The Ultimate Busking Amp Challenge! - Roland Cube Street EX Vs The Bose S1 Pro

The book of love song did it for me. Sold 💰

Bose is always a bit muddy in my opinion

Not impressed with your review of these products as you make it all about you. It’s easy to do a short video reviewing features without showing off your middle of the road singling skills

Review should be like this❤

in tge outside test boss sounded bit too harsh for my taste

Both speakers should terrible , fix your sound.

Omg..I thought I had made a decision for the Bose S1pro ..but now I m back at squre one. The outdoor test favoured the Bose, the indoor test favored the Roland. Im confused ..now at an existential level..

what was strange was placing the box behind the legs in the open air, as this holds the sound, I am used to playing at night and it only takes one person to stand in front of the box which already muffles the sound of those in front, I would have to put on top of that wall next to the leg.

Roland will NOT sell you replacement parts should something go wrong. you have to go to their authorised techs to order parts and fix it. Buy something else, i don't know what but don't give your money to a company that doesn't care about you after they have your money.

I couldnt make out whether you said the Bose lacks clarity? Why have you not tested the amps in a buy busking environment which is the acid test? A crowded street is where projection counts and not always related to wattage.

Thanks, great review. Just started thinking of buying a battery busking amp. Playing acoustic guitar and vocal, folk finger picking style. Should I be looking at a PA or acoustic guitar amp?

What the he|| is a busking amp?

Cube is literally uncomperable, even the smaller versions of the EX perform louder than most amplifiers out there. Also if you want more power and clarity buy a bigger external battery and a converter cable for the dc-in power supply to be able to connect the battery with its supply port and then you'll hear the difference. The Cube isn't just an amplifier, is THE AMPLIFIER OF THE AMPLIFIERS, and I have enough of them to tell you just go for it if you can afford it, and even if you can't wait for a couple of months, save some f@cking money and go get it.

I liked the Bose better. the Roland sounded tinny and distorted.

Roland needs to make a serious amp with a battery. Those cubes are toys. Too thin. No power. The Bose is better than any battery powered u it out there. Jbl not that great and the new EV’s are breaking I heard they’re digital. That sucks

Any of these work with a bass?

I used the Roland Cube Street EX for about a year, with keyboard/vocal/tracks. I just bought the Bose S1 a couple of weeks ago. Here's my analysis. First, the Cube. For most of last year I used the Cube running a full mix into the aux input. No EQ or effects from the Cube being used. It sounded pretty good, and then I added a real mixer (before I just ran my mic into my keyboard's input and both of those went out to the Cube). There was a substantial difference in quality - much clearer and more defined overall. As for the Cube and battery life, I noticed the Cube would start distorting after around two hours of play. Very annoying. Volume was only ad midpoint, on Max setting. Even worse on normal setting. Eco was a joke. It wasn't typical distortion, but more like a clamping/compression that slowly got worse over time that makes everything start to sound like loud mush. Once I used an outboard power source that problem did clear up.

Once I got the Bose, I noticed a few things. The Bose handles bass much better. Overall it is a much richer sound than the Cube. However the Bose is not stereo, and sums the stereo signal to mono. This changes the sound and the tracks I use considerably. I like the sound of the Bose but feel like I have to get another one just to really get a good stereo sound and avoid the mono summing. I also felt like the Bose wasn't as bright overall as the Cube. EQ would probably take care of this, and I haven't yet applied an EQ to my mixer output, which would most likely really help.

Overall, these two speakers couldn't be more different. The Cube is bright sounding but lacks in the bass, and the Bose is just the opposite. The Bose really does mess with my stereo feed, and not in a good way. I'm thinking of either getting another S1 to solve the problem - not a cheap solution. One other thing I am going to try first is to use the Cube for the audience facing speaker, and use the Bose for my personal monitoring. Or vice versa. Overall, neither speaker is perfect.

Maybe spend more time talking about the amps than disappearing into a self world.

i can't concentrate on hearing the difference... you need to be serious next time.

Bose hands down, based on this test. I have the Street and hate it. Lacks bass and overall fullness. Like a cardboard box.

The bose has 3x better sound though.

Boss hands down had MUCH better refined clear vocal sounds. Not even close.

The outside demo is meaningless, there are stone and brick walls on each side of a narrow alleyway, which will enhance the volume no end, take them out into a field with no reflective surfaces and see what distance does to the perceived volume.

Thanks for the book my red test

What casio model is that ?

Roland for the win, just for the JC120 sound.

To my ears, vocals through the Bose S1 Pro sounds more refined than the Cube EX. I think the Bose might be what I am looking for. I am also thinking about a Fishman Loudbox Mini or a Boss Acoustic Singer Live. Or even a Roland AC60. Decisions.

Bose is a lot better. Alley test, the cube sounded very unclear and distorted.

Roland all the way. Been using one for years for my Roland accordions. Sounds great.

I would like to hear the amps with the guitars hit a little harder. You were pretty much finger picking. I wonder what it sounds like with heavier strumming.

Wow…great comparison vid, Cornball!! Thanks so much!!

Is that 220v. I'm talking about the cube Roland street

Great singing voice braugh.

The Bose in the alley did it for me. The Cube sounded like it was in a paper bag with all those mids.

It's been awhile . Having extensively researched these units........ personally, depending on the application...I would be happy with either one or both. For Jazz, Classical , keys, bass, violin, horns/voice I'd go with Bose. For Rock/Country, Guitar, fiddle, Mandolin, drums /voice ,....Boss/ Roland. With either unit, I like the convenience of the (battery operated units. Bose has the extra battery pack and Roland/Boss has the 8 AA's which is great . Batteries die , you can easily get AA's at most stores within busking area's

I use the Bose S1-Pro. The auto EQ adjusts depending on its position. With a vocal processor pedal or portable mixer it will help boost the vocals too. I run mine thru a battery powered Samson mixer for more inputs and eq. I run my electric guitar and ukulele thru my pedalboard. Clear tones.

"The clarity wasn't there with the Bose." Do you mean"with the Bose the clarity wasn't there?" Or that the clarity of the Roland fell short compared to the Bose?

I could very well do without that laughter at the beginning!

very good review by a talented performer, thanks from Vancouver!

Bose sounds better on acoustic.
Roland sounds better on electronic guitar 🎸.
But for the vocal efficiency, I can't really compare.

Roland Cube Street sounds much better (to my ears) for voice and guitar . Keys sound nice also. I'd go for the Roland Ex myself. Have the original Roland Cube now for vocals & guitar . used it for years and has not let me down . Waiting for reviews on the new Boss (Roland) Cubestreet 2 with harmonizer & looper. Hope it's as good as the original cubestreet & Ex model.

Will a single s1 keep up with a drumset?

Generally Japanese sound products are "Bland and Sterile" sound. Don't talk about PA even their Hifi also sounded the same. What more their Sony Short Wave Radio sound also flat and you get easily tired listening to it. The China Tecsun is so much better sounding. Clearer and fuller sound.
The Japanese product show well in their specifications sheet. Ruler flat response, economical battery consumption. Light weight body. Tons of features BUT sound terrible. The Western sound product sounds warmer, livelier and " emotional".

With the Bose, did you run the mic thru a preamp/mixer or directly into the speaker?

The alleyway was funneling the sound...

I used to plug and tweek. Now I plug and play.

I use the S1 for keys in a band and solo on a stand for more clarity and volume. Piezo guitars sound great on tone match. My passive K&K equipped Ibanez sounds especially nice although I do have to roll off ALL of the low. I find that I have to decrease low eq on both channel 1 and 2 but the aux input is fine as is. I use the keyboard headphone out to aux in on the S1 and vocal/guitar to tone match on 1&2 for band practice and solo gigs. Band gigs require keyboard and guitar DI to the mixer and the S1 serves as my monitor. I traded in my huge Traynor K1 keyboard monitor for the S1 and I would never go back. The mid clarity is just fantastic. It’s light weight and the battery power has been very handy. If the battery dies I’ll buy another, rebuild it or use an external pack.

Which one has the best bass sound? S1 Im thinking?