BOSS CUBE Street II: How Does it Compare to the Original?

BOSS CUBE Street II: How Does it Compare to the Original?

Since 2008, CUBE Street has been synonymous with street performance. Discover how the rebranded BOSS CUBE Street II expands on the original.

7 mins read

Since 2008, the CUBE Street amp has been virtually synonymous with street performance and busking. Now, the sequel to this best-seller is here in the form of the BOSS CUBE Street II. It arrives with a host of new features and upgrades. These include a built-in looper, intelligent harmony engine, USB, and more. Let’s dive in to find out how the newly-rebranded CUBE Street II compares to the original. 

Lighter But Louder

Buskers loved the original CUBE Street. At just under 6kg, it was lightweight but tough, and extremely portable. The new BOSS CUBE Street II is almost 1.5kg lighter than its predecessor. At a mere 4.5kg, just grab it by the carry handle in one hand, lift the rest of your setup in the other, and you’re off.  

However, the lighter weight doesn’t mean it’s light on volume or tone. In fact, CUBE Street II has twice the power of the original. It’s got two high-performance 6.5-inch speakers pumping out 5W in stereo for 10W total. There’s no question that CUBE Street II is ready for any street performance situation you can throw at it.  

Carry Less, Play More 

The new built-in 90-second looper is a significant addition to the CUBE Street legacy. Live looping helps spark creativity and inspiration, taking your performance to the next level. With CUBE Street II, all you need to do is connect an additional footswitch like an FS-6 or FS-7 and get looping straight away. There’s no need to worry about a loop pedal, extra cables, power supply, or batteries. 

"Live looping helps spark creativity and inspiration, taking your performance to the next level."

Backup Singer in a Box 

Speaking of taking it to the next level, how about an intelligent harmony function? If you’re singing and playing your instrument simultaneously, you won’t even need to input a key. CUBE Street II will analyze the chords you’re playing and automatically generate a harmony at the desired interval.

If you’re singing, set a specific key and harmony range from the amp’s top panel. Like the looper, you can control the harmony function using an additional footswitch. 

Just Press Play 

The USB port allows you to play backing tracks from your compatible PC, Mac, or iOS device straight to CUBE Street II. Alternatively, use it to record your performance straight to your laptop. The amp is class-compliant which means no audio interface or drivers are necessary. Simply plug in and start making music.

"Use it to record your performance straight to your laptop. Simply plug in and start making music."

Go Wireless with BT-DUAL 

The optional Bluetooth® Audio MIDI Dual Adaptor (BT-DUAL) is a compact adaptor. It brings Bluetooth audio and MIDI capabilities to the CUBE Street II. All you need to do is pop it into the slot on the back of the amp and pair it to your mobile device. Boom. You’re ready to discover a whole new world of sounds and settings.  

Stream Backing Tracks 

BT-DUAL makes it easy to stream backing tracks straight to CUBE Street II. Pair with the amp the same as you would any Bluetooth speaker. No more cables trailing from the amp to your device. Moreover, if you want to go fully wireless, you can always add on a WL-20 guitar wireless unit or WL-30XLR mic wireless system. These will provide you with complete, untethered freedom.  

"Pair with the amp the same as you would any Bluetooth speaker. No more cables trailing from the amp to your device."

Edit Amps and Effects 

Using BT-DUAL allows you to connect to the CUBE Street II Editor. This unlocks a host of new functionality to explore. Here are a few examples of what you can do with the editor: 

  • Explore 3 amp variations and 9 effects types that aren’t available on the top panel 
  • Fine-tune and save/recall your tone settings  
  • Reassign the footswitch jacks to suit your specific needs  
  • Assign the looper to either mic input or guitar input or both 

Solo Sound Check 

If you want to hear exactly what your audience is hearing, and optimize your sound from there, BT-DUAL makes it a snap. Play or sing a phrase into the onboard looper and leave that running. Now, you’re free to do your own soundcheck. Use the mixer in the CUBE Street II Editor to balance levels, tweak EQ settings, or add a touch of delay or reverb to taste. 

"If you want to hear exactly what your audience is hearing, and optimize your sound from there, BT-DUAL makes it a snap."

Time to Hit the Streets 

The BOSS CUBE Street II boasts next-generation features packed into a small but powerful form. To begin with, you’ve got an onboard looper and intelligent harmony engine. Along with the wireless expansion via BT-DUAL, CUBE Street II makes it effortless and inspiring to take your music to the world. Oh, and it’s also available in red. 

Ed Lim

A self-proclaimed "guitar nerd," Ed is Product Head of Product Management at Roland Australia. He’s also a cat petter, picture taker, and occasional aerospace engineer.