The Kawai K300 and the Kawai K500 – Review

Here we take a closer look at two of our most popular piano models, the Kawai K300 and the Kawai K500. The K300 and K500 were launched into the UK market in 2014 and after a few years we are starting to get a good feel for how these two models compare alongside each other. We have seen dozens of these upright pianos come and go through our showroom and one word that I have come to associate with the Kawai pianos is consistency. Even before they are unwrapped (yes new pianos do come wrapped) we just know they will be good. This is undoubtedly due to the build quality and high level of craftsmanship that goes into every k-series piano.

The K300 and K500 – Similarities

As mentioned above, what you do get with all k-series pianos is the same build quality and high grade materials. The K300 and the K500 both feature mahogany wood core and double felted hammers, solid spruce tapered soundboards, extended key lengths and the millennium three upright action. These high end design elements create an upright piano with beautiful tone and superb playability, a lot of careful thought has been put into the design of all the k-series pianos and this really becomes evident once you sit down and start playing them. The kawai K300 and kawai K500 also share a similar simple aesthetic, since 2014 all the k series pianos have featured a sleek straight edged cabinet which works well in domestic settings. The k300 and the k500 also share in common a longer music desk and soft fall lid as standard.

The K300 and K500 – Differences

The obvious place to start is with the size difference the k500 is higher, deeper and wider than the K300. At 130cms tall the k-500 really does look and sound like an upright piano suitable for the most advanced of pianists, it has the sound and feel of a grand piano to me. This is partly due to its size, which allows for longer strings and a bigger soundboard, so you get a really strong, powerful bass. In their quest to build exceptional pianos Kawai have also added duplex scaling to the kawai K500 upright piano, this enhances the harmonics in the treble range and adds brilliance and richness to the tone of the piano. Side by side you can hear the difference between the K500 that has duplex scaling and the k300 which does not. It is a really nice feature to find on an upright piano and goes some way towards explaining the grand ‘feel’ of the kawai k500, along with its significantly higher price point. The kawai k500 also features Neotex keys which gives it a high end feel, this cellulose fiber is very comfortable under the fingers and offers a nice upgrade, if you are in a position to purchase a top quality upright piano then the K500 is definitely a model worth considering.

Conclusions

This review has looked at how the kawai K300 and K500 compare side by side. Whilst both models are undoubtedly exceptional pianos, the k500 has some extra design features that push it to a different category of upright piano. If I had to choose between the two models it would be a hard choice. Here you have the K500 which is a top of the range upright piano, next to the k300 which is widely considered (rightly so in my opinion) to be one of the best piano you can buy at its price point. A tough decision! Why don’t you come in and see how you think the two models compare? We would love to hear you views.