Kawai ES120 Review: Kawai Tone and Touch in a Light Portable

Who Should Buy It

Key Specifications

What the ES120 Is Known For

Kawai samples every one of the 88 keys on its SK-EX and EX concert grands rather than stretching a smaller set of samples across the keyboard, and the Harmonic Imaging engine adds damper and string resonance on top. The ES120's main grand is round, warm and even from bass to treble, with a less aggressive top end than Roland's SuperNATURAL grand. For classical and jazz players it is often the tone they prefer on first listen.

At about 26 pounds with line outputs and Bluetooth built in, it is also one of the easiest serious portables to live with.

Responsive Hammer Compact Action

RHC is a graded hammer action with a notably smooth, consistent feel and a slightly lighter touch than Roland's PHA-4 Standard. Kawai redesigned it for the ES120 with a quieter mechanism and improved key return. It is a comfortable action for long practice sessions and suits players who find the Roland stiff.

What it lacks is escapement simulation and a third sensor. Very fast repeated notes are registered less reliably than on three-sensor actions, and there is no let-off click at pianissimo. The key tops are smooth matte plastic rather than textured. For most players through intermediate level none of this is a problem; for advanced technique, the Roland FP-30X or Kawai's own ES920 with RHIII are the stronger choices.

Sound, Polyphony and Speakers

Twenty-five sounds include the SK-EX and EX grands, uprights, electric pianos, organs, strings, harpsichord and bass. Virtual Technician settings, reachable through the PianoRemote app, adjust touch curve, voicing, resonance and more. Polyphony is 192 notes, comfortably enough for layered, pedaled playing.

The two 10 watt speakers are clean and a little more refined than the Casio PX-S1100's but quieter than the Roland FP-30X's 11 watt pair. A Spatial Headphone Sound setting improves the headphone image, which matters because the ES120 rewards good headphones.

Connectivity

Left and right quarter-inch line outputs, a headphone jack, USB MIDI, a sustain jack for the included F-10H pedal and a port for the optional F-350 triple pedal cover stage and home use. USB audio is absent, so recording the piano's own sound to a computer means using the line outs into an interface. Kawai's PianoRemote app connects over Bluetooth MIDI for control and settings.

ES120 or FP-30X?

This is the central mid-range portable decision. The Roland has the better action, louder speakers and USB audio. The Kawai has the warmer, more natural grand piano tone, is six pounds lighter, and includes Bluetooth audio and MIDI without caveats. Players who shop by touch tend to choose the Roland; players who shop by sound tend to choose the Kawai, and both are right.

Within Kawai's range, the ES920 adds the RHIII action with let-off, 20 watt speakers, USB audio and a richer engine at roughly double the price, and the new ES60 sits below with a lighter Responsive Hammer Lite action for buyers on a tighter budget.

Setup, Stand and Pedals

The ES120 comes with a music rest, the F-10H sustain pedal and a power adapter. At 26.5 pounds it is one of the lighter serious portables, and its depth is between the slim Casio and Yamaha models and the deeper Roland FP-30X. Kawai's HML-2 stand and F-350 triple pedal unit convert it into a slim console with soft, sostenuto and half-damper pedals; the F-10H on its own is a switch-type pedal without half-pedal response.

Bluetooth audio and MIDI pair directly without an adapter. The PianoRemote app over Bluetooth MIDI opens the Virtual Technician, where touch curve, voicing, damper resonance, string resonance, key-off effect and temperament can all be adjusted and saved, which is more control over the piano's character than any competitor offers at this price.

Practice, Performance and the Long View

On headphones the ES120 is where the 88-key sampling earns its reputation: the SK-EX concert grand is warm and detailed, and the Spatial Headphone Sound setting widens the image so long practice sessions feel less fatiguing. Through the 10 watt speakers it is clear and balanced for a practice room, and through the quarter-inch line outputs it sends a clean signal to an amp or interface for gigs and recording, albeit without USB audio.

Owners who stay with the ES120 for years are usually players who care about tone first and who find the Responsive Hammer Compact action comfortable for long sessions. Those who move on tend to want escapement and a third sensor, which Kawai's own ES920 provides along with USB audio and 20 watt speakers, or they want the slightly heavier Roland feel. As a first serious piano, a second instrument for a working musician or a tonal upgrade from an entry model, the ES120 is one of the easiest recommendations in the mid-range.

Strengths and Limitations

Alternatives to Consider

Roland FP-30X

Anyone who wants the complete mid-range portable: realistic action, generous polyphony, every connection

Read the Roland FP-30X review →

Yamaha P-225

Players who want Yamaha's flagship CFX tone in a slim portable with proper outputs

Read the Yamaha P-225 review →

Casio Privia PX-S1100

Players who want a serious, slim, wireless-ready piano that still travels easily

Read the Casio Privia PX-S1100 review →

Head-to-Head Comparisons

• Roland FP-30X vs Kawai ES120 Compare →

Questions Buyers Ask