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0:00 - Video Introduction
1:42 - Opening Playing Sample on the Kawai K500
1:58 - Piano Overview
3:54 - Piano Sound
5:08 - Stu’s Take
10:05 - Final Thoughts
Hi everyone and welcome back to another digital piano video here on the Merriam Pianos Youtube channel.
Today, we’re taking a fresh look at Kawai’s K500.
Don’t forget to hit the subscribe and notification bell. Now, let’s dive in.
I'm typically not a fan of larger upright pianos. Besides a few exceptions like Bechstein's Concert 8, or the Bosendorfer 130, I normally prefer the action and intimacy that comes with really great 47 - 49" upright. The argument FOR a larger upright is, of course, that you're getting the same string length as 5'5 - 6' grands, and if placed well in a room, a pretty similar dynamic range - but at a lower price point and smaller footprint. Sounds great so far, right?
The downside with many of the 52" uprights is that the touch is more difficult to control. When you're playing at lower volumes the hammer return tends to meander a bit and takes too long to reset; when you're playing at louder volumes, all that tone is coming straight at your ears and you pull back and underplay the keys...disorienting many players.
So to find a 52" piano that gives you the dynamic response and low-volume control you'd expect from a small grand is unusual. To find one that delivers both for $15,000 is practically unheard of.
When we first started the channel, the K500 was amongst the first instruments we reviewed - but that was 5 years ago, and since then I've reviewed and experienced nearly the full gamut of what the industry has to offer - and so coming back to the K500 has been eye-opening.
In today's video we're going to review the K500's specs, do some playing and discuss the musical experience, how it compares with some other industry favorites, and then finally, why the K500 might just be the best value 52" upright on the planet.
Firstly, this is - as my loyal viewers are probably already scrambling to mention in the comments, not technically a 52" upright. It's 130cm, which makes it just over 51"...or the same size as Bosendorfer's full-size upright. And it clocks in at 525 lbs.
They've equipped it with the Neotex key surfaces, which is the micro-porous synthetic surface similar to Yamaha's Ivorite.
It uses the Millennium III Upright Action with ABS-Carbon Composites, which as we know have a reduced mass, increased rigidity, and better structural stability from season to season since it doesn't react to temperature or humidity.
It has a lower bass string of 48 1/2", which is around the same length that most 5 1/2' grand pianos will have - so plenty of bass clarity.
The hammers are mahogany, double felted and t-stapled for lots of longevity, low distortion at high velocities, and lightweight for a faster rebound.
The soundboard is Alaskan Sitka, and tapered, which as we've talked about in numerous other videos means that the soundboard is thicker in the center, and as it approaches its outer boundary, it's thinned out. This is done to increase the percentage of soundboard that's actually resonating, increase sustain times, and generally increase the efficiency of the soundboard.
It's got a modern clean look that combines hard angles with soft bevels and maintains a classic European look.
And like their grands, Kawai puts a lot of emphasis on keybed reinforcement on the K series upright.
So how does the K500 fit into the rest of the market?
Firstly it has, proportionally speaking, one of the longest bass string lengths on the market. And longer bass strings give piano designers the freedom to wind the strings with less copper while maintaining the same tension...because the pitch is always a byproduct of length, mass, and tension. And less copper almost always gives a clearer tone. It seems counterintuitive, but the skinniest bass strings will always be found on 9' concert grands, with the thickest always to be found on baby grands.
Thanks for watching, and don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell, and as always, let us know what you think about these digital pianos in the comments below.
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