Kawai ES60 Review: A Focused First Piano With Practical Tradeoffs

By Tissimo Team

Published November 9, 2026

A compact first piano with clear limits

The Kawai ES60 makes the most sense for a learner who wants a full piano keyboard without turning a room into a permanent music studio. Its appeal is straightforward: practice on weighted keys, listen through built-in speakers or headphones, and keep the instrument manageable enough to move when necessary. That is a more useful starting point than counting sounds or chasing a professional-looking control panel.

This is a research-based review, not a hands-on Tissimo test. It draws on Kawai's documentation and public customer feedback checked on November 9, 2026. The ES60 is a current model introduced for release in late 2024, not a new 2026 launch. Kawai's announcement

The recommendation is conditional: shortlist it for beginner and returning-player practice, but try its action and speakers before buying. The differences owners describe are too substantial to justify calling it the automatic budget winner.

Weighted keys matter more than a long sound list

Kawai specifies 88 keys with graded hammers and matte surfaces in its Responsive Hammer Lite action. The grading means the keyboard's weighting changes across its range, rather than treating every register identically. ES60 specifications

For a student, the full keyboard removes an avoidable limitation as lessons progress. It also lets a teacher assign material without continually checking whether the instrument runs out of notes. Weighted action gives you something more piano-like to work against than a lightweight synthesizer keyboard, but it does not prove that every acoustic-piano technique will transfer perfectly.

A productive audition is less about whether the keys initially feel impressive and more about control. Can you play quietly without notes disappearing? Can you repeat a note without unnecessary tension? Does the resistance near the backs of the keys remain comfortable? Ask a teacher to help evaluate these details if this is your first instrument. Heavier is not automatically better, and a difficult action is not a shortcut to stronger technique.

Sound, speakers, and the room you practice in

The ES60 uses Kawai's Harmonic Imaging engine with a sampled Shigeru Kawai SK-EX grand, alongside other instrument sounds. Kawai lists 17 voices and 192-note maximum polyphony. ES60 overview, ES60 specifications

Polyphony is the instrument's capacity to keep sounding voices active, not a score for musical quality. A high number is useful headroom when sustaining notes, but it tells you little about whether you enjoy the tone or can shape a phrase. Do not choose one piano over another on that number alone.

The built-in system is rated at 20 watts total. Kawai's announcement That specification cannot tell you how satisfying the piano will sound on your desk, beside a wall, or in a shared apartment. Compare the speakers and your usual wired headphones separately. If the headphones sound pleasing but the speakers do not, you have learned something about your intended setup, not necessarily about the underlying piano samples.

Keep the volume sensible during the comparison. A louder instrument often seems more exciting, and a quiet shop demonstration can hide limitations you would notice at home.

Simple controls bring a learning tradeoff

The ES60 has a sparse panel, with functions accessed through buttons and keys; Kawai also supports control through PianoRemote. Its metronome and 30 drum patterns offer ways to practice timing. Kawai's announcement, ES60 overview

That simplicity can help a learner who wants to sit down and play rather than browse menus. It becomes less convenient when changing settings frequently. Before buying, find out how to change the metronome tempo, select your preferred piano sound, and restore a familiar setup without reaching for a phone. These are ordinary practice tasks, not advanced programming.

Use accompaniment thoughtfully. A drum pattern can make timing work enjoyable, but it should not become a substitute for listening to your own pulse and articulation. The most useful practice feature is the one you can operate quickly enough that you actually use it.

Budget for the pedal and connections

The included F-1SP is an on/off damper switch. ES60 specifications Kawai supports the optional F-10H for progressive half-pedaling, allowing more nuanced sustain control. That is an accessory worth discussing with your teacher rather than treating as a cosmetic upgrade. ES60 features

The ES60 offers USB-MIDI, dedicated line outputs, and a front headphone socket. It does not include Bluetooth or an onboard recorder in Kawai's specification list. ES60 specifications

USB-MIDI carries performance instructions to compatible software; it is not a recording of the ES60's own sound. If you want to submit audio recordings for online lessons, plan the recording path separately. A phone recording may be sufficient for an informal check-in, while a direct recording of the piano's outputs requires suitable audio-recording equipment.

The listed instrument weight is 11 kilograms without the music rest. ES60 overview Add the stand, bench, pedal, and any carrying bag to both the budget and the transport plan. A low instrument price is less helpful if an unstable stand makes every practice session uncomfortable.

What public owners actually report

Sweetwater's ES60 review page showed five customer reviews when checked. Marta W., describing herself as a gigging musician, wrote on June 26, 2025, “It has exceeded my expectations!” Her praise concerned a lightweight instrument that supplied the piano and electric-piano sounds she needed. Sweetwater customer reviews

The same page contains disagreement. An April 2, 2026 reviewer praised the action but worried about the plastic housing. Carl's April 7 review strongly disliked both the sound and key feel. A January 28 reviewer liked the action while finding the speaker output less substantial than expected. These are individual accounts, not a measured reliability study or proof that one listener is right. Sweetwater customer reviews

The useful takeaway is the shopping checklist these differences create: test the speakers, test quiet playing, inspect the casing, and understand the return conditions. Public customer submissions are not independently verified here, and none was submitted to Tissimo.

Who should choose it, and what to compare

Consider the ES60 if you want a focused practice instrument, need 88 weighted keys, and value a relatively light setup. Look elsewhere if wireless connectivity, built-in recording, or a more elaborate home-piano experience is central to your routine. Advanced players should judge it against their actual repertoire rather than assuming an entry-level label either disqualifies it or guarantees adequacy.

The Roland FP-10 is a sensible side-by-side audition for its different PHA-4 Standard action. It also offers Bluetooth MIDI in supported markets, though that is not Bluetooth audio. Roland FP-10 specifications A used, teacher-approved digital piano is another route, provided you can inspect every key, the pedals, and the outputs and check the seller’s return policy and warranty coverage.

Choose the ES60 when its touch and sound make regular practice easier and its complete setup fits your budget. If you dislike the basic playing experience, no specification advantage will make that compromise disappear.

Sources

Read this article online: https://tissimo.co/articles/kawai-es60-review