Wow, I think the Shigeru Kawai almost dominates this comparison.

I've had a chance to play the Shigeru Kawai 9' and it was just out of this world. The sound, the touch, so very well crafted, responding to your playing as though it has a life, obeying to your commands.

The Steinway needs a serious tuning. And the mics should have been placed more uniformly between the pianos, as well as used the same mics

Kawai sounds amazing 😍

Last but not least: I just bought a brandnew Steinway&Sons, modell "B" (2,11 m) from Hamburg. It is a sound "from heaven" - for all kind of music-styles...

Thank you for the demonstration! I really enjoyed it! As a professional piano tuner for over 40 years, I would say that each of these instruments is wonderful. But to my ear, The Shigeru Kawai is superior in balanced and even clarity, and power throughout. I've not tuned one; I've tuned a lot of Steinways, Yamahas and Kawais for various individuals and concert artists. The late George Winston, for whom I tuned at a certain venue every year for 15 years, preferred Steinway but was also happy with the Kawai RX-6 model the theater rented from the local Kawai dealer for whom I work. God bless!

The placement of the mics for Yamaha is different than other two. Big difference in perception. Cannot really tell if the tone is better or worse

I always loved Steinway, but on this video, Kawai sounds heavenly.

kawai has both the sound characteristics of yamaha and steinway but each piano has its own beauty of sound 😍😍

The shiguru is the most beautiful one. Its glowing internal is gorgeous.

My mother was a professional concert pianist (solo performances at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and such, and she had a string trio) and always loved the Steinway. But when she was starting, Yamaha and Kawai weren't yet a presence in the U.S. Most of the talk was Steinway versus Baldwin and my mother said "The Steinway action is just the best". Well, before her solo and trio career, she was lead pianist in a short lived all-woman all-piano orchestra during the war years. About 15 pianos. It wasn't financially successful and didn't last long. But she became lifelong friends with Catherine Bielefeldt, one of the other pianists. Cathy, in addition to the supremely important task of baby sitting me, eventually became the first female manager at Steinway Hall in New York. She knew pianos. And she wrote the book "The Wonders of the Piano: The Anatomy of the Instrument" which is an excellent book about how pianos are made. It was written in 1984 (so some info is dated) and mentions both Yamaha and Kawai in this from page 12, "The United States has about 15 builders remaining of the 301 in 1911. These few builders produce all the current United States brand names. Today, no substantial production comes from Italy, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, or Switzerland. Japan has become the world's largest producer of pianos. Yamaha and Kawai alone almost equal the total United States production. Korea and China are the newest members of the world-wide piano industry." So, considering my mother and my acquaintance with Cathy Bielefeldt, under some law, I have to favor the Steinway. And I guess the U.S. is down to just three piano manufacturers.

I think I would be happy with any of them. I'd struggle to say which sounds the nicest, as they all sound different but fantastic!

The touch and response of the Keys is just as important as the tone. when a piano can "talk back" to you touch wise and sound wise you've got a keeper.

I have a Kawai GS70. Always enjoy the rich and mellow sound.

They all sound great - I play on a 1990 Kawai KG-2E, 5' - 10" • Satin Ebony • Still enjoy playing this Piano.🎹 • Cheers from the Detroit & Mackinac Railway 🚂

Thanks Ted and Pat - great video! Any chance you can compare these to a Fazioli F228 and a Blüthner Model 4?

Sorry guys, y’all do great work, but the change in Mic placement changed the sound dramatically. I wish you could do the same with keeping the Mic placement exactly the same on all pianos. That’s the only True comparison. Keep up the great work! 😊

I currently own a Yamaha C-5. The demonstration of all three of these pianos was lovely. I have often thought of upgrading to a C-7 and probably still would due to price as compared to all three. But that is not the only reason. I have listened to the C-7 in many different acoustic variables, and when you dip down in the bass, it makes your spine tingle.

Great video. The Steinway definitely has the classical pitch and is all-around the most centre-ground balanced. The Yamaha is definitely on the light and sweet end of the spectrum - the presenters' characterizations of 'bright' and 'sunny' are apt. The Shigeru Kawai is unmistakable though - that depth and wholeness is about as perfect as can be achieved by human invention. All wonderful instruments but I am undeniably a Shigeru Kawai fan.

In order to for it to be a fair comparison the Steinway would have to be voiced up (provided it actually has Steinway hammers). That being said it would be interesting to see some Chopin Etudes to really unmask the differences between the instruments. Maybe even some Bach suites to get a better idea of tone.

It would be interesting to hear a German Steinway in the mix alongside the US version, they're such different instruments. Really enjoyable comparison though.

I enjoyed listening to all three instruments. Would love to own all three, as they have there own unique voice

Great instruments!! what microphones were used for recording?

Thanks for sharing this video. I just bought 7ft Steinway, where can I possibly know what model type and where to find the exact year made, please? Thanks

Steinway - bright; Kawai - sweet; Yamaha - warm. One thing the viewer of this cannot evaluate by watching the video, however, is the touch, which is always a very equal/important consideration in conjunction with the sound. Personally, I love the sweet sound of the Kawai, but I also found myself enjoying the Yamaha pictured here more than I thought I would. I wasn't particularly moved by the Steinway sound in this particular video. As others have mentioned in the other comments, it sounded to me like the mic placement wasn't the same for all the pianos. I'm currently in the process of purchasing a used Kawai. So my overall preference is that brand, recognizing that each piano is slightly different, even within each of the brands.

The reason you see Steinways in concert halls is (a) Steinway provides them at a special prices to the hall owners along with guaranteed service when needed, and (b) many top drawer pianists are "Steinway Artists" and thus will not play any other brands.

I have always played Yamahas. That's the one that sounds the most familiar. Love the steinway too, totally different sound

Steinway most mellow of the 3, Kawai in the middle, Yamaha has the most unique sound out of the 3 really comes down to personal preference i think really likes these comparison videos :)

Nice comparison. via this demo, I think: Steinway B: vintage soft and warm low string sound and sweet warm high notes, all the sound and frequency are stable, compatible and smooth. Kawai SK7: Clear and clean high notes sound, more woofer bass cames out. Low sound is very stable and high notes are lively vivid. (I'd love it) Yamaha C7: Clean and bright high note, strong low string sound. All the sound are very near to my ears.

I'd be curious as to the age of the B? (The camera was on the dampers for a bit and it appears to have been rebuilt.) I'd be curious to hear a new, well regulated and voiced B compared to the Shigeru. I tend to still be a bit biased toward S&S (NY), but Kawai has engineered a giant of an instrument! Thanks for the video.

How can you compare them if they are recorded differently ? Steinway and Kawai with mics in XY arrangement and Yamaha with mics pointing to treble and bass sides

Wow, that Yamaha C7 blows my mind, first place without question!! The tone is unreal and the bass notes are soooo awesome... The harder it's played, the more it comes alive, the better it sounds! The Kawai comes in second place for me. The Steinway sounds more classical, but almost dull and slightly thin on tone IMHO.

I personally liked the Yamaha. The lower end just seemed more powerful and the top end was bright. Sounded very balanced to me.

I’ll take a Kawai please!! 👍👍

All 3 pianos sounded great especially with Ted playing so beautifully. Reminds me of pianist David Lanz

Mark my words, someday I will own a Shigeru-Kawai

Nice comparison. I love it all the way. Nice piano. Wish I could buy one. I play piano also on my channel

I grew up playing a Baldwin-Howard at home, a handful of Yamahas at school and church, a Steinway Model B at the community theater, and a Grotrian-Steinweg at my high school, as well as a wide range of brands at other various locations. The Steinway B is a fantastic instrument, when properly prepared and maintained. But of the three presented here, the Shigeru Kawai is my favorite, the Steinway is next, and Yamaha in 3rd. But they're all excellent. The lowest octave is the weak point for the Yamaha, but the Kawai and Steinway both have warm, solid bass registers.

Kawai wins easy for my ears.

What's the name of the song starting from 8;01?

Great instruments!!!

I listened through headphones and i must say all three at this size are amazing. The Yamaha has a brassy bell like quality especially on mid to high notes. The Kawai is a close second for me. The qualities I mentioned of the Yamaha, sound invoke emotion in me.

Were we supposed to guess which was which? On my screen it was impossible to read the names until I zoomed in after freezing the frames. The order seemed to be Steinway then Kawai, then Yamaha, just going on sound, and yes I think I was right. If so, I have to say that the Kawai SK7 rang more interestingly, though I am not generally a Kawai fanboy at all. Well I realise that this is an old video, but I guess it is still relevant today. Some viewers commented on unequal mic placement. I didn't notice, and have nothing much to say about that, but I do realise that different pianos shine better in different videos. Thanks for making the enjoyable video anyway.

I really liked the C7X, but I am curious why you did not demonstrate a S7X or CF series Yamaha. Also, the Steinway was a bit smaller than the other 2, was there a more comparable model in the Steinway lineup?

cual es el primer tema que tocaron ? excelente comparacion a mi parecer los tres pianos suenan espectaculares.

It would have been nice if you labeled them on screen. I had no idea which was which. Everyone else does this.

I think the Kawai sounded the best imo and I think he felt the Kawai the most from his body language

Thanks for a great comparison video. I listened blind to the various pieces but i kind of suspected the order was Yamaha, Kawai then Steinway. It was a bit unfair on Yamaha as the C7 isn’t in the same class as the Shigeru or the Steinway. A better comparison would have been with the CF6 or CF7 and the C7 was out of tune! The Shigeru was sublime in tone and the Steinway surprised me with its bass which I think matched the bigger Shigeru. Between those 2 it would come down to personal taste and how each felt to the player. I prefer the Shigeru but agin it’s 6” bigger. Thanks again. 👌🎹

I'd rather hear the pianos NOT mic'd up. Mic'd up would be good if you're recording with the piano, but I'd rather hear them as someone in an audience would hear them. Also, if the pieces were shorter, and played back to back to back, then it would be a more fair comparison.

They're all beautiful 🎹🎶🎶🎶☺☺☺

I'm sorry you guys didn't include M & H. I played my Senior Recital on an almost new, meticulously prepared M & H BB (7') and it was the finest non-9' piano I've ever played or heard. The sustain went on seemingly forever- I had to re-pedal some pieces after practicing on a S&S B!

Everyone has a different "ear" and mine hears the Yamaha as the one I would choose. All sound incredible but the Yamaha sounds richer, especially the higher notes but any of them would do truth be told.

I was the adult choir rehearsal pianist at a large church. The piano was a Bosendorfer Imperial Grand. The rest are toys in comparison.

I think I like them in reverse order of how you presented them. I liked Yamaha the best, followed by Kawai and then Steinway.

First of all, thanks.... :) Second.... did you use the same mikes and recording setting for all of them? To me it seems not :D Third.... I know it is hard to get three pianos of the same category and all new into one place.... I do recognise that ;) and last but not least... blind tests are more objective, if you are do such comparings.... blind test by the tester but also for the followers :)

I’ve owned a Yamaha, Steinway,and Baldwin acoustic pianos. Of those three I prefer the Baldwin. But when listening the Kawai in this video, I think that wins hands down.

A perfectly tuned Steinway B is, to me, unbeatable. Shigeru is almost there. Classical and Jazz. For the pop, folk world, Yamaha.

I like how the steinway sounds soft and velvety. The Kawai and Yamaha sound too pristine and clinical to me.

All three sound fantastic, but my nod has to go to the Yamaha. I understand the audio via KZfaq bears little resemblance to what you might hear at the piano, but to my ear the Yamaha has a slightly fuller, more rounded out sound - if that makes any sense..

Although the Shigeru Kawai seems to have plenty of fans here, I don't like the tone of some notes in the area where the player's right hand spends most time. They sound breathless and plonky like the notes don't sing / the sound is just the initial attack with no sustain. Maybe it's the effect of the mics being located in that area. I own a Kawai K500 upright and I dislike the same aspect of my piano. I'd go for either the Yamaha or the Steinway. The Steinway seems to have better bass despite being shorter, and the Yamaha has that recognisable sound that mixes so well in pop/rock recordings.

All 3 sound great to me.. unless you are a concert pianist and record with these they will all go through a mix anyway so you can make them sound how you want.

I am a blind individual what was the order that the piano played in the video? Also, did they keep the same order throughout? Thank you

The Steinway is definitely the most muted tone. It's my understanding they are made that way because they are designed to be played with an orchestra and not overpower the strings, so that makes sense. I happen to like a piano with power and clear tone. In the first example, the third piano definitely had the brightest tone. I don't know which one it was, but it was my favorite.

Kawai and Yamaha are very close, Kawai has a more vibrant sound more often. By the way, could you please name the piece of music played at 8:36 mins on the Yamaha? Thank you.

Kawai is the best one like its just too good

I heard that Yamaha's pianos have been assembled by the KIGUMI which is the Japanese traditional assembling way due to the humid climate of Japan.

To me, the Kawai sound is the closest to the old Bluthners (of 100 years ago) of which I used to own one.

Tell me each piano of each model isn't really individual even before a tech goes to work on it. PS my 1969 Baldwin L has a clarity that rivals plenty of Steinways. It also has a resonant coherence in the very high register that makes it more tunable than a lot of those Steinies, and, best of all, the low end has power and focus that doesn't quit. One last thought I have a 660 sq ft living room with French doors that open to a large deck overlooking the pond on a very large acreage also quite open into the rest of the 1st floor, and I don't think I'd prefer or even want the sound of a bigger instrument in that space. I have owned other Baldwins and I guess I'm just a fan....

The recording of the Yamaha seemed to hit limit/compression points on that mic. Maybe the Yamaha is louder.

I honestly couldn't tell a difference at all outside of the first test where the last play seemed slightly less sharp.

The Steinway was out of tune. Plus the fact that the Yamaha was mic'ed better than the other two. That was not a fair comparison. But being what it was, the Shigeru was the best, followed by the Yamaha, and finally the Steinway.

I really like the Yamaha it sounds so cold and precise.

Yamaha has the most honest sounds. It's why it's the must used possible l please for recordings... Steinway insurance the 3..Shigeru.. Earn

The Steinway sounds dull. The Kawai and Yamaha have better clarity. I have only owned keyboards in the past Yamaha DX7FD2, S90 and now a Kawai MP11SE. Yamaha by far has been the company to deal with providing unparalleled design and support however it would appear Kawai is now the worlds leader in piano/keyboard action which is huge in the ability to express yourself in the music. Thanks for the video guy!

The touch to the pianist is the most important as it is what t

The microphone placement is different with the Yamaha allowing the mics to pick up more bass. Also the Steinway is not as well tuned as the other two. I don't think you can call this a fair direct comparison. Also, comparing a Yamaha C7 to a Shigeru SK7 is unfair to the Yamaha brand. Why not a CF7 or S7? My guess, you're a Kawai dealer and can't get new Yamahas for your comparison. I personally prefer Kawai, but this isn't a direct comparison.

Yamaha is my choice. and Kawai a close second. to me the Steinway has never sounded quite right in the lower registers. Nice presentation but I suggest announcing each piano just before playing them. It's hard to read the emblems on the front of each of them.

Kawai sounds like it has more body and richness to the tone.

Shigeru Kawai for the win. Can't go wrong with any but the only concern for Shigeru (in the extreme long term if used as an heirloom) is the availability of original parts for repair. Steinways are ubiquitous as are original parts. The Shigeru Kawai is produced in extremely limited numbers.

Yamaha just stands out here because the guy is playing pop music. It is simply the most familiar sound and the best piano for the kind of music that he is playing (you are talking about the legendary C7 Yamaha that is by far the most recorded grand piano in history)

Even that I am happy Steinway owner, I must admit that Steinway hasn’t really evolved like hundred years when we don’t talk about those teflon nightmares. Probably they someway think that don’t touch to anything that already works. But at the same time european ones like Bösendorfer have updated their models and best thing to date I have tried has been Bösendorfer 280VC. What comes to Japanese ones, both are products of companies that have the greatest attention to details and both are innovative companies to develope their products. I assume that most of here have done their homework and know, that Kawai as company was born when mr. Kawai was dissapointed with the quality of Yamaha. The interesting thing is, that when brand new Yamaha arrives, its quite ready to start its life. But when brand new Steinway comes, it requires actually quite a lot work before you really know is it boy or girl. Some would say, that’s because Steinway owners are more professionals and demands more from voicing and tuning. Maybe. Maybe not. I only know, that I ones played in the room where was sis concert grands; three Steinway D’s, one Blüthner, Bösendorfer 280VC and Yamaha CFIIIS. All were unique, all were fantastic and all had their own characters. One was superb for Goldberg variations and one for Beethoven’s Moonlight sonata and so on. Bösendorfer was love at first sight and was very versatile instrument. But they all were extremely good ones and alone without comparsion and competition each of them was satisfying experiences to play. I would have taken any of them if I would have had money and space.

i think the steinway definetly sounds warmer. The lower end of notes is very soft and polished and i would probably pick it for jazz. I really did not like the muted higher notes. On the other hand, the kawai sounds lovely and well tuned. Probably my go-to pick for a competition, classical music, and anything that needs a balanced sound. The yamaha was so different, almost like a caricaturesque version of the other 2. Every note was very bold and forward, sparkly, etc. If it were for me, i would use it to play anime music, or music for games probably as well, because that type of music is made to generate feeligs and not so much on being technical or precise

My favorite is Bosendorfer. Nothing has the same warmth.

That Steinway sounds like it needed a tune and voicing. The SK sounds sweet and the Yamaha sounds like... a Yamaha. I'd be happy with either of the latter, but probably prefer the SK.

Japanese pianos are much like western European pianos, very bright and powerful, almost overpowering. Some people love that sound, however, I like the steinway, because to me it sounds more balanced.

I about to get a Steinway...wife just approved tonight. I can go to my gave a happy human being regardless...I don't care about anything else in this world. Give me that Steinway.

Not an equal playing field!!! The recording was biased toward the YAMAHA by virtue of microphone positioning!!! The Steinway and Shigeru Kawai were recorded with directional mics in a single point criss-cross pattern (look at them in the videos: \/ ) while the Yamaha alone was recorded with directional mics in a bass vs. treble isolation pattern (look at them in the videos: / \ ). All things being equal this would automatically give the Yamaha more depth, spread, richness of overtones enhancement and spatial color to the raw sound. The other two pianos are correctly and fairly presented against each other, but not so against the Yamaha! Their mic placement automatically is "monauralized" by recording in a manner which compresses the sound and dramatically limits the stereo spread. All this considered, while the Yamaha seems to rise to the top, I feel the S. Kawai tonal quality was clearly a match to the Yamaha but sounded as though it had less depth and spread: Gee, I wonder why?!!

I would choose here the Yamaha to cut through to my neighbor or for Rock music, the Steinway for Jazz, and the Shigeru for classic and non-rock melodic music. Interesting how balanced and harmonic the Kawai sounds, there is not much missing from the 9-foot league. The Steinway however cuts a lot of the dynamics and brilliance from the D-class.

Not a fair comparison. The B didn't sound tuned or prepared, the C7 (which is not in the same line/range as a Model B/C or Shigeru Kawai... you'd be looking at an S6 or S7 for more of a fair comparison) seems to belong to the era of bright and brittle Yamahas of the 70s-90s (usually very easily fixed with a new set of hammers) and the SK7 is definitely the newest and most underplayed of the 3.

The Steinway B is not 7 feet long. It is 6 feet, 11 inches. So this is not exactly a fair comparison. You should have used a Steinway C if you could find one. But for the 7 foot 6 inch comparison you should try a Fazioli f228. It has the others beat.

the Yamaha sounds like a Steinway talking while plugging its nose

The Steinway B isnt actually Steinways Semi Concert Grand, that would be the Steinway Model C, however it is much harder to come across. Also IIRC the model B is infact 6'11 not 7'0 as you stated in the video, I just checked mine as well and it comes up to 6'11 too...

Interesting how well the yamaha records above the other 2. However, an SX should have been compared with the other due to match their price points. But the C7 does fine here. I think an SX would be worlds better than the other two. They are amazing instruments.

This is a very old Steinway, but it still has that classical sound. Kawai is not so bad. But both Kawai and Yamaha seem much newer.

In this video, I like the Steinway more.

Assuming the recording methods and settings were exactly the same (tough to do), the Steinway sounded like your typical, recognizable Steinway. If you like familiarity, so be it. A little flat for me. However, Steinways are well-known to be highly customized by good piano luthiers, so you shouldn't finalize tone by this showing. It's just the out-of-crate sound. The other two surprised me. I was expecting the SK-7 to show itself to be the warmer, more well-rounded tone over a brighter Yamaha. That didn't exactly happen. The Yamaha tone in this piano really projected, yet with unexpected warmth. The Kawai sounded more middle-ground, not projecting as much as the Yamaha, but sending a more balanced, well-rounded warm tone than the Steinway. Take your pick. Next, discuss action more. :D

Texas y'all better include a damp chaser

A happy musical Holldrio from Germany Lower Saxony City of Langenhagen near Hanover wishes you Andre. Now my question I am a great admirer of the C. BECHSTEIN manufactory. Do you have pianos of this brand for a big comparison with e.g. Yamaha, Shigeriu Kawai or even Steinway & Sons. In my opinion, C. BECHSTEIN is the benchmark for all other manufacturers in piano and grand piano construction. I would be extremely curious to see a big comparison of this same brand manufacturer with all three others. Many thanks in advance! I don't care what size you test for example. L167, M / P192, B212, C234 or the coronation the D282. If you can do that, you'll be the 😎 coolest socks on this planet for me ... 🎹🎼🎶🎵🎶🎶🎵🎵❤👍😎✌✌ ... !!!

Kawai is sensational, but there is some production quality issues.

Steinway has the best upper range whereas the Yamaha's upper range sounds too thin and piercing for my liking. The Kawai is in between. I would describe the typical Steinway tone as warm and round, in comparison to the Kawai and Yamaha which sounds cold. I find music played on a Steinway really inspiring to listen to.