Vista Audio Spark II Review (Amplifer)

[Rottmannash]

It's fairly common practice or often give them the option to purchase at a discount instead of shipping back. Hardly enough to sway one's opinion of the sound.

In what universe? Human nature applies.

 

[dtaylo1066]

In many instances, and certainly in the case of most of the You Tube audio reviews, a review is an OPINION. A reviewer's opinion can be informed or uninformed. It can be science based or perception based. I presume you have gone to a movie or eaten in a restaurant of which you read a glowing review, only to walk out of a film you thought sucked, or spent $150 on a meal that literally went to the dogs (via doggy bag).

The heart of the issue is that in our digital world, everyone who desires to can spout their opinion on any subject they like -- film, food, exercise, politics and, yes, audio gear. And they can wind up making money doing it if that is their particular goal. Look into the marketing behind "influencers" and you will be astounded.

We all hear differently and have perceptions about what we "think" sounds good. The approach by Amir at ASR is to review and recommend those products whose measurements exceed certain thresholds, and call out the best of the best. In addition, he will not recommend the products that measure poorly, and he will point to their flaws. This is all done through careful, fact-based observations and lots of data.

Others choose a very different manner of evaluation in their route to their OPINION. In the end, there is no real benefit to mocking them. Smugly holding onto a particular point of view can actually undercut the credibility of that point of view.

I posted a link on this forum of a John Darko (reviewer) podcast of an interview with a long time Precision Audio engineer. The gent indicated in his testing most people could not hear an amplifier's distortion until it approached something like 30%, which astounded me. But that small vartiations in a cross over could be detected much more readily. And in another test of comparing two audio cables, a large part of the room chose cable A, and another chunk chose cable B. The test used the same cable. Not surprising to people on this forum.

At the eye doctor ultimatley they get to the point in the exam of "what looks better, #1 or #2?" After the third or fourth tier of that I am pretty much just guessing after blinking and trying to stare hard. ASR explains to us which lens in fact provides the least distorted view. Which is a damn good thing to know.

But some people will always contend that the specs are "one way of looking at things," but they "know what they like to hear," or prefer one particular reproduction of sound over another. Not everyone has the best performing lenses in their glasses, or cares to, but they still really enjoy what they see.

Don't forget, in the end. it is the consumer's responsiblity to wade through the data, opinions and B.S, and buy at a pricepoint what they think is best and what they believe they will like the most.

 

[Sound_freq]

In what universe? Human nature applies.

Anythings possible I suppose, all of these guys have access to much better and more expensive products, so I have my doubts in this instance. I think these guys just fell in love with the boutique feel of this small amp and thought it sounded good. They may be somewhat influencing each others opinions, Steve Guttenberg and Sean at ZF are friends, Sean talks with Thomas & Stereo and Jay at Next Best Thing Studio, they share with each other products they've heard and liked and sometimes the same product may get sent from one of them to the other for review.

 

[Rottmannash]

Anythings possible I suppose, all of these guys have access to much better and more expensive products, so I have my doubts in this instance. I think these guys just fell in love with the boutique feel of this small amp and thought it sounded good. They may be somewhat influencing each others opinions, Steve Guttenberg and Sean at ZF are friends, Sean talks with Thomas & Stereo and Jay at Next Best Thing Studio, they share with each other products they've heard and liked and sometimes the same product may get sent from one of them to the other for review.

I don't necessarily feel they are all "on the take". On the contrary-I watch several of these guys' reviews and believe a large part of what they say is true for them and their ears. But to blanket assume they are getting nothing from reviewing gear is simplistic. Most of the reviewers mentioned above receive income from YT based on views-more views = more income. How many equipment companies will continue sending these guys gear if they consistently trash it? Even if they aren't given the sample (and at times they will disclose they weren't given the sample) they are still receiving revenue from the views gained from reviewing said gear. The incentive is there. Personally I value Thomas & Stereo's opinion, even if his tastes are way more expensive than mine and Sean seems to be a genuinely sincere guy. Doesn't mean I believe everything they say, nor does it mean I discount them either. If it weren't for Amir and this site (and Audioholics as well) I would probably be buying blindly based on these reviews. I believe we can blend the objective reviews here and from Gene and also listen to the subjective reviewers as well but in the end buying products with a 30 day return policy is the best course of action.

 

[Billy Budapest]

Sean seems to be a genuinely sincere guy . . . I believe we can blend the objective reviews here and from Gene . . .

Which YouTuber is Sean and which is Gene? Thanks!

 

[pma]

Right, but as was noted in at least one of the reviews; for up close use or with very efficient speakers it is fine power wise.

With very efficient speakers you will get a lot of audible hum/ buzz ( look at the 5W spectrum), so no excuse is good enough .

 

[Sound_freq]

I don't necessarily feel they are all "on the take". On the contrary-I watch several of these guys' reviews and believe a large part of what they say is true for them and their ears. But to blanket assume they are getting nothing from reviewing gear is simplistic. Most of the reviewers mentioned above receive income from YT based on views-more views = more income. How many equipment companies will continue sending these guys gear if they consistently trash it? Even if they aren't given the sample (and at times they will disclose they weren't given the sample) they are still receiving revenue from the views gained from reviewing said gear. The incentive is there. Personally I value Thomas & Stereo's opinion, even if his tastes are way more expensive than mine and Sean seems to be a genuinely sincere guy. Doesn't mean I believe everything they say, nor does it mean I discount them either. If it weren't for Amir and this site (and Audioholics as well) I would probably be buying blindly based on these reviews. I believe we can blend the objective reviews here and from Gene and also listen to the subjective reviewers as well but in the end buying products with a 30 day return policy is the best course of action.

Some good points overall, but I never suggested that they are getting nothing from reviewing gear and assumed everyone knew there was some revenue associated with them getting Youtube views. It's probably not the amount of incentive one would think given the small niche of hifi. For perspective, Sean's videos ((ZeroFidelity) on the Vista Audio Spark version 1 & 2 garnered 25k and 33k views each. Steve Guttenberg's got 20k and 27k views respectively. Some estimates show that Youtubers can make on average between $3 and $10 per 1k views depending on ad engagement and other metrics. So Sean's potential income from his latest Vista Spark II video may have been $330 on the higher end. It sure doesn't seem like a lot of money for the amount of time and effort it would take to arrange logistics, assess a product and then produce and edit a video on it. I'm sure he spent alot of time over a period of weeks to assemble the final product.

To your point about trashing products, I've often heard many of the Youtube reviewers say that they typically only review products that interest them and if they really don't like a product or don't have anything positive to say about how it sounds, they'll contact the manufacturer/distributer, share their thoughts and suggest that they not move forward or try another product in their lineup down the road. I don't believe they are completely reliant on manufacturers for products, some of the products are supplied from distributers or local retailers, online retailers like Adorama or Apos and similar to ASR occasionally from followers/viewers/readers.

 

[Sound_freq]

Which YouTuber is Sean and which is Gene? Thanks!

Sean is from ZeroFidelity , Gene is from Audioholics.

 

[krott5333]

Would the AWG of the power cable have any effect on power supply noise?

 

[Vini darko]

Would the AWG of the power cable have any effect on power supply noise?

No

 

[Billy Budapest]

Sean is from ZeroFidelity , Gene is from Audioholics.

Thanks. Never knew the name of the ZeroFidelity guy.

I applaud his efforts to get millennials into hi-fi, but any time he tries to discuss the technical aspects of the products under review, he is completely wrong. At least he doesn’t pretend to be an expert in this area, unlike some folks. Not naming names, but the worst is the older guy who always has test equipment in the background but never uses it, and spews forth audiophile fictions instead.

 

[Sound_freq]

Thanks. Never knew the name of the ZeroFidelity guy.

I applaud his efforts to get millennials into hi-fi, but any time he tries to discuss the technical aspects of the products under review, he is completely wrong. At least he doesn’t pretend to be an expert in this area, unlike some folks. Not naming names, but the worst is the older guy who always has test equipment in the background but never uses it, and spews forth audiophile fictions instead.

Haha, interesting, Zero may have a bit more experience than some of the others having worked at high end audio retail in the past and also at Sony and iFi in marketing/distribution and some consulting work here and there. I don't know where all he has been right or wrong, but at least according to him when he talks with many of the designers and engineers at these companies after listening to their products, it seems they tend to agree with his overall assessments and what they were going for with the sound of the product. I think at one time he made some suggestions of things he heard to one of the early Buchardt speakers that ended up being implemented into a design change in one of their products.

 

[Billy Budapest]

Haha, interesting, Zero may have a bit more experience than some of the others having worked at high end audio retail in the past and also at Sony and iFi in marketing/distribution and some consulting work here and there. I don't know where all he has been right or wrong, but at least according to him when he talks with many of the designers and engineers at these companies after listening to their products, it seems they tend to agree with his overall assessments and what they were going for with the sound of the product. I think at one time he made some suggestions of things he heard to one of the early Buchardt speakers that ended up being implemented into a design change in one of their products.

He is definitely one of the more straightforward, just-my-impressions reviewers. That’s fine, and he doesn’t pretend that he evaluates gear for its technical excellence. When he offers comments about the technical performance of the gear, he is often wrong. I realize the focus of his reviews is on his subjective impressions. Because of that, I do not find his reviews very helpful, but he seems genuine and sincere. Again not naming names, but many YouTubers seem like they are merely advertising the gear they review.

 

[Rmeillat]

Always fun to read sarcastic comments about a crap amplifier none of you has even listened to. Sure glad I make my purchase decisions with my ears. Bought this amp after hearing it. Lovely sound. Works great with high sensitivity speakers. Makes most recordings sound pleasant. Sorry for not joining your analytical bandwagon.

 

[Kegemusha]

Always fun to read sarcastic comments about a crap amplifier none of you has even listened to. Sure glad I make my purchase decisions with my ears. Bought this amp after hearing it. Lovely sound. Works great with high sensitivity speakers. Makes most recordings sound pleasant. Sorry for not joining your analytical bandwagon.

I said it before, here is a good example of good sounding (or at least preceived sound) amp but bad measure results, and I think plenty of tubes amps will be in this category (even 4000usd are in thi category). I had this amp and as I also mention, to me, was the best soundning of the 4 amps I had at home.
And despite the critics to the YT reviewers, they have plenty of amps to listen and HiFi experience and they still choose this little amp as well regarded, twice.
So it makes you wonder how something that measure so bad can sound good to many?

 

[raindance]

The reason people like this amp is because they like listening through the aural equivalent of rose tinted glasses. This is because a lot of people listen to poorly recorded/mastered popular music. It's the same as the tube amp myth. A significant piece of the equation is early high frequency rolloff. Couple this with a slightly loose bass and you've got "warmth". Then add highly colored speakers (I saw Omega mentioned) and you've basically applied tone controls to your music that may or may not suit your personal taste.

By the way, Boris is a good guy and supports his products and customers. Perhaps his small business doesn't have the budget for better test gear. His tube amps were intriguing - they used a solid state driver stage.

A long time ago I built amps based on the same chip as the Vista, but in bridge mode, for music systems for small bars. I also built high efficiency speakers to go with them, using piezo tweeters (accuracy was not a goal, just volume). The chip amps are a little tricky to get right, but they sure can make a noise.

 

[Rmeillat]

----------
Hope I am interpreting what you are saying correctly. Here goes: I disagree.

Most of these "philosophers" are pawns of the Audio Industry Complex. They build credibility on adjectives. Their business models are built out of the samples, perks and money the industry sends their way. This same industry at one point had media to invest their ad budgets, but with the internet - and the everybody is an expert YouTube - those old mediums have disappeared.

Now comes this cadre of so called experts that only spout adjectives, believe that expensive cables and USB decrapifiers are actually a thing. Since there was no one to dispute them, sites like C-Net gave them an audience, youTube gives them followers, and they have reign. But now the slowly growing the ASR community is opening eyes everywhere. Now we see them for what they are, just reporters / commentary living off the brands. Isn't a coincidence that every time they have to buy a sample. they make sure every one knows it. As to shame the brands into sending them more stuff.

Finally, there are no bad guys here, it's a business model. However, every new ASR follower is one less for them. Its another dollar saved, accountability to the brands and better listening for us. Cheers all.

Maybe the world is not as black and white as you see it. I suspect many people follow both types of reviewers. You would have to be quite silly to put all your trust and faith into one kind of reviewers, be it ASR or someone on the opposite end of the spectrum. ASR teaches me about technical stuff while Zero Fidelity or the Audiophiliac teach me about musicality and emotions. None of them neither have my ears nor do they know what I like to listen to!

 

[Rmeillat]

For whatever reason, those reviewers have ZERO credibility! The product is a POS in a fancy box and they fell for it.

What a mature way to share your opinion. Very subtle ans convincing!

 

[Rmeillat]

In what universe? Human nature applies.

Yeah I can completely see Steve Guttenberg give a great review in exchange for a $200 discount on this amp. The guy doesn't have enough equipment. And it will look great between his First Watt Sit 3 amp and his Pass Labs Int 25! Time to wake up and get real!

 

[Ismapics]

Maybe the world is not as black and white as you see it. I suspect many people follow both types of reviewers. You would have to be quite silly to put all your trust and faith into one kind of reviewers, be it ASR or someone on the opposite end of the spectrum. ASR teaches me about technical stuff while Zero Fidelity or the Audiophiliac teach me about musicality and emotions. None of them neither have my ears nor do they know what I like to listen to!

I am sorry to say that I respectfully disagree. The problem with the YT reviewer is that almost all of them have absolutely no technical formal training. But they call their crafts reviews and make claims that are unsubstantiated and completely subjective. They don't follow the scientific process in evaluating a piece of gear.

Words like musicality and emotions don't have any meaning or value, because its not from my ears or my room. Also the typical YT Reviewer doesn't follow the process of first making objective measurements and they confirming or refuting these with subjective listening. They go straight from reading specs to the subjective criteria. AudioPh (Hans also) is in his late 60's, his spectrum, should not extend past 14K or less. ZF (include all the others) has (have) no technical background at all. Any of them may easily connect this Amp and a pair of efficient speaker and don't notice any distortion. They don't have the gear to measure, they are blind.

See AmirM (ASR) is not the first to adopt the scientific method. Back in the late 60/70/80 we had Julian Hirsch. He used the same method in Stereo Review. I trust the process to eliminate all that has no value, narrowing the list. Then I decide what is musical, for me when I listen. That is the main difference / value these so called experts YT reviewers don't have. Have a great day.