Steinway vs Kawai Grand Pianos
Kawai is one of the two great Japanese makers, and its best pianos are a serious rival to Steinway at a much lower price.
The short version
A Steinway is a hand-built top-end piano. A Kawai is a superbly engineered Japanese one, warmer and rounder than its rival Yamaha, and far cheaper than a Steinway. At the very top, Kawai’s hand-built Shigeru Kawai range is designed to compete with Steinway directly, and in blind tests it often holds its own.
Tone and touch
Kawai is known for a warm, even tone and hard-wearing actions, having pioneered modern action materials. Steinway has a richer, more complex, more variable voice. Which you prefer is a matter of taste. Both are fine.
Price
This is the gap. A reconditioned Kawai grand costs a fraction of a Steinway. Even a Shigeru Kawai, Kawai’s flagship, costs less than a new Steinway and gets remarkably close.