December 15, 2025 – Digital Piano Review | Best #1 Digital Piano in the USA – Voted #1 by Digital Piano Experts – There are a lot of good new digital pianos out there from the top name brand digital piano manufacturers including Yamaha, Roland, Kawai, Casio, Korg, Orla, & Dexibell. With over 100 models to choose from in various price ranges, it can be difficult sometimes to choose the best digital piano for your musical needs, cabinet design requirements, and price range.
Fortunately we are here to help you. Although we like all these top name brand digital pianos for various reasons, there is one name brand that stands out for having the “Best Bang for the Buck” when it comes to producing the #1 digital pianos in the USA for beginner piano players all the way up to very experienced advanced piano players. The brand that we have chosen which is very popular, is the Kawai piano brand.
There are some people who would say that there is no way a #1 digital piano model or brand can be selected as being the best because there are just so many options out there. Yes, there are a lot of options offered by a variety of new digital pianos, but there is no doubt that “key action” and key action movement” is the most important aspect of any digital or acoustic piano, closely followed by a realistic and resonant piano sound, and then pedaling sustain response and duration.
But the one most important thing we look for in any digital piano is the realism, response, authenticity, and build quality of the key action movement. With that in mind then we chose the Kawai brand and specific models as offereing #1 best digital pianos. When it comes to the piano playing experience, the quality and realism of the piano sound, pedaling response, and internal speaker system closely follows after the key action authenticity. What the Kawai piano company offers when it comes to their piano key actions, really impresses us. These key action movements are like no other brands in their respective price ranges.
So why don’t other top brands also offer the same things as Kawai when it comes to these piano key actions? We don’t exactly know the answer to that question, but it’s likely because Kawai has this proprietary way of producing these more advanced key actions for their digital pianos, and at an affordable cost for the consumer. It’s all about quality and realism at a cost which people can afford. The other top digital piano brands certainly produce some very nice digital pianos, but they just don’t get to the level of these special Kawai digital pianos within their price ranges, and we have played them all.
We, Tim & Erik Praskins of “AZ Piano Reviews,” are recognized piano experts all over the world and in the USA when it comes to digital pianos. We have been expert advisors and consultants online for over 15 years, and in person for over 40 years. So we definitely know what we are doing. When we vote for the #1 digital piano within its category and price range, we do it very carefully. The list below is for our chosen #1 digital pianos for 2025 through 2026 within their product categories and price ranges. Not surprisingly, they all happen to be Kawai digital pianos, and primarily for their more advanced key actions, followed by their stereo acoustic piano sounds and pedaling realism.
Although the other top well-known digital piano manufacturers such as Casio, Roland, Yamaha, Korg, Orla, and Dexibell make some fine digital pianos, for us it’s not all about the “bells & whistles,” cabinet design, or other piano features that may be important to some digital piano shoppers. For us it is all about the piano playability realism and for that piano to offer the most realistic piano playing experience as possible within its price range, and that’s where the following Kawai digital pianos come out on top.
#1 DIGITAL PIANO IN THE USA – 6 CATEGORIES
– #1 entry-level self contained home portable digital piano under $500 in the USA | Kawai ES60 | $499 internet discount price | Kawai ES60 Review
– #1 semi-pro self contained home portable digital piano between $500 and $1000 in the USA | Kawai ES120 | $949 internet discount price | Kawai ES120 Review
– #1 professional self contained home & pro portable digital piano between $1500 and $2000 in the USA | Kawai ES920 | $1949 internet discount price | Kawai ES920 Review
– #1 pro stage portable digital piano between $3500 and $4000 in the USA | Kawai MP11SE | $3699 internet discount price | Kawai MP11SE Review
– #1 mid-range home furniture cabinet digital piano between $3000 and $3500 in the USA | Kawai CA401 | $3199 internet discount price | Kawai CA401 Review
– #1 high-end upright style home furniture cabinet digital piano between $6000 and $7000 in the USA | Kawai CA901 | $6549 internet discount price | Kawai CA901 Review
Now some of you might think that we may be a bit biased in our #1 selections with the Kawai brand gaining all those top spots. It is true that the other top name brands have some compelling reasons to want to own one of their digital piano models. Maybe you might like their cabinet design better, or maybe their piano sound, or some of their proprietary digital features like interactive accompaniments, multi-track recording, USB audio streaming, etc. Or maybe you like their user interface or their controller app better.
But for us, and as we have already talked about earlier, the #1 thing we look at and concentrate on is the mechanical key action design, key action materials, implementation and key movement, operation, and real-time playability. We also love a great resonant and realistic stereo piano sound and full sustain capability with good pedal response, and a capable internal speaker system to project the piano sound correctly. All of that needs to come together because that’s why people want to own a good digital piano…to mainly play piano without all the downsides of an acoustic piano. So when you are shopping for a new digital piano in any price range, do not forget about the key action movement and build quality as being the #1 most important thing to look for.
The key action is by far the most important component of any digital piano. It is like the engine and/or transmission on a vehicle. If your car engine or transmission is not built well and does not operate smoothly and quietly, then it won’t matter how good your radio is or how quiet the interior of the car is, or what kind of impressive digital features it has on the dashboard, or the color of the upholstery you have for your seats. If your care is not enjoyable and reliable to drive because your engine and/or transmission is bad, you will regret buying and owning that vehicle. So be sure your digital piano has a great key action within its price range.
Since our focus is on the most realistic piano playing experience a person can have in different piano playing categories and price ranges, the Kawai models just happen to come out on top right now. Perhaps that will change if and when the other brands can do what Kawai is doing when it comes to a more authentic piano playing experience in these price ranges and categories. But for now Kawai has our vote for offering the most compelling piano playing experience in these 6 different categories. Kawai is also a real acoustic grand & upright piano company, so they definitely have decades of experience making popular acoustic pianos, and many accomplished piano teachers & advanced piano players own Kawai grand pianos. I personally know a number of popular piano teachers who own Kawai acoustic and digital pianos.
We have detailed reviews on all the Kawai models, and you can access those detailed reviews from the links we have on the list to those reviews for each model on the list. But to briefly sum up the compelling reasons why we have chosen these 6 Kawai digital pianos, it’s really all about the key actions and their authenticity in their price ranges and the complete piano playing experience including piano sound realism, power, organic resonances, and pedaling sustain response.
Just so you know, when we refer to a portable digital piano as “self-contained,” it means that it has its own internal speaker system and does not need to be connected to an external speaker system unless you want to do that because you are playing it in a very large room or want to increase the volume and bass response for other reasons. The piano “stand” is normally optional and at an additional cost, as is an upgraded sustain pedal, etc.
Starting with the ES60 for $499 discount price, it has a much more responsive key action by far as compared to Yamaha, Roland, Casio, and Korg in a similar price range. There is really no comparison in that way. You may like the piano sound just as much on one of the other brands. Although we do really like the resonant stereo acoustic piano sounds on the ES60, it’s the key action movement realism that puts this one over the finish line in 1st place. That key action is balanced, quiet when the keys are moving and the keys are comfortable to play.
The same thing goes for the next model up called the ES120 for $949 discount price. This more advanced key action is recommended by many accomplished piano players for its realism in this lower price range of just under $1000. Of course there are other reasons to really like this model, but again, the key action movement and realism of response is way above the other brands in this price range for a more authentic piano playing experience, and the ES120 is better than the ES60 in that way. Also, the ES120 has more advanced stereo acoustic piano sound resonation for more organic tonal range and expression.
The ES120 has more usable controls with its more intuitive user interface, as well as Bluetooth wireless connectivity for audio streaming. Yes, there are other brands and models just under $1000 that we like and they have some nice features. But no other brand has a key action like what is in the Kawai ES120. If you have not played piano before then maybe you won’t be able to recognize how good this key action really is. But as you improve in your piano playing skills, then you will realize just how good and responsive it is and how it will make you a better piano player within its price range.
The top Kawai self-contained portable digital piano is the ES920 at $1949 discount price. This model has an excellent key action which can satisfy even advanced piano players who want to be in this price range and have a very realistic piano playing experience. For this model it’s all about the key action, but it also offers beautiful acoustic stereo grand piano sounds coming through an impressive full internal speaker system which gives off an amazing amount of organic acoustic piano sound content that makes you think you’re hearing a real quality acoustic piano with authentic resonances, longer sustain-decay times, and balanced key volumes. It’s a very satisfying piano playing experience and this model is easy to use as well.
The key action in this ES920 model is so good that the well known professional stage keyboard company, by the name of Nord, licensed this very key action from Kawai to use in their Nord portable pro digital pianos that sell for well over $4000 and on up past $5000. That’s how good this key action is, that even a well known international keyboard company wanted this key action for their stage digital pianos. So when it comes to an advanced portable self-contained digital piano, this ES920 has all the important aspects of piano playing to keep you happy for a long time.
The next Kawai digital piano that takes a #1 spot in this lineup is the pro portable stage digital piano called the MP11SE at $3699 discount price. This model has been out for a number of years and hasn’t changed because it covers all the important bases for what a pro player would want to have in their home studio, or for playing on stage in a pro band, in a church, institution, or other venues. This model does not have a built-in internal speaker system which is typical of stage digital pianos & keyboards. The MP11SE has an 88-key all 100% wooden key action with extra long white keys that simulate a baby grand piano key action movement. This model just feels great to play, the key action is ultra responsive and is in a league all by itself.
The MP11SE also uses the same high-end stereo acoustic piano sounds that are found in the Kawai ES920 portable model. But the biggest claim to fame for the MP11SE is its proprietary 100% wooden key action movement with extra long white keys, and a special unique key action factory installation process that secures the keys within this model so they move correctly. No other brand has anything like this, especially in this price range, and that is why this model occupies the #1 spot for a pro stage digital piano.
The next Kawai model on our list is the CA401 at $3199 discount price. This home furniture cabinet digital piano takes the #1 spot in its category primarily because of its proprietary all-wooden key action. The CA401 has a very attractive furniture cabinet design, excellent stereo grand piano sound, and responsive “grand-feel” pedals. But its the proprietary 100% wooden key action with extra long white keys that puts it out in front of all the others in this price range. All other brands in this price range have either all plastic key actions or mostly plastic key actions with shorter white keys. The Kawai CA401 key movement feels more like a small baby grand piano as compared to an upright piano key action.
We have played this CA401 model many times and so far no other digital piano manufacturer has come close to reproducing what the Kawai CA401 key action action can do to give a person a more upgraded piano playing experience in ways that really count. Of course their are good digital piano models from Kawai and other name brands below this CA401 model in lower price ranges nearer to $2000, But because of this 100% all-wooden key action with counter-weights built into the keys, this is why the CA401 in its price range rises to the top.
Finally on our list is the top Kawai Concert Artist model called the CA901 at $6549 discount price. This top model occupies the #1 slot in its category because of it’s even better upgraded all-wood key action as compared to the CA401. This key action feels even more like a real baby grand piano with even longer white keys and a very balanced key action that allows advanced piano players to play at a higher level of expertise and experience. Not only does it have this upscale wooden key action, but it also has 2 acoustic piano type sound engines for a total of 30 different grand & upright acoustic piano reproductions using a color touch-screen user interface.
The CA901 cabinet is quite attractive and looks like a real upright piano, and it has a proprietary all wooden “soundboard” attached to the back of the piano for additional piano sound resonation using transducers to further amplify and enhance the stereo grand piano sound for a more organic piano playing experience. When you put together this upgraded proprietary wood key action by Kawai along with their unique multi-layered grand piano sounds, real acoustic soundboard resonation, Grand-feel” pedaling response, and a very attractive cabinet at a reasonable price for what you get, and then all the extra built-in “bells & whistles” that come along with it, that’s why this CA901 takes the #1 spot in this category.
Yes, there are other new digital pianos from other popular brands including Yamaha, Korg, Roland, Orla, Samick, and Dexibell that offer some very cool things in their digital pianos, and you might even prefer one of those models for certain reasons. But overall, the Kawai piano company has shown themselves the formidable competitor that they are. They don’t just “copy” what others do, but they innovate in some very important ways when it comes to giving people a better and “more realistic piano playing experience” for similar prices or even less money than the other major brands.
Kawai only produces pianos and not general consumer products or other types of music products like Yamaha, Korg, & Roland do. But that’s OK. We prefer that a piano company concentrate on what they do best…design and produce great acoustic & digital pianos at fair prices for what you get. We believe that the Kawai company has done a good job of that.
Nevertheless there are a couple of unique digital pianos out there from other brands that we like very much in their respective price ranges, and they occupy a unique place in their price ranges that the Kawai digital pianos do not really cover. One of those models is from the Korg digital piano & keyboard company of Japan and their unique model is called the Korg G1 Air at $2499.
This digital piano is in a unique compact contemporary furniture cabinet and it has a very impressive grand piano sound coming out of its powerful 80 watt 4-channel surround sound internal speaker system. This model uses Korg’s proprietary key action that they offer in their high end Korg stage digital pianos. This is not a “fancy” model with lots of “bells & whistles.” It’s really all about “piano playing” for people who mostly want to focus on that. We do recommend this model and have done a detailed review of it at the following link: Korg G1 Air Review
The other unique model that we like very much is from the popular Casio digital piano company and this home furniture cabinet model is called the PX-870. The PX-870 normally sells for $1199 but it has an instant factory rebate on it right now bringing the discount price down to just under $1000. We highly recommend this model because of the fact that it is the only furniture cabinet model in this price range that has 4 speakers built into it instead of 2 speakers like the other brands, and it has 40 watts of amplification power instead of just 16 watts of power which is what you would normally find in this price range from the other top brands.
The Casio PX-870 also has a more upgraded piano cabinet with a back privacy panel. There’s a lot of good reasons to consider this Casio model in this price range and we have done a detailed review of it at the following link: Casio PX-870 Review
By the way, we don’t work for the Kawai piano company or any other piano company and they don’t pay us for our digital piano reviews. We carefully play and compare these digital pianos to each other and to actual acoustic pianos, and then we come up with our experienced conclusions based on our years of experience. We are accomplished piano players, piano teachers, and digital piano consultants and we also work with various venues including schools, universities, churches, music studios, and families throughout the USA and the world.
Our goal is to see that you have as much musical enjoyment as possible in owning a good digital piano and experience what we have experienced in the musical lives of our families.
Finally, regardless of which digital piano you choose for your particular needs, we can also help you save money and get any of these brands & models for even LESS MONEY including no sales tax and free shipping for most items, and also the complete factory warranties that are offered by these manufacturers. Contact us before you purchase anything anywhere and see why people have trusted and ordered digital pianos from us online for over 15 years.
Please let us know if you have any questions about this review or any of the other digital piano reviews we have done and we would be happy to talk with you and answer your questions. We believe that listening to, but especially playing music on a quality musical instrument is very important for your mental, physical, and spiritual health, no matter what age you are. It is definitely worth the time & money for this kind of investment in yourself and/or your family, and it is never too late to do it.
