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Congratulations! How wonderful to get it so soon! Enjoy!

Quick Q:

Do you think it's okay to lay books / metronome / laptop / other objects on top of the CA-99?
What if I only put them on the middle part, where there are no speakers underneath?

Should I avoid it altogether?
Will my mother suddenly appear and throw a shoe at my head like when I was child and put stuff on her piano?

Tx

Well, I cannot speak for any motherly witchcraft, but otherwise, laying 'stuff' on the piano should lead to muffled sound at worst and make no difference at all if you're using headphones.

I just felt the top of my CA99 and I can feel four speakers with just structure in the middle as you noted. I used to put my metronome on the front third where it's sold wood but decided to just use the metronome function built into the CA99 for a cleaner look.

I certainly would not put anything directly over a speaker, especially if it's smaller than the speaker. I think it would be OK in the center where there's more wood as long as it's not a ten-pound laptop or something. Maybe even then but mine is only three pounds.

You'd have to look inside to see how thick that top panel is if you're planning on something heavy.

Ray

Personally, I have two small picture frames - one directly on top of each of the speakers. They are lightweight, and don’t affect the sound. I have two cats that are always looking for new places to puke, and they prefer fabric. 🤣

I just got my CA99 and I'm surprised at how much "easier" it is to play compared to my upright Kawai K-6.

Not sure if this reflections a more grand piano-like action or if this is supposed to be a shortcoming of a digital piano (less realistic?), would love to hear some opinions from you guys.

Other than that, it's been a great piano and a great sound (I use headphones) to play with.

Of course it is. Grand piano key length is longer (relative to the pivot), so it's physically easier to press them as you get closer to the fallboard. That's very well documented. I'm sure you'll find a few people who don't like the GF3 action, but unrealistic is usually not the reason.

It's hard to imagine anyone who's used to the grand piano action (or equivalent) would ever want to go back to upright action. That said, there are some upright pianos that have been designed to have a pivot length as long as grand pianos', combined with pedals that emulate the grand piano in an upright, it's hard to argue those can't be as pleasant to play. But not ever going out of tune in a digital is plenty beneficial in my humble opinion. Once you go digital (above a certain quality especially action), you'll never go back. Of course, I wouldn't mind having a well-regulated grand piano (tuned every week or month), but that'll cost you.

I too have a ca99 and for me the action is a 6/10 for realism. Which I'd still rank higher than any other digital action. But its unmistakably a digital action. Perhaps if it was a tad heavier it would feel closer to the real thing. Its simply too light an action for me. There's some interesting modifications you can make to touch velocity. HOWEVER I wish I knew doing this for one preset would reset it for all other presets! So I've lost all the fine tunings I made.

May I ask you to clarify what you mean, please?

Also to be mentioned: Upright actions work "cross" gravity. So a spring loaded escapment is required. I agree: A grand action is a different story.
Galuwen

Just read that Onkyo went bankrupt (https://www.kawai-global.com/news/official-statement-regarding-onkyo-bankruptcy-filing/).

Do you think that this means it would be advantageous to buy a CA79 rather soon, with Onkyo speakers built in, or wait for the new models using other companies' speakers, or doesn't it matter?

Honestly, I can't imagine it mattering much. You're buying the piano from Kawai not Onkyo, and they must have adequate supplies for ongoing service/maintenance needs. And it's not like speaker cones and drivers are black magic.

My point exactly!

What was James thinking/drinking when, of a sudden, it came to him: “we should partner up with Onkyo!”

What were you thinking, James, really?

It’s not like speakers cones and drivers are black magic; heck, you’d been making cones/drivers before, without the need for Super-Onkyo; what gives, James?

This. I bought my NV-10 at the end of 2020 and it got delivered in February 2021. (The NV-10S was announced 5-6 months after I bought the NV-10 and took another 2 months or so for the first one to show up in the store.) Having 5 years of warranty, it should be covered until February 2026; so Kawai must have some option to fix this piano's speakers if one should fail before that time. Actually, I expect Kawai to be able to fix it until 2031 AT LEAST; Hammond can still fix organs from the 90's, and Yamaha still supplies parts (disk drives, push button rubbers) foro Electone organs from the late 80's.

I would be very surprised and VERY pissed if something happens to this piano and Kawai just tells me: "Sorry, can't fix because Onkyo went bankrupt."

Obviously I expect having to pay for a repair after 2026, but as far as musical instruments go, my experience is that if it doesn't break in the first year, it will be fine for at least 10 years. (I never had any instrument longer than 10 years; but I may keep the NV-10 that long or longer; unless I can get a really good deal on something else down the line. It would need to have some sort of _massive_ improvement.)

I have a new CA99 (about 3 months old).

I'm having a vibration issue. I run Spotify through my CA99 while working in my studio - using a wifi connection with my iphone.

The last couple days, I've noticed an audible vibration in the bass notes of songs. Volume is over the 1/2 way mark when I'm listening to music. No issues when I'm playing the piano.

Is this normal or could something be wrong? Is there a setting I should adjust? I thought I'd start here before contacting the sales person.

Any ideas? Thanks.

I recently received my CA99 and I'm super happy with it. The software upgrade to edit individual key voicings has made it even better, and being able to edit settings on my phone (insteading of peering over the built-in screen) is super. HOWEVER, if I make a bunch of edits, then save them with a keyword name to "Sounds", the new name doesn't show up on the piano afterwards. In the same way, Sound names created on the piano don't show on the phone. Unless there's a way to fix this (or I made some kind of mistake), then all the individual key edits and other tweaks I made will have to be redone on the piano screen.

Related to this are two more issues: 1) how to delete Sound names and 2) how to call up a sound name, then edit it and save it to the same name. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see how to delete the names, and when I try to save edits to the same name, it just creates another entry with the same name.

Phone app and built-in app are separate. Deleting isn't possible (yet).

You can delete user sounds but not only one single selected. It’s all or nothing. Very strange design. There are other ”peculiarities” also and Kawai will probably never admit and fix these bad designs.

This is Kawai software and that is why I will never buy the CA79/CA99. Otherwise I would have done so long ago. I have played the 79 and thought it was the best action in this pricerange I had played.

The sound could have been a little better but you can not expect to get a Shigeru or Steinway for this price.

Hello. I am new in the forum so first,a big hello to everyone.

Next, I would like to be advised by your expertise. I am an adult begginer (5 months with teacher 1 hour per week and 2 daily hours of practice or more) i am seriously with it and two month ago i upgraded to a CA79. I like it a lot but i feel a big difference with my teacher's Kawai Grand.

Obviously i will not become a pro player but i would like to reach the further possible. Do you think that the CA 79 is a good choice for my training or it will affect my development? How long could it be valid?

Hello,

@mitxael, This Friday I visited a piano specialist store and paid a lot of attention to the CA79 to get a good take on its Grand Feel III action.

My conclusion is that *no* digital action feels like a real piano action, it just can't because it isn't. But if I could afford it I would pick Grand Feel III out of everything that is currently on offer. It plays lovely and the transition back and forth between that and proper acoustic instruments should be without much trouble I reckon.

So in my mind, you're good. Maybe you can verify that with your teacher as well.

The only step up you could make is towards a Novus NV10 or a proper, real flesh and blood grand or upright piano.

Cheers and the happiest playing,

HZ