YAMAHA THR30II vs Positive Grid Spark! - Which one is the Best Practice Amp? 

Let me know which amp you are most interested in and if you own one of these, what you like about it! Enjoy!

I have the THR 10II and love it - it is so ridiculously easy to set up and get an amazingly good sound that I have played my guitar so much more than I ever did since I bought it. It just works and makes me want to play. Sure I could fire up my gigging amp and set up my pedalboard, and try to turn it down to a level that sounds good and doesn't annoy my family... or I could close the door to my office after the kids are asleep, pull up a jam track on youtube and 30 seconds later I am rocking along on the Yamaha, sounding great and not waking the neighbourhood. Best gear purchase ever.

I have the smaller brother of the thr30 (thr10). Beautiful amp, and the tones you can get from that little box are insane. After the last firmware update we got a new tape delay fx and a more open cabinet set-up (like a mic further form the speaker) which makes the tones closer the sound of the first thr series.

Thank you for the in-depth comparison, Darrell.

I got a Yamaha THR, it’s such an amazing amp for home use. Tones are great, it sounds surprisingly big despite the size, and it’s beautiful to look at, not an eye sore on my living room table. The headphone jack, auxiliary in for my phone, and effects are sipper useful for practicing or playing at home or when it’s late at night. I also use it as a stand alone speaker sometimes lol.

One use case I never hear people talk about that I LOVE my original THR10X for is for a minimal setup with a computer for recording. Over the summer I went up to a cottage with a few friends, and brought a guitar, midi keyboard and drumpad, and the THR (And an acoustic, because who doesn't want an acoustic at a cottage). Hooked everything up and boom, had everything I needed to get a good jam going, playing right out of the THR. I generally just use the DI from the THR and then use an archetype plugin, so I have a sound that I'd even be happy putting down on a track nevermind a simple jam with some buddies. When I'm not doing stuff like that it sits up on my desk beside my computer, so if I want to play loud I can just use that with whatever plugins I want, and don't need to waste the space/money on some speakers just to hear my guitar! For someone who loves to tinker around with tones and do some simple recording on a computer without investing a TON of money into an interface and studio monitors for some casual fun, it's truly a fantastic product. Before I discovered the archetype plugins, I also used the BIAS FX2 software with the THR, so you can technically get the best of both worlds with a simple laptop! (Maybe a good video idea)

WOW! That has to be one of the BEST true comparison reviews I've seen online or in print. Most of the time the reviewer never actually compares apples to apples. You went right to the heart of many important features. Your comparison on tone, build quality, sound, and overall appeal are spot on. I've been trying to decide between these two amps for mover a month now, and I think I finally have it all figured out. Price aside, if you can't find your own style and then fit it to the amp using this review then you aren't very focused. Using this information cleared up several issues for me, which mean that I could arrange my priorities for quality well before I even got the question of price. That just reinforced my overall choice. Thanks!!! I'm a new subscriber because of the video. HOpefully by th end of January 2022 I'll have the new unit in place and can post my own review. I'll let you konw how it goes.

Thank You Darrell, your expertise is always helpful, and I love watching you play guitar very much, you’re a mad man with that, I love that ♥️🤘🏾🙏🏾

the Positive Grid sound cloud is the real difference honestly. I've found so many amazing tones. The AI jam session stuff is fun too, and the ability to convert any RU-vid video into chords is pretty neat, although I honestly don't use that function personally.

I have the THR30ll, because of the integrated wireless connection to the guitar ( with G10T) and also because of the tiny cute led lamps inside !

Great comparison as always! The Yamaha is sort of a classic now but both sound really great. It's awesome how good you can sound nowadays for so little money

I have the Yamaha and I love it, I'm always amazed how close the tones are to the real thing! Great practice Amp!

I have the Yamaha's little brother, the THR10II, and I love it. Great sound, easy to use app and presets and very good sound when using other sources (phone via bt, for example).

I don't know why, but I always get a kick out of how Canadian you are, Darrell. Through that intro it always cracks me up. This coming from someone who lives in Alberta

This is a perfect VS video, thank you Darrell for covering every aspect!

Darrell I always learn so much and you lower my blood pressure by a good 10 points. Keep up the good work!

I had both the THR10 and the THR10C. I sold them both and bought the THR30II with the wireless Line6 plug. It was expensive yes but the best thing ive done. The convenience of being able to play anywhere without cables has increased the amount of time i get to play and practice.

I have a THR30II and have really enjoyed the experience. The battery lasts forever which makes it so easy to play all over the house and yard. I also really enjoy pulling up tunes on Spotify and playing along with headphones for an immersive "in the band" feel.

I appreciate this clear, fair and honest review Darrell, thanks man!!

Got a THR10C a few years ago, and it made me practice even more from the start. Upgraded last year with a THRII30W for the wireless, the inside battery and more volume. Plug and play wherever you go, it will always sound great. I kept the THR10C though ;0)

Before Spark I used to play THR5, but then switched in favour of having more tone options/eq/channels. However, there are some things I've noticed 1) Noise gate. Seems like Spark has an aggressive noise gate, which can cut notes endings when you are doing a vibrato or bend or both. If you turn NG off, there will be a lot of hum (even with humbucker pickup). Replacement AC adapter which should solve grounding issues not helped at all. Depending on which amp preset you are, hum can be louder or quieter (on 5150 or similar high-gain presets it's quite loud and catches radio frequencies). I've settled with treshold and decay on 1 or less, which is quite compromising 2) Using as DI. Both Spark and THR have latency issues when it comes to plugging them via USB. Can be solved by dropping buffer size to the min value. Also Spark's DI sounds poor. The difference between what you hear from speakers and what you hear from monitors/headphones when plugged as DI is HUGE. Guys from support suggested this issue will be fixed by a firmware in future 3) Channel switching. Seems like Spark has some latency when you tap on CH buttons (both hardware and in app). This can be frustrating when you want to play a part of song via CH1 but then do a solo via CH3. And overall app+amp experience can be troubled with lags

THRii is pretty dope. The blue tooth cable thing is really what I like most beyond the actual sounds. As a house player, I end up using it 3x as much as my big ones

Glad to hear there’s an alternative to the Spark. Useful. Thanks.

They both sound better than expected. They would be fun to have in the studio.

I am still in love with my Amp Positive Grid Spark !!!! WHAT A GREAT AMP !! LOVE LOVE LOVE

I got the THR 10ii last summer after canceling my spark preorder. I waited 4 months for my spark but I couldn’t wait anymore. I love my THR! It might not have endless options like the spark but it is still awesome

I really like the way you make understand things not speaking but with your face expressions.

I was on the eternal pre-sale waiting list for a Spark. Frustrated, I finally canceled the order and bought the Yamaha THR 10II. It's incredible. If you're on the fence...? Just go ahead and get one. You'll be really glad you did. The original is still the champ.

I have the Spark and find it to be great for my needs, jamming along to stuff, I suspect many older guitarists who have been there, done that, got the T-shirt have bought this for fun. Funnily enough one of my gripes about smaller amps over the years has been the lack of bass, I have no experience with the Yamaha so I can't say, but the Spark is a great bundle of tricks and great value.

I have an earlier Yamaha THR...and that is my go to amp, except for gigging....I love it!

Whats is this really priceless is the value of this video, thanks Darrell!

Exactly the comparison I wanted to see. Thanks!

I have the Spark and it's a really fun "toy". Incredible value and well thought for jamming and experimenting with tones. Nice built too. That said, I used to have a THR 10 and I would say it is superior in many ways. One of them is that it is a fantastic audio interface. It worked flawlessly and the "flat" preset was amazing for keyboard and electronic drums (Roland, etc.) It also wins for sound quality when playing backing tracks. Lots of pro musician would use the THR, not so much the Spark AFAIK.

Thanks Darrell! You are the ultimate guitar-rocking Ned Flanders from the north! 😁 One of my favorite Channels!

Great review Darrell. A new Spark user who didn't know about the tuner feature until your post came out. Thanks man.

Love your videos and your positivity Darrell

The thing I really like about the Yamaha is that it looks super good so you could have it right in the living room without complaints and the wireless functionality makes it so you don't need chords laying around as well.

Cheers for this video Darrell, I was considering selling my old Yamaha THR10C the blues version and buying a Spark, you've saved me a lot of money and heartache so Ill stick with what works for me, I guess the grass isn't always greener etc.

Another great video, Darrell. Been considering a small amp. This is very useful. Thank you, and stay well!

I own a Spark amp which I purchased early last year. I love it and think it's quite a revolutionary piece of equipment. I'm still discovering things it can do and not even halfway through. Only because I don't have memory on my phone or internet beyond it. I will say this. Being an owner of a 1969 J230 12string, a Yamaha electric piano, and having some experience in their musical equipment beyond instruments not to mention knowing someone who owns a drum kit I'll say if the amp is anything like the rest of their options then it should be an awesome addition to a home studio or garage.

I have the Yamaha THR10II it sounds amazing for its size and the ability to go fully wireless is really its greatest feature imo. It wasn’t cheap but it’s working out great! Love that thing

Have the first gen THR 10 and the Spark. Definitely prefer the Yamaha. Better speakers and much easier to dial in a great sound without having to use an app. But I like the tutorial/jam along capabilities of the Spark. Looking forward to the THR 10 mk3. Spark and Boss Katana air have really upped the competition. Hopefully the next iteration of lunchbox practice amps will have effects loops for looping. Great vid, as always, thanks!

Thanks for that work , clarified questions I had.

I have the Spark and an Indo Cal Classic blue burst ( - Thanks Darrell!). I use the Spark to play along with my favorite songs on youtube. I've improved more in the past 6 months of having the Spark than I have in (lets just say decades lol) since getting my first guitar. The indio I've had for a year and a half and still love everything about it. I can't leave out crediting the Indo too- Easiest guitar to play than I've ever owned. I spent decades as what I call a plunker. These two items have helped immensely.

Hi Darrel, I love your videos. Both amps are almost at par with each other. Though I am loving the Spark's cool features. Not having any budget to buy any of those amps. Would love a chance to perform live on Facebook or RU-vid using those and probably gonna ask small contributions from listeners. Pandemic hit us hard here in Malaysia, small time musicians like me suffers the most. Stay safe Darrel. You are a gift from music heaven.

What a great comparison! I have had a spark for nearly a year and tbh, never quite got the type of sound I want out of it, for example comparing it with a Roland Cube/Vox 10W. I think I might try the Yamaha

That was a great review. Very thoughtful. Thanks.

Nice to get some honest feedback now that everybody has calmed down and you’ve had time to use both.

There is so much quality for both amps! It sure is a difficult decision! Great work!

Recently got the Yamaha and I love it. One nit to pick - although the Yamaha controls are good overall, I don't like the 4 in 1 effects knobs and much prefer to set tones in app - which also allows much greater effect shaping, plus has compression.

I got a Yamaha THR10X that absolutely love. All the tones and effects onboard is super killer.

I had a THR and it lasted about 30 minutes, picked up a Katana MkII 50, which I preferred much more, even though the quality was a little lower, and one failed which had to be returned, but I bought another. Now I have a spark on the way to check out because so many people at work love it.

I own the Yamaha and share all your opinions, the amp sounds surprisingly natural. I like using real knobs and never use the app on my tablet. But you forgot to mention one feature: the built in receiver and charger for the Line6 Relay G10 wireless system that you can purchase separately. I use it all the time. The Yamaha may be a bit expensive, but it is totally worth it.

Mirrors my experience. I thought when I looked into both, and heard both, that the Spark was much more impressive as a demo than an amp you'd want live with in a studio/jamming situation. The omission of line-outs, alone, made the Spark a non-starter for me.

Great comparison review as always Darrell! For the office (pre-pandemic, when I went in to the office) I have a Vox Adio Air GT (which replaced my Yamaha previous generation THR), and have been interested in both these amps. Thank you for your thorough reviews and opinions on both. I'll go for the Yamaha...it's got the more amp-like qualities and depth I'm looking for in a small amp. Cheers!

Thanks! Great info. Appreciate you making this. 🙂👍

Dude, thanks again. I bought the SPARK in preorder and have been quite pleased. Since I am a techie, I liked that there were many features and libraries that they built up. I access them with my IPAD and LOVE the fact that I can find a preset sound, song or track and just tap on it. For $250, it's a no-brainer.

Very interesting! I have the Spark and the Yamaha THR10C (as well as a couple of decent combo amps.) I think Darrell summed up the differences really well. The THR amps have THE most brilliant amp models and, for that reason alone, if I could only keep one it would be the THR. I think where the Spark wins out is in it's versatility. For beginners, or for players that have maybe lost their mojo or enthusiasm for playing, it's an invaluable practice tool with the Smart Jam feature and the chord recognition software when you use backing tracks. The Spark is insanely good value for money! N.B. I don't think the bass thing with the Spark is such a problem. Stood on a laptop stand, or amp stand (in other words, off the floor) it makes a big difference. I keep both desktop amps on a glass topped coffee table and the Spark isn't overly bassy at all. Thanks, Darrell; informative and entertaining, as always! 😎👍

Great vid and I think an accurate assessment. My spark is very bassy so when I'm using an electric, I have it dialed way down. However, the spark is also great as an acoustic and bass practice amp so maybe that's why its voiced the way it is. In those settings, I tend to dial up the bass more.

The Yamaha also has wireless connection with the guitar (huge appointment) and sounds surprisingly well with acoustics, piano, basa,Vans even just to play music. I have the THR 10-C and the new 30 is very tempting.

Great review. I already knew the Yamaha was a nicer amp. I may pick-one-up? You always do such a thorough job Darrell - in delivering all the pertinent information. Update: purchased the Yamaha THR30II in Black = phenomenal. I will never be without.

Dear Darrell: Please bring back the smile thumbnails. They’re infectiously happy and being joy to the guitar world. Sincerely, Jack

I like the way you throw your guitar in the top of the roof man sick🔥

Super review - thanks!

I'm so glad I got the Yamaha .. No frills plug and play

Spark is a really great value... but I prefer the Yamaha THR II (specifically the wireless version). The Yamaha sounds better and it feels more familiar if you're used to playing valve amps. The Spark has a lot of nice features, but having owned a Line 6 Amplifi for a few years, I've come to realize that I don't really like having to tweak settings with my phone, and, more importantly, I'd rather have a handful of usable, built-in amp settings than sifting through thousands of downloadable tone prints, most of which don't sound very good.

Great info about both of these!!!

Thanks for the video Darrell. I own the Spark but I think it is indeed a little bit over hyped. Fun fact: When I was waiting for it to be delivered (it took 6 months) I got the Boss Katana 50 MKII and guess what I use as my daily practice amp now? 😊 From time to time I use the Spark also, but mainly I use it as a Bluetooth speaker in the garden/backyard. Soundwise it can't beat an adult 12" speaker and the Katana is pretty decent in tones if you know how to tweak it right. I can recommend the Spark anyway and you pointed it all out. I love to noodle along backing tracks and RU-vid stuff, so the "warmer" sounding matches the overall sound pretty decent. And I changed the music volume knob already: Just bought a potentiometer knob for 6 mm shaft pot, put it over and tightened it with a grub screw. Now I can find the music volume easily 😍🤘

I have the Spark 40 and the Mini. I use the Mini 90% of the time with a Lekato wireless guitar transmitter I got off Amazon for $49. No cables or wall plug needed and I get all the tones I want. As for the bass on the 40 there’s a EQ pedal in the app that takes care of that. Just a little tweaking and save it.

I think its the spark it has the more options for tones and eq settings Anyways, love the videos keep up the good work!

Great job. Very informative.

Love your videos Darrell, I subbed

Thx! I got the Yamaha just before I was aware of the Spark. Heard a lot of hype about the Spark and wondered if I made the right choice. Seems that they are both great & it just depends on which is right for you. Based on your comparisons, I’m happy I got the Yamaha.

I bought the Spark during its release preorder sale. I absolutely love it as a practice amp. It does so much for the price and purposes. After a few tweaks I was able to to get rid of the extra bass. Humbuckers really show it when everything is at noon on the amp. Just turn the bass down. I love the amp models and the amount of effects. The tone cloud is awesome as well. If there’s a tone for a song you want, there’s a 98% chance you’ll find it on the cloud. The jam features are great and very usable. I decided to go with the Spark based on the price and a few extra features it seemed to have over the Yamaha. I just wanted something useful as a practice amp instead of plugging into my main rig. I’ve gotten to use the Yamaha and it’s absolutely great also. They just have a few different features and uses from each other. You can’t go wrong with either. The Spark did exactly what I was wanting it to do. Be a great practice amp that actually inspired me to practice. I find myself playing way more than I had been. Isn’t that what we all really want in a product? That’s my opinion on the matter. They are both absolutely amazing practice amps. I sure wish things like this were around in the early 90s when I first started playing guitar lol.

Good review! Thank you!

Thanks for the comparison!

Easily one of the best comparison reviews I've watched. I've been considering buying the Yamaha for a couple of years now, but it is priced a little high in my opinion.

I have owned a Spark for a couple years now. I have done the large amps, petals different amps, more pedals. This was a game changer for me. Backing tracks with video,and chord changes help me play along with unlimited songs, old and new. Tones are great, I can download tons of tones,that sound just like the artist I pull up. Zztop Lagrange crunch? There is about 30 different versions available, and always changing because other spark owners are creating them just like I do, and make them available on the app. Your right Darrell, it’s revolutionary technology. Totally worth the money.

Really nice video, thank you so much 😊

Such an awesome review. 🙏

spark had some insane holiday sales, which is why i got one lmao

I love the versatility of the spark in that it can be used for acoustic, electric or bass guitars. As far as connectivity I use a 1/8 out of the headphone jack to a 1/4 through a direct box into my PA system. It sounds awesome.

So helpful - thanks!

I got the Spark as a preorder customer and waited for it. Paid a little over $200 with bag a year ago. Thought it was good value for the money and glad I bought it. Played a lot with it for a few weeks, but found that I reverted back to my regular amp for tonal reasons and spring reverb. Agree fully with you regarding the amp lacking a good spring reverb setting and amp also needs a less aggressive gate option.

i can see where the allure of having thousands of tones can come from and how it would be pretty fun to spend lots of time dialing up stuff to mimic the tones of your favorite guitarists and stuff. but if you have simple tastes and just want something to small to plug in to and jam to a backing track where you get a decent enough mix at a volume where you can still practice while watching TV, the THR is what you're looking for.

Yamaha all the way. I reckon sometimes thousands of choices equals no choice at all.

I have a THR5 for many years and it us great!

I love my Boss Katana Air. It's built in wireless receiver/charger feature is incredible.

I have both....I can also use Bass in my Spark ⚡️ Also, PG must have their delivery issues fixed- seven days from ordering it was on my doorstep

Have the Spark also and it does have a lot of low end ! On the positive side it sounds great and you can take low end out by going into the app and adjusting the amp head in there !

In another Spark video, I read a comment that if you remove the speaker grill and put a sock or two in the bass reflex hole on the bottom of the unit, it greatly improves the sound. Removing the grill "releases" some of the high end and the socks constrain the bass frequencies.

Great video! 2 Questions: 1. Can either of these be used JUST for listening to music (such as iTunes, YT, Spotify, Roku, etc)? 2. For recording into my DAW on laptop, can I use either of these to replace my Apollo interface? Thx!

To be fair, the THR has this amazing feature you forgot to mention : the built-in wireless jack system, you just need a wireless guitar jack (Line 6 Relay G10 receiver, I believe)

The Yamaha has L/R 1/4” line outputs for FOH or FRFR speakers.

Great video I went with a joyo head in the end so I can use my own pedals with the fx loop and my own speakers.

Daniel, love your vids bro. I just did a play through video on this very same amp. I love it. The Spark just inspires me more. Great comparison 👍

I bought the THR10II a few months ago after selling my Marshall Class5 and a Line6 M13 to simplify my setup and I am surprised by how amazing the Yamaha sounds and I am very impressed with the unit overall. Thanks for your excellent reviews and after watching this I think I still would have bought the Yamaha. Cheers...

I couldn't choose. Bought both. I like full wireless on Yamaha. Batteries are cool.

What you failed to mention is that on the Yamaha line outs is only on the most expensive unit. The other two units do not have the line outs. I need to connect to either an external; speaker cab or a PA board but the unit I bought only has the usb. Any thoughts on how I could accomplish this would be beneficial.

Fender did a great job with their GT40 a few years ago. Very similar amp, great software, size and decent sound for the price.