Kawai ES120<\/h3>\n
Premium Price, Disappointing Sound<\/p>\n
Kawai's portable digital piano features the SK-EX concert grand sampling and Responsive Hammer Compact action. On paper it looks compelling, but the sound quality falls short of what the Yamaha P-225 delivers at a significantly lower price.<\/p>\n
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- 88 Responsive Hammer Compact keys<\/li>\n
- SK-EX concert grand sound<\/li>\n
- Bluetooth Audio + MIDI<\/li>\n
- 192-note polyphony<\/li>\n
- 20W speaker system<\/li>\n
- 100 drum rhythms<\/li>\n
- Line-out jacks<\/li>\n
- 25 voices<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n \n Check Current Price\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n \nQuick Summary<\/div>\n\n\n \n
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\n <\/a>\n Check Price on Amazon →<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\nThe Kawai ES120<\/strong> (~$949) has Kawai’s SK-EX concert grand sampling, Bluetooth Audio + MIDI, and line-out jacks. But after spending more time with it alongside competing instruments, I can’t recommend it. The sound quality doesn’t live up to the price – the Yamaha P-225<\/a> ($699) sounds better for $200 less, and the key action doesn’t justify the premium either. There are better ways to spend $949.
\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \nI wanted to love the Kawai ES120. Kawai makes some of the finest acoustic pianos in the world, and the idea of getting their SK-EX concert grand sound in a portable package for under $1,000 was exciting. But after spending real time with this instrument and comparing it directly against the competition, I have to be honest: it doesn’t deliver.<\/p>\n
Sound Quality – The Letdown<\/h2>\n
The SK-EX sampling sounds good in isolation. Play it without comparing it to anything else and you’ll think you’ve got a nice piano. But put it next to a Yamaha P-225 – a piano that costs $200 less – and the gap becomes clear.<\/p>\n
The P-225’s CFX sampling with VRM Lite modeling produces a more natural, more detailed, more convincing piano sound. The overtones ring more realistically, the dynamics respond more musically, and the overall character is simply more like sitting at a real piano. The ES120’s SK-EX sounds flatter and less alive by comparison.<\/p>\n
For a piano that costs $949 and hangs its hat on sound quality, that’s a problem. If the Yamaha P-225 didn’t exist, the ES120 would be easier to recommend. But the P-225 does exist, it sounds better, and it costs $200 less.<\/p>\n
The remaining 24 voices are adequate at best – basic electric pianos, organs, and strings that you’ll try once and forget about.<\/p>\n
Key Action<\/h2>\n
The Responsive Hammer Compact (RHC) action is decent but unremarkable. It’s a spring-less design with graded weighting – heavier in the bass, lighter in the treble – and a natural, slightly cushioned feel at the bottom of the keystroke.<\/p>\n
It handles the basics well: consistent key response, reasonable dynamic control, and smooth return. But at $949, you’d expect something more. There’s no escapement simulation and no textured key surfaces. The action does the job without doing anything special.<\/p>\n
For $699, the Yamaha P-225’s GHC action feels equally competent and sits at a more natural weight for developing proper technique. The ES120’s RHC doesn’t feel $200 better.<\/p>\n
Features and Connectivity<\/h2>\n
The feature set is where the ES120 has some genuine bright spots:<\/p>\n
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- Bluetooth Audio + MIDI:<\/strong> Full wireless connectivity. Well implemented.<\/li>\n
- Line-out jacks:<\/strong> The ES120’s best differentiator. 1\/4″ connections for external speakers or PA systems – something the Yamaha P-225 lacks. If you gig regularly, this matters.<\/li>\n
- 192-note polyphony:<\/strong> Handles sustain-heavy repertoire without note dropout.<\/li>\n
- 100 drum rhythms:<\/strong> A nice practice feature – more engaging than a metronome click.<\/li>\n
- Adjustable touch sensitivity and voicing:<\/strong> Fine-tune the response to your preference.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
But 25 total voices is thin, there’s no onboard recording, and the minimal interface doesn’t offer much. The line-out jacks are genuinely useful if you need them, but they’re not enough to justify the price gap over better-sounding alternatives.<\/p>\n
Build Quality<\/h2>\n
Kawai’s build quality is solid. The ES120 feels well-assembled at approximately 26 lbs. The design is clean and professional – no complaints here. But build quality alone doesn’t make a piano worth buying.<\/p>\n
Who Should Consider It<\/h2>\n
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- Gigging musicians who need line-out jacks.<\/strong> If 1\/4″ line-outs are essential for your setup, the ES120 has them and many competitors don’t.<\/li>\n
- Die-hard Kawai fans.<\/strong> If you know and love the Kawai voicing from acoustic pianos, you may prefer the SK-EX character over Yamaha’s CFX.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Better Alternatives<\/h2>\n
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- Yamaha P-225<\/a> ($699):<\/strong> Better piano sound, comparable action, $200 cheaper. This is what I recommend instead.<\/li>\n
- Casio PX-S1100<\/a> ($649):<\/strong> If portability matters, the PX-S1100 is dramatically slimmer and lighter for $300 less.<\/li>\n
- Yamaha P-525 (~$1,800):<\/strong> If you can stretch the budget, the P-525 has GrandTouch-S wooden keys, VRM, and binaural sampling – a genuinely premium instrument.<\/li>\n
- Yamaha P-S500 (~$1,599):<\/strong> VRM with binaural sampling and Stream Lights learning system. A better use of $1,500+ than stretching for the ES120.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n\n👍 What We Like<\/div>\n- \n
- Line-out jacks for PA systems and external speakers<\/li>\n
- Bluetooth Audio + MIDI both included<\/li>\n
- 100 drum rhythms for practice variety<\/li>\n
- Solid build quality at 26 lbs<\/li>\n
- Spring-less RHC action feels natural<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n👎 What Could Be Better<\/div>\n
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- Sound quality doesn't justify the $949 price<\/li>\n
- Yamaha P-225 sounds better for $200 less<\/li>\n
- RHC key action lacks escapement and textured keys<\/li>\n
- Only 25 voices<\/li>\n
- Back-firing speakers are surface-dependent<\/li>\n
- Minimal interface with limited controls<\/li>\n
- Not enough improvement over $500-750 alternatives<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
How It Compares<\/h2>\n
- Casio PX-S1100<\/a> ($649):<\/strong> If portability matters, the PX-S1100 is dramatically slimmer and lighter for $300 less.<\/li>\n
- Die-hard Kawai fans.<\/strong> If you know and love the Kawai voicing from acoustic pianos, you may prefer the SK-EX character over Yamaha’s CFX.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Line-out jacks:<\/strong> The ES120’s best differentiator. 1\/4″ connections for external speakers or PA systems – something the Yamaha P-225 lacks. If you gig regularly, this matters.<\/li>\n
- Bluetooth Audio + MIDI:<\/strong> Full wireless connectivity. Well implemented.<\/li>\n