Question about keyboard AMPs

[cook675]

I was wondering if I choose a keyboard amp, lets say the KC-150 vs. KC-350 vs. KC-550

Is it that the KC-550 will sound better or just that it can be louder? Especially compared the 350 to the 550. And what is the feature of the speaker that determines if it will sound better? What mechanical attribute? Is it the wattage or...? I really have no idea so thanks for any insight you can provide. I put the specs of these amps below:

Roland - KC-150 | 4-Ch Mixing Keyboard Amplifier

KC-150: 4-Ch Mixing Keyboard Amplifier - Affordable and Powerful

www.roland.com

Roland - KC-350 | 4-Ch Mixing Keyboard Amplifier

KC-350: 4-Ch Mixing Keyboard Amplifier - An All-Around Performer

www.roland.com

Roland - KC-550 | 4-Ch Mixing Keyboard Amplifier

KC-550: 4-Ch Mixing Keyboard Amplifier - Roland's Ultimate Keyboard Amp

www.roland.com

 

[happyrat1]

The more powerful an amplifier the greater the dynamic range of the signal before clipping sets in.

From a performer's viewpoint, if you only need a practice amp for a home studio or living room then 15 or 20 watts is more than enough to blow the windows out.

If you need to cut thru the noise of a 100 seat club or small hall then you'd be better off with way more wattage.

So really it depends on what you plan to use it for.

Sound quality is totally dependent on the THD and TID numbers and how they were originally measured.

Gary

 

[delaware dave]

If you're interested in sound quality then you should be moving to the next generation of sound quality. Keyboard amps no longer are the amplification of choice, powered spàeakers or powered PA's are now the way to go for several reasons:

Better dynamic range
More power (if needed/wanted) with more clarity
Lighter weight
Less expensive

I stopped using my keyboard amp back in 2013 and now use a powered speaker. It's louder (if I need it to be loud), it's much clearer it weighs 35 pounds and cost hundreds of dollars less than a keyboard amp.

check this out --} link

 

[b3maniac]

I'm in agreement with Delaware Dave. All it took for me was to plug my digital piano into a powered PA speaker to realize a keyboard amp was killing my piano on stage. In my opinion, the Roland keyboard amps don't cut it. Good luck ! Don

 

[cook675]

Thanks I am learning alot from you guys. Yes this is more for my small room I don't imagine playing in front of more than 10 people anytime soon.

The main thing I want is quality like you said

 

[happyrat1]

For a Living room all you need are a couple of 4" or 5" nearfield studio monitors.

8" woofers and 800 Watts in a home situation is enough to get you a citation for a noise complaint from the airport next door

I personally use a pair of these in my Living Room.

PreSonus Eris E5 Two-Way Active 5.25" Studio Monitor (Single)

Buy PreSonus Eris E5 Two-Way Active 5.25" Studio Monitor (Single) featuring 5.25" Kevlar Woofer and 1" Tweeter, 70W Class AB Biamplification, 102 dB Max SPL, Resonance-Suppressing Internal Bracing, Acoustic Tuning Controls, Acoustic Space Settings, Accepts XLR, 1/4" TRS, and RCA Inputs, Output...

www.bhphotovideo.com

They provide full range sound from amazing bass to brilliant highs and I've never turned up the volume past 4 out of 10.

I wouldn't dare. It would be deafeningly loud.

Gary

 

[anotherscott]

Sound quality is totally dependent on the THD and TID numbers and how they were originally measured.

Other things too... especially flatness of frequency response.

 

[Biggles]

The 350 is a monstrous 54 lbs in weight so I do hope you are not intending to use it for gigging. For home use it is way overkill.

Powered speakers or PA is the way to go.

I have the smaller versions of the Presonus Eris that Gary suggests, mine are the 4.5 versions, 25W and $200 for a pair. They look and sound even better, even hooking my Bass guitar up to my mixer and outputting the Eris 4.5’s sounds good at the home volume I pay at.