🎹Kawai ND21 Upright Piano Review & Demo by Merriam Pianos🎹
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
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#KawaiND21 #KawaiPiano #UprightPiano
Introduction:
Welcome to another piano review by Merriam Pianos! The Kawai ND21 is a 48” upright piano that perfectly fills the gap between a top-of-the-line Japanese 48” pianos like the Kawai K300 or the Yamaha YUS1, and the used alternatives like 1980’s U1’s and BL / US series from Japan. In other words, a brand new Kawai with exactly the same specs as the used ones from the 1990’s, for about the same price or slightly more. A total no-brainer that our customers have been gobbling up like crazy.
For people new to the piano market, Kawai is a Japanese manufacturer that builds both acoustic and digital pianos globally, with over a billion dollars of annual sales. They make several leading piano models that are dominant within their respective price ranges and categories, such as the Kawai K300 Upright, the Kawai GX2 and GX3 Grand pianos, the GL10 Baby grand, and of course their elite hand-made Shigeru Kawai line.
They’re also the largest family-run piano company, now entering their 4th generation. They are headquartered in Hamamatsu Japan, and do the majority of their acoustic piano building in Japan itself, with much of the digital pianos manufactured in Indonesia - all directly by Kawai - they are the OEM for all of the products they sell, and with few exceptions also the OEM for all components as well.
The ND21 Sound:
The ND21 is fashioned after the Kawai K25 / K30 pianos of the 1990’s, and with the exception of their black plate and soundboard, and nickel hardware, is built using the same cabinetry and scale design as its predecessor. The sound could be described as up-front, mid-rangy, even, and capable of a wider dynamic range and technical control than a similarly priced used Japanese piano, which is exactly why it’s being built.
The bass is clearer and with better sustain, the tenor section more resonant, and the treble strong without any metallic attack. Overall, an entirely satisfying piano to learn on and good enough for casual performance or even light-to-medium institutional use.
The Action:
The Kawai ND21 uses their ABS Composite Action, the predecessor to the Millennium III action. It’s now been in the field for close to 40 years with near universal praise for its improved speed and reduced maintenance.
The key has a medium depth and a weight which is slightly heavier than a typical Yamaha, but most certainly lighter than the larger Kawai K Series uprights - making it perfect for beginners or students, or hobbyist players as well.
Overall Impressions:
The $5000-10000 upright piano is the most commonly sought-after price category, and yet it is the least well served by the new piano industry. The ND21 focuses in on this important segment, and hits it out of the park with some creative ways of bringing an older model back to life with lower development costs, and passes those savings to customers.
For families or teachers who previously thought that a used Yamaha U1 was going to be their only ticket to a decent acoustic upright in their budget, this piano is a near-perfect alternative, and serves as an ideal gateway for future upgrades, while also serving as an attractive piece of furniture.
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The universe has your back my friend 😊
love the presentation
Thank you for mentioning the U1 presence nowadays... So many sellers want to sell them it is nonsense
K200 or ND21? Same price offered at my local piano shop
Go for the K200 it has a better Action the Millennium III with the carbon Fibre Action
Im so close to buying one, looked at one today, but theres also a 1994 bs2ape for the same price of $5,000 Mint condition with a 12 year warranty
The 1994 feels a bit nicer on the touch and sounds a bit better and more dynamics and powerful
But im torn between a brand new piano in the box which is awesome, or one that i think is a bit better but 25 years old
Help i dont no wat to do
The guy in the shop was really pushing the bs2ape saying how much better it is
So i can't pass judgement on that specific piano. Any piano 25 years old will have its own journey, so some might be excellent buys, and others might be terrible values...super hard to give advice specifically. GENERALLY though, Kawai's from the 1990's were well-made, and were equipped with excellent soundboards. The differences I'd be focused in on between those two pianos would be tuning stability, action condition, and sustain. For $5000 that Bs2 should have near-perfect centerpins, tight front and balance rail bushings, plenty of felt left on the hammers, decent crown, a ridge-free soundboard, and solid bass. All of the items I mentioned (in most cases) would require some meaningful work by a dealer.
Perhaps a better way to put this is the only benefit a used piano might have over the ND21 would be if it had been immaculately maintained, the soundboard might have a better sustain and be more responsive than a new one, but that's really the only part of any piano that might conceivably get "better" over time. Otherwise, pianos are super high-tension machines that all wear down and require mechanical love to keep them performing at the same level as a new piano. And spec for spec, the ND21 is basically a brand-new 1990's era Kawai anyway.
So if both pianos are in excellent mechanical shape, and the dealer has been in business long enough that a 12 year warranty carries some weight, this might come down to good ole' fashioned musical preference. Good luck with the decision! -stu
Merriam Music thanks so much for the in depth reply, i decided to get the nd21 just for the fact that it is a great new piano, got great reviews and my teacher also agreed with a lot of what you said.. thanks again
Michael 88keys Wondering if you did pick up the ND21 after all. If so, what are you thoughts/impressions on it? - Thanks!
Walter B. Yes i did, really really happy with it, its been practised on every single day for 2-4 hours and im extremely happy with it, zero complaints and with the 12 year guarantee its a great piece of mind
Need to make decision, ND21 and E300 same price, which one to get?
Thanks a lot! A quick question: according to your experience, is the ND-21 in between the K-15 and the K300? If it is, would it be closer to K15 or closer to K300? The K 15 seems to me very entry level, similar to Yamaha B1. Is the ND-21 higher? I've never tried it.
Hi! Brent here! I would agree with the notion that ND21 fits right in the middle of those two models in terms of musical capability. In terms of material quality and specs, it is more akin to the K15, but the 48" height provides far greater power, clarity, and tonal range. Thanks and hope this helps! :)
Thanks so much, exactly what I needed ;) thanks for your amazing videos too. Very clear, very professionnal!
which should i buy between nd21 and k15?
what is the different between single felted hammer vs double? Is there any article or link about this? I have researched online but It seem to be no one had made a topic about this.
Thanks for the question! This would be a wonderful topic to cover in a video. Double felted hammers are a bit more standard now in the industry. Much like the use of dense-yet-light-weight woods being the preference for piano hammers, double felting is critical in providing player's more expressive control and a wider dynamic range. Producing extremely soft dynamics, while still feeling a strong connection to the instrument's touch is a difficult thing to achieve, but double-felting the hammers assists with this.
@@MerriamPianos Thanks for your explaination . I tried to find the different images of the two but coundn't find one. Hope you can make a topic about this ( with real image ). Your videos had given me the full detail information of K300 and ND21 that no other channels had pointed out. I'm really appreciated for your effort making these videos.
If I get the ND-21 Can i add another layer of felt to make it double felted hammers?
I suppose anything is possible, but given the costs involved for a technician's time, it might be better to invest into an instrument that has double-felted hammers to begin with.
The Kawai ND21 is the equivalent of the Yamaha B3
It will only happen once...
to be honest no one has told "yo buy a used 48" used yamaha piano" like for real
Hey Atlas! I suspect it's very different from market to market, but we have literally legions of students that come into the showrooms every September with marching orders from their teachers to find a used Yamaha U1. It's a thing, at least here in Toronto. But I don't doubt that there are markets where this isn't a dynamic. Thanks for the comment! -stu
One music shop i went to the salesman harrased me and tried to sell me a u1 or u3h and went on and on and on about how they are so much better, but i was just a bit concerened about the age compared to a fresh new juicy japanese variation. I kinda got the feeling that mayb piano dealers can make more money on a lot of second hand pianos conpared to a new one in this price range cos he definatly hounded me.
Even in the middle east they have the same philosophy 😂 get a junkie but hey it's made in Japan