Detailed Description
The New Kawai Novus NV6 Digital Hybrid Piano
The NV6 is the latest addition to the Novus range, and successor to the highly-regarded NV5S hybrid piano. This updated 2025 model
retains the industry-leading Millennium III Hybrid upright piano keyboard action and unique real damper mechanism of its
predecessor, while enhancing sound, operation, and connectivity features.
The NV6’s exceptional Shigeru Kawai SK-EX piano sounds are processed with improved audio hardware, featuring a custom-developed piano sampling filter and premium dual DAC system. High-fidelity sound is delivered through the upgraded speaker configuration, with new top-facing drivers, tweeters, and a refined soundboard speaker. These updates produce a clearer, more balanced tone across all frequencies, creating a dynamic and immersive listening experience for both players and audiences.
The Novus NV6’s cheekblock touchscreen now features an anti-glare matte surface for improved visibility, with various software and UI updates including the ability to completely turn off the display after a set period to minimise distractions. Connectivity has been upgraded with Bluetooth MIDI and Audio v5, offering ultra-low latency, improved reliability, and superior sound quality on modern devices. In addition, the Novus NV6 also introduces a USB-C port and a built-in USB audio interface, enabling seamless, high-quality digital audio transfer to and from computers and smart devices via a single cable.
The Future Of The Piano
The Millennium III Hybrid action represents the latest milestone in Kawai’s rich legacy of piano innovation, and serves as the centrepiece of the Novus NV6. Based on the ‘K’ series’ proven action design, Millennium III Hybrid retains the composite parts and extended key sticks of its acoustic cousin, while replacing the traditional felt hammers with individually-weighted ABS equivalents. As a hybrid piano, there are no metal strings inside the Novus for these hammers to physically strike when the keys are played, therefore their precise movements are instead captured using high-resolution optical sensors mounted over the action. Millennium III Hybrid delivers all of the benefits of a premium Kawai upright piano action within a digital instrument. This feat of modern engineering allows pianists to enjoy the unmatched feeling of playing an acoustic piano, regardless of the time of day, or the size of their home.
Optimal Expression
The Millennium III Hybrid keyboard action comprises over 6,000 individual parts, each playing a crucial role in allowing the performer’s fingertips to express feeling and emotion through music.
The Novus NV6’s precision-engineered ABS hammers have been designed for structural stability and optimum keyboard touch-response. Each individual hammer is grade-weighted to mirror the heavier bass and lighter treble hammers of an acoustic piano, ensuring that the NV6’s key touch-weight feels the same as a well-regulated acoustic instrument.
The precise movements of each hammer are measured using high-resolution optical sensors, providing greater accuracy than conventional key-based sensor systems. This more advanced approach closely reproduces the mechanical flow of an acoustic piano, and allows rapid pianissimo passages with mordents or trills to be performed with greater fluency.
Naturally Expressive Sound
In order to reproduce the stunning tonal qualities of the Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano digitally, the Novus NV6 incorporates Kawai’s latest SK-EX Rendering technology. This advanced piano sound engine combines the well-established process of sampling with the modern approach of physical modelling, to produce a piano sound that is both rich in natural acoustic character, and dynamically responsive to the player’s musical desires.
High Performance Delivery
The NV6 features specialist filtering and amplification components designed for high-resolution sound reproduction. These technologies improve tonal clarity throughout the dynamic range, while helping to preserve the unique harmonic characteristics of the Shigeru Kawai piano. Finally, this high-fidelity sound is delivered through the NV6’s powerful speaker system, which combines Kawai’s exclusive TwinDrive soundboard technology. The result is a remarkably authentic playing experience that immerses the performer, and faithfully eproduces the tonal ambience of an acoustic piano.
Premium Design Detail
The Novus NV6’s upward facing topboard speakers project mid-range frequencies outward, closely reproducing the sound field of an acoustic piano. These speakers are protected from dust and other foreign objects by fabric created by esteemed Danish textile house, Kvadrat.
Established in 1968, with deep roots in Scandinavia’s design tradition, Kvadrat is Europe’s leading supplier of high-quality contemporary textiles, crafting beautiful and inspiring fabrics for some of the world’s foremost architects, designers, and premium consumer brands.
The NV6’s topboard speaker cover features an original Kvadrat material, customised to meet Kawai’s specifications, with a woven mesh composition optimised for musical clarity and tonal projection. Its soft, dark-grey yarn with pearl-like highlights, contrasts with the lustrous sheen of the NV6’s ebony polish cabinet, elevating this musical instrument to the level of a piece of fine furniture, destined to become the centrepiece of any room it occupies.
Integrated Bluetooth® MIDI/Audio And USB-C Audio Connectivity
In addition to standard MIDI jacks for connecting to other instruments, the NOVUS NV6 hybrid digital piano also boasts integrated Bluetooth MIDI and Audio technology that allows the instrument to communicate with supported smart devices wirelessly. Once connected to a phone, tablet, or laptop, NV6 owners can enjoy a wide variety of exciting music-related apps that enhance their learning and playing experience, or stream audio from songs and videos through the instrument’s speakers without any additional cables. In addition the USB-C Audio interface lets you directly connect digitally to your recording devices for high quality audio recording or video taking.
Digital Piano Convenience
While the Novus NV6’s core features are unquestionably derived from an acoustic piano, the instrument neatly incorporates various additional technologies that provide the modern conveniences of a premium digital piano. These features are primarily controlled through the NV6’s touchscreen LCD, which is discretely embedded within the instrument’s left cheekblock. This high resolution touchscreen allows sounds and settings to be adjusted from an attractive user interface simply by tapping or swiping the display with a finger. For piano purists, the screen can be set to turn off automatically while playing, thus preserving the Novus’ classic appearance, and minimising any visual distraction to the performer.
Unlike an acoustic piano, the Novus NV6 provides a variety of options for connecting to other devices, with audio jacks that allow the instrument to be amplified in halls and other large settings, and USB and MIDI ports for transferring music data to and from a computer.
Kawai Partner Apps
Register your new Kawai piano and receive a 3 month free trial with Kawai’s three partners, Zapiano, Skoove and Tomplay!
Zapiano
With Zapiano® you can experience interactive piano courses specifically for adults, tailored to your musical taste and playing level. Zapiano® offers comprehensive support, personal video feedback, live streams, and exclusive access to the Zapiano® community.
Skoove
Discover the magic of the piano with the Skoove online piano learning app. Get real-time, interactive feedback and join millions of piano lovers who are making progress every day with Skoove.
Tomplay
Tomplay offers you the opportunity to make music alongside high-quality recordings from professional musicians at various playing levels. Immerse yourself and experience a world of over 70,000 interactive sheet music scores.
Generous Part Exchanges Available
Get in touch with us if you have an existing digital or acoustic piano that you’d like to part exchange with us, and we’d be happy to let you know how much it could be worth.
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