$18,099
Kawai NV-10S: a clear digital piano review for practice and comparison
9.5 Beginner 8.4 Night Practice 1.5 Portability 9.2 Touch Reality 6.1 Value
88 115 kg
Kawai NV12 Review
Kawai NV12 review: a full grand piano action driving a digital engine
88 Keys 173 kg Millennium III Hybrid
Bluetooth
Advanced
In our TOP 10 Touch Reality #2
Often compared with Kawai NV6
Scores
Where to Buy
MSRP
$23,399
Retail prices change, so check current pricing at retailers.
These buttons open retailer search results and may include affiliate tracking where available. Stock and listing status can change without notice.
These buttons open retailer search results and may include affiliate tracking where available. Stock and listing status can change without notice.
How These Scores Were Calculated
Beginner
9.4| Factor | This Piano | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Base Score | — | 0.5 |
| Lesson Function | Yes | +1.8 |
| App Connectivity | Yes | +1.8 |
| Bluetooth MIDI | Yes | +1 |
| Recording | Yes | +0.8 |
| Practice Basics (Metronome / Transpose / Layer-Split) | Yes | +0.6 |
| Stand Included | Yes | +0.5 |
| Damper Pedal Included | Yes | +0.4 |
| Preset Songs | 257 | +1.6 |
| Sound Variety | 96 sounds | +0.4 |
Night Practice
8.7| Factor | This Piano | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Base Score | — | 1.0 |
| Headphone Jacks | 2 | +2.2 |
| Headphone Type | 6.3mm, 3.5mm | +1.4 |
| Headphone Optimization | Yes | +2.2 |
| Bluetooth Audio | Yes | +0.8 |
| Line Out | Yes | +0.4 |
| Speaker Mute with Headphones | Yes | +0.7 |
| Key Action Quietness | Millennium III Hybrid | +0 |
Portability
1.5| Factor | This Piano | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Base Score | — | 5.0 |
| Weight | 173 kg | -3 |
| Width | 1515 mm | -0.5 |
| Battery | No | +0 |
| Foldable | No | +0 |
| Key Count | 88 keys | +0 |
Touch Reality
9.8| Factor | This Piano | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Key Action Quality | Millennium III Hybrid (grade 10) | +6 |
| Key Count | 88 keys | +1.5 |
| Polyphony | 256 notes | +1.5 |
| Sound Modeling | SK-EX Rendering | +0.5 |
| Key Surface | wood | +0.3 |
Kawai NV12 review verdict
This Kawai NV12 review reads the published specifications from a comparison-first point of view: touch, sound, practice fit, value, and limits.
The NV12 carries a complete grand piano action and replaces the strings with a digital sound engine. It is the successor to the NV-10S and the larger of Kawai's two current Novus hybrids.
Pros
- • Millennium III Hybrid grand action: the horizontal geometry of a grand is retained, and with it the fast repetition a vertical action cannot match.
- • A real acoustic damper mechanism, so half-pedalling behaves the way it does on an acoustic grand.
- • The PentaDrive Soundboard System drives a wooden soundboard with five transducers, so the tone rises from the whole instrument rather than from speaker grilles.
- • Two headphone jacks in both 6.3 mm and 3.5 mm, usable by a player and a listener at once.
- • Bluetooth audio and MIDI, plus a USB-C port that doubles as a 24-bit audio interface.
- • 256-note polyphony, comfortable under dense pedalling and layered voices.
Cons
- • At 173 kg and 870 mm deep, placement and delivery are serious constraints.
- • A real grand action produces real mechanical noise, louder than any all-digital instrument.
- • At this level it competes head-on with acoustic grand pianos.
- • Nobody should buy this for the sound library or the lesson features.
The reason to choose an NV12 is the action, and nothing else. Because the same budget puts acoustic grands in range, the decision reduces to one question: do you need to play through headphones at night? If yes, the NV12 is a credible answer. If no, an acoustic makes more sense.
Kawai NV12 evaluation points
Kawai NV12 key action and touch
The grand version of Millennium III Hybrid starts from Kawai's acoustic grand action, removes the strings and felt hammers, and substitutes individually weighted ABS hammers. Keys are wood and hammer motion is read by contact-less optical sensors. The difference from the upright-action NV6 is not weight but geometry: the horizontal action returns faster, which is what makes rapid repetition possible.
Who the Kawai NV12 is for
Players coming off an acoustic grand who need a volume control for domestic reasons, and who have the floor space and access to take a 173 kg instrument.
Kawai NV12 sound and speakers
SK-EX Rendering feeds a wooden soundboard rather than a conventional speaker array, so the instrument radiates in a way closer to an acoustic than to a console digital. Tonal adjustment runs through the Virtual Technician parameters rather than simple EQ.
What to know before buying the Kawai NV12
The USB-C audio interface is new to this generation and removes the need for a separate box when recording. A mechanical action of this kind will want regulation over the years, exactly as an acoustic does — budget for that as part of ownership.
Demo Video
Video coming soon for this model
We embed videos from manufacturer official channels and trusted reviewers. As soon as a suitable demo or review is available, it will appear here.
Specifications
| Keys | 88 |
| Key Action | Millennium III Hybrid |
| Polyphony | 256 notes |
| Sounds | 96 |
| Weight | 173 kg |
| Speakers | 130W (×5) |
| Bluetooth | Audio + MIDI |
| Key Surface | Wood |
| Sound Modeling | SK-EX Rendering |
| Headphone Jacks | 2 |
| Headphone Type | 6.3mm, 3.5mm |
| Headphone Optimization | Yes |
| USB MIDI | Yes |
| Line Out | Yes |
| Lesson Function | Yes |
| App Connectivity | Yes |
| Recording | Yes |
| Metronome | Yes |
| Transpose | Yes |
| Layer / Split | Yes |
| Preset Songs | 257 |
| Battery | No |
| Foldable | No |
| Dimensions (W×D×H) | 1515×870×1025 mm |
| Stand Included | Yes |
| Pedal Included | Yes |
Spec terms are explained in the glossary. Glossary →
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Recommended Accessories
🪑
Stand
Stand included
A sturdy X-stand or furniture-style stand is essential if one isn't included.
🎧
Headphones
Closed-back headphones with good bass response make practice sessions more enjoyable.
🎹
Sustain Pedal
The included pedal is usually basic. A half-damper pedal upgrade is worthwhile for expressive playing.
💺
Bench
An adjustable-height bench helps maintain proper posture during long practice sessions.
Where to Buy
MSRP
$23,399
Retail prices change, so check current pricing at retailers.
These buttons open retailer search results and may include affiliate tracking where available. Stock and listing status can change without notice.
These buttons open retailer search results and may include affiliate tracking where available. Stock and listing status can change without notice.
How It Compares
NV12 vs NV6
The NV12 and NV6 score very similarly across the main review axes. The NV6 costs $8,000 less.
Kawai NV6 →Related Guides
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Read more →Sources & transparency
This page is written by the operator, who has run the piano-learning site Piano Juku since 2017, based on published manufacturer specifications. We are not a retailer or tied to any maker — every model is compared by the same criteria. About the operator
- Last verified
- Data referenced from
- Manufacturer official Official press release
How the 5-axis scores are calculated
We do not aggregate user reviews or star ratings (see methodology for why).
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Kawai NV12