Great with extended-range guitars
Strong overall tone quality
Price concerns
2Premium
Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay
Musical analog toneLong-term reliability and board loyaltySimple, intuitive controlsHigh price pointCheaper alternatives seen as comparableDistortion at high settings
Mad Professor Deep Blue Delay
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
Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive
Touch-sensitive dynamicsLong-term favorite / durability of appealSweet, low-gain tone qualityHigh price versus clonesDeluxe loses some original characterLimited mid control
Mad Professor Sweet Honey Overdrive
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
MXR Super Badass Distortion
Exceptional versatilityNatural, amp-like tonePowerful 3-band EQDemo videos undersell the pedalNoticeable noise floorVolume drop when engaged
MXR Super Badass Distortion
Exceptional versatility
Natural, amp-like tone
Powerful 3-band EQ
Demo videos undersell the pedal
Noticeable noise floor
Volume drop when engaged
5Premium
Eventide Orville
Exceptional reverb qualityHigh-quality warm pitch shiftingStrong aspirational appealHigh priceCheaper alternatives may sufficeEffect can feel like it plays for you
Eventide Orville
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
Origin Effects Deluxe61
Authentic amp-like toneExcellent low-to-mid gain driveUnderrated favorite among ownersHigh price pointLimited gain-staging flexibilityNo built-in reverb
Origin Effects Deluxe61
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
Roland TR-808
Iconic, powerful kick drumWarmer, more alive analog characterCultural and historical influenceExtremely high collector priceAnalog noise and static requiring EQReliability concerns of aging hardware
Roland TR-808
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
Moog Subsequent 37
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
Moog Subsequent 37
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
Wampler Tumnus V2
Klon Centaur-style toneConvincing demo influenced purchaseExcellent clean boostNot suited for metal tones
Wampler Tumnus V2
Klon Centaur-style tone
Convincing demo influenced purchase
Excellent clean boost
Not suited for metal tones
10Mid
Wampler Paisley Drive
Transparent toneVersatile across genresWorks well across many guitar typesTwo-channel routing complexityDry signal bleed-throughInconsistent demo impressions
Wampler Paisley Drive
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 CN201
Excellent tone and audio engineeringRewarding key action with ivory feelStrong value for budget buyersApp and recording transfer issuesAssembly difficultiesInconsistent speaker sound
Kawai CN201
Excellent tone and audio engineering
Rewarding key action with ivory feel
Strong value for budget buyers
App and recording transfer issues
Assembly difficulties
Inconsistent speaker sound

Who wins on what

Ranked by what users actually praise

Overall Impression

The CN201's tone and key action consistently win over new owners. Multiple buyers single out the audio engineering as fantastic and the key action as very rewarding, with one owner saying they have zero regrets about the purchase. The ivory-feel keys were a deciding factor for at least one shopper choosing between the CN201, Roland FP-30X and RP701. However, sound quality reportedly varies depending on speaker settings, sounding phenomenal through wired headphones but different or worse without them for some users.

Buyers see the CN201 as strong value compared to Kawai's own lineup and competitors. Several commenters chose the CN201 over the KDP120 specifically for its Bluetooth and key upgrades, while others call it real value for budget buyers even though the pricier CN301 is described as more lucrative. Shoppers also weighed it against the Donner DDP-400 and Roland options after reading reviews, ultimately picking Kawai for its reputation on tone, with one calling it beautiful enough for a piano school.

Setup and software extras leave some owners with friction points. Assembly proved difficult for at least one buyer, who struggled to tighten screws without a drill, and another asked about protecting the particle-board stand from mold and humidity. On the software side, users reported bad audio quality when transferring recordings to a phone, app bugs, no USB port for file transfer, and relatively few built-in sound samples for the price, while others questioned whether 192-note polyphony is enough for heavy layering.

Outdated / Not-accurate data?