Desktop Amps Shootout - Boss Katana Air, THR10II, Roland Dual Cube, Positive Grid Spark 

anything is a desktop amp if youre brave enough 😎

I acquired a lot of small amps over the years. Roland Cube and street cube. All of the original THR's. The cream version being the most versatile (best sounding Fender Twin Clean Tones) but the X version with the high gain is impressive, so when Yamaha came out with the THR 30 wireless, that includes all the tones from the 3 original THR's, I had to get one and I love it! BTW, THR stands for "third". Yamaha said this was designed to be your third amp. First is your large Marshall stack, second is you smaller wattage combo amp, and then the Yamaha is your third amp, your home desktop practice amp. Also, a pro to the Yamaha is when you do use it as a desktop amp to record with your PC, the Yamaha sends 4 channels, a stereo wet signal, and a stereo dry signal so you can always remaster later with any effects you want. I also own both spark amps, the 40-watt, and the mini. Hands down the Positive Grid has everyone beat when it comes to software. Everyone else has some serious catching up to do. Though I prefer the tones of the THR and if I just want to plug in and jam without using any software to dial it in, Yamaha all the way. The spark 40 is the best sounding as a full range stereo for listening to music. Its strong bass makes it more home hi-fi sounding and party speaker, but that strength is its weakness in sounding too bass heavy when playing guitar. If you own a Spark 40 and want to fix the bass from bottoming out, Purchase Dayton Audio PC105-4 4" Full-Range Poly Cone Driver. It drops in without any modifications and gives you a poly driver with a larger diaphram and rubber surround. You can find it on Amazon or from Parts Express. Yes, thats right!... I hot rodded my Spark 40! The easy fix is just dialing out bass with the built-in software eq, but you lose a pedal. Positive Grid should give you a global eq so you have more control over the audio. Maybe in a future firmware update? Positive Grid,... are you listening? The Spark's other strength is its audio jam tracks and access to play anything from RU-vid and give you the songs basic chords, but they're most likely NOT the actual chords the musicians are using. Definitely best bang for the buck in features overall. And the Spark Mini just maybe even better not having the heavy bass of the Spark 40. If you already own a THR or the Katana and are thinking about the Spark, get the mini. For the price, it gives you everything the bigger 40 gives you but it's also probably the best-sounding portable Bluetooth speaker made, and it has a built in recharble battery while only needing a USB C cable! Brilliant! Real wood cabinets keep Positive Grid Amps feeling like high-quality speakers. Another advantage of the Spark amps no one mentioned, they make rechargeable Bluetooth footpedals to control them! Way cool! Of course, Airstep makes them for the THR and Katana. So you really can't go wrong with any of the choices in this video. Wait until AI starts to get embedded into these small amps. What i don't understand is where's Marshall? They make some of the best-sounding Bluetooth speakers, it would seem they would be a competitor. I'm sure they could make one sound better than the Marshall code! Remember Line 6 amplfi? Spark copied what line 6 did in the amplifi but did a way better execution of it. Now Yamaha owns line 6, so I would think Yamaha could compete with Positive Grids software if they wanted to. I'm waiting for the Next-Generation of the THR! Maybe call it "THR Pro". Give it Positive Grid like interface, and a built-in Looper Pedal with a wireless foot controller! Take my money now Yamaha! Now is that really too much to ask! Lol

That THR series is so impressive. Love them.

This is exactly the kind of comparison video I've been searching for. Thank you!

I've had a Spark 40 for over a year. Absolutely love it.

I bring the 30w yamaha with me to every party it always kills like a magic trick no wires, no cables, sounds like van halen in the room its everything i started practicing guitar for. I once set it up on my tailgate and hit a A chord and like 50 people appeared and started raging passing beers & nitrous balloons out. If i play any john mayor or chili peppers licks on it with the right amount of hall reverb and chorus women start taking clothes off its totally insane.

I took the plunge on a Yamaha THR30II (black) and I absolutely love it. Perfect for what I was looking for, and the Sound Quality is Impressive. With the app, I was able to create 65 Fender Princeton-like Cleans: add gorgeous Reverb and hint of Delay = phenomenal.

I have played them all, and for me the Spark is in a class of it's own in this category. Even the pre-set tones have a full set of effects dialed in that sound convincing and do an amazing job of giving a lot of presence to your playing... It just makes you sound bigger, and it feels bigger. Definitely super bassy, but I think that plays well to the desktop scenario where you're playing on your own and the extra body fills some of the space missing from a lack of having rest of the mix in with you. Then the ease with which you can pull up a song you're learning on youtube and play along with it just makes it a really awesome practice tool.

I bought a Boss Katana 100mkII head and use it in this role for practice with the built in speaker and then plug it into my 4X12 when I need a full power setup. Best of both worlds since I use the same amp with the same settings for everything and, the head itself was not much more expensive than a couple of the desktop amps here.

I've had the Katana Air for a couple years now ... and it's pretty awesome. Great for bedroom practice and super convenient for jamming at a friend's house. It's hard to get a decent tone WITHOUT using the software, but using it can get you pretty darn good sounds for cleans and high gain metal tones ( what I like ).

Had a Sp[ark for a few years now and it is my go too amp at home despite sitting next to a couple of Marshalls and pedal board. Once you dial in a few presets you can assign them to the 4 quick buttons so you don't even need to use the app if you don't want to. When you can be bothered with the app its great for playing backing tracks.

I have a THR5 and absolutely love it. I teach guitar lessons and i love bringing my amp I can dial in a close enough sound for almost anything very quickly and I don't have to go through and tone studio or app interface to get what I need out of it. If I were in the market today, given my experience with yamaha, I would 100% sway I'd get the top of the range thr10 that has the wireless capabilities.

I have the THR 30 and love it . Great demo gentlemen.

Hi guys! Love your work! I own the THR30II and I wouldn’t replace it with anything else. I’m completely satisfied. 5:06

I have a first gen THR10 and it does everything I need. The thing you need to bear in mind with it is that it doesn't sound like a guitar amp in the room with you. It sounds like a guitar amp in a studio next door that's miced up and being heard through studio monitors. That's a very different sound.

Had the spark for almost 2 years now. Absolutely love it! It sounds bass heavy true but eq fixes that. The recording and headphones it’s amazing great and so many cool features.

We need more demos with in-the-room audio. It's the best way to hear how something truly sounds.

Lucked out and picked up this THR 10II locally for $140 and man I'm so impressed at the sound quality. Sounds like everything you could ever want in a tube amp, scaled down and only lacking the very low-end deep thump that 12-inch speakers provide, but that's to be expected. It does everything flawlessly.

Thanks for recording this with an "in the room" set up as this is more like what we will hear with our own ears at home

How timely, I was just searching for this on the Andertons playlists yesterday. To my ears out of my pc speakers the Power Grid is a clear winner

I still using my Roland Micro Cube, and after listening to this video, I don't think I need to upgrade. Great video again. Keep them coming. Thanks.

Got the katana air for about a year now, is nice and very convenient the wireless connnection is amazing.

The spark is so much more than just an amp. It sounds amazing but it makes you want to play and practice, it's so interactive.

wow guys, you are just in time with your video. Choosing exactly between those options

I have the Yamaha TH30II with the Line 6 relay, a superb amp and very versatile. Used it at small pub gigs for guitar and bass, and at home use it all the time. There is a busker in town that has one and always stop and have a listen to his acoustic playing. My second choice would be the Katana as its very close. Not fussed about the Spark as its seems like a lot of faff with an app, but it's probably good for beginners. The tones out of the Yamaha are nothing short of excellent and all the amp models can be accessed from the top plate on the 30. So it would be the most expensive option but you get what you pay for.

I had an original THR10C, and loved it , but the THR II 30 is awesome, with the Line 6 Relay G10T transmitter. It’s used daily : it sit on top of my Fender Blues Deluxe! 😀 It goes on in the morning, is on all day, used as a Bluetooth speaker for the laptop, until I pick up a guitar and the G10T. You can charge the G10T by plugging it in the THR, contrary to what Lee says.

I’ve got the THR30IIW and absolutely love it. Once you’ve dialled in whatever cab and effects using the app it’s a beast. A friend has the Spark and loves it, but I think he does have a grumble about the bass heavy sound.

I got the Spark 40 a year ago and it has transformed my practice-routines. Great sound and features.

Got a Spark Mini a couple of months ago and have no regrets. It's enjoyable to use and this makes me practice more. Awesome little guy.

I have the black Yamaha THR10 C first edition, and it is perfect for amplifying my laptop, my guitar and my keyboard for personal practice as well as lessons! I might upgrade to the latest edition one day, but this first version just keeps going well!

I've had my spark for a year now and it does everything I could ask of it! Perfect for the bedroom, and it has a a foot switch!

the addition of the EQ pedal in the Spark app has really helped tame the bass.

I have a Spark, it's just brilliant. I also briefly had the Katana air for my lads practice amp. Didn't keep it long though, it couldn't get close. Great video guys.

I have a Yamaha THR10X and a THR5A both a great in every way. They sound great and zero latency while recording into a DAW.

Tried them all, bought the Spark. I use it as a room speaker for playing music over Bluetooth as much as I've used it as an amp. It tends to have a bit too much bass response as a guitar amp, but that is easily mitigated using the built in EQ pedals. As a full-range bluetooth speaker, it excels beyond its price. It has been the sound system for school dances and has filled a gymnasium with loud music easily at an appropriate school-level volume. Loud enough to be a party, but not so loud that adults cannot communicate. The total package is perfect and I wouldn't trade it for anything else in its price-range. It's brilliant.

I’ve cobbled together a system using a Nux Mighty Air plugged into a Blackstar Fly 3 with an extension cab. I actually think it sounds pretty decent, filling the room without sounding overly loud. Really, I wish an amp manufacturer would go into a partnership with Bose. The full, pleasing sound they’re able to get out of their tiny speakers is astonishing. I think their technology in a guitar amp would be amazing.

I've had the Spark for over a year and think it's awesome. From practicing with headphones on to low volume band practice and everything in between. All the features on the app are great too - so simple to use.

The Spark has been a lot of fun. Tons to explore and get creative with.

The Spark is fairly sensitive to its placement/angle. Put a pencil or something under the front edge to angle it up just a little bit, and it sounds much better. I don't have 'excessive bass' issues with it.

I own Boss Kat Air and very pleased. It stays tight when play faster and sounds great.

Spark Mini is an awesome little travel amp. It’s my amp of choice when on the go. But the THR is a KILLER amp and even works well with my board. 🤘

Very nice playing from the captain in the intro! Sounded really good

Positive Grid Spark All the way boys.... the software app makes it so versatile to model so many different amps. At a fraction of the cost

Love your videos guys. Every morning with my coffee. I admit I struggle with the room mics on these though. I have a Spark and love it, and room mics just are always "off" somehow. I'm coming at this demo from a bit of the opposite end. As a hobbyist guitarist, the last 20 years or so have been modelers and plugins only. POD's V-AMP, Eleven Rack, Kemper, Ampero... and I got a Spark for the living room, just as the captain mentioned. However after all this time and with all the benefits of great direct recording, I still want to hear an amp speaker from time to time! So after having all these modelers and Spark, I just picked up a Catalyst 60 last week. I'm on the fence whether to keep it in my living room or not. It's certainly not a price problem at $249! It's a space & aesthetics thing. I'm going to keep playing with the Spark and the Catalyst and see if I'm getting enough of that "guitar-speaker" sound over the Spark to keep the Catalyst. But for sure the Spark is staying.

Have one of those sparks and it’s amazing 🤘🏻 so user friendly with the app and just so easy to get a tone out of. Had a katana 50 mk2 and had to get rid as just couldn’t get into it.

I almost bought the Katana Air but it was just a bit out my price range. I eventually went with the Spark and I’ve been happy with my purchase. I bought a pair of wireless adapters and its been a good setup

Having owned and tried everything but the dual cube my vote is for the Positive Grid Spark. It’s so versatile, easy to use, has so many ways to dial in tones, and you can just use other people’s awesome tones that they’ve already dialed in. I’ve got a slow dancing in a burning room preset that someone made that is absolutely killer. Honestly it’s not even a competition for me. The rest feel outdated and uninspiring by comparison. Also pick up a wireless dongle set for it for $50 and your still $100 cheaper than the thr and katana air. I’m not going for tone snob, purest analog tone in a tiny living room speaker set up - I’m going for ease of use, inspiration, options and light weight footprint. Made a video about it on my channel if you’d like to know more.

I got both of the new boss duel cubes bass and guitar for my kids and they are awesome! Easy to get the full sound out of a house sound system. I'm saving to get me the Yamaha thr30.

The Roland eBand JS-8 was released a few years before the THR. An underrated little practice amp/learning tool. It even shared some of the features of the Spark.

I have the THR and the LX Cube. The Cube does take some work but I have now found some great settings for my Little Sister crossroads. Sounds ferocious! LX cube also has a very simple to use looper.

Had a Spark 40 for a couple of years now and it is awesome. Very easy to dial in great tone with the app. Particularly the lux verb with a little tremolo.

I have the Spark and I can't imagine a better practice amp. Especially if you want to play along with songs. It's amazing at that - you can pull up just about any popular song and it plays the video on youtube with a GuitarPro type playalong with tab. The tone of the free options is good enough to approximate any style for practice. Amazing what we have these days for playing at home.

Got a Spark mini amp recently and am very impressed how good it sounds, it just makes you want to play more! Now selling my Yamaha THR

Got the Spark Amp when it first came out! I’ve had a few different amps but just couldn’t find the tone I was after! The Spark fixed this! Best bit of guitar gear I’ve ever bought…….I couldn’t ramble on forever about this Amp but I won’t! …………….It’s just awesome!

I got the Vox Adio just because of your vid..Love it wish it had rechargeable power but eh so far so good

I've mainly stuck to the Katana 50 and computer plugins for serious stuff. For just practicing, the Fender Mustang Micro is pretty nice with headphones.

I’ve had all but one on the list (the sliver boss) and the spark wins by a mile. I also have the spark mini too which for size and price is even better. Literally blown away by the features and what it can do. I use it in a completely wireless setup too

I have the spark40 and I absolutely love it.

i Wait a long time for you will think of us home palyer... Thank you for the episode today...

I swear you guys post the reviews I need when I need them

I've had Spark and Katana Air, and sold both of them. I ended up using my tube amps during the day, and Boss GX-100 or Neural DSP plugins at night.

Man the Spark sounds so good. Only one I’d buy out of all of them. Picking one up today!

Still rolling with my THR10c. Would like some of the features of the 10ii and considering it but the 10c is all I need really. I’d go with another 10 as mine is already plenty loud and it would fit in the case I have.

The Spark app is such an absolute game-changer. It's hard to compare it to the other amps without getting into what it is capable of.

That intro jam was fire!

I have the spark and love it. Can't say I've noticed a bass end issue but I've already had a play around and have my settings and it sounds great.

I have a spark mini and it's epic. For the cost and what it does I can't imagine anything else coming close. I do also use Bias FX2 through my studio monitors as well so, although different, I am familiar with the functionality. A mini for £200 is a steal

I got my Spark in November of 2019. It's probably one of the best home purchases I've made for music and is certainly the most used amp I own. My two Fender combos get the most use on stage, my Tech 21 is rarely used and my tube amp has been languishing for years now. The Spark, and likely any of these little practice amps, is just so easy to leave set up at home. Grab a guitar and practice or record... it's that simple.

I bought a Spark 40 when it was on special a couple of years or so ago. It sits on my desk and while I'm working from home it's my bluetooth speaker and then when I want to I can plug it into my desktop (with inbuilt controller capability) and plug my guitar or bass into it and connect to my iPad. The cloud uploaded sounds can give you to a short-cut to a specific sound (e.g. Dave Gilmour, Dire Straits clean, the Darkness etc.). It is so versatile and has a good overall sound - best purchase I've made for ages.

I got a Vox Adio air GT a couple of years ago because a video that you made. It may look like my grandma's purse, but damn it sounds good and you can't beat it at that price range.

The Katana Air sounds very good overall, and the Yamaha sounds pretty good too. I didn't care for the Dual Cube. The issue with the Spark is which amp models are being used (not just the defaults) and how they are dialed in. It is a much more sophisticated amp with a learning curve that's well worth riding. I have one and you can get some absolutely stellar sounds out of it, or ho-hum ones if you just use the stock amps on the selector knob or take some of the models uploaded by someone else. It takes a little while to go through all the available amp options and dial them in (before you ever get to effects), or to sift through a slew of user submitted patches. Once you get used to it, you can quickly dial in amp sounds an order of magnitude better than anything in this video, and you can save your tweaks and have them instantly recalled. Throw in on-the-fly jam learning ability, tons of available backing tracks, and it's a fantastic little machine for practicing and jamming. I have some great tube amps, but I spend the majority of time practicing on the Spark.

Spark 40 is just great. I can take it to a band rehearsal and run a bass guitar thought it. very clean and a surprising amount of bottom end

Owned most of the small portable practice amp brigade and settled on the THR30II Wireless. The Vox Adio Air GT was a favourite for a while. The Katana Air I just couldn't get a driven tone I liked. The WAZA Air is much the same but I still have that since they have no alternative. Katana Mini was good, Blackstar Fly 3 was good but needed more gain. Original THR10 was great. The Spark Mini has taken a bit of coaxing but I have some tones I can kind of live with. The VOX DA5 was actually a fun little amp for something on the older, simpler side.

Great video shootout idea! I have a spark and it's cool reading so many other comments of people who also have one and share similar views on it! I like it for the price point and all the features. Not a fan of it for bass. Would like to get a second one of these options to try and have if someone comes over to jam together!

I have the older Yamaha THR10 C, the black one. I really love the Class A model on that one. It's supposed to be modelled after a matchless dc30. I wish I could get that sound in a way that's easier to record and bring to rehersal space .

New subscriber, love your demos and vids. Will definitely see if you ship to the States.

great comparison... I've have a spark for a while now and I love it. I used to be a tube snob, and of course you can't beat tube for the in room feel, but it's getting harder and harder to tell the difference recorded - "in the mix" (if not impossible). I agree with you guys, The spark and THX sound similar and the two bosses are related... for me, playing on my own in my studio, the spark and yamaha sound best (full bass & treble) ... in a mix I get what Pete is saying... the boss isn't going to overlap all the other instruments

the one thing i didn't like about the thr30ii was the lack of a boost option. having the various boost pedals on the spark really was a game changer for my sound.

Hearing great things about the NU-X Mighty Space too it has my attention

Pete is the most well hydrated man I have observed in awhile. Always with the beverages lol

The Spark is actually a very good sounding bass practice amp as well.

I bought the spark mini because of the rechargeable battery and you can take it anywhere. The tones available with the app and the jam along features are a great feature in such a small package. Sounds great when recording using the line out too. Hard to beat in its price range.

I‘m happy with the Line 6 Catalyst 100 since it can be played with 100w, 50w, 1,5w and silent via headphones. Plus it’s a full blown recording interface via USB. Perfect for live, rehearsal, recording or practice at home👍

Yamaha sounds the best to me. I thought a long time about getting a THR30 as my apartment amp... and instead saved up a bit more and got a Fender 68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb. Super happy with my choice just because I feel better emotionally about tube amps, haha. I'm sure I would have been happy with the THR too.

I bought the spark when it first came out and it’s amazing. The app brings it to the next level though. Plus you don’t need a cable, just connect your wireless receiver and transmitter and travel the to the living room, bedroom or garage! It almost like being on the road!

My wife got me a spark mini for Christmas! Really fun little amp. Best time ever? No, but fun for just jamming in the apartment!

The Spark is absolutely brilliant! The features are amazing and how it connects to a tablet and plays things in RU-vid etc and automatically picks out the notes and makes tabs etc is just epic! Takes time to use all the features but it's brilliant! And personally even though I have a Boss too, I preferred the sound of the Spark on this video. Someone said elsewhere this makes you want to practice. Yes it's small and great but the features and built in pedal and amp sits ect just make you want to plug in and practice.

The positive grid has a built in equaliser pedal so you can shape the tone.

I have an original THR10 and I also bought the Katana Air when it first came out. They both run on batteries, so taking them outside to practice is easy. The Yamaha sounds best with cleans and a bit of drive. The Katana Air sounds fuller and if you use the app, you can get some good tones out of it along with some good effects. I bought the PG Spark as well and use it for practicing often. I find it is quite heavy on the bass side and you need to use the EQ to tame it down. The effects are more limited than the Katana, but they sound good and it is fairly easy to dial in something usable. I find the easiest one to connect to a computer for recording the Yamaha THR10. The other two don't seem to work well with Studio One or Reaper DAW's and it takes some finessing to get them to work.

These are a world away from what I had when I first started going in to schools. I now have a Spark and have a full range Bluetooth speaker. Aside from the guitar side, the bass amps are great (I teach bass as well as all styles of guitar). The sound is very produced and but it sits well with backing tracks. I agree about the bassier tone - some people stick foam in the ports!

I've had the Spark since they came out, it replaced my older version THR10. Like you I found it to be bass heavy and quite nasal sounding which is almost impossible to dial out. That said, it does sound incredible! Very realistic and inspiring tones. Also works well as an acoustic amp.

My primary need for a practice amp is that it sounds great at very low volumes in my small space (I am not a fan of using headphones). I also personally am not a fan of a ton of controls and don't really want to be overly reliant on an app. The THR meets my needs perfectly. I am still using an older THR10i

I have the spark and spark mini. I keep th spark in my office to keep me sane when I ca take quick break, and have spark mini when I travel or want to play on batteries. The presets sync across both. They are a lot of fun!

I have choosed the Spark 40. It works with bass as well. Its perfektní for sound experimenty and learning how efects work.

I love the spark 40 and I love the mini even more..the sounds are infinite. The quality of the sound blows me away and I like the preset setup. I'm thinking about getting the Spark Go for travel.

Katana Air for me...I don't use much gain so loved the nice even response Gain doesn't come across good on any of these IMO.... the wireless is cool too on the Air I've never run a chord free set up and can see how that would be nice for an around the house dealio Might order one today thanks Cap n Pete and something like this is an amp w no need to play first Pandemic buying taught me about playing first especially when it comes to guitars Cheer's

Spark hands down! Fun small amp @ minimal weight, good sound and many options. Very affordable.

I use a Boss Katana 100w head mkii as my desktop amp. It has the built in 3” speaker so I can use it that way, but then it’s also usable as 100w head, as a power amp for a pedal preamp, and connects direct to my laptop if I want. It’s $60 less than the Air, you lose the wireless, but it’s such a good amp outside of being a desktop amp that I’d recommend it to anyone looking at one of these solutions.

Bought a Dual Cube lx about a year ago. Great little amp, in particular over line outs into mixer/monitors. Does about €180 ex BT module (another 49 credit). What ever amp I get next the Dual Cube is a keeper.

Spark 40 and mini for hotels - great for travel. Mini easier to dial in. Gotta say this vid had me looking at the Revstar. Such a pretty thing with the lighting on the gloss finish….