A Kawai Novus hybrid looks like a piano, sounds acoustic and can be played silently through headphones. How does that fit together? The trick is in the action: the Novus series uses a real upright or grand piano action, but without the strings. What this means for touch, sound and everyday use, we explain here.
This guide places the system in context. To go deeper on a single model, you will find links to our NV6 and NV12 spotlights further down.
01What sets a hybrid piano apart from a digital piano
A classic digital piano recreates the feel of a piano through a weighted hammer action made of plastic and sensors. A hybrid piano goes a step further: instead of an imitated keyboard, it holds a real piano action from acoustic instrument making, with the same levers, key travel and counterweights as an acoustic upright or grand.
The difference to Silent technology matters: a Silent piano is a full acoustic piano with strings, where in silent mode a stop rail halts the hammers just before the string. A Novus hybrid, by contrast, has no strings and no sounding soundboard. The sound is purely digital. If you want the comparison of the silencing concepts, see our article on Silent and TransAcoustic pianos.
02The Novus principle: real action, optical sensors, no string tone
In a Kawai Novus the same parts move on each keystroke as in an acoustic instrument: key, levers, jack and hammer. But because there are no strings, the hammers strike into empty space. At exactly that moment, high-resolution optical sensors read the hammer's motion, its speed and timing. From this the sound engine calculates the matching note.
The result: the touch feels like an acoustic piano, because mechanically that is what it is at its core. The sound comes from the digital engine and can be adjusted in volume or played in complete silence through headphones. With no strings under tension, a Novus stays tuning-stable and is less sensitive to temperature and humidity than an acoustic instrument.
03NV6 and NV12: upright action versus grand action
The two current Novus models differ above all in their action. The Kawai Novus NV6 Hybrid Piano schwarz poliert – inkl. Lieferung & Aufbau carries a Millennium III Hybrid action of the upright type. The NV6 therefore plays like a high-quality upright piano, in a slim, modern cabinet.
The Kawai Novus NV12 Hybrid Piano schwarz poliert – inkl. Lieferung & Aufbau uses a Millennium III Hybrid action of the grand type, with the longer key pivot length and repetition behaviour of a real grand. For anyone seeking the grand piano touch without installing and tuning an acoustic grand, the NV12 is the more uncompromising choice. Both models use a real damper mechanism that reproduces the pedal behaviour of an acoustic piano.
| Feature | Novus NV6 | Novus NV12 |
|---|---|---|
| Action | Millennium III Hybrid, upright | Millennium III Hybrid, grand |
| Touch | high-quality upright piano | grand with long key pivot |
| Strings | none | none |
| Cabinet | slim upright cabinet | grand cabinet |
| Positioning | premium hybrid upright | flagship hybrid grand |
04The sound: where the tone comes from without strings
The Novus sound generation is based on Kawai's SK-EX Rendering. The method combines classic sampling, that is real recordings of a concert grand, with physical modelling that calculates resonances and the interaction of the components. The result is a sound that is not a fixed set of recordings but responds to the playing.
The NV12 uses the PentaDrive system, which dispenses with conventional speaker units and brings the sound into the body through a soundboard. The spatial impression thus moves closer to that of an acoustic grand. To compare Kawai's approach with Yamaha's: Kawai and Yamaha tend toward sampling-led engines in the hybrid segment, while makers such as Casio and Roland rely more on modelling in their hybrids.
05Who a Novus suits
A Kawai Novus is the right choice when the touch of a real upright or grand is the priority, but acoustic tuning and the space for it are not an option. Typical reasons are rented homes with consideration for neighbours, silent practice on headphones at any time of day and tuning stability over the years.
By contrast, anyone who values the acoustic string tone in the room and only wants to practise silently now and then is better served by a Silent piano or a TransAcoustic model, since these keep the real acoustic sound. An overview of our hybrid and digital models is in the Digitalpianos category.
The Novus series resolves an old conflict: the touch of a real action combined with the calm and low maintenance of a digital instrument. Whether the slim upright cabinet of the NV6 or the grand experience of the NV12 fits depends on the available space and the touch you are after. The detailed portraits of the NV6 and NV12 go deeper on each model.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Kawai Novus have strings?
What is the difference between NV6 and NV12?
Does a Novus need tuning?
Can I practise silently?
Is a hybrid piano the same as a Silent piano?
See the Novus up close
Compare the two hybrid models and find the instrument that matches your touch.
All digital pianosKawai Novus NV6Passende Produkte
Kawai Novus NV6 Hybrid Piano Polished Ebony – Incl. Delivery & Assembly
Kawai Novus NV12 Hybrid Piano, Polished Ebony – incl. Delivery & Assembly