Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Digital Pianos - Electronic Pianos - Synths & Keyboards Onkyo’s bankruptcy and effect on Kawai Novus?

I think there's little chance this will affect immediate product availability, KP. These durable goods typically have pretty long lead times on product schedules, supply manifest commitments, etc.

Best of luck getting your NV-5S

I have a CA99 that just hit 6 months old. When I first saw the ads touting the Onkyo sound system my first thought was "Onkyo? I haven't heard that name in years. Are they still in business?"

Turns out I was just ahead of my time.

I'm not worried about the effects of Onkyo totally ceasing support (if they do) because my 5-year CA99 warranty is through Kawai, not Onkyo. If I have an in-warranty problem, which is for the next 4.5 years, I trust Kawai to handle it.

Kawai is not going to kill major products simply because a single vendor ceased operation. I'm sure Kawai, like most companies in the past few years, has secured alternative vendors and almost undoubtedly has been working on this due to the previous Onkyo financial actions that went on. Kawai's ads may change, they may introduce the CA100 with a "New, improved sound system!" but I'm sure the product will still be around.

And if my Onkyo system rolls over and dies, hey, maybe I'll get the "New, improved sound system!" as a retrofit!

Ray

nxr, i don't think people are worried about the 5 year warranty, $6000 is not a 5 year thing. it's more like a 20 year thing. lots of things can happen, so people looking at the expensive digitals may be thinking that if even relatively large/established electronic companies can go bust, is it really advisable to buy into such an expensive thing today.

That kind of depends on how old you are, right?

My family history suggests I have no need to worry about what might happen in two decades. Plus, 20 years is a long time. Essentially we're talking about large companies that existed in the 20th century but failed some time in the 21st century. There are a lot of those.

Ray

exactly, so when we shop for our forever piano, it's something to hesitate over.

I wanted to offer everyone an update on this, since I said I would reach out to my local Kawai dealer...

They, in turn, reached out to their contacts at Kawai, and were told: "The Onkyo situation has been brewing for a while, and our engineers have managed to continue production of the Novus and CA series without interruption. We have a supply of certain Onkyo parts that are still being used and eventually we will use redesigned circuits that our engineers have been working on. In short, Onkyo’s problems are not impacting our production."

This puts my mind at ease a bit about the NV-10S I'm waiting for. :-)

Not surprising Kawai saw that coming given the company's recent history. But it's great news they have what they need in terms of components and can continue uninhibited.

Hello folks,

This statement was posted on the Kawai Global site earlier:

https://www.kawai-global.com/news/official-statement-regarding-onkyo-bankruptcy-filing/

Kind regards,
James
x

Wow, you really do have a lot of pull!

The most recent CA97/99 firmware update alluded to hardware changes and I suspect that won't be the last of them.

Ray

Interesting ‘statement,’ but I wonder, if the parts are being outsourced to other companies, then, is it proper to continue marketing something like the NV10\S as ‘using’ Onkyo speakers despite the speakers no longer being built by Onkyo?

Or will there exist two versions of the Novus, one with Onkyo and another with Onkyo-like speakers?

May I ask which information you are referencing Peter?

Here's the Novus NV10S/NV5S brochure:
https://www.kawai-global.com/data/catalogue/novus/NV10S_NV5S_brochure_EN_300dpi_spread.pdf

Here are the Novus NV10S/NV5S product pages:
https://www.kawai-global.com/product/nv10s/
https://www.kawai-global.com/product/nv5s/

Based on the documentation you’ve provided, I have extrapolated the following:

‘Developed in collaboration with Onkyo, the NV10\S features specialist filtering and amplification components designed for high-resolution sound reproduction.’

I am still in the process of reading the entire document(s); however, I’ve yet to find a specific mention of Onkyo speakers being used, so I’ll give you that for the time being.

Perhaps I’ve read about this here, but I was certain about the Novus using Onkyo speakers. I apologize in advance if I was mistaken.

But still, what about the ‘specialist filtering and amplification components’?

Well, independant of the state of the onkyo company at the date of today, the novus was developed in collaboration with onkyo? Yes or no?
If they still use onkyo components inside, we'll it is another story.
But the fact is that they developed it together with onkyo.

Pete14,


Current Novus instruments do not use Onkyo speakers.


This refers to hardware designed in collaboration with Onkyo.

As the statement explains, the Onkyo bankruptcy filing will not affect the production of Kawai instruments, nor the supply of spare parts.

Kind regards,
James
x

Yes, but what about the NV-20, will it use a solid-spruce soundboard?

Thank you for the confirmation Kawai James, and the official statement from Kawai. Honestly, I don't think we'd get that kind of confirmation/comfort from some other makers, so it's a good reminder how important Kawai takes its music customers!

Pete, fwiw I don't see any Onkyo badging on my NV-10 speakers:





Be careful! Yesterday it's the action, today it's a full soundboard. Before you know it, you may be asking for a hybrid with real Roslau wire strings, and you'll look at yourself in the mirror only to discover you have become that which you sought to destroy.

Special thanks go to Kawai James, as he keeps us updated here outside of his routine job at Kawai😊😊

On the matter of strings, yes, the modern hybrid will incorporate my patented NanoStrings!

“NanoStrings, like strings, only better.”

My NanoString(s) will be nothing like your grandpa’s copper strings, for you see, my take on the string will incorporate nano-sensors capable of picking up on your most hidden inner desires. The notion that a copper string can capture the player’s intentions will seem moot compared to my string’s almost psychic abilities; so good, my string will be, that it will anticipate your intentions the minute they pop into your head. Old fashioned strings cannot compete with that!


P.S.

I’ve taken a beating over my truth, but that is nothing compared to those burned at the stake for making such “outlandish” statements as, “the world is freaking round, and it revolves around the sun (that guy was both hanged and burned for ‘such heresy’).

I only hope to be around when it is finally confirmed: not only is the world round, but also, the hybrid has replaced the acoustic!


P.P.S.

Yes, there still exist people, out there, believing that the world is flat!

And the next step will be your Nano-strings linked directly to your brain.
You won't need any interface (like Ur-old pianoforte or old Digital piano). You won't need your "digits" in your hand to play a sound, you only think of a piece of music and it will play directly in your brain with all the nuances you want.
You will be fat since you always use elevators, with nano strings in your brain. And you will be happy. You will live in a permanent present without any efforts, any memories since the cloud will be your friend.
What will be the point to play some musics?

Go till the end of your theory.

An electric piano with little wires and pickups has already been made… Yamaha CP60, CP70 and CP80.