During your search for a suitable electronic drum kit for beginners, you may have come across the Alesis Nitro Max and the Roland TD-02KV. It makes sense, because these kits are close in price and functionality. In this comparison, we explain the differences between both models and make the choice easier for you.
Alesis Nitro Max
The Alesis Nitro Max is an electronic drum kit for beginners that has gained a lot of popularity in a short time. The kit is known for its good price-quality ratio and user-friendly module.
The Nitro Max has a real kick drum pedal, or a kick pedal that kicks the pad, just like an acoustic drum kit. The hihat pedal is triggered with a trigger pedal.
The cymbals are all the same size of 10” and are single-zone, so no matter where you touch the cymbal, you will always get the same sound. The cymbals do have a choke function (mute when picked up).
Thanks to the mesh head toms and snare you will notice that hitting the pads feels more realistic and also produces less noise pollution. The snare is even 10”, which I personally found a real plus while playing on this kit.
The Alesis Nitro Max comes with a module with 440 drum sounds. There are 32 kits already set up for you, but you also have the space to set up 16 of your own kits. In addition, the module has integrated Bluetooth so you can easily play along with your favorite music.
At the time of writing, the price of the Alesis Nitro Max is around 400 euros.
Roland TD-02KV
And now the Roland TD-02KV. This kit has been available for a while but is similar in many ways to the Alesis Nitro Max. The kit is compact and extremely suitable for learning to play the drums.
The Roland TD-02KV is an electronic drum kit for beginners that has the basic functionalities that a starting drummer needs.
Both the hi-hat controller and the kick drum are powered by a trigger pedal. Unfortunately, connecting a double-bass pedal is not possible.
The cymbals of the Roland TD-02KV also have a choke function.
As you can see the kit is not fully equipped with mesh heads, but only the snare. Since the snare is usually the most used drum, this already makes a huge difference in playing comfort compared to the TD-02K which does not have mesh heads.
The toms are made of rubber and therefore feel a little less realistic and simpler.
The module of the Roland TD-02KV is user-friendly and has no unnecessarily complicated functions. You can turn on the metronome, adjust the volume and easily switch between the different preset kits. It is not possible to put together kits yourself.
Does the Roland TD-02KV have Bluetooth? Yes and no. This is not built into the module as standard, but when purchasing the Boss BT Dual, this option is available. Plug it into the back of the module and you will immediately receive your favorite music wirelessly.
The kit is available at the time of writing for around 475 euros.
What are the differences?
How do these kits differ from each other? The Alesis Nitro Max clearly has more functionalities and options and is cheaper. As far as I'm concerned, the biggest difference is in overall stability. The Roland TD-02KV feels sturdier and more robust than the Alesis Nitro Max.
In the table below we list the biggest differences.
| Alesis Nitro Max | Roland TD-02KV | |
| Mesh head snare | Yes | Yes |
| Mesh head toms | Yes | No |
| Snare pad | 10″ | 8″ |
| Kick pedal | Yes | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes* |
| Drum kits | 32 | 16 |
| Add additional pads | Yes | Yes |
Conclusion
In many ways, the Alesis Nitro Max and Roland TD-02KV are similar. And let's be clear that both kits are of good quality and will definitely not be a bad buy.
Given the full access to mesh heads, the integrated Bluetooth, the ability to put together kits yourself and the real kick pedal, for us the Alesis Nitro Max comes out best in this comparison. Moreover, this kit is cheaper.
The only downside, stability, can easily be solved by mounting the snare drum on a snare stand, so that the rack will wobble less during playing.
