This is a heavy, sturdy amplifier with incredible range and volume. It has four inputs, including one balanced XLR microphone jack. I now can easily overpower the drummer and bass player in my jazz band. For better or worse, it reveals the imperfections in my Korg SP-250 piano’s sound, tempting me to upgrade to a better piano. An iPod plugged into this makes a very loud, clear stereo (well, mono) that could power a dance party. Has casters which is good because I can’t carry it very far. It’s not much trouble getting into the front seat of my sedan, but it might be difficult to fit into a compact car.

A very good keyboard amp (and PA system too if so needed) that is great for players who use a lot of left hand bass lines. The woofer can really produce lows but the overall frequency spectrum is quite adequately covered. Our church just added a second KC-550 as a monitor for the second keyboard because the first KC-550 (working excellently) is so dominant. The only aspect I would change is the weight. Fifteen pounds lighter would be OK; twenty pounds lighter would be fabulous.

Before purchasing the Roland KC-550, I had the salesman demo it along side the Behringer K3000FX and Alto Kick 15 in the showroom so I could compare. The KC-550 was by far and beyond more powerful and cleaner sounding than the other two.

FEATURES: The Roland KC550 has a built-in 4-channel mixer that will allow you to connect a microphone,(XLR) 2 other instruments and an I-Pod/laptop at the same time. The knobs have a durable feel and are easy to grip. A 3-band (British)EQ with low, mid and high frequency adjustments helps you fine-tune the sound to meet your needs. There is a dedicated subwoofer output plus XLR out and 1/4″ out; particularly nice features to have if you want to connect to another sound system. The power cord is permanently attached to the unit and is pretty generous in length. One major design flaw is that the KC-550 does not have side handles for lifting. The removable casters are useful, but without side handles, the Roland is very cumbersome to lift. The strap handle on the top is not very helpful because the unit is so bulky.

So far, I have used the Roland KC-550 for sound at wedding ceremonies, children’s’ birthday parties, a spin class, a few backyard BBQ’s and some multimedia presentations. Although these events only required a modest sound system, the KC-550 was more than adequate. In May 2014, I used the KC-550 as additional sound reinforcement for a walk-a-thon in the parking lot of First Energy Park; a minor league baseball stadium in Lakewood, NJ. There was easily 3000 people in attendance. With my main speakers spread out via 100 ft. wires and the Roland in front of my DJ table as a center speaker, the entire audience heard my music and more importantly, announcements, loud and clear.

The bottom line is that the Roland KC-550 sounds great and has proven to be a very versatile piece of equipment for my DJ business. How ironic that I purchased a keyboard amp knowing that I will never connect a keyboard to it!