The question of AvantGrand or Novus comes up the moment a digital piano is no longer enough, but an acoustic piano fails on maintenance, volume or tuning stability. Yamaha and Kawai build their flagships for exactly this: hybrid pianos with real piano action, but no strings.
Stringless does not mean less piano, just a different principle. The keyboard and hammer action come from acoustic piano building, but instead of strings, optical sensors read the touch and generate the sound digitally. The result is the feel of an acoustic instrument, permanently in tune and adjustable in volume. This comparison puts the Yamaha N1X against the Kawai Novus NV6 and NV12.
Grand piano action in an upright format
Ideal for: For those who want the Yamaha touch and CFX sound in a compact cabinet.
See all Digitalpianos →Millennium III action from upright to grand
Ideal for: For those who want Kawai action tradition, with a choice of upright or grand format.
See all Digitalpianos →01What stringless really means
Both makers follow the same core idea: a full acoustic piano action that has no strings. The hammers move exactly as in an acoustic instrument, but strike empty air. High-resolution optical sensors capture their motion and drive the digital sound generation.
This clearly sets these hybrids apart from a silent piano, which keeps real strings and only mutes them with a stop bar. The advantage of the stringless design: no tuning needed, full volume control and headphone use at any time of day.
02The action: Yamaha grand action versus Kawai Millennium III
This is where the core difference lies. Yamaha fits the N1X with a special version of the real grand action from its own concert grands: wooden keys and horizontal hammers that fall back by gravity as in a grand. Despite its upright cabinet, the N1X therefore plays like a grand, not an upright.
Kawai relies on its Millennium III hybrid action with composite parts and extended key sticks. The NV6 derives its action from the Kawai K series upright, the NV12 from the GX grand series. The felt hammers are replaced by individually weighted synthetic hammers. Yamaha delivers grand action even in upright format, while Kawai consistently ties the action to the format.
03Sound generation and speakers
The N1X uses spatial samples of the Yamaha CFX and Bösendorfer Imperial concert grands and projects them through a spatial speaker system. A Tactile Response System with transducers in the body also passes resonance perceptibly into the instrument.
Kawai develops the SK-EX Rendering sound engine for the Novus line, combining multi-channel 88-key sampling with resonance modelling. The NV6 uses a multi-way speaker system with an additional soundboard speaker. The NV12 goes a step further: its PentaDrive system drops conventional speakers entirely and instead energises a full wooden soundboard through transducers, very close to a real grand body.
04Format and placement
The N1X and the NV6 are both built in an upright, piano-like cabinet and fit even in rooms where a grand would have no place. The NV12, by contrast, comes in grand format and is the most space-claiming statement of the three.
All three stay permanently in tune and need no tuning visit. Delivery and setup are standard with these instruments, since the weight and action adjustment are not for self-assembly. If you are still weighing hybrid against a classic digital piano, the full range is in our Digitalpianos category.
| Feature | Yamaha N1X | Kawai NV6 | Kawai NV12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action | Grand action (wooden keys, horizontal hammers) | Millennium III, upright base (K series) | Millennium III, grand base (GX series) |
| Format | Upright | Upright | Grand |
| Sound engine | CFX and Bösendorfer sampling, VRM | SK-EX Rendering | SK-EX Rendering |
| Sound projection | Spatial speaker system plus Tactile Response | Multi-way plus soundboard speaker | PentaDrive soundboard without conventional speakers |
| Strings | None | None | None |
| Price class | from around 8,000 euros | from around 8,500 euros | from around 14,000 euros |
05Who each instrument suits
The Yamaha N1X is the choice for players who want the Yamaha touch and CFX sound in a space-saving cabinet and to whom the grand action matters more than the grand format. It is the most direct route to a grand piano feel without a grand footprint.
The Kawai NV6 appeals to those who value Kawai action tradition and want an upright instrument on par with the N1X. The NV12 is for everyone who wants the full grand experience with soundboard sound and grand action, and has the space for it.
AvantGrand or Novus ultimately comes down to a choice between two action philosophies and two formats. Yamaha brings grand action into the upright N1X, Kawai ties its Millennium III action to the format and offers the true grand experience with the NV12. Like for like, the N1X and the NV6 face off as upright hybrids, with the NV12 as the grand step above.
Frequently asked questions
Does a hybrid piano need tuning?
What is the difference between a hybrid piano and a silent piano?
Does the N1X really play like a grand?
How do the NV6 and NV12 differ?
Can you practise quietly on these instruments?
Explore the stringless hybrids
Yamaha AvantGrand and Kawai Novus at a glance, with delivery and setup.
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