Kawai NV6 Hybrid Digital Piano

MSRP: $12,599

Dimensions:

Width: 149.5 cm (59")
Depth: 46.5 cm (18 1/3")
Height: 110 cm (43 1/3") 
Weight:113 kg (249 lbs.)




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​DESCRIPTION

​​​The NV6 is the latest hybrid upright in Kawai's NOVUS Series, combining true acoustic piano mechanics with cutting-edge digital innovation for a premium playing experience at home or on stage. At its core is Kawai's renowned Millennium III Hybrid upright piano action with real wooden keys and a genuine damper mechanism—providing the nuanced response of an acoustic upright. New to the NV6 is the SK-EX Competition Grand piano sound, recorded from the player's position and reproduced using Kawai's multi-channel SK-EX Rendering engine for stunning clarity and realism. A redesigned speaker system featuring new tweeters, top-facing drivers, and a refined soundboard speaker delivers powerful, balanced sound throughout the room. Bluetooth MIDI and Audio v5, along with USB-C and built-in USB audio interface, offer seamless integration with modern devices and music production setups. Additional highlights include a matte anti-glare touchscreen, built-in lesson songs, ambient effects, and advanced sound customization via the updated Virtual Piano Artisan feature. Housed in a compact and elegant upright cabinet, the NV6 blends the soul of an acoustic piano with the versatility of digital technology—perfect for serious players seeking authenticity without compromise.
HIGHLIGHTS
  • Keyboard
    Upright piano action with 88-key graded ABS hammers and damper mechanism
  • Integrated Hammer Sensing System (IHSS), contact-less optical sensors
  • Sound Source
    Sk Ex Rendering: 88-key multi-channel piano sampling, 88-key resonance modelling
  • Harmonic Imaging Xl: 88-key piano sampling
  • Internal Sounds
    Sk Ex Rendering: SK-EX Competition Grand (5 rendering characters), SK-EX Concert Grand (5 rendering characters)
  • Harmonic Imaging Xl: 96 sounds
  • Keyboard Modes
    Dual, Split, 4Hands (Volume/Balance adjustable)
    Polyphony
    max. 256 notes (depending on selected sound)
    Effects
    Sk Ex Rendering: Ambience (10 types)
  • Harmonic Imaging Xl: Reverb (6 types), Effects (24 types: Chorus x3, Delay x3, Tremolo x3, Auto pan x2, Phaser x2, Rotary x6, Combination x5)
  • Virtual Piano Artisan
    Touch Curve
  • Voicing
  • String Resonances
  • Damper Noise
  • Undamped String Resonance
  • Cabinet Resonance
  • Key Off Effect
  • Fallback Noise
  • Hammer Noise
  • Hammer Delay
  • Topboard
  • Decay Time
  • Release Time
  • Minimum Touch
  • Stretch Tuning
  • Temperament
  • Temperament Key
  • Key Volume
  • Half-Pedal Adjust
  • Soft Pedal Depth
  • Internal Recorder
    Songs: 10
  • Tracks: 2
  • Memory: approx. 90,000 note memory capacity
  • Usb Recorder
    Playback: MP3, WAV, SMF, KSO
  • Record: MP3, WAV, Overdub audio, Line In & Bluetooth Audio Recording
  • Metronome
    Beats: 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 3/8, 6/8, 7/8, 9/8, 12/8 + 100 drum rhythms
  • Bpm: 10-400 bpm (20-800 bpm for eighth note rhythms)
  • Internal Songs
    Demo: 39 songs
  • Music Library: 205 or 218 songs
  • Lesson Songs: 578 Songs from Alfred, Burgmuller, Czerny, Beyer, Bach, and Chopin + 140 Finger Exercises
  • Transpose
    Key Transpose: -12~+12; Song Transpose: -12~+12
    Display
    5" LCD touchscreen (480 x 800 pixels, matte anti-glare)
    Bluetooth
    Midi: Bluetooth v5.0 (MIDI LE)
  • Audio: Bluetooth Audio v5.1 (A2DP)
  • Jacks
    Audio Io: LINE IN (1/8" stereo, level control), LINE OUT (1/4" L/MONO, R), Headphones x2 (1/4", 1/8")
  • Midi Usb: USB to Host (USB-C), USB to Device (USB-A), USB for Update (USB-A), USB Audio Interface (44 kHz/16-bit)
  • Pedals
    Grand Feel Pedal System
    Damper (half-pedal support)
  • Soft
  • Sostenuto
  • Speaker System
    Speakers: Soundboard Speaker System: 8 cm x4 (top), 2 cm x2 (dome tweeters)
  • Output Power: 135 W (50 W + 50 W + 35 W)
  • Power Consumption
    80 W
    Cabinet
    Key Cover: Acoustic piano type with Soft Fall system
  • Music Rest: Upright piano type (fixed position)
MILLENNIUM III HYBRID UPRIGHT PIANO KEYBOARD ACTION

​​​The Novus NV5S incorporates Kawai’s industry-leading acoustic upright piano keyboard action technology, renowned for its extended spruce key sticks, and innovative ABS Carbon components that are stronger, lighter, faster, and more dimensionally stable than conventional wooden parts.
The specially adapted Millennium III Hybrid keyboard action utilized by the NV5S replaces traditional felt hammers with new ABS equivalents that are individually graded in weight from bass to treble. High-precision optical sensors take the place of metal strings, precisely reading the subtle movements of each hammer as the corresponding keys are played.
UPRIGHT PIANO DAMPER MECHANISM

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​​​In addition to featuring a full acoustic upright piano keyboard action, the Novus NV5S incorporates a real upright piano damper mechanism. While there are no strings inside the NV5S to require physical damping, this unique feature replicates the true weighting of an upright piano damper pedal, while also mechanically easing the keyboard action’s touch weight as the pedal is pressed.
SHIGERU KAWAI SK-EX CONCERT GRAND PIANO SOUND
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The magnificent tone of Kawai’s flagship Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand piano is at the heart of the Novus NV5S hybrid digital piano. Widely regarded 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 tonal clarity and exceptional dynamic range.
In order to faithfully reproduce the stunning sound of a Shigeru digitally, Kawai has developed SK-EX Rendering – a meticulously robust piano sound engine that blends multi-channel, 88-key sampling with the latest resonance modelling technology. Multichannel sampling captures the sound from different points of the Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano, allowing a broader range of tonal characteristics to be reproduced, and providing a more lively, authentic response to changes in dynamics. This naturally expressive sound is further enriched by newly developed resonance algorithms, which physically model the complex tonal interactions produced by the strings, pedals, and various other parts of an acoustic piano, giving players the impression that they’re sitting at a living, breathing instrument.
LARGE SELECTION OF ACOUSTIC PIANO SOUNDS AND INSTRUMENT VOICES

​​In addition to the latest SK-EX Rendering piano sound engine, the Novus NV5S hybrid digital piano also incorporates Kawai’s highly regarded Harmonic Imaging XL technology, showcasing a variety of alternative acoustic piano sounds and a strong selection of additional instrument voices. The Kawai EX full concert grand piano has frequently been selected by professional pianists in such prestigious events as the Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Rubinstein international piano competitions, while the Shigeru Kawai SK-5 chamber grand and Kawai K-600 upright allow performers to enjoy the contrasting tonal characteristics of different piano sizes and voicing configurations.
Supplementing these realistic acoustic piano voices, the Novus NV5S hybrid digital piano also features an excellent selection of additional instrument sounds, ranging from electric pianos and drawbar and church organs, to strings, human choirs, and even atmospheric synth-style pads, inviting musicians to add greater variety to their performances. Furthermore, the Dual playing mode also allows two different sounds, such as grand piano and strings, to be layered together, while the Split and 4-Hands playing modes divide the keyboard into two independent sections.
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VIRTUAL TECHNICIAN ADJUSTMENTS
​​​The Novus NV5S hybrid digital piano’s Virtual Technician feature allows various characteristics of the selected acoustic piano, electric piano, or harpsichord sound to be shaped from the instrument's touchscreen display, with settings to adjust voicing and regulation, string, damper, and cabinet resonances, and subtle hammer, damper, and key release noises. It is even possible to adjust the precise tuning and volume of individual notes, before storing one’s favorite instrument configuration to memory.
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INTEGRATED BLUETOOTH MIDI AND AUDIO CONNECTIVITY

​​​In addition to standard MIDI jacks for connecting to other instruments, the Novus NV5S hybrid digital piano also boasts integrated Bluetooth MIDI and Audio technology that allows the instrument to communicate with supported smart devices wirelessly. Once connected to a phone, tablet, or laptop, NV5S owners can enjoy a wide variety of exciting music-related apps that enhance their learning and playing experience, or stream audio from songs and videos through the instrument’s speakers without any additional cables.
* Availability of Bluetooth function dependent on market location.
USB TO DEVICE FUNCTIONALITY
​​The Novus NV5S hybrid digital piano is equipped with USB connectors that not only allow the instrument to be connected to a computer for MIDI use, but also to load and save data to USB memory devices directly. This “USB to Device” feature standard MIDI files (SMF) downloaded from the internet to be conveniently played back without additional hardware.
USB memory devices can also be used to play back MP3 or WAV audio files, allowing musicians to learn the chords or melody for a new piece, or to simply play along with their favorite songs. It is even possible to save performances as MP3 or WAV files for emailing to friends and family, listening to on the move, or for further editing using an audio workstation.
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PREMIUM AUDIO HARDWARE

​Developed in collaboration with Onkyo, one of Japan’s leading premium audio equipment manufacturers, the Novus NV5S hybrid digital piano is one of the first Kawai musical instruments to utilize specialized components designed for high-end audio reproduction.
With cutting-edge technologies such as 1-bit processing, dual DAC signal conversion, and Onkyo’s DIRDC filtering, the NV5S’s optimized power amplifiers reproduce the Shigeru Kawai grand piano sound with stunning clarity, richness, and power, while the high-performance Discrete SpectraModule™ headphone amplifier ensures the finest quality listening experience, even when playing in privacy.
FULL-COLOR TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY
​​​The Novus NV5S features a full-color 5" touchscreen display. Discreetly embedded within the left cheek block, this high resolution touchscreen allows sounds and settings to be selected from an attractive user interface with the swipe of a finger. The display can also be set to turn off automatically while playing, thus preserving the NV5S’s acoustic piano-like appearance, and minimizing any visual distraction to the pianist.
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