Positive Grid's Spark series is a best-selling series of home practice amplifiers due to its excellent sound quality and extensive digital convenience features. The Spark GO is a shockingly small amp with all the features and functionality of the Spark series but in a tiny size equivalent to one compact effects pedal.
All functions of the regular size, MINI, and GO are the same. (Only the regular size is not battery-powered.) The sound from the speakers is different because of the size of the body. The GO is too small and is not as good as the MINI, so it is recommended if you mainly use headphones or if size is a priority.
If you want the speakers to be loud enough, we recommend the MINI or the regular size.
Pros
Multifunctional palm-sized amp
Custom-designed ultra-small speaker
Can be used in headphone amp style
Bluetooth connection allows app and music playback
BIAS modeling amp + effects
Over 50,000 presets for those who are not good at making sounds
Analyze and display chords of songs on YouTube
Automatic generation of jam tracks
Built-in Rechargeable Battery with USB-C Port
Audio Interface Function for Line Recording
Cons
Weak Bass Range
I am using a very small amp, but I am not satisfied with the sound.
I want a multifunctional amp, but it is not loud enough.
I often use headphones, so I want a small, battery-powered amp.
I want a Spark amp, but I don’t know whether to choose a regular size, a MINI, or a GO.
This article is what above have to read. I am Yosh, a music store ex-employee (@Yosh_Guitars). This article reviews the Positive Grid Spark GO with pros and cons. In addition, I compare the differences between the three models in the series: the regular-sized Spark 40, Spark MINI, and Spark GO, and explain how to choose the right one.
Pros
Multifunctional palm-sized amp
Custom-designed ultra-small speaker
Can be used in headphone amp style
Bluetooth connection allows app and music playback
BIAS modeling amp + effects
Over 50,000 presets for those who are not good at making sounds
The best-selling amp, “Positive Grid Spark 40”, which is superior in the sound aspect among multifunctional digital amps, has been compacted to palm size, creating this Spark GO. The size is 125 x 85 x 45 mm. The weight is 346g. It can be easily stored in a guitar case. Despite being smaller than many mini guitar amps, it is packed with all the features of a multifunctional digital amp.
2. Custom-designed ultra-small speaker
In order to achieve this ultra-small size, it is equipped with a custom-designed 2-inch speaker and passive radiator. It’s a monaural speaker (Spark MINI is stereo), but the headphones are stereo. It is equipped with a 5W Class D amp, and it says that it can reach 82dB at maximum volume at 1m, so you don’t have to worry about the volume.
3. Can be used in headphone amp style
The difference between Spark 40 and Spark MINI is this size and design. If you pass the removable cover hook through the strap on the guitar end pin side, you can connect it with a patch cable. You will be freed from the hassle of long guitar cables. If you connect headphones, you can use it like a headphone amp such as VOX amPlug or Fender Mustang Micro. In addition to Bluetooth playback, automatic generation of jam tracks, etc., you can practice anywhere.
4. Bluetooth connection allows app and music playback
Like the conventional Spark series, it supports Bluetooth connection. Since the conventional Spark App can be used as it is, all functions can be used. Of course, you can play music from YouTube or Spotify. You can play the guitar along with it, and it’s a size that’s easy to use for BGM.
5. BIAS modeling amp + effects
Spark GO, which has inherited the BIAS amp direct sound that is highly rated as a plugin. It is equipped with 33 types of modeling that support electric guitar, bass, and acoustic guitar. Electric: 25 types, Bass: 4 types, Acoustic: 4 types. There are 43 types of effects in total. It covers basic ones such as noise gate, compressor, distortion, modulation/EQ, delay, and reverb. Jimi Hen’s model can also be purchased additionally.
6. Over 50,000 presets for those who are not good at making sounds
You can download and use more than 50,000 preset tones (saved combinations and settings of amps and effects) created by users around the world. Since it has a name like “this song of that band”, even those who are not good at or find sound making troublesome can easily make the desired sound. Even if you don’t launch the app, you can save and switch four presets on the main unit. Users of Spark 40 and Spark MINI can also reuse presets.
7. Analyze and display chords of songs on YouTube
In the free dedicated app, it automatically analyzes the chordprogression of the song being played on YouTube and displays it in real time. It’s a function that’s also in Spark 40 and Spark MINI, but it’s a very useful function for practicing. You can also slow down the playback speed and change the key. It’s a function that is very useful for practicing.
8. Automatic generation of jam tracks
It’s a function that’s also in Spark 40 and Spark MINI. If you play a chord progression on the guitar, it will automatically generate a jam track (backing track) that matches the chord progression. It’s a very useful function for practicing improvisation and composition.
9. Built-in Rechargeable Battery with USB-C Port
The battery is rechargeable. It operates for over 8 hours with a 2-hour charge via a USB Type-C port. This duration is quite impressive for a speaker.
10. Audio Interface Function for Line Recording
If connected to a PC or smartphone, you can record real amp sound noiselessly. The recorded sound is of high quality, unrelated to the disadvantage of the small speaker size.
Cons: Weak Bass Range
Weak bass range due to the small size of the enclosure. Because of its small, portable size, the speaker is also necessarily small. As a result, they are not good at reproducing low frequencies, so even guitar tones are lacking. If you mainly use headphones, this is not a disadvantage.
Comparison with Spark 40 and Spark MINI
The biggest difference from Spark 40 is the size and design. The sound quality is also different due to the difference in speaker size, but the functions are almost the same. The difference from Spark MINI is that it can be used in the style of a headphone amp. The price is also cheaper than Spark 40 and Spark MINI.
The built-in modeling amp with 33 types (Electric 25, Acoustic 4, Bass 4) and 43 types of effects (Noise Gate, Compressor, Distortion, Modulation/EQ, Delay, Reverb) are the same across all three models. Therefore, theoretically, the sound when used as a headphone or USB audio interface should be the same for all.
The app “Spark App” is also the same, with no difference in functionality depending on the model. You can use all features such as creating jam tracks, automatic chord analysis, downloading tones created by users around the world, and a tuner. The tones you create yourself can also be used across the series.
Presence or Absence of a Rechargeable Battery
Only the largest model, Spark 40, does not have a built-in rechargeable battery and always requires a power adapter. Spark MINI and Spark GO can be used for up to about 8 hours with a USB-C terminal.
Size & Speaker Differences: Impact on Sound
Although the same amp algorithm is used, there is a clear difference in the actual sound produced. The difference in size between the three models can be attributed to the different speakers they use.
The largest, Spark 40, has the most traditional guitar amp-like sound. With a 40W output and two 4-inch full-range speakers in a 5.2kg body, it can easily reproduce the bass range and delicious mid-range.
The mid-sized Spark MINI, compared to Spark 40, is slightly inferior in terms of bass range and box resonance, but it can produce a volume larger than a TV, so it doesn’t feel insufficient. A 10W output and this size is quite small among the amps on the market. However, the two 2-inch speakers and the uniquely designed passive radiator do a pretty good job, allowing you to experience a bass range beyond the size.
The smallest Spark GO, due to its palm size, is slightly dissatisfied with the bass reproduction compared to Spark MINI. In fact, the frequency range in the specifications is 110Hz for Spark GO, which is slightly high-range compared to 20Hz for Spark 40.
Listening to Kazuya Yamaguchi’s Tameshibiki! with on-mic recording, it feels on par with MINI.
However, listening to Ola England’s video (from 6:14) with off-mic, you can feel a slight lack of bass, poor separation of chords, and a slight quirk in the mid-range due to the speaker size.
BUT, this is the impression when compared to Spark MINI. Thanks to the uniquely designed passive radiator and back vibration plate, and the high-quality amp and effects of the BIAS Tone Engine, it boasts the highest sound quality for a pocket-sized amp.
How to Choose Based on Sound Quality and Use Case
Spark 40
The only downside is that it does not have a built-in rechargeable battery.
However, the quality of the sound that can be fully produced with its 40W output is superior to the other two models. Especially if you’re using a bass, this is the one to go for. There’s a sense of security in the ample bass range.
If you’re using it on a desktop where you can always get power, or if you’re using it for small-scale live performances, and you prioritize sound, the larger Spark 40 is still recommended.
Spark 40 is recommended for those who:
Prioritize speaker sound
Have an environment where they can produce a large volume even at home
Also use it for bass
Want to use it for small-scale live performances
Want to fine-tune the tone with the knobs on the body
Don’t use it where there’s no power
Spark MINI
I love the Spark MINI. The balance of sound quality and being able to use it with a rechargeable battery at this size is wonderful. It feels good to be able to produce a volume that can’t be used in a collective housing at night, and it’s quite stress-free not to be bound by the power location. Recommended for the demanding guitarist who wants to use it easily, but also demands top-class sound quality.
It’s also recommended as a sub-amp that you can use casually at home if you already have a serious amp. Even beginners can buy it as their first unit and use it for a long time.
Spark MINI is recommended for those who:
Prefer a small amp
The volume at home is about as loud as a loud TV
Don’t mind adjusting the tone with the app (just switching between preset settings is fine)
Want to use it in various places with a rechargeable battery
Find power cables bothersome
Spark GO
The size, sound quality, and price are all astonishing.
It achieves a price of $129 while maintaining the abundant number of tones and multifunctionality of the app. Compared to Spark MINI, you might feel a little unsatisfied with the sound, but whether you feel this difference is worth 10,000 yen could be a criterion for judgment. If you mainly use headphones, GO should be fine.
The size that can be attached to a strap is a happy point for those who want to carry it in a case or for minimalists.
Spark GO is recommended for those who:
Size is more important than sound
Are dissatisfied with the sound and variation of previous ultra-small amps
Want to carry it in a guitar case and use it anywhere
Use headphones more than speakers
Don’t mind adjusting the tone with the app (just switching between preset settings is fine)
