Roland FP-60X vs Kawai ES520

Two Upper Mid-Range Portables

Both sit above the FP-30X and ES120 with stronger speakers, more sounds and fuller connectivity. The Roland has a display, a mic input and Roland's escapement action; the Kawai has the loudest speakers in any mid-range portable and Kawai's tone. The Kawai was cheaper at the listings we checked.

Action

PHA-4 Standard has three sensors, escapement and Ivory Feel tops, and it is the more detailed, more acoustic-like keyboard. Responsive Hammer Compact II is smooth, quiet and slightly lighter with two sensors and no let-off. For touch the Roland leads; for long sessions some players prefer the Kawai's lighter feel.

Sound and Speakers

The Roland's SuperNATURAL grand is bright and responsive with Piano Designer on the display; the Kawai's 88-key sampled grand is warmer. The Roland has 358 tones and 256-note polyphony; the Kawai 34 sounds and 192 notes. The Kawai's 40 watt Onkyo system is clearly louder and fuller than the Roland's 2 x 13 W, and it fills a living room or small venue without an amplifier.

Display, Mic Input and Connectivity

The Roland's display makes its 358 tones and Piano Designer usable on the panel, and its microphone input with effects turns it into a solo performer's instrument. Both have USB audio and MIDI and Bluetooth MIDI; the Roland adds Bluetooth audio, and the Kawai's Bluetooth audio is not stated on its listing. Both have line outputs and two headphone jacks.

Weight and Accessories

The Roland weighs 42.6 pounds; the Kawai's listing figure may include packaging and Kawai's own figure is lower. Both suit a double-braced X-stand; Roland's KSC-72 with the KPD-90 pedals and Kawai's HM-5 with the F-302 pedals convert either into a console. The Roland includes the DP-10 half-damper pedal; the Kawai includes the F-10H switch.

Daily Use

At home the Kawai plays through its own speakers for the whole family; the Roland is quieter but shows everything on its display. For a singer, the Roland's mic input is decisive. For a pianist who wants warmth and volume without an amplifier, the Kawai is. Both record over USB audio and connect apps over Bluetooth MIDI.

Value

The Kawai costs less and gives the most speaker power in the class; the Roland costs more and gives the better action, a display, more tones and a mic input. Value depends on whether you play through speakers at home or perform and sing.

What a Complete Setup Costs

The Roland ships with the DP-10 half-damper pedal and the Kawai with the F-10H switch, so the Kawai needs a pedal upgrade sooner. Roland's KSC-72 stand with the KPD-90 three-pedal unit and Kawai's HM-5 stand with the F-302 unit convert either into a console with soft and sostenuto pedals. Priced together, the complete setups land closer than the bare pianos because the Kawai's pedal and stand add a little more. The Kawai still ends up cheaper, but by less than the listing prices suggest.

Practice Tools and Learning

Both connect to lesson apps such as Simply Piano and Flowkey over Bluetooth MIDI. Roland's Piano App adds Piano Designer, a metronome and a recorder, and the FP-60X's display shows most of this on the panel without a tablet; Kawai's PianoRemote adds the Virtual Technician and lesson songs from the Alfred and Burgmuller libraries built into the ES520. Both have Twin Piano or Four Hands modes for teacher and student and two headphone jacks. The Roland's mic input lets a singer rehearse with reverb through the piano's speakers, which no app replaces.

Long-Term Ownership

FP-60X owners rarely upgrade for the action; the step up is the FP-90X with the PHA-50 hybrid action and PureAcoustic modeling, and most owners who make it do so for the four-speaker system. ES520 owners who upgrade do so for let-off and a third sensor, which the ES920 adds with the RHIII action. Both pianos are current models with strong resale. The Kawai's speaker system is the feature that keeps owners from upgrading at all; the Roland's display and mic input are the features working musicians keep it for. Either is a sensible piano to own for five to ten years.

The Deciding Question

Ask whether the piano is for one player or for a room. A pianist who practices alone, wants the most detailed action in the class and may sing or perform will be happier with the Roland's escapement keys, display and mic input, and will accept its quieter speakers because headphones or a PA cover the gap. A family that wants a piano everyone hears, with warmth from Kawai's sampled grand and enough volume for a party, will be happier with the Kawai and will not miss the display. The two pianos are close enough in action that neither choice limits a student; the speakers and the mic input are the features that decide it.

A third consideration is weight. The Roland's 42.6 pounds is heavier than the Kawai's real-world figure, and a player who carries the piano to lessons or gigs will feel the difference every week.

Who Should Buy Which

Buy the Roland FP-60X for the action, the display, the tones and the mic input. Buy the Kawai ES520 for the speakers, the tone and the price. If you cannot decide, the action tips it to the Roland for a pianist and the speakers tip it to the Kawai for a family.