today I tried a few... and I am reporting my personal impressions (I emphasize that they are personal impressions, as in the end a judgment on a piano cannot be otherwise... even if within certain limits).
i tried the:
yamaha modus F01
for me this is a piano that is all aesthetics and little substance, if we consider the quality/price ratio. in my particular case I immediately excluded it because I tried an ex-demo that had been heavily used and also presented some imperfections in the keyboard...
yamaha CLP 470
a beautiful piano. excellent sensations (not found, however, on the other models, the CLP 430 and CLP 440!!!) when playing it. the keyboard is quite realistic, as are the sounds. also quite valid are those of the harpsichord and organ. a very robust and reliable instrument.
kawai CS6
a piano that has an attractive external cabinet, with a high-gloss black finish typical of "real" pianos. the price is rather high for this reason and therefore I excluded it immediately. for the rest, it has features very similar to the CA63... to the point that I would say they are the same instrument with a different external cabinet.
kawai ca63
the CA63 and CA93 are the "old" models. the new ones are the CA65 and CA95. for this reason, although I tried them a bit, I leaned more towards the CA65 and the CA95
kawai CA65 and CA95
they have the same keyboard and mechanism. they differ practically only in the fact that the 95 has a soundboard. a word on the mechanism, the Grand Feel (GF) action with Let-Off and Triple Sensor, a direct descendant and evolution of the RM3 Grand. playing it gives excellent sensations, very realistic. I would say better than the one mounted on the yamaha clp470. although: it is certainly not the mechanism of a real piano. the escapement it uses leaves me a bit perplexed: in practice it is a plastic-rubber "tab" against which a lever "hits"... it seems a bit like nonsense to me honestly... it is a pure illusion without function. honestly I don't understand its utility... not even at the touch. another doubt this mechanism gives me is its reliability! that is, the fact that over time and with use it might need maintenance... whereas the mechanisms mounted on the yamaha clp470 are practically "springs"... in short, no maintenance or wear...
so ok... yes... excellent mechanism... perhaps when playing Liszt one prefers it to the one mounted on the yamaha clp470... but in other less "transcendental" situations I honestly doubt there is a real advantage. especially considering the sound...
the sound: the yamaha clp470 sounds better. there is no debate. the bass is a bit... muddy on the kawai. and the soundboard mounted on the 95 amplifies these bass notes even more. it could be that in certain situations, like very large halls, this could be an advantage... but in domestic situations (which is what digital pianos are ultimately mostly intended for) I don't see it as an advantage, quite the opposite... (I am obviously only speaking of the "digital piano" situation, let it be clear).
concluding, and for my use, I have therefore moved towards this choice: yamaha clp 470. kawai CA65
yamahaCLP470
advantages:
good sound
good reliability
good keyboard
disadvantages:
it will never be a real piano
kawai CA65
advantages:
keyboard a tiny bit better than the CLP470 (perhaps I am a bit against the current regarding the opinions I have also read on this forum, but I don't find it much better compared to that of the yamaha CLP470 when playing it... just a tiny bit...)
disadvantages:
lower quality sound compared to the yamaha (the only acceptable one is the piano, the others are truly fake...)
i doubt a bit the reliability and durability of the mechanism (compared to the yamaha)
