NV12 officially announced on 22/08/2025

jenpal

I just did a quick test using the in-built CFX sound of N1X for comparison. It is night time at our place now, so it is very quiet.

With just the onboard speakers, I have observed that when the volume is over 2 o’clock, the sound seems to change. I prefer the volume at 1:30 o’clock or below. The piano has a warm body sound.

While with just the Genelec speakers (muted the onboard speakers), the piano becomes brighter and sounds better to my ears when the volume is over 12 o’clock. At higher volume, the Genelec is pretty good with much clarity and the sound becomes wider (better soundstage). I actually prefer to turn off the onboard speaker at higher volume.

I will try to do further testing tomorrow and see if there are differences to my experience in the morning at higher volume.

Cheers.

jenpal

Florian75 I would be very interested on knowing how you would compare the onboard sound and the genelec, at "loud TV volume" with the VSTs.

I will try to make a comparison with the VSTs tomorrow as well. But from my recollection, I much prefer using with the Genelecs for VSTs.

Florian75

Thank you jenpal

jenpal

Florian75

After some morning tests with the in-built CFX of the N1X, I couldn’t decide which speakers are better. Even at loud volume settings, the onboard speakers still sounded good even at almost 3 o’clock level. However, at that volume it was already too loud for our small room. My fingers kept pressing lightly due to the excessive sound level. While the onboard speakers are warmer and the genelec speakers are brighter, I think it ultimately comes down to personal taste/preference.

When testing Modern D VST at high volume with the onboard speakers of the N1X, I could not say that Genelecs is better because even with just the onboard speakers, the entire room is now filled with sounds, and I am actually surprised that the N1X onboard speakers are actually pretty good even at high volume. With the added Genelecs, you could go even louder, but since the speakers are facing me, I am worried that it might not be good for my ears for a longer period.

However, when testing with VSL Steinway D at low volume (around 10 to 11 o’clock), I much prefer the combination of both the Genelecs and the onboard speakers. For me, the improvement is significant in terms of 3D sound. At high volume (around 1-1:30 o’clock position), I could not distiguish which is better though. Both the onboard speakers and genelecs are very good.

However, this is just my first impression with loud testing and my opinion may change after further testing.

Pete14

I eagerly await Stu’s take on the NV-12, and yes, I anticipate he’s already preparing heavily for this massive undertaking! 😁

Stu tends to go a bit deeper than other “reviewers/salespeople,” and sometimes this can be a little tricky for him, because, on the one hand he seems genuinely interested in being transparent, but on the other he’s a Kawai dealer, so he can only go so far (transparency-wise)…..

For some perspective, he was “blown away” (figuratively) by the NV5, and somehow I knew he actually meant it, and I was further reassured of this when he sold his acoustic and bought an NV5; however, when I saw his NV-10 review, I got the sense that he had no other option but to say “this is the best digital” (which he did say), but in reality he felt the NV5 a better option overall (upright action and all). If he truly felt the NV10 superior, then, why buy the NV5? and no, this is not a matter of space (he can absolutely fit an NV10 in his “studio”), nor is it about money (he gets employee pricing; not to mention that he owned an expensive acoustic before). The truth: he preferred the NV5!

Now we have an even bigger challenge: Stu has no other option but to say that the NV12 is superior to his beloved NV5, and, of course, not only better than the NV10, but “the best digital ever built….” But not so fast! because he does have another option: go rogue, risk it all, screw Kawai, and actually give us the truth (yes, Stu, we can handle the truth)!

Florian75

jenpal

Thank you to much, that’s good to hear.

So it means that the hybrids (Yamaha’s at least) are not just midi controller, but that the onboard amplification and speaker are worth something.

Thank you again for the testing

HZPiano

Pete14

Pete, you've been eating waaay too many speculaasjes.

Cheers!

jenpal

You’re welcome, Florian75. 🙂

srodrigo

Pete14 There's a video where he says something like "at the risk of Kawai killing me, the GFIII on the CA901 feels more like an upright than like a grand action".

I'm not sure what's his degree of honesty in general, but he's partially roasted a Kawai product already.

Pete14

srodrigo

Okay, we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, but he better not disappoint us; because we’re an angry bunch!

AdamExe

srodrigo There's a video where he says something like "at the risk of Kawai killing me, the GFIII on the CA901 feels more like an upright than like a grand action".

Oh really??

Every video I've seen with him and a CA model, he praises it to high heaven… is he comparing the CA901 to the NV10/12?

srodrigo

AdamExe

My bad, it was the CA99, not the CA901. He was comparing it with the GP-510. He says that the GFIII feels more like a K200/300 than like a GL10.

David Lai

This is a video review of the NV6, a friend just shared it with me.

willryu

David Lai

Appreciate the link. The review contains a lot of interesting insight from the POV of a classical player who plays at a higher level than the typical YouTube digital piano reviewer. And as far as I can tell he isn't affiliated with Kawai or a piano seller. A nice contrast to the Merriam Piano reviews.

johanibraaten

Pete14 I eagerly await Stu’s take on the NV-12

So you asked for it:

Pete14

johanibraaten

OMG, the man himself, the Joe Rogan of pianos, the Stu in the house, in the flesh!

No, but really, I haven’t watched it yet, and it would’ve been nice if you’d let me be the one to break the news, but anyway, here we go……

Pete14

Okay, I watched it, and whilst it was a “mini-review,” I do have some thoughts:

It seems to me like Stu wasn’t as excited as his words tried to convey; in other words, he had to say this is the greatest thing since sliced bread, yet some how his drooling over the GP-6 seemed genuine. IMHO!

I’m not sure of the “different” regulation; whence he talks about the action now feeling like that of a “smaller” grand; and, in general, it’s really hard to tell from a video how this beast truly sounds, so there’s that, but I’ll say it again, ‘tis a beautiful machine…..

David Lai

The soundboard sound is rather congested for my ears. The high frequencies are just wrapped inside, not radiating in the sound stage at all…

David Lai

Someone said just now in the comments section of that video "stuffy!" That's the perfect way to describe the soundboard sound…

tonyminas

How funny. I was hoping to run into Stu at NAMM since I'm a fan of his channel. It's also interesting that he thinks the action feels like a baby grand rather than a 7 or 9 foot instrument like the NV10s he reviewed in a previous video. When I tried the NV12 my expectations were set by that older video and it's nice to hear my feelings on its action confirmed here.

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