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#NV5 #LX708 #HybridPiano
Hello, and welcome to the Merriam Pianos KZfaq channel! Today we’ve got a much-requested comparison video for you as we pit the Kawai NV 5 against the Roland LX-708.
These models are their respective manufacturer's flagship digital piano upright models, so it’s no one wonder this comparison has been so highly requested.
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Piano Overview:
Both the NV5 and LX-708 utilize the same approach to sound in the form of piano modeling technology, which has only in the last few years become a practical possibility for generating piano tone.
Price wise, they’re positioned very closely together on the market, and while the NV5 is about $2,000 or so more, once you’re already hovering around the $10,000 price point, an extra $2,000 is something many folks will entertain given that the instrument they choose will be in their home for many years.
Piano Sound:
The LX-708 PureAcoustic Engine offers two primary modeled piano tones, an American grand (presumably based on an NY Steinway) and a European grand (likely based on a C. Bechstein or Hamburg Steinway.) Playing the European grand model with the ‘My Stage’ setting set to ‘At Hall Stage’, there’s a very nice light ambience and sense of space.
The NV5 uses Kawai’s SKEX Rendering Engine (based on the Shigeru Kawai EX). Sampling the SKEX with the ‘Rich” preset, the playing experience is immediately very different from the LX-708. For one, given the differences in speaker configuration, the way the sound reaches the player's ear is quite different between both instruments. The LX-708 feels much closer, intimate yet ambient, almost like the auditory experience of a grand piano.
The intention with the NV5 on the other hand was clearly to replicate the acoustic experience of an upright piano, which it pulls off very successfully. There’s more overall immediacy and detail compared to the LX-708.
Piano Action:
The actions in these two instruments are the very best each respective manufacturer builds, but they are very different. The NV5 features a true acoustic piano action - not an approximation - but literally the same Millennium III Carbon Fiber action featured in their acoustic upright pianos, outfitted with a cutting edge optical sensor. This is of course one of the main selling features of the instrument. But be aware, if you’re playing the NV5 at less than 50% volume, the action will feel really heavy due to the touch curve, so definitely make sure you test it out at above 50% if you get a chance to try the NV5.
The LX-708 uses Roland’s new Hybrid Grand Keyboard, and interestingly has the opposite quirk - if you play the LX-708 with the volume above 70%, it will feel too light due to the touch, so keep this in mind. This action is a wood/plastic hybrid, with an extended keystick, triple sensor and escapement.
Piano Features:
Both instruments offer Bluetooth MIDI and Bluetooth Audio, but please keep in mind, no digital piano, including these two, are compatible yet with Bluetooth headphones! The Bluetooth capability is inbound only, but given the addition of Bluetooth audio, it means both instruments double as high-end Bluetooth speakers for streaming audio. Both of these instruments will sound better for listening to music than pretty much all non audiophile stereo setups out there.
Both instruments have a bunch of built in songs and lesson repertoire, as well as a lot of the same standard features, such as a metronome and the ability to layer tones. Both have high quality analogue audio output jacks (twin ¼” outs), both come with benches, and both come in a very nice polished ebony finish, though the LX-708 is also available in polished white and satin black.
Summary:
To sum up the differences, if you’re after a great upright but a digital piano makes more sense, the NV5 is the piano for you. If you’re looking for more of a grand piano musical experience, the LX-708 would be the better fit. All in all though, two fantastic instruments that attest to how far digital piano technology has come.
Thanks for watching!
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