Kawai ES-120 vs Yamaha P-145
A $899 Kawai against a $599 Yamaha, so they compete less on price than on priorities. The ES-120 offers 192-note polyphony, 25 sounds and 20 W on graded RHC action; the P-145 keeps to 64 notes, 10 sounds and 14 W in a 0.9 kg lighter body.
| Kawai ES-120 | Yamaha P-145 | |
|---|---|---|
| Key action | Responsive Hammer Compact (RHC) | Graded Hammer Compact (GHC) |
| Polyphony | 192 | 64 |
| Sounds / presets | 25 | 10 |
| Sequencer | 3-song MIDI recorder | — |
| Speakers | 20 W | 14 W |
| Bluetooth | Yes | No |
| USB audio | No | No |
| Weight | 12 kg | 11.1 kg |
| Released | 2021 | 2024 |
| Status | current | current |
| Keys | 88 | 88 |
Which one should you buy?
- Choose the Yamaha P-145 if budget is the priority — it is about $300 cheaper (approx.).
- Choose the Yamaha P-145 if lighter to carry to gigs and lessons (12 kg vs 11.1 kg).
- Choose the Kawai ES-120 if you layer sounds or use the sustain pedal heavily (192 vs 64).
- Choose the Kawai ES-120 if you want more variety of built-in voices (25 vs 10).
- Choose the Kawai ES-120 if you practise out loud without an amp (20 W vs 14 W).
- Choose the Kawai ES-120 if you want wireless MIDI/audio from a phone or tablet.
Kawai ES-120
The ES-120 is the pick if the piano sound and action are the point: three times the polyphony, 2.5x the voices and more speaker power than the P-145.
Yamaha P-145
The P-145 wins on price at $300 less; the cost is 64-note polyphony and 10 voices instead of 192 and 25.
Full spec sheets: Kawai ES-120 · Yamaha P-145. Rows with a highlighted background differ.