The Kawai KDP110 is a premier line of piano instruments that combines the goodness of the Kawai quality at an affordable price tag, to suit entry-level piano players. This piano comes as a replacement for the KDP 90 series of pianos from this brand and regardless to say holds the best upgrades and some of the best set of features. This piano is an excellent addition to the great-sounding line of digital pianos for pianists. Let us discuss the distinct features of this piano in detail here.
Table of Contents
- Kawai KDP110 Piano Review 2023
- Quick Opinion by Larry
- Specifications of the Kawai KDP110
- Overview of the Kawai KDP110
- The External Design of the Piano
- The Keys
- Sound Quality
- Sound Effects
- Connectivity Features
- Additional Features – Modes, Functions, and Accessories
- Pros & Cons of Kawai KDP110
- Alternatives of Kawai KDP110
- Final Verdict
Kawai KDP110 Piano Review 2023
| Features | Rating |
| Performance and sounds | 9.5 |
| Easy to Assemble | 9.5 |
| Lightweight | 8.6 |
| Connectivity | 9.1 |
| Build Quality | 9.1 |
| Value for money | 9.1 |
Quick Opinion by Larry
I personally love all the Kawai pianos, but Kawai KDP110 is a special one as all the 15 voices are great, and what makes it the best is the modifications used to change the sounds of the pianos. In short, Kawai KDP110 is a complete value-for-money piano.
Specifications of the Kawai KDP110
- The piano features 88-fully weighted keys with a responsive hammer action.
- Pianists brag about their harmonic imaging sound engine.
- The piano features built-in Alfred piano lessons and 192-note polyphony.
- The piano is sensitive to touch and we can grade the keys into light, normal, heavy, and off based on how the keys respond to touch
- There are 15 instrument sounds and 5 built-in songbooks with over 200 songs and exercises stored.
- Lesson function ability is active with dual and four-hand modes
- The piano has a one-track MIDI recorder as well, that could record up to 3 songs.
- The sound settings can be adjusted based on brilliance, damper resonance, touch response, reverb, etc.
- There is also transpose, metronome, and fine-tuning feature available in this piano
- It has two 20W built-in speakers.
Overview of the Kawai KDP110
The Kawai110 is generally regarded as an entry-level piano for budding pianists. The piano renders tremendous value as it offers the best piano sounds, keyboard action, and connectivity features. It renders the best piano playing experience for its enthusiasts with a decent market rate.
The External Design of the Piano
The Kawai KDP110 is a great piano to have around the home. It looks elegant and simple and stands as a true depiction of the grand acoustic pianos. Traditionally this piano comes in its black and white color, but it is not lightweight and sleek. It is a little hefty and weighs around 86 pounds, giving the feeling that it is another piece of furniture at home.
The grand feel pedal system in this piano is pretty unique, and irresistibly recreates the pedals of a grand concert piano. It helps with a realistic piano playing experience and its sustain pedal renders half-pedaling support. The piano comes with a piano cover and is also equipped with a sliding key cover, to keep dirt and dust at bay when at rest. The names of the sounds and the functions are printed on the keys, and thus there is no need to refer to the manual often.
The Keys
The keys on the board are perhaps the most important feature to look for in a piano. The Kawai KDP110 is undoubtedly a full-size keyboard with 88 keys. The keys have a matte finish to help with grip. Its keys follow a responsive hammer action and though it is an entry-level piano, its keyboard feels as good as premium pianos.
The keys follow a three-sensor motion to enhance responsiveness and the keys are also graded and weighted to emulate the natural feel of an acoustic piano. The keys are faster and highly responsive and players can adjust the touch response to suit different playing styles.
Must Check: Best Home Digital Pianos
Sound Quality
The sound quality with the Kawai KDP110 digital piano is of top-notch quality. The piano features a harmonic sound engine with stereo samples from the 9-foot grand piano of the Shigeru SK-EX. There are in total of 15 different sounds in this grand piano, which includes the sounds of grand pianos, electric pianos, organs, strings, vibraphones, etc.
The one important feature that differentiates this piano from its competitors is its virtual technician feature. This feature allows the pianist to alter the character of the tone, to suit music genres on par with one’s personal preferences. By using this virtual technician feature in smart mode, it is possible to adjust the various characteristics of the piano such as hammer response, damper resonance, touch response, etc.
Sound Effects
The sound effects in this digital piano are worth mentioning as the pianist will be able to adjust the brightness of the sound between -10 and +10, by making use of the brilliance setting. It is possible to choose from 6 reverb settings to make the sound wider and bigger. Thus the sound effects can be altered based on the different acoustic environments such as lounge, room, concert hall, small hall, etc.
Yet another interesting feature of the Kawai KDP110 digital piano is its spatial headphone sound feature. This feature helps in improving the listening experience by making use of headphones. There are four present settings and there is also a phone-type feature that helps pianists to optimize the sounds depending on the type of headphones they use. The piano has a 192-note polyphone to add a lot of minute nuances and quality to the music player. It is also equipped with two 20W speakers, that could be extremely loud enough to mimic the quality of an acoustic piano.
Connectivity Features
Connectivity for a piano with smart gadgets has become a mandatory feature in recent times. KDP110 doesn’t disappoint its users when it comes to connectivity features. There are two headphone jacks right below the keyboard, that can of immense use while playing duets. But there are no line-out jacks for connecting the unit with an external amplifier or speaker, but this can be achieved by making use of the headphone jacks. The other connections are present beneath the keyboard.
There is a USB type B port to connect the piano to the computer or smart device. This feature can also be used to connect with diverse music apps that are MIDI compatible. It is also possible to connect the piano to other wireless devices with the help of its Bluetooth connectivity feature. This is a very handy and hassle-free feature that doesn’t require complex cables.
Additional Features – Modes, Functions, and Accessories
The available modes in this piano help pianists to use this instrument in different ways. For instance, the dual-mode feature helps to layer two different tones, to play simultaneously on a key press. There is also a four hands mode that helps to play duets during piano classes. But there is no split mode, where the piano can be divided into two halves to play the sounds of two different instruments.
There is a MIDI recorder that could record up to three songs. The Kawai KDP110 digital piano comes with built-in songbooks, unlike other pianos that come with mere present songs. This feature helps them to listen to a song, played by the piano while revising it on the page (books to be bought separately). It also allows the right and left hands to play separately.
There is another unique feature in this piano known as the concert magic feature which has 40 songs. These songs can be played by pressing any key on the keyboard with a steady tempo. All standard features of master tuning, transpose, and metronome are built in this piano. The accessories of this piano are a music rest, AC power adapter, and a three-pedal board along with the owner’s manual.
Must Check: Best Digital Pianos Under $1000
Pros & Cons of Kawai KDP110
What’s Best in Kawai KDP110?
- Features a three-sensor responsive hammer action keyboard
- Samples the Shigeru Kawai grand acoustic piano with 88- key sampling
- Pianists love its flexible virtual technician function and its smart mode feature
- The piano holds convenient USB MIDI and Bluetooth MIDI connectivity features
- This piano has a very powerful 40W stereo amplifier and a speaker system.
- The piano has a unique and elegant design and is built compact with a premium rosewood finish.
- This digital piano reproduces the sounds of the grand SK-EK acoustic piano.
What’s Lacking in Kawai KDP110?
- The control panel is very simple
- There is no display screen available
- There is no split mode in this piano.
Alternatives of Kawai KDP110
Here are some of the best alternatives that you can consider in 2023, in case you don’t like to get your hands on Kawai KDP110.
Final Verdict
Thus, the Kawai KDP110 is an incredible digital piano that is available at an incredible price. This can be an excellent piano for beginner and intermediate pianists, but advanced players also do not hesitate to play this piano, mainly because of its authentic feel and realistic sounds. This piano is great for home use, and the reason why it is not recommended for stage shows is that it could be pretty tough to break it and assemble it again on stage. It is bulky and requires assistance in assembling. Nevertheless, it is a great instrument for pianists looking to buy an instrument within their budget.
