Kawai CX5

The CX5 is Kawai's compact upright at 114cm, built in Japan during the period when Kawai and Yamaha were pushing each other hard on consistency, and it benefits from that. The tone is clear and unforced, the treble has definition without being hard, and the action is lighter than the Kemble or Yamaha equivalents, which suits players with smaller hands and children coming up through the grades.

At 54cm deep it is genuinely shallow, which matters more than people expect in a hallway, a narrow sitting room or a flat with an awkward turn on the stairs. It gives up some bass depth to a taller piano, which is simple physics rather than a flaw, and in return it goes places a larger instrument cannot. This example has been assessed and prepared by our team at The Piano Gallery.

Available to purchase online or to try in person at our Oxfordshire showroom. Contact us to arrange a viewing or to discuss delivery and part-exchange options.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 114cm piano big enough for a student working through the grades?

For the early and middle grades, comfortably. The action is a proper one with the full 88 notes and three pedals, so nothing in the syllabus is out of reach mechanically. Where a short piano shows its limits is in the bass, which has less depth and less sustain than a taller instrument, and in the very quietest playing. Plenty of students pass the higher grades on a piano this size; it is a question of what the room and the budget will take.

How does Kawai compare with Yamaha?

The stock answer is that Kawai is the warmer of the two and Yamaha the brighter, and as a generalisation it holds. Kawai actions also tend to feel slightly lighter out of the box. Both makers built to a very high standard of consistency in this period, so you are choosing a character rather than a quality level, and the only sensible way to choose is to play both.

Does the shallower depth make it easier to move?

It helps, though weight is the bigger factor and a piano of this size still weighs around 165kg. The real benefit of 54cm is getting round corners and through doorways, which is where most domestic deliveries actually get difficult. Measure the narrowest point on the route in rather than the room itself, and tell us the access when you enquire so we can advise before anything is booked.

Do Kawai uprights use plastic action parts?

Kawai pioneered composite action components and still uses them, and it is worth saying plainly that this was a genuine engineering improvement rather than a cost saving. The composites are dimensionally stable in a way wood is not, so they do not swell and stick in a humid room, and they have proved durable over decades. It is one of the reasons Kawai actions tend to stay even.

What maintenance will it need?

Two tunings a year in normal use, and sensible placement away from radiators and direct sunlight. Beyond that a compact upright benefits from having the action regulated at some point in its life, which brings the touch back to even if it has drifted, and that is a job for a technician rather than something urgent. We can arrange a tuner near you after delivery.