NAD: Spark Mini - already returning it

[Danno]

Giving the modelling thing a try again after a recommendation from @JackNangle in another thread. I'll update this post with more info after I get to play with the amp and test out all the features.

As a bedroom player who plays solo on nights and weekends with a sleeping 2 yr old in the next room this is what I need and more.

After a few minutes of tinkering:
- App is way better than the Fender Mustang GTX's App
-Uses USB-C like everything else I own which is a win
-Super easy to edit everything but have to use your phone or tablet to do it. This will be great when I make a curation of tones I like and don't need to change anything but volume with a real knob on the amp.
-Not too loud, daycare approved
-Can play music/backing tracks from phone or tablet to jam along with (main reason I got this)
-Sounds as good than Fender Mustang Micro
-Sounds better than Yamaha THR
-ZERO NOISE, NO RFI, NO MAINS NOISE, SILENT

 

[JackNangle]

Congrats!

 

[Trash Kidd]

Congrats!

 

[Danno]

Sadly it's going back. NO SPRING REVERB.

 

[Pops]

Bummer, man. Too bad the reverb can’t be simulated in the app.

 

[SAguitar]

Dang. Missed it by that much.

 

[Danno]

Did the return and I came home with something else and an extra 80 bucks in my pocket. I'll give it a few days before I post about it.

 

[Ricochet]

Sadly it's going back. NO SPRING REVERB.

That’s an odd omission for a guitar amp(emulator).

 

[ruger9]

That’s an odd omission for a guitar amp(emulator).

... that you would think could be easily remedied by a firmware update (which they will likely do at some point?)

I have the mini, and for all the positives the OP listed, I'm not letting the absence of ONE reverb type turn me off to it, it's a great little quiet box.

 

[Ricochet]

... that you would think could be easily remedied by a firmware update (which they will likely do at some point?)

I have the mini, and for all the positives the OP listed, I'm not letting the absence of ONE reverb type turn me off to it, it's a great little quiet box.

Sure, still weird though!

 

[Bertotti]

Did the return and I came home with something else and an extra 80 bucks in my pocket. I'll give it a few days before I post about it.

I will take a guess at a Katana.

 

[freddyfingers]

I like the amp. Had the larger version that i sold off to get the mini. For quiet Practice its hard to beat. Instead of playing a guitar through my ipad with a funky jack, and apps that confuse old people, this is a win win. The backing tracks their app uses are ok, but i have numerous others that play through the amp, wirelessly, and through the head phones. Batteries allows me to do this anywhere in the house that i can allocate to myself for a little while. I have used it a few times while playing with others in quiet settings, like a few acoustic guitars and mandolin, it’s loud enough for that. I even hooked it through my PA a few times and it sounds decent. So for an easy to use practice tool it’s great. Beyond that, i dont think it was designed for beyond that. Plus i ordered a grill with a photo of my wife on it. Always adds bonus points.

 

[Runamok]

Vox or Marshall?

 

[JackNangle]

Sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you

 

[Danno]

Sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you

No worries your recommendation was valid.

It is a fantastic amp. I had very specific sounds I wanted which is Setzer Rockabilly, Ventures Surf, and Chicken Picking Country.

I did appreciate the size, ease of use, and portability. I never intended to use it outside or anywhere but my bedroom but would have been a bonus if I did.

I am already loving what I got instead and edited presets on the amp to what I want. I have not yet used the App, playing with backing music, or recording to give a final review. I plan to dive in tomorrow.

For those wondering what I got... Fender Mustang LT25 ($155 instead of $229 cost of the Spark Mini) which I like better than the GTX100 I tried out this time last year. I don't get a phone app and gotta use a PC but that's okay I would for recording anyway and after making a dozen custom mods from the bank of 60 I doubt I'd fiddle again more than once a year or so.

 

[Back in Black]

Vox or Marshall?

Ram,

This micro works for me, had it a while now.

I love it.

Full 50 watts at 2 ohms, run through a VOX 2/12 Celestion cab.

Available in several configurations.

Best,

BIB.

 

[Runamok]

Ram,

This micro works for me, had it a while now.

I love it.

Full 50 watts at 2 ohms, run through a VOX 2/12 Celestion cab.

Available in several configurations.

Best,

BIB.

View attachment 200978 View attachment 200979

Pretty cool. You reliance on decent speaker size is enviable.
Only thing is walking that cabinet, about.

The one hand portability of amp & speakers on some of these small combos is nice. However, the Spark mini under discussion looks like a revamped Pignose.

That said, I have a Roland mini cube (another 6.5" speaker) that sees more use than my Blues Junior & larger combos. This, because it runs on batteries, an easy set up if I want to play on the deck on a nice Sunday morning if the churchbound traffic is not too oppressive. And the sound is reasonable enough to use in rooms of the house which don’t already contain a speaker.

I was actually guessing which amp the OP got to replace the Spark, given the price mentioned. The Mustang LT 25 occurred to me, but I thought he had soured on the small Fenders.

 

[Runamok]

As an aside: If they want these little amps (meaning the Spark) to linger, they really need to bluetooth them as well as the additional effect.

Then I looked. The Spark has bluetooth, but the speakers are 2 x 2" — why run 10 watts thru a transistor radio?

 

[radd]

I just picked one up to replace my line 6 Pocket PD that I like a lot.

It is intended solely to be my travel amp when camping in our travel trailer. I opted for it over my Line 6 for a couple reasons. Rechargeable battery, Blue tooth connection for my iPad and easier to adjust the tone.

Not having to charge and replace batteries is a great, plus having one less chord in camp is nice.

I use headphones almost exclusively outside in camp so I won’t disturb neighboring campers.

I’m still very new to it and learning but so far it is working as intended.

 

[ruger9]

As an aside: If they want these little amps (meaning the Spark) to linger, they really need to bluetooth them as well as the additional effect.

Then I looked. The Spark has bluetooth, but the speakers are 2 x 2" — why run 10 watts thru a transistor radio?

It doesn't sound like a transistor radio. It sounds alot less like a small amp than the Roland Microcube I own or the little Vox DA5 that I have owned in the past. And the Fly3 can't even be mentioned- it's a toy (I own one).

I'm not an "app guy", I hate having apps I have to use with my pedals. But in this case, for a travel amp, it's just so small and sounds so good, I'll put up with it. Once I get my 4 presets dialed in to my liking I won't need the app anyway. I'll probably sell my Microcube GX, when I get around to selling a bunch of stuff.