Pacific42

Agreed. What I liked least about the ES8, I didn't purchase one, was that I could not play softly (tried several, new and used). The keyswitch just wouldn't switch at low velocity. Almost a showstopper for me. I'm just glad to hear the they fixed it however they frame it. And while the action is mechanically louder than the competition, it's so much quieter than my old Kurzweil that it's a huge improvement. Based on my experience with the ES8 and the new/improved/fixed stuff on the ES9, it makes my short list. Hope to play one soon.

These should fix the lack of response when playing softly in what was otherwise an excellent digital piano action: IMPROVED: Responsive Hammer III keyboard action with redesigned key switches IMPROVED: Enhanced Touch Curve setting with 10 selectable touch presets These should improve on the ES8's already great piano sounds and the audio quality overall: IMPROVED: Improved acoustic piano sounds and updated Virtual Technician parameters NEW: Updated control panel with 4-band EQ faders NEW: Motherboard developed in partnership with Onkyo for improved tonal clarity If it sounds even close to the CA99 with headphones, I'll buy it on the default preset alone. I like the increased power output and redesigned speaker enclosures but I think Kawai may still lag in this area. A Bluetooth subwoofer would help (of course that would require Bluetooth audio but that's another discussion). The ES8 held up remarkably well in recent comparisons with much newer digitals. Thats why the ES920 is on my short list but I still have to get my hands on one.