Yamaha P515 vs Kawai ES920 -BATTLE For the BEST Keyboard Under $2000

We have two of our favorite keyboards going head to head in a battle of the 'boards. Who will take the title as the best intermediate to advanced keyboard on the market under $2000? We have the Yamaha P515 and the Kawai ES920, both amazing instruments to play and own, in this Clash of the Keyboard titans. Let’s see how they compare.

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[MovedbyTruth]

You compared the button feel but not the action of the two? Why? What did you think the main reason people wated this comparison was? I mean, we already know they both sound great and are full of features. So you thought it came down to button pressing feel??

[nevinbrown]

Last year I was looking at both the Roland FP-90 and the Yamaha P515. I could not find a place that had both of them in the same location so I never got to do a side by side comparison. I couldn't decide between them, so I bought nothing. When the Kawai Es920 was announced I decided to throw it into the mix, but nobody in the country seemed to have them, and I wasn't going to buy before I could try. About a month ago, the closest dealer to me finally got the Kawai in stock. I didn't get to do a side by side again, but I loved the Kawai so much that I didn't hesitate to buy it that day. I don't remember what the others felt like or sounded like, but I know they didn't give me the same sensation upon playing them. I am more than satisfied with my choice.

[OnlineMD]

Sorry, guys, you spent so much time yakking and really did not provide valuable needed information. Like keyboard feel, how heavy the keys feel, etc. The drum sounds, rhythms, etc. And so on. I got an ES920 six weeks ago from Alamo but had to get the wood stand elsewhere. Anyhow, since I'm just getting back into piano after a 30 year gap, the keys felt so heavvvy at first but I've got used to them now. In fact I did a "dime test." I took a plastic dime saver container and put enough dimes in to drop the Middle C key down sharply enough to make a sound. The ES920 needed 92 grams to drop the key, whereas a Steinway upright, 30 years old, took 112 grams. I read somewhere that it takes 96 grams to drop a key on the P515. So it is strange that the ES920 keys feel heavier than the Steinway. Anyhow, the sounds are great, rhythms are very nice, and the sound system superb. No regrets on the purchase. I love how you can layer two sounds together, like piano and strings. When I got the ES920, I tried to run the Kawai Piano Remote software, and it said to me, dude, the firmware is not up to date. So I had to download the latest firmware on a thumb drive, stick it into the ES920, and it quickly updated. After that, Piano Remote ran just fine. If you own an ES920, make sure the firmware is up to date. Hold down the Piano 2, Organ, and Strings buttons, then turn it on. It will show you the firmware. It should be (US) V1.10 and not a lower number. Turn it off after that, and then turn it on again. I also had Bluetooth issues which the update fixed.

[thomasbrown]

I’ve been playing the p515 for a year now. I have no desire to change and I do like the Yamaha sound better. Kawai is a great company. So it’s a matter of personal preference.

[benjaminsmith]

The Kawai has I think the virtual technician and the Yamaha has piano room and virtual resonance modeling and there you can "voice" the piano sounds and put the lid up and down and so forth. The default sound can be altered quite a lot and how much reverb, string resonance, damper resonance, and other parameters can be fiddled with. I tend to turn up the resonance with Yamaha and down the resonance with Kawai. As for the demo, when the instruments played different voices they weren't marked so it would have been helpful to indicate which voice was used. Listening to the Kawai I wonder if it has some chorus in the sound. Not sure. The Yamaha has also a mellow sample version of the Bosendorfer Imperial grand. I think the CFX is a more plaintive sounding instrument, the SK-EX, a full-bodied fine wine. They have very different characteristics as acoustic pianos. The CFX writes with a very fine point and articulates infinitely. The Kawai has deep colors and washes the sound yet sparkles in the treble a great deal. It also has big timbre changes from soft to loud. The Yamaha goes for evenness throughout the ranges but the brightness level has less contrast at louder dynamics. The samples? I've heard the ES8 (ES920s predecessors) and P515 played by a number of jazz and Classical pianists in stores and elsewhere. They both are impressive. When I sampled them the ES8 felt solid, not sure the ES920 is as solid but I haven't played one. The P515 is well put together as well.

[johnweller]

I purchased the Yamaha P-515 as the Kawai ES920 wasn’t out yet. The build quality of the Yamaha is superb and very sturdy and yes it is heavy although it’s pretty stationary where I’ve placed it. I also bought the stand and pedals. The NWX action is very nice to play and the CFX Grand is nicely sampled. The Kawai may be better sampled from what I heard. Maybe, one day I can afford an actual grand piano 😀

[nordlyselsker]

For me, a music therapist working with children, some of whom love to press buttons randomly while others love to turn up the volume as high as possible, having the on/off button and volume control on the left side is a HUGE advantage. I was also pleased to find out that the Yamaha has a two-button combination that lets you lock all the buttons (it would be even better if that were on the left as well, or if there were a cover for the whole front panel). I don't know if the Kawai has something similar. I miss that option very much on the keyboard I am using at work now.

[debijohoffman]

I'm a Yamaha buyer. It would be fun to compare also. They both sounded very good 👍

[markmurto]

No real conclusion because you sell them both.

[Charles-yfbk]

Both sounds great, but I am bias for the kawai keyboard pianos lol

[JitinMisra]

I own the p515, but have tried the es8, similar to es920, some days I wish I had the es920, somedays I like prefer p515, like in this comparison, I suppose you can't go wrong.

[greenbunny]

Was a great video, up til the end. We were told that Ted was going to give us his preference of which one he liked the best. Nothing. Total let down

[phildoethedildoe]

Coming from someone who has a Yamaha HX-3 digital organ, a Technics Pr105 digital piano, Yamaha CLP765GP concert digital piano, a Yamaha FX-20 digital organ, a Allen ADC 8000 digital pipe organ and a Lowrey Rhapsody SU400 digital organ i can safely say i am partial to the P-515 sound wise and feel, the acoustics are deeper yet smooth across the whole frequency range, where the Kawai ES920 is a bit sharp at points, plus the feel of those wooden keys on the Yamaha are far to good.

[hqiu]

The recording seems not equal. When listening to the ES920 recording, the volume should double. ES920 sounds more like an acoustic piano.

[joonjeong]

I am a Kawai RX5 owner but I really like the touch and sound of Yamaha P515

[RalfeOrtiz]

I’m stuck between these 2 regarding the keybed action. I’ve gotten acclimated and like the heavy action from my Roland FP30. So I’m sure the Yamaha P515 will be similar. But with the ES920 being lighter action, is it too light or does it feel like a semi-weighted? No stores around me have the ES920 in stock for me to test. The key action for me is the deciding factor between these two.

[hacksaw]

I was pretty surprised that the Yamaha sounded richer and deeper to me on this video. But would have to hear them in person. Was this with the line out or internal speakers? Need to get that big Roland in next... Great reviews, thanks!

[ChuckS]

The Kawai sounds WAAAY better IMO. Not saying the Yamaha doesn't sound great but Kawai's sound is just perfect.

[abath]

I have both and prefer the piano sound from the Kawai, it expresses more feelings and is a warmer more colorful tone. Wonderful detailing. The Yamaha with its scooped mid range (like on their real pianos) is less colorful, is brighter, and I don’t get the emotional response to its feeling. The action in the Kawai is nicer, there rigidness or stiffness in the Yamaha.

[Truthasvictim]

Definitely my preference is the ES920. I think it just sounds more "analog", less digital than the 515. Love to also see these against two other main competitors in this range: the Roland FP90x and both the C1 or G1 Korg Airs.