Kawai has upgraded its CA48 and CA58 digital pianos with the CA49 and CA59 respectively. Kawai produces a wide range of digital pianos, and the prefixes they use can be a bit confusing—we previously published a short guide to the various product lines for reference.
These two new pianos join the CA79 and CA99 (launched at the beginning of the year) in the Concert Artist (CA) Series. This is Kawai’s premium range of digital pianos. All employ Kawai’s advanced sound engines, traditional wooden keys, and top quality amplification. The CA pianos are designed to emulate that “grand piano experience” as closely as possible.
A rough guide to the Concert Artist range is as follows:
Kawai CA49: The entry-level model, but still featuring wooden keys and concert grand piano sounds.
Kawai CA59: The next step with top-mounted speakers, extra grand piano sounds and a broader range of additional features.
Kawai CA79: This piano features a touch-screen, more advanced keyboard, an additional sound engine and enhanced sound system.
Kawai CA99: The flagship instrument with more sounds, premium amplification and speaker
technologies, and an authentic wooden soundboard.
Note: there are other differences in each model’s specifications
Kawai CA49 and Kawai CA59 Main Features
- Grand Feel Compact wooden-key keyboard action
- Shigeru Kawai SK-EX, SK-5 (CA59 only) and Kawai EX concert grand piano sounds, with full 88-key sampling
- Onkyo Sound systems
- Bluetooth MIDI and Audio (CA59 only) for wireless communication with smart devices
- Key-block control panel with high-resolution OLED display
- Virtual Technician app for adjusting sound, touch and tuning characteristics
- Built-in Burgmüller, Beyer, Chopin, Czerny etudes and Alfred lesson songs
- WAV/MP3/MIDI file record and playback via USB memory (CA59 only)
- Modern cabinet design available in three different wood finishes.
Full specifications can be found at the end of this article.
Comparing the CA49 and CA59 with their predecessors (CA48 and CA58) several new features are apparent. Most notable is the new sound system. This has been developed by leading Japanese audio equipment manufacturers Onkyo and produces a clearer, higher fidelity sound than the previous generation models.
The key-block control panels have been improved, and the CA49’s user interface has been made more thanks to the upgraded OLED display.
Both new instruments feature enhanced Shigeru Kawai SK-EX piano sounds, and the CA59 includes a new Shigeru Kawai SK-5 grand piano. Shigeru Kawai is Kawai’s premium acoustic grand piano brand. The SK-EX is the prestigious 278cm (9ft 1in) concert grand, and the SK-5 a 153cm (5ft) studio/mid-sized grand. Extra Virtual Technician (Kawai’s editing app) parameters have also been added on the CA59.
The Kawai CA59 now has enhanced Bluetooth Audio functionality. This allows audio to be wirelessly streamed through the the piano’s high-end audio system. The piano effectively becomes a high-fidelity stereo Bluetooth speaker.
The new models have updated cabinet designs. Both have taller bodies and rounded edge details bringing them in line with the premium styling of the CA79 and CA99.
Full specifications of the Kawai CA49 and Kawai CA59 are listed below, and more information can be found on Kawai’s global website.
Kawai CA49 and CA59 Specifications
| Kawai CA49 | Kawai CA59 | |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard | Grand Feel Compact action - 88 keys - Grade-weighted hammers - Ivory Touch white key surfaces - Let-off simulation - Triple sensor key detection - Counterweights | Grand Feel Compact action - 88 keys - Grade-weighted hammers - Ivory Touch white key surfaces - Let-off simulation - Triple sensor key detection - Counterweights |
| Pedal | Grand Feel Pedal System - Damper (with half-pedal support) - Soft - Sostenuto | Grand Feel Pedal System - Damper (with half-pedal support) - Soft - Sostenuto |
| Piano Sound | ・ Progressive Harmonic Imaging (PHI) - 88-key stereo sampling - SK-EX, EX recording - 192 note maximum polyphony | ・ Harmonic Imaging XL (HI-XL) - 88-key stereo sampling - SK-EX, SK-5, EX recording - 256 note maximum polyphony |
| Piano Resonance | - Damper Resonance - String Resonance | - Damper Resonance - String Resonance - Undamped String Resonance - Cabinet Resonance |
| Piano Adjustment (via Virtual Technician app) | ・Virtual Technician (17 parameters) - Touch Curve - Voicing - Damper Resonance - Damper Noise - String Resonance - Key-off Effect - Fall-back Noise - Hammer Delay - Topboard Simulation - Decay Time - Minimum Touch - Stretch Tuning - Temperament - Temperament Key - User Key Volume - Half-Pedal Adjust - Soft Pedal Depth ・Virtual Technician Smart Mode (10 presets) | ・Virtual Technician (21 parameters) - Touch (& User) Curve - Voicing (inc. User Voicing) - Damper Resonance - Damper Noise - String Resonance - Undamped String Resonance - Cabinet Resonance - Key-off Effect - Fall-back Noise - Hammer Noise - Hammer Delay - Topboard Simulation - Decay Time - Release TIme - Minimum Touch - Stretch (& User) Tuning - Temperament (& User) - Temperament Key - Key (& User) Volume - Half-Pedal Adjust - Soft Pedal Depth ・Virtual Technician Smart Mode (10 presets) |
| No. of Sounds | 19 voices | 44 voices |
| Reverb | 6 types | 6 types |
| Brilliance | Yes | Yes |
| Other Effects | - | 24 types |
| Speakers | 13 cm x 2 (woofer) 5 cm x 2 | 13 cm x 2 (woofer) (8 x 12 cm) elliptical x 2 (top speaker) |
| Output Power | 40 W (20 W x 2) | 100 W (50 W x 2) |
| Headphone Enhancements | Spatial Headphone Sound Headphone Type | Spatial Headphone Sound Headphone Type |
| Display | 128 x 128 pixel OLED | 128 x 64 pixel OLED |
| Key Cover | Sliding type | Sliding type |
| Music Rest | Collapsible type (3 angle adjustability) | Collapsible type (3 angle adjustability) |
| Dimensions | Width: 136 cm | Width: 142.5 cm |
| Depth: 46 cm | Depth: 46.5 cm | |
| Height: - 91.5 cm (music rest flat) - 108.5 cm (music rest raised) | Height: - 91.5 cm (music rest flat) - 109 cm (music rest raised) | |
| Weight | 59.0 kg | 66.0 kg |
| Available Finishes | Premium Satin Black (CA49B) Premium Satin White (CA49W) Premium Rosewood (CA49R) | Premium Satin Black (CA59B) Premium Satin White (CA59W) Premium Rosewood (CA59R) |
| Basic Functions | Dual Four Hands Transpose Tuning Low Volume Bass Startup Setting | Dual Split Four Hands Transpose Tuning Low Volume Balance Registration Startup Setting |
| Internal Songs | Sound Demo: 19 songs | Sound Demo: 33 songs |
| Piano Music: - | Piano Music: 29/42 songs | |
| Concert Magic: 40 songs | Concert Magic: 176 songs | |
| Lesson Songs | Burgmüller 25 (25 Etudes Faciles, Opus 100) Czerny 30 (Etudes de Mécanisme, Opus 849) Beyer 106 (Vorschule im Klavierspiel, Opus 101) Chopin Walzer (Chopin waltzes series 1-19) Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1A Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1B | Burgmüller 25 (25 Etudes Faciles, Opus 100) Czerny 30 (Etudes de Mécanisme, Opus 849) Czerny 100 (Hundert Übungsstücke, Opus 139) Beyer 106 (Vorschule im Klavierspiel, Opus 101) J.S. Bach: Inventionen Sonatinen Album 1 Chopin Walzer (Chopin waltzes series) Alfred’s Premier Piano Course Lesson 1A Alfred’s Premier Piano Course Lesson 1B Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1A Alfred’s Basic Piano Library Lesson Book Level 1B Alfred’s Basic Adult Piano Course Lesson Book Level 1 |
| Internal Recorder | approximately 10,000 notes | approximately 90,000 notes |
| 3 songs | 10 songs | |
| 1 part | 2 parts | |
| Metronome | Time Signatures: - 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 6/8 | 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, 12/8 |
| Drum Rhythms: - | Drum Rhythms: 100 patterns | |
| Bluetooth * | Bluetooth (Ver. 4.1; GATT compatible) Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI Specification compliant | Bluetooth (Ver. 4.1; GATT compatible) Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI Specification compliant Bluetooth Audio with aptX support |
| USB Audio Recorder | Record/Playback: - | Record/Playback: MP3, WAV, SMF |
| Other Functions: - | Other Functions: - Overdubbing - Line In recording | |
| App Functions | TBC | TBC |
| Connector Jacks | 1 x 1/4", 1 x 1/8" Stereo headphone jacks | 1 x 1/4", 1 x 1/8" Stereo headphone jacks |
| MIDI IN, MIDI OUT, Bluetooth MIDI * | MIDI IN, MIDI OUT, Bluetooth MIDI * | |
| Line Out: - | Line Out: 1/4" L/MONO, R [unbalanced] | |
| Line In: - | Line In: 1/4" L/MONO, R [unbalanced] | |
| USB to Host: Yes | USB to Host: Yes | |
| USB to Device: - | USB to Device: Yes | |
| Power Consumption | 12 W | 20 W |
| Power | Power cable AC adaptor | Power cable AC adaptor |
| Bench | Height-adjustable bench * | Height-adjustable bench * |
| Headphones | Headphone hook | Headphone hook |
| Sheet Music | - | - |
| Others | Warranty Card * Owner's Manual | Warranty Card * Owner's Manual Internal Song Lists |
| * Depending on market location. |
