Real owners rate these about evenly: 53% of 85 Positive Grid Spark 2 owners recommend it, vs 54% of 52 for the Positive Grid Spark 40.
Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score
Within Positive Grid's own lineup, the Spark 2 and the Spark 40 win the same core praise: a huge variety of app-driven amp and effect tones in a fun, affordable practice amp that leans on the phone app. Spark 2 owners get extras that stand out, including a built-in looper, Bluetooth speaker, battery power, and AI tone creation, but a notable minority report a buggy app and firmware plus hardware failures like dead units or volume dropping out. Spark 40 owners emphasize simple, easy operation and standout value for bedroom practice, while noting reliability quirks like hiss or cutouts and that it isn't loud enough to gig. Players who want portability, a looper, and the newest app features lean to the Spark 2; those who just want an easy, cheap practice amp and don't need the extras lean to the Spark 40. Both carry some reliability risk, so the choice hinges on how many features are worth paying for.
“The Spark wins all around. Sonically, functionally, the form, the support... the whole ecosystem just works.”— @ArmandoVegaTV on YouTube
“One can not describe the enormous sound of the Spark without being in the room with it, very amazing, I have let a lot players hear mine and they are genuinely impressed once they hear it in person.”— @RandyRocker56 on YouTube
“the Spark 2 which had many issues that were eventually fixed through firmware updates... it clearly wasn't ready for prime time when it first rolled out their doors”— SherbetUnusual199 on Reddit
“What I love most about Spark is when I want to learn a song, I search the cloud for the song.”— @jrigwald on YouTube
“The best practice amp I have ever owned. Full stop.”— @l-Libertine on YouTube
“The first built-in practise pattern I tried has got wrong chord positions in the grid - pretty much useless for a beginner, who *depends* on the practise material to be _correct._”— @Noone-of-your-Business on YouTube
Within Positive Grid's own lineup, the Spark 2 and the Spark 40 win the same core praise: a huge variety of app-driven amp and effect tones in a fun, affordable practice amp that leans on the phone app. Spark 2 owners get extras that stand out, including a built-in looper, Bluetooth speaker, battery power, and AI tone creation, but a notable minority report a buggy app and firmware plus hardware failures like dead units or volume dropping out. Spark 40 owners emphasize simple, easy operation and standout value for bedroom practice, while noting reliability quirks like hiss or cutouts and that it isn't loud enough to gig. Players who want portability, a looper, and the newest app features lean to the Spark 2; those who just want an easy, cheap practice amp and don't need the extras lean to the Spark 40. Both carry some reliability risk, so the choice hinges on how many features are worth paying for.
Owners point the Positive Grid Spark 2 at home practice players wanting endless app-driven tones, and beginners learning with backing tracks and a looper.
Owners point the Positive Grid Spark 40 at bedroom and at-home practice players, and beginners learning songs and dialing in tones.
The most-cited downside of the Positive Grid Spark 2 is buggy app and firmware, including the AI sometimes failing to load. For the Positive Grid Spark 40, it's reliability issues, hiss or cutout.