New Kawai K300 Review
The new K-300 builds upon the success of its award-winning predecessor, the K-3, that was named Acoustic Piano of The Year in four consecutive years. If you are after a high quality piano that is built to last a lifetime, the Kawai K-300 ranks amongst the very best in the industry. The acoustic tone is rounded, pure sounding, with significant volume and presence when required. The player can expend energy without holding back, as the internal mechanism know as the 'action' is robust and responsive, built using the very finest material components.
In the K300 many aspects of the upright piano design have been carefully thought out to give the pianist the best tone, feel and overall playing experience they could have. Improved features of the K300 include:
- Longer Key Length
- Mahogany double felted hammers
- Tapered soundboard
- Updated Case
The longer key length has been introduced by Kawai to give pianist more control and creates more of a grand piano feel. This gives pianists greater control, especially when pianissimo playing is required. The double felted hammers produce a beautiful rich tone and the tapered soundboard makes for increased resonance in the bass notes. The incredibly satisfying, warm, full tone of the bass is one of the things we like best about the K300 and you really do have to hear it to believe it. The cabinet on the K300 has been subtly improved for a more contemporary feel. Smooth, simple lines that look and feel very graceful and are well suited to today’s more open plan living. The build quality on the K300 is very high but there are also little details we love that round off this upright piano so perfectly.
One often overlooked feature is the longer music desk which is hugely practical. After experiencing a long music desk on my Kawai at home I don’t know if I could go back now, that may sound a bit dramatic but sometimes it is the little things that matter.
The soft fall closing mechanism is also very reassuring for those of us who have curious little fingers around at home, because there are no more worries about the lid slamming closed.
Finally the neotex key surface is a lovely finishing detail, the K300 key surface feels so agreeable to touch and is a definite step up from the key finish on the K200 which is the smaller model in the K series.
Since its launch a few years back the Kawai K300 has built a solid reputation within the piano industry. Some may argue it is too soon to describe this upright piano as a classic model but we disagree. In the Kawai K300 the component parts work together seamlessly and what emerges is an upright piano of great depth and character. We believe this model will remain sought after for years, thanks also to the fact that it still represents very good value for a piano of this quality.
- Millennium III Upright Action: Millennium III Upright Action features components made of ABS-Carbon, a composite material created by the infusion of carbon fiber into our renowned ABS Styran. ABS-Carbon is incredibly sturdy and rigid, which allows the creation of action parts that are lighter without sacrificing strength. The result is a stronger, faster action that offers more power, better control and greater stability than conventional all-wood actions.
Die-Cast Aluminum Action Brackets: Made from a custom mold, die-cast parts are formed exactly the same every time. The K Series pianos feature three aluminum action brackets that are die-cast to provide an added measure of strength, uniformity and stability for accurate touch over time.
Extended Key Length: Longer keys make playing easier and provide more even response from the front to the back of the playing surface. The benefits to the player are greater control and more power with less effort.
Tapered Soundboard made of Solid Spruce: The soundboard is the heart of a piano. Its purpose is to transform the vibrations of the piano’s strings into a rich, resounding tone. Kawai uses only straightgrained, quartersawn solid spruce for K Series soundboards. Each soundboard is strategically tapered to maximize its tone producing capability. Only those that meet or exceed our demanding quality standards are selected for use in our professional upright pianos.
Mahogany wood core & T-stapled, double felted hammers: Mahogany hammer mouldings are lightweight and extremely responsive. Found on only the finest pianos, mahogany is used for the hammer mouldings on the entire line of K Series Professional Upright Pianos. All K Series hammers are T-Stapled to preserve hammer shape and fitted with an added interior layer of underfelt to support the creation of exceptional tone.
Reinforced Keyslip: The piano’s keyslip is the long, horizontal piece of wood that covers the front faces of the keys. Because it is long, thin and made of wood, a keyslip can warp or bend with changes in humidity, causing keys to stick. To eliminate this problem, a heavy-guage steel angle iron is added to prevent warping and bending in any direction. Keys move more freely with virtually no possibility of rubbing or sticking against the keyslip.
Keybed and Braces: The piano’s keybed must be strong and stable to support the action assembly and maintain action regulation over years of heavy use. K Series keybeds are made with sturdy laminated hardwoods and reinforced by rear braces on the iron frame that help to ensure stable placement and add rigidity to prevent energy loss.