KAWAI CA49 – REVIEW | Wood Keys Digital Piano | BEST PRICE!

If that weren’t enough as far as the piano sound goes, Kawai also has a proprietary iOS app (iPad etc) for their digital pianos called Piano Remote app which allows the user to access all of the instrument sounds in the piano from the color touch screen of your tablet/phone device as well as modify and edit the different piano sounds on the CA49 in a way that customizes the sound for your ears as opposed to what other people may like. The modification of the piano sounds in this Piano Remote app is called the Kawai “Virtual Technician.” For instance, if you wanted to change key velocity touch response, you can do this from the app so that you can make the piano

sound respond differently if your particular finger touch is hard, or soft, or in-between. Some people do not have much strength in their fingers or maybe they pound on the keys with their fingers hard and are not subtle enough. 

By changing the key touch sensitivity in the piano you can make it so the piano comes in more quickly and loudly or comes in less quickly and loudly when striking the keys with your fingers. When you make a change for that function then it changes all 88-keys. going even further with the key touch sensitivity, the Virtual Technician app also offers “individual key volume” change rather than changing touch and volume for all keys at once. For instance, maybe your ears are sensitive to one or two particular notes on the 88 keys that seem to be a little too loud or too soft in volume for your ears, especially as compared to the notes around them. The Virtual Technician in the Piano Remote app allows the user to instantly and easily change the volume of just one, two, three, etc notes either louder or softer while all the other notes stay the same and that change can be saved as a new preset setting within internal app memory so you can have it that way or use another setting instead. 

What I am saying is that the CA49 can be customized in a variety of ways including changing pedal resonance, dynamic tone, pedal sustain rate, hammer noise, stretch tuning mode, and so much more for people who like technology, have a tablet device, and who may want to customize the piano sound for their own personal tastes besides what Kawai already has built into this piano. You can even have your customer setting be stored in the piano and come up as a default setting when the piano is powered on.  

When it comes to shopping for a new furniture cabinet digital piano, one of the things that people sometimes overlook is the 3 pedals attached to the front bottom of the piano. What I mean by “overlook” is that many people just think pedals are pretty much all the same on various digital pianos. That’s like saying the piano key action is the same or the piano sound is pretty much the same among many different digital pianos. Well nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to pedals and what they do and how they feel. The 3 pedals include (from right to left) damper/sustain, sostenuto, and soft. The soft pedal does what its

name suggests and that is when you are holding down that pedal, what ever note or notes you are playing will be heard at a softer volume. 

The soft pedal allows you to reduce volume on notes you are playing to make for more expression and feeling when you are playing a song. It allows you soften a note in that way whenever you want to or when the piece calls for it. That pedal is used more often in classical music than other types of music but for most people playing music at a beginning through intermediate recreational level, I find that the soft pedal is (overall) not used very often. The middle pedal is there to sustain (hold) a specific note or notes at any given time while all the other notes have no sustain and would be heard as staccato (short) notes. 

This pedal is used almost exclusively for classical music and in reality is seldom used any more by people playing at a recreational level. The right pedal is for sustaining any notes that would be played at any given time. This allows for the piano notes to be held for a short to longer period of time to add beauty and fullness to the sound and allow for resonances and richness of tone to occur and is used in all kinds of music by beginners through professional players. The damper/sustain pedal makes your music sound great and actually can help you sound better than you really are as well!

The CA49 does a great job with all three pedals and I was very impressed with the responsiveness of the pedals, especially the sustain-decay time of the piano notes when using the sustain pedal. In other words, the longer it takes for the piano sound to fade out when holding down the pedal while playing a note or notes, the better and more realistic the piano sound will be…like that of a real acoustic piano. The CA49 had long sustain-decay times across the keys in the lower octave range to the upper octave range. Beyond that, the damper/sustain pedal also triggered “damper resonance” which means that in a real piano when you hold the

right side damper pedal down then the strings can create more natural resonances giving you a very organic natural reverberation which is especially noticeable in the upper octaves of the keyboard. 

This is something that naturally occurs in all acoustic pianos, but in digital pianos it either is not there or if it is there is is not very noticeable. In the CA49 I found that the damper resonance effect was quite real and added a lot of ambiance to the music which gives it an added organic element that I noticed right away and was very pleased to hear it. The extra resonance came in when it was

supposed to and responded like I would expect on a real acoustic piano. The physical weight and resistance of all 3 pedals was very good and had a natural grand piano pedal feel to it with a firmer amount of weight so that when you pushed down the pedals it did not feel like those light-weight keyboard type pedals or lightweight toy-like pedals I have felt on other digital pianos. Not only that, but the pedals were fairly quiet when pressing down on them or when the pedals were coming back up. 

Although there is some mechanical noise associated with pedals on a real acoustic upright or grand piano, keeping this noise at a minimum is especially important on a digital piano because when playing a digital piano at a lower volume or with headphones the last thing you (or someone else in the room) wants to hear is  noisy pedals making clunking sounds like I have heard on many other digital pianos. So when it comes to the 3 pedals and what they do and how they work, in my opinion Kawai has done an excellent jog with this aspect of the piano.

As far as the other non-acoustic piano instrument sounds go, there are 11 of them including some impressive electric pianos, choirs, organs, strings, synthesizers, harpsichords, etc which you can access off the control panel by pushing the sound-function button and pressing a specific white or black key on the piano. Those sounds are very good and much better than on other brands of digital pianos I have played in this price range. I also like the fact that those sounds not only sound great by themselves, but they also make the acoustic piano tones sound even fuller when you layer any of them together with an acoustic piano sound or even layer 2 non-acoustic piano sounds together. 

So whether you layer acoustic piano & strings, organ & choir, acoustic piano & vintage electric piano, acoustic piano and synthesizer bells (called Atmosphere), or harpsichord & slow strings, the overall quality of those sound combinations are really great in my opinion having played them all with a variety of combinations. Whatever adds to the musical enjoyment when I play a digital piano is what I look for and this piano really does it well. There is also a new easy-to-read OLED display screen and control panel to the left of the keyboard which will display with actual words what feature/function you are selecting. 

This is a very nice change from the previous model which only had a simple LED screen with a number in it showing sound #1, #2, #3 and so on. You would have had to memorize what that sound is to know what the number means. This was true for many of the other functions as well.  Now you can get a lot more intuitive info from the control panel and screen of the CA49, so that is a welcome upgrade.

There is another way you can find the instrument sounds in the CA49, especially for the “vision impaired.” Kawai gives you two very innovative ways to more easily identify the sound and function you are using as well as to control them more intuitively including layering two sounds together at the same time. One of those sound identification functions is called Vocal Assist. The way this feature works is that when you touch and hold the sound select button and then touch specific keys on the keyboard, there is a voice in the piano that verbally tells you what function or sound you are getting when you press that key. For instance, when you press the 1st white key in the bass section, you are triggering the SK concert grand piano sound. 

The voice (sounds like a lady with a British accent) says “SK Concert Grand” so you can audibly hear what sound or feature you have selected. If you press the 2nd white key then the voice says “EX Concert Grand.” If you press the 3rd C key from the bottom then the voice says “Room Reverb,” and if you press the 3rd D key the voice says “”Lounge Reverb,” and so on. Beyond the voice assist, the piano also has a feature called Sound Preview which plays a short musical run of notes of the exact sound you have selected b y pressing a key on the keyboard so you hear the sound as well and hear a voice that says what the sound is. 

You can disable the Vocal Assist control and the Sound Preview “run of notes” control so that there is no sound when you activate a new function or sound by pressing a specific key and the sound select button at the same time. These features are very helpful for the vision impaired person who needs help identifying what function or sound they have selected or want to select.

When you want to connect your external device (such as an iPad) to the CA49 and you want to use interactive MIDI controllable apps such as Sound Museum or Virtual Technician, the Kawai CA49 has a Bluetooth wireless feature that allows you to connect your device to the CA49 without the need of a cable. This pretty cool because the connectivity is nearly instant and then you can put your iPad (or iPhone) wherever you want to and have control over the piano wirelessly and anywhere in the room you want to. Also there are many 3rd party music/piano educational apps for learning how to play the piano in the comfort of your own home and those apps can also be connected by Bluetooth wireless MIDI because the CA49 has that feature. 

There are some 3rd party education and instrument sound apps that work for both iOS and Android devices so that’s a good thing. There is only one drawback when using apps and that is the audio sound of that app (assuming it has music or some type of audio sounds in it) will not be heard through the piano. 

So you would need to find another source to send the app audio to such as an external speaker system connected to your device directly to hear audio from your phone, tablet, or computer because otherwise the internal music and sounds in the apps would only come through the device speakers which as generally not meant for good quality sound. Although having direct audio streaming through the piano speakers would have nice, that is something I can live with given what the piano is otherwise capable of doing.

The Kawai CA49 has a number of interesting and useful digital features such as layering/mixing 2 different instrument sounds together which can make the over sound experience more dramatic and musically exciting. It has a four-hand mode where two people can practice the same song at the same time playing the same notes by converting the keyboard electronically to 2 separate 44-note keyboards that act independent of one another. There is a digital metronome which is fully adjustable for tempo and time signature which is great for students and learning to stay “on the beat.” There are also functions in this piano that allow you to adjust the overall tonal quality of the sound which include reverb (adding a variety of reverberation to the sound), brilliance which allows for brightening up the sound or reducing brightness so the sound is more mellow, and 4 types of touch sensitivity control. 

Touch sensitivity control allows you to change the touch to harder, softer, medium, etc, so that when you play the keys the piano sound will come in more quickly for people who play more lightly (less finger pressure) or harder for people who have a harder touch from their fingers, and the harder setting reduces the initial attack volume so that a person with harder finger pressure won’t overpower the key volume. Kawai has also included a new EQ/tone control with 8 presets to give you a way to customize the overall tone of the piano coming through the speakers with instant preset tone settings. 

You can also record songs on the CA49 using the piano control panel and then playback to listen to how you are doing. The recording feature has just one track recording for both hands instead of 2-tracks so that you could record and playback right and left hand independently as you can on other digital pianos. I would have preferred a 2-track recorder/playback system but for many people a 1-track recorder playback feature can be enough. You can also save up to 3 recordings in memory so you can retrieve

and playback those recorded songs whenever you choose to do that. If you want to record more songs then you have to erase what was previously in the recorder and then you can record new songs. 

Also included inside this piano is a library of piano lesson songs based on the Alfred piano curriculum along with a few other more advanced piano lesson songs from other lesson methods, all totaling 5 different books of songs. This is useful and fun when combined with the actual lesson books (not included with piano) from these popular publishers that many piano teachers use. Then you can read the lesson and see the song notation while hearing it play in the CA49. You can slow down or speed up tempo while learning and even separate playback of right and left hand parts.  

This a a really cool feature and can also help with “ear training” along with keeping it more enjoyable when you are playing along. Hearing these lesson songs from the lesson books also helps give the student a better understanding of how the individual songs should go and the library of built-in songs within the CA49 is very good given the fact that no other digital piano brand near this price range offers a feature like this one.

A few other useful functions in this model would include a transpose feature allowing you to digitally change the key you are in without you having to learn the song in a new key which you may not be able to do based on your musical ability. Transpose is a great feature in allowing the player to modulate the song up or down (churches do that a lot with their music) and it’s also very useful if you or someone is singing along with you and you need to get the song into your vocal range so then you use the transpose feature to do that and it works well for that purpose. 

With regard to using headphones for private practice, the CA49 even has specific digital features to make that experience more realistic such as Spatial Headphone sound which electronically changes the sound position in your headphones which gives you the feeling the sound is coming out in a more natural way. The CA49 also has a function which optimizes your headphones so that the headphones sound more natural depending on the type of headphones you have such as “open,” “semi-open,” “closed,” “in-ear,” etc. This feature really does work and adds to the overall stereo headphone listening experience for those people who take advantage of what headphones can do for you when it comes to private practice so no-one else can hear you. 

Finally, when it comes to useful features, the CA49 has a start-up mode which allows you to save/store some of your custom settings that you’ve done which you may want to have all the time when you first power up the piano. These start-up settings would include a specific sound, reverb, sound combination, metronome beat, Piano Remote Virtual Technician settings, etc. 

I tend to use this start-up function if the piano model offers it so I find this a very useful thing to have. The Kawai CA49 offers other useful features like I have just mentioned but this should give you an idea of some of the cool things it’s able to do.

It’s definitely worth mentioning that for a number of years, on certain digital piano models, Kawai has included a special proprietary fun educational learning system for beginner students and for people who may play the piano but just want to have some added musical enjoyment. This unique system is called Concert Magic it is designed to let you play along with familiar songs that are built into the CA49, but in a way that allows for extensive rhythm and timing training while not having to play the “correct notes” for the songs to sound good. In the basic learning mode of the Concert Magic system, the student, even at very young ages, can play any key and get the correct left hand chord and right hand note of the chosen song…all by pressing one note at a time. The point is to press the key(s) in a steady constant beat beat without having to worry about playing the right note or even at the right time. 

When you can play any note on the keyboard in a constant fashion and have the song sound correct and be recognizable (hearing both left and right hand notes come out in the one key you are pressing, then that encourages you to want to play more because it sounds so good! You can also learn to play the key in the correct rhythm time so that it (the beat) comes out correctly and still not have to know the actual notes yet. This takes a bit of getting used to, but once you do its great fun and it makes even 3 year old children sound great and is fun for the entire family to hear. 

There are 40 different well known songs from different eras and music categories within the Concert Magic Music Library along with different modes of learning including Easy Beat, Melody Play, and Skillful. I have played with this Concert Magic feature a number of times and I always have fun doing it. So whether you are an adult or child beginner or a more advanced piano player like me, I guarantee you’ll have great fun using the Concert Magic system and you’ll be especially impressed in how interactive you can be with the song library in making you sound great while you learn the fundamentals of rhythm & timing in a way that no other digital piano brand can do. 

I will say that not everyone will want or need to use this feature, especially if you are purchasing the piano to play in a normal way and you already know how to play. But for many people, especially children, I believe you’ll enjoy this Concert Magic feature quite a bit.

We’re now getting into the “home stretch” so I will say a few things about the internal speaker system of the CA49. There a 4 speakers in this model with 2 speakers measuring 5.12″ each at the bottom of the piano (1 on each side) pointing down and forward, and there are also 2 smaller “tweeter speakers” measuring 2″ each pointing forward from inside the piano above the keys one on each side of the piano which allows for better clarity in the higher frequency tones. The amplification system  is now produced by the Onkyo audio company of Japan which is famous for producing some of the world’s best home audio systems. So rather than use the previous Kawai made internal audio system that used to be in the previous models, the CA49 has the all new and improved Onkyo audio system which includes 40 watts total stereo power (2x20w) which  puts out plenty of volume for most rooms. 

However, I personally would have preferred more power out of this piano (perhaps 60 to 80 watts for the main speakers) and even another couple of amplifiers powering the tweeter speakers independently of the main speakers. But most digital pianos in this price range only have 2 speakers and 2 amplifiers built in with usually no more than 40 watts. The CA49 speaker system is an improvement over the others with the 2 additional speakers. I love a piano with a big beautiful sound and even though the CA49 volume and tone will be fine for most applications, there are other digital pianos with more power and more amplifiers, but many are in a higher price range such as the next model up CA59 ($3799 price). 

Also, the CA49 does not have separate audio outputs so you cannot connect this model to an external audio system. This piano needs to be free-standing in that way which if it’s going in a home is just fine. If you are looking to get this model for your church, school, or another venue that is looking for bigger sound and volume, then you may need to consider another piano with more built-in power or built-in audio outputs such as the Kawai CA59.

With regard to external and/or internal connectivity, the CA48 has 2 MIDI ports which supports traditional MIDI plugs and those MIDI ports can also be adapted to an external Bluetooth Audio adapter so that the piano could receive Bluetooth wireless audio through its speaker system. The CA49 does not have audio outputs or inputs but it does have a USB output to host so that you can plug in your computer or device to access programs or apps. However, with the on-board Bluetooth wireless MIDI protocol, you don’t need a cable connected to your device and piano to access MIDI responsive apps and programs so this makes it very quick & easy to connect your iPad (as an example) to the piano so that you can instantly use the Kawai Piano Remote app as I discussed earlier. 

This kind of connectivity works well and does the job and there are many digital pianos in this price range and for less money that do not have this feature. Finally, this model has 2 stereo headphones jacks including a mini-jack and a standard 1/4″ jack both both types of connections. Having two headphone jacks also allows for two people to play together privately without disturbing other people in or around the immediate area.

When you add it all up for its relatively low price, the CA49 in dark satin rosewood, satin black finish with simulated black wood-grain, and also satin white are real winners in my opinion. Although there are always a few short-comings in most any new digital piano out there, this impressive model has enough great features and functions to make a digital piano shopper say “yes” I want that one! Measuring in at just 53″x18″x33″ and weighing only 125lbs, this model can easily fit into a lot of places. 

It looks very attractive with a nice cabinet design along with front support legs, a privacy panel below the keyboard, a slide-out key cover, an adjustable music rack with lots of space to put your sheet music or music books, 3 attractive chrome pedals on the black cabinet and brass pedals on the rosewood cabinet, and a comfortable padded matching bench that has music storage inside, in my opinion the new CA49 offers the type of features, functions, cabinet design, and price that most people want who are looking to mainly purchase a digital piano that focuses on the piano playing experience rather than offering all kinds of bells & whistles such as drums, brass, woodwinds, auto-accompaniment, multi-track recording, etc that a lot of people just don’t want or need. 

The CA49 is part of the Concert Artist series of digital pianos for Kawai which is a more prestigious series of digital pianos with that great proprietary longer wood-key key action experience that so many people are looking for in this price range. None of the other digital piano companies have all-wood white keys near this lower price range. Although many plastic key actions can be enjoyable to play and I have played them all, the CA49 is “the next level of realism” in that way.

Also, I also like the full stereo sampled piano sound coming out of the internal speaker system of this piano and through headphones along with the responsive pedaling that I experienced. I also enjoy using technology to assist me in getting more music out of these digital pianos and I did like the fact that I could quickly and easily get around the CA49 when it came to using the all the instrument sounds and layering through the “Piano Remote” app on my iPhone.

Given the fact that the Kawai digital pianos are known for their overall reliability and durability over time, this piano still comes with a long factory warranty of 5 year parts & 5 years labor with in-home service. This warranty is a fairly long time in my opinion and covers any factory defect that occurs in the piano, so this 5 years of factory warranty time should give most people peace of mind when it comes to the piano being backed up by a reputable company such as Kawai. 

Although the CA49 offers some compelling functions and digital features as well as a resonate piano sound, it is really the  proprietary key action that sets this model apart from the others. This is not say that a person cannot enjoy playing and owning another digital piano model such as the impressive Casio AP-710 ($2799), Yamaha CLP-735 ($2899), a Roland HP702 ($2799), or the Korg G1 Air ($1999) as examples, because those pianos can also be enjoyable to play as well.  I especially recommend the Korg G1 Air at its $1999 price as that one actually has upgraded piano sound samples and internal speaker system beyond what the Kawai CA49 offers. Plus, the Korg G1 Air key action is what many of the pro keyboard players use when they play Korg pro digital pianos on stage in a variety of venues as well as in pro recording studios, etc.

Nevertheless, I really do like and recommend the Kawai CA49 for all the reasons I talked about here in this review. But at the end of the day it just depends on what your musical goals are, your piano playing experience, and what type of budget you have. With all that in mind the Kawai CA49 Concert Artist model may just be the perfect piano for you. 

If you want more info on new digital pianos and LOWER PRICES than internet discounts, please email me at tim@azpianowholesale.com or call direct at 602-571-1864.