Roland Cube Street EX - Battery Powered Amplifier

Does everything I need of it except one annoying thing.Duracell rechargeables gave battery flat flashing light indication after full charge even onlowest power output.Voltage was high enough at 10.8V. Battery holder states 9.6v for rechargeablesIt worked but I am not sure how long it would last.This would make it expensive to run.

Powerful amp. Using the chorus and reverb at the time (even slightly) gives an annoying phaser effect. Glad to have something to run a backing track through easily. At times the sound can be distorted, so I really need to put some time into playing around with it. Light and portable. Nice for the acoutsivc but I will rn the electric through my amp as I think it sounds better. Good for what iti si though.

Great all around music equipment

For the size this Roland Cube EX sounds awesome!I used it as a band practice guitar amp and cranked up the 50 watts that where right there and just enough.It was also used at an outside parking lot for singing with karaoke music and was remarkably loud enough with a surprisingly round tone for its size.The pole insert was very handy for that, outside turned almost all the way was a little distorted but it had a good driving tone to it!The direct outs and all the extras are super handy.The guitar tones were good, and one matched my Les Paul great, even better tuned up to live band practice in a house level gave it that extra drive.It's a little pricey but if you can afford it the 2 mic in channels are awesome also for a mini PA on the go.I have not gave the ... MoreFor the size this Roland Cube EX sounds awesome!I used it as a band practice guitar amp and cranked up the 50 watts that where right there and just enough.It was also used at an outside parking lot for singing with karaoke music and was remarkably loud enough with a surprisingly round tone for its size.The pole insert was very handy for that, outside turned almost all the way was a little distorted but it had a good driving tone to it!The direct outs and all the extras are super handy.The guitar tones were good, and one matched my Les Paul great, even better tuned up to live band practice in a house level gave it that extra drive.It's a little pricey but if you can afford it the 2 mic in channels are awesome also for a mini PA on the go.I have not gave the batteries a far check yet?It says use alkaline, but I used something else and they did not last more than 45 mins at almost full volume outside.I used it for a keyboard monitor and it worked great for a live band rehearsal, then the direct outs to PA.So yes a very handy powered monitor also!Very happy with my purchase, Sam Ash is my favorite music store and always seems to have what I need..

If one thing stops working the whole thing needs to be replaced!!!

This not against PMT (I love PMT).Roland as a company will not sell you replacements parts should something go wrong, you will have to pay one of their registered repair techs to order the parts and fix it for you! try and ask for help from customer support and they respond quickly to let you know they aren't willing to help. 1 fuse keeps blowing because a resistor or capacitor isn't working properly so the entire power board needs to be replaced according to the technician who doesn't need to see the speaker to know thats what it needs, proving that the product is either not designed to be repaired or, that Roland like to rip their customers off as soon as they have your money. I have owned my cube a few years now (bought from PMT Cardiff), i would bet that all ... MoreThis not against PMT (I love PMT).Roland as a company will not sell you replacements parts should something go wrong, you will have to pay one of their registered repair techs to order the parts and fix it for you! try and ask for help from customer support and they respond quickly to let you know they aren't willing to help. 1 fuse keeps blowing because a resistor or capacitor isn't working properly so the entire power board needs to be replaced according to the technician who doesn't need to see the speaker to know thats what it needs, proving that the product is either not designed to be repaired or, that Roland like to rip their customers off as soon as they have your money. I have owned my cube a few years now (bought from PMT Cardiff), i would bet that all the other reviews here where written within a week of owning one and before a single issue presented itself.Buy something from a different manufacturer, make sure they will give you the service notes to repair things yourself, and make sure they will sell you the parts you need to repair issues without paying for some useless middle man (who pays to be affiliated with the company).The product is great, Roland is a joke.

More PA than amp. loud, mobile, Endless I/Os options

Wanted a mobile rig to jam with family and friends. Hope to street busk soon when I learn enough songs. The street ex is loud, lighter than it looks in weight, and extremely versatile. The many input/ outputs gives the user many different options. I use the stereo inputs for my floor modelers, the street ex is capable of being an FRFR for the many digital modelers available today. I love the battery operated compartment design. It is loud and a great portable PA, my kids use it for home karaoke too.This PA has pretty good guitar tones. Limited in guitar amps and fx but it has the basics, that's why I use digital amp modelers run through stereo inputs. Doesn't have smart capabilities or an app interface. Lacks Bluetooth connectivity that many competitors offer. When ... MoreWanted a mobile rig to jam with family and friends. Hope to street busk soon when I learn enough songs. The street ex is loud, lighter than it looks in weight, and extremely versatile. The many input/ outputs gives the user many different options. I use the stereo inputs for my floor modelers, the street ex is capable of being an FRFR for the many digital modelers available today. I love the battery operated compartment design. It is loud and a great portable PA, my kids use it for home karaoke too.This PA has pretty good guitar tones. Limited in guitar amps and fx but it has the basics, that's why I use digital amp modelers run through stereo inputs. Doesn't have smart capabilities or an app interface. Lacks Bluetooth connectivity that many competitors offer. When run at max volume mix can get a little fizzy but distortion is low.Overall this PA masked as an amp is great if battery portability and loudness are important. If a guitar amp with fx and amp models are what your looking for this is not it. It is very well built and can take many inputs. Great for outdoor gatherings and hangouts. I use it on my pontoon many of times. It's an on the go rig must have.

Not cheap, but worth it.

This is rather unusual as busker amps go. I plugged my EHX Glove into it and plugged in my Taylor TC5 and got tones that matched up well with my old Aria PE R-60 and my Egnator Tweaker 40. Pretty impressive for a battery powered Busker amp. The Acoustic tones exhibit superior clarity and penetrating qualities Our kids who live upstairs in our duplex actually commented on how they could hear the tone clearly through the floor (Our Ceiling), and how much clearer it sounded than the tube amps I normally use (They say those sound "Muddy") Overall I'd give this amp a 9.2 out of 10. Not bad (Disclaimer: Roland is a consumer unfriendly, extremely uncooperative company to deal with, and if you go to them for support, 9 times out of 10 they're just going to tell you to GFY. ... MoreThis is rather unusual as busker amps go. I plugged my EHX Glove into it and plugged in my Taylor TC5 and got tones that matched up well with my old Aria PE R-60 and my Egnator Tweaker 40. Pretty impressive for a battery powered Busker amp. The Acoustic tones exhibit superior clarity and penetrating qualities Our kids who live upstairs in our duplex actually commented on how they could hear the tone clearly through the floor (Our Ceiling), and how much clearer it sounded than the tube amps I normally use (They say those sound "Muddy") Overall I'd give this amp a 9.2 out of 10. Not bad (Disclaimer: Roland is a consumer unfriendly, extremely uncooperative company to deal with, and if you go to them for support, 9 times out of 10 they're just going to tell you to GFY. The fact that they recently sold this line to Boss I find particularly telling).

Not quite what I was expecting

The volume level was not up to par. It has Eco, Normal and Max settings, but setting it to Max to get a reasonable volume level while running on batteries would only last for a few seconds, then it would cut out. Even though the power indicator said the batteries were fully charged. I had to run it through a Pandora FX pedal to give it enough preamp boost on the Normal setting to be heard over what I would consider average outdoor street/club noise. I don't think it would fare well in noisier street setting like say downtown San Francisco.It has several built in guitar effects, but all except the Clean settings added a disturbing white noise hissing sound.Requires 8 rechargeable AA batteries, not included. Unlike the classic Cube amps which came with a built in ... MoreThe volume level was not up to par. It has Eco, Normal and Max settings, but setting it to Max to get a reasonable volume level while running on batteries would only last for a few seconds, then it would cut out. Even though the power indicator said the batteries were fully charged. I had to run it through a Pandora FX pedal to give it enough preamp boost on the Normal setting to be heard over what I would consider average outdoor street/club noise. I don't think it would fare well in noisier street setting like say downtown San Francisco.It has several built in guitar effects, but all except the Clean settings added a disturbing white noise hissing sound.Requires 8 rechargeable AA batteries, not included. Unlike the classic Cube amps which came with a built in battery which could be recharged simply by plugging it in. You will need to buy a separate battery charger. Played out with a friend for about an hour and a half and when I got home the power level said low. So you probably would need an extra 8 or 16 backup batteries to play out for say 4 - 6 hours. In which case you would need 3 chargers of 8 batteries each for overnight charging.Sound was thin. You have to turn the treble all the way down and the bass most of the way up. If you turn the bass up to full it distorts.If your amp is pointed toward your audience all the labels are upside down. I think if you were on a dark stage it would be difficult to read which knobs are which without a flashlight. Some kind of built in LED option would be handy. There is a handle at one end and feet at the other so you can stand it up longways, but now the power switch is all the way down by the floor.Has a built in hole for mounting on a stand. Tried that and it leaned a bit and wasn't snug.Has more than one channel so you can run your guitar and/or 2 channel stereo keyboard, mic and 1/8 jack for CD player or cellphone.Has stereo outputs so you can use it as a monitor while running line out to house sound system

Review of Roland Cube Street EX Battery Powered Stereo Amplifier

She shall have music where ever she goes! 5 for functionality I love the portability and the freedom from being connected to the mains even though I probably will never go busking I like being able to move it around without worrying about the mains lead. I also like it will amplify electric and acoustic instruments and microphones. 4 for sound the tone is perhaps not as sophisticated and tweakable as say a Katana or Nextone, but that could be more my lack of skill and having the volume low out of consideration for not imposing my lack of skill on those around me. Durability? It seems robust and well made but I can't say I have put it under pressure. Value for money? there wasn't really anything comparable. Looks well beauty is in the eye of the beholder so...I think ... MoreShe shall have music where ever she goes! 5 for functionality I love the portability and the freedom from being connected to the mains even though I probably will never go busking I like being able to move it around without worrying about the mains lead. I also like it will amplify electric and acoustic instruments and microphones. 4 for sound the tone is perhaps not as sophisticated and tweakable as say a Katana or Nextone, but that could be more my lack of skill and having the volume low out of consideration for not imposing my lack of skill on those around me. Durability? It seems robust and well made but I can't say I have put it under pressure. Value for money? there wasn't really anything comparable. Looks well beauty is in the eye of the beholder so...I think it looks okay.

This the the amp I need for right now. Flexible design so it will be a while before I out grow it.

I was looking at reviews on YouTube for the Roland AC-33 when I came across the review for this one. While I might one day still buy an AC-33 (an amp designed for acoustic guitar), this one looks better for my purposes right now. (I have both electric and acoustic guitars.) I play on the street and I didn't want a cheap battery powered amp. (Particularly, I wanted one without all the hogwash, if you know what I mean.) THis unit is pro all the way and more than fills the bill. I don't have a car and this one is small and portable enough that I can carry it along with my guitar pretty easily in a Taxi cab (or walking down the street). But it's also got the power to play a small venue. It uses 8 standard AA batteries in a removable battery module. (... And I've already ... MoreI was looking at reviews on YouTube for the Roland AC-33 when I came across the review for this one. While I might one day still buy an AC-33 (an amp designed for acoustic guitar), this one looks better for my purposes right now. (I have both electric and acoustic guitars.) I play on the street and I didn't want a cheap battery powered amp. (Particularly, I wanted one without all the hogwash, if you know what I mean.) THis unit is pro all the way and more than fills the bill. I don't have a car and this one is small and portable enough that I can carry it along with my guitar pretty easily in a Taxi cab (or walking down the street). But it's also got the power to play a small venue. It uses 8 standard AA batteries in a removable battery module. (... And I've already ordered 2 extra battery modules, a bunch of Ni-MH Rechargeable batteries and a charger.) The battery power does seem to last a long time in Normal mode. (It also has Max and Eco modes.) It comes with a 110 VAC power supply (at least for the U.S. model). It is setup so it can be connected with another Cube EX and configured as a small stereo PA (adding more input channels to boot). One channel is clearly intended for a microphone and a 2nd channel is clearly intended for a guitar, but both of the mainchannels are set up to take either/or with hybrid jacks that can accommodate either a 1/4" plug and an XLR. The other 2 channels are more basic with only a volume knob for each of those. One is specifically set up to accept a sub-miniature plug so you can plug in your cell phone or an mp3 player to play backing tracks. (And it includes a connecting cable for that.) It's designed to work with Boss FS-6 or FS-5U foot switches if you want to add that capability. And Roland has equipped it with a mounting adapter to use in conjunction with their ST-A95 monitor stand. This is perfect for me right now, but I do plan to get a second one in the not-to-distant future. Need I say more?

great portable PA

First, I would NOT consider this a guitar amp, and if you buy it as one you'll probably be disappointed. The COSM is fine and nice to have, but the guitar amp tones just aren't good enough to hang with real amps. I find there's always too much mid range muddiness that I can't dial out with EQ. As a mini PA, though, this is a great option. It gets plenty loud, the battery power option is great, there are good input and output options to allow you to use it as a powered monitor for a larger PA setting or connect it with other powered speakers to expand your sound. My vocals and acoustic guitar sound really nice through it. I've gigged a LOT with this for a few years, and it has held up well. It's really lightweight and I appreciate being able to roll into a gig with a ... MoreFirst, I would NOT consider this a guitar amp, and if you buy it as one you'll probably be disappointed. The COSM is fine and nice to have, but the guitar amp tones just aren't good enough to hang with real amps. I find there's always too much mid range muddiness that I can't dial out with EQ. As a mini PA, though, this is a great option. It gets plenty loud, the battery power option is great, there are good input and output options to allow you to use it as a powered monitor for a larger PA setting or connect it with other powered speakers to expand your sound. My vocals and acoustic guitar sound really nice through it. I've gigged a LOT with this for a few years, and it has held up well. It's really lightweight and I appreciate being able to roll into a gig with a very light and broken down setup. I've played small to medium sized rooms packed with people and never needed to turn this more than 75% up. Probably not gonna be enough with a full band, especially if your drummer and guitar amps like to play loud, but for duos and acoustic gigs, great option. When you consider how versatile it is, I think it's well worth it.