NV12 officially announced on 22/08/2025

Pete14

Since you people love Rimmers so much, here’s another video:

David B

Pete14 Since you people love Rimmers so much, here’s another video:

The piano sounds pretty bad in those videos. Very dry and lifeless. In comparison, here are two video I recorded years ago with my N1X using the onboard CFX. I captured the audio with two condenser mics. I think the N1X with the speakers sounds better than the soundboard recording in those videos. And, you're not hearing the multichannel audio in these recordings you would hear sitting at the N1X.

God bless,
David

David Lai

David B The speakers on the N1X doesn't sound terrible, you know. I rather enjoyed hearing them! The bass is especially warm, and I feel it makes a nice self-monitoring system.

Too bad you sold the hybrid, IMO. Hopefully you were able to get your Genelecs in the sweet spot where your keyboard is. I'm not that lucky…

David B

David Lai The speakers on the N1X doesn't sound terrible, you know. I rather enjoyed hearing them!

I like the sound of my N1X in those recordings better compared to the NV12 demos. I'm not sure what kind of mic(s) Rimmers is using for those demos, but it doesn't inspire confidence in the NV12 sound.

God Bless,
David

Pete14

David B I'm not sure what kind of mic(s) Rimmers is using for those demos, but it doesn't inspire confidence in the NV12 sound.

It seems like not much thought went into this, so I’m waiting on Stu; he usually does a decent job when it comes to the mics. Sometimes Stu simply uses the line-out, but I’m assuming with an instrument like the NV12 he’ll record from both perspectives (line-out/ mics), and switch between for comparison; if he chooses to only do line-out, it could further confirm the rumors that “something ain’t right with the NV12’s soundboard.”

Las

They should have put the pianos right in the street next to a company that installs pipes, that way we would have heard the sound of the piano even less.

Pete14

And now this….

Pete14

And now some Chopin…

Note: I’m assuming they used external mics, but still, “something ain’t right….”

Stu, where are you?

David Lai

Sounds like a phone mic, or some kind of mono mic. Yeah, we'll see how this goes.

johanibraaten

The NV12 is a stunner, and IMO it doesn't sound all that bad in that last video (although the recording quality cold be better. Still sounds like a digital piano though...

HZPiano

Hello,

A listing for the NV12 in The Netherlands is in:

€ 13,990.

This includes sales tax, shipping, assembly, and five years of warranty (which is Kawai Europe's typical policy).

None are on shop floors yet.

Last prices (2025) for the NV10S hovered between € 9,000 and € 9,500; also all-in prices as above.

Cheers!

https://www.maene.nl/nl_NL/kawai-novus-nv12-zwart-hoogglans

Pete14

johanibraaten The NV12 is a stunner…

I, too, find it beautiful, and I’m glad they didn’t go for a “mini-grand” design, but I’m still waiting to see how that soundboard performs…

Kawai calls it a “PentaDrive” soundboard; I assume that Penta simply refers to 5 (pentagon) which is the number of transducers used, and they do refer to it as a “large” soundboard; even though we perceive it to be small…

Now, the board is bigger than that used on the NV5S, and the music “stand” can be fully removed to expose the board in its entirety, so, it could turn out to be fine, after all, but the initial comments and subsequent videos don’t help the NV12 make its case…..I’m hoping for proper review/video using good & well placed mics!

srodrigo

I wonder how VSTs sound through that soundboard. I've yet to find a DP with playable onboard samples, so whatever stock sounds come out of it don't matter much to me.

HZPiano

Pete14 I assume that Penta simply refers to 5 (pentagon) which is the number of transducers used

With the marketing sauce peeled off, yes, that is highly likely.

And… yes, here it is:

"Uniek is het PentaDrive soundboard systeem: vijf transducers zetten een grote houten zangbodem in beweging".

which says same in Dutch. (From: the Maene listing, see above).

Penta Cheers,

Pete14

srodrigo I've yet to find a DP with playable onboard samples, so whatever stock sounds come out of it don't matter much to me.

I wonder if you’ve played the N1X; because that sounds and plays quite well, but then again, if you’re expecting it to replicate, exactly, a $160,000 concert grand, then I guess you’d be disappointed…..

We need to reset our expectations, and no, it’s not just “the sound,” but also how it responds to the action, and once again, the N1X is perfectly matched in this regard…..but of course, this is just MHO!

Pete14

HZPiano

The USA listing is 17K+, but as I said before, this is simply where the negotiations start, and I don’t expect any of you to pay anything close to that….

You need to walk in there pretending you weren’t even aware of this instrument, and then, very nonchalantly sit to play it, but under no circumstance should you show any real interest (remember, you’re “just passing by”); from there, you need to proceed with caution and never show your cards; because if the dealer catches your bluff, he will seize upon thee!

HZPiano

Pete14 negotiations

In Europe, or at least in my country, negotiations are not common for "shelf products"*). Maybe you'd "win" some (mediocre) headphones or such but that's it.

For second-hand products, or really €€€ items like cars or CFXs, negotiating bits and bobs is more customary.

Cheers!

💰

*) It would take a helluva sturdy shelf to hold NV12 stock, but that is a whole 'nother story. Still, it is in the "shelf product" domain.

QuasiUnaFantasia

Price of it in Denmark is: 17237 USD, or 14684 EUR. Seems like the Netherlands is a better place to buy it than Denmark ...

HZPiano

QuasiUnaFantasia

Wow!

HZPiano

Hello,

By the way, I think it's funny how we typed almost 300 posts now, spending our time and energy discussing and even worrying about an item that possibly none of us, or at least not many of us, can afford. Or would even consider purchasing.

I, for one, am not losing any sleep whatsoever over the NV12 or similar stuff.

As I said. Funny.

So Cheers and let's continue the fun…

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