Kawai ES120 88-Key Digital Piano with Music Rest and Speakers, Snow White

The latest addition to the highly respected ES range, the ultra-portable ES120 features an improved Responsive Hammer Compact keyboard action, beautiful Shigeru Kawai grand piano sounds, and built-in Bluetooth MIDI and Audio connectivity, delivering gig-friendly grand piano touch and tone at a remarkably affordable price.

The Kawai ES Series has been designed to deliver the finest playing experience possible within a portable piano. These stylish instruments are ideally suited to musicians seeking a piano that provides an authentic keyboard action and a selection of inspiring sounds, yet can still be moved easily, or placed on an attractive furniture stand without occupying too much space.

The latest ES Series models are also an excellent choice for gigging musicians, academic institutions, and places of worship, thanks to their lightweight body, powerful speaker systems, and great audio connectivity. And with a slew of customizable settings, Bluetooth MIDI and audio, and engaging apps, the ES Series instruments are also extremely personal pianos, that players of all ages and abilities can take pride in owning.

The Touch of a Grand Piano: Responsive Hammer Compact keyboard action
The ES120’s Responsive Hammer Compact keyboard action has been specially developed to allow portable instruments to reproduce the distinctive touch of an acoustic grand piano. Based on the highly-regarded RH action design, its spring-less technology and sturdy construction delivers consistent upward and downward motion, while improved cushioning material helps to reduce keyboard noise, resulting in a smooth, natural, and highly authentic piano playing experience.

Acoustic piano key weighting
Just as acoustic pianos utilize heavier bass hammers and lighter treble hammers, the RH Compact keyboard action also employs different hammer weights, appropriately graded for each playing range.

Such details provide greater stability during fortissimo passages, while preserving delicate pianissimo control, to satisfy the demands of even the most discerning pianist.

The Sound of a Grand Piano: Two world-class instruments
Earning a reputation as the ‘premier pianos of Japan’, Shigeru Kawai instruments grace the stages of concert halls and musical institutions throughout the world, and are prized for their outstanding tonal clarity and exceptional dynamic range.

The ES120 captures the magnificent tone of the flagship Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano. This peerless instrument is hand-built by Master Piano Artisans at the Shigeru Kawai Piano Research Laboratory in Ryuyo, Japan, and widely regarded as one of the finest instruments in its class.

In addition, the ES120 also features the distinctive sound of Kawai’s highly acclaimed EX concert grand piano, which has been selected by professional pianists in such prestigious events as the Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Rubinstein international piano competitions, among others.

Both the SK-EX and EX are faithfully reproduced with full 88-key sampling using advanced Harmonic Imaging sound technology, to establish a new standard in digital piano tonal quality, and allow musicians to appreciate the contrasting properties of each.

True character in every note
The rich, expressive sound of the SK-EX and EX concert grand pianos is at the heart of the ES120, with all eighty-eight keys of these world-class instruments painstakingly recorded, meticulously analyzed, and accurately reproduced as high-fidelity digital waveforms.

Recording each key individually in this way – as opposed to stretching the same tone over several different notes – preserves the grand pianos unique harmonic character, and guarantees that the sound heard when playing any one of the ES120’s weighted keys is a faithful representation of the original acoustic source.

Rich, dynamic, expressive
When playing a fine piano, the amount of pressure applied to the keyboard affects not only the volume of the sound produced, but also the unique tonal character of each note. Therefore, in order to construct a realistic acoustic portrait of each grand piano, not only is each key recorded individually, but also at a wide variety of different volumes, ranging from gentle pianissimo to thunderous fortissimo.

The ES120 offers a highly detailed acoustic portrait, employing Kawai’s proprietary Harmonic Imaging sampling technology to ensure smooth tonal transitions across the keyboard and throughout the entire dynamic range.

Variety beneath your fingertips
Alongside the classically voiced SK-EX and EX grand piano sounds, the ES120 also showcases a selection of Jazz, Pop, and Modern variations suitable for a range of musical genres. A traditional Kawai upright piano sound is also included, for pieces that suggest a feeling of nostalgia, or call for a slightly more intimate tonal character.

Realistic reverberation
The ES120’s powerful digital effects engine further enhances the instrument’s core sounds, applying reverberation effects that simulate the acoustics of a recital room, live stage, concert hall, and other environments, bringing performances to life.

The result is a rich, vibrant piano tone that delivers exceptional realism and authenticity, to inspire musicians of all abilities.

Impressive speaker system (with Low Volume Balance feature)
The ES120’s stereo speaker system delivers an impressive 20W of output, providing enough power to fill a medium-sized room with it’s beautiful Shigeru Kawai grand piano sounds.

Moreover, when playing through speakers at a reduced volume setting (so as not to disturb family members), the ES120’s Low Volume Balance feature intelligently adjusts keyboard touch and piano tone characteristics, allowing pianissimo passages to be played smoothly and more naturally.

The Variety of a Digital Piano: Convenience & Flexibility
The impressive ES120 offers a variety of features to complement its authentic keyboard touch and rich grand piano sounds. The adjustable metronome and song recorder are invaluable tools for aspiring pianists wishing to improve the technique, while additional instrument voices, Dual and Split playing modes, and 100 drum rhythms allow players of all levels to indulge their creative spirit.

Integrated Bluetooth connectivity
In addition to a standard USB-MIDI port for connecting to computers, the ES120 also features integrated Bluetooth MIDI and Audio technologies that allow the instrument to communicate with supported smart devices wirelessly.

Variety of sound
Supplementing its realistic acoustic piano voices, the ES120 also offers a selection of additional instrument sounds, including electric pianos, organs, strings, acoustic and electric bass, and vibraphone.

The Dual and Split playing modes also allow two different voices, such as an acoustic piano and a string ensemble, to be played together for a more complex sound that inspires even greater musical creativity.

Great for gigging
Lightweight and compact, the ES120 is ideal for gigging musicians looking for a portable piano with authentic touch and high-quality sounds.

Registration memories provide a quick and easy way to recall adjusted sounds and settings, while the dedicated stereo Line Out jacks allow direct connection to mixers and PAs, with the ability to also leave the instrument’s built-in speakers enabled for use as local monitors.

Uncluttered appearance, lightweight body
The ES120 adopts a brand-new exterior design, with the instrument’s updated control panel incorporated into an attractive polished trim line that runs the length of the keyboard. It’s stylish yet strong body weighs just 12.5 kg, making the ES120 an excellent choice for gigging musicians, as well as academic and religious institutions.

Key Features

Improved Responsive Hammer Compact keyboard action
SK-EX and EX concert grand piano sounds, 88-key sampling
25 sounds, Dual & Split playing modes, 100 drum rhythms
Dual headphone connectors, dedicated stereo Line Out jacks
Integrated Bluetooth MIDI and Audio wireless technology
Support for PianoRemote control app for iOS/Android
Stylish appearance, sturdy chassis weighing just 12.5 kg
Designer stand and triple pedal board accessories available

Technical Specifications

Keyboard
Responsive Hammer Compact action
88 keys
Grade-weighted hammers
Matte key surfaces
Pedal
F-1SP switch pedal
Damper (on/off)
* Compatible with F-10H damper pedal, GFP-3 triple pedal unit, F-351 triple pedal board accessories
Damper (with half-pedal support)
Soft
Sostenuto
Piano Sound
Harmonic Imaging (HI)
88-key stereo sampling
SK-EX, EX, K-60 recording
192 note maximum polyphony
Piano Resonance
Damper Resonance
String Resonance
Piano Adjustment
Virtual Technician (17 parameters, via PianoRemote app)
Touch Curve
Voicing
Damper Resonance
Damper Noise
String Resonance
Key-off Effect
Fall-back Noise
Hammer Delay
Topboard Simulation
Decay Time
Release Time
Minimum Touch
Stretch Tuning
Temperament
Temperament Key
Half-Pedal Adjust
Soft Pedal Depth
No. of Sounds
25 voices
Reverb
6 types
Other Effects
Preset (can be disabled)
Speakers
12 cm x 2
Output Power
20 W (10 W × 2)
Headphone Enhancements
Spatial Headphone Sound
Headphone Type
Music Rest
Detachable type (included)
Product Size & Weight
Width
130.5 cm (51 1/3”)
Depth
28 cm (11”)
35 cm (13 3/4”)
Height
15 cm (6”)
34 cm (13 1/3”)
Net Weight
12 kg (26 1/2 lbs.)
12.5 kg (27 1/2 lbs.)
Packing Size & Weight
Dimensions
145 (W) x 37 (D) x 26.5 (H) cm
Gross Weight
18 kg
Available Finishes
Black (ES120B)
White (ES120W)
Light Grey (ES120LG) *
Basic Functions
Dual
Split
Transpose
Tuning
Registration (4 memories)
Startup Setting
Speakers On/Off
Internal Songs
Sound Demo
16 sound demo songs
Lesson Songs
9 books, 377 pieces (via PiaBookPlayer app)
Internal Recorder
Total Memory
approximately 15,000 notes
No. of Songs
3 songs
Parts
1 part
Metronome
Time Signatures
1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 6/8
Drum Rhythms
100 patterns
Bluetooth *
Bluetooth (Ver. 5.0; GATT compatible)
Bluetooth Low Energy MIDI Specification compliant
Bluetooth Audio (Ver. 5.1; A2DP compatible)
App Functions
PianoRemote (iOS/Android)
PiaBookPlayer (iOS/Android)
Connector Jacks
Headphone
1 x 1/4”, 1 x 1/8” Stereo jacks
MIDI
USB-MIDI, Bluetooth MIDI *
Line Out
1/4” L/MONO, R
Others
Damper (for F-1SP, F-10H)
Pedal (for GFP-3, F-351)
Power Consumption
9 W
Power
Power cable
AC adaptor (PS-129)
Others
Warranty Card *
Owner’s Manual
Music Rest
F-1SP switch pedal