• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Vista Audio Spark II Review (Amplifer)

seadogbiscuit

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 20, 2020
Messages
30
Likes
39
Location
South Portland, Maine
For comparison sakes let me add: I have also had the Emotiva A-100, the Aiyima A07 and the 3E Audio DAP2002 in with the same system.
Most of my listening is below 65db. The 3E audio amp had so much distortion it went back the same day. The Aiyima A07 was much, much better. Plenty of power but not better sounding than the Spark to me. The Emotiva A-100 wants to play loud but not a refined sound.
No numbers involved, just a quality of sound comparison.
I am very sensitive but hammer away!
 

Labjr

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 14, 2018
Messages
1,051
Likes
949
I am not sure how a manufacturer adds more of high frequencies and air, whether it is the quality of a PS, the Capacitors or something else. I wouldn't think the bass should affect that quality unless it is boomy and detracts one's attention away from other details in music.

They can add more air by putting it in a larger enclosure. Likewise, a small enclosure may give it tighter bass. :D
 

daftcombo

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 5, 2019
Messages
3,687
Likes
4,068
Sigh, still waiting on a better replacement for mine. Nothing approaches functionality at that price point (Edit: well Loxjie A30 is pretty close but not enough of a performance jump). I wish SMSL would make a new version, even at a higher price point. I know they're capable of performance now.
Me too. I use it almost everyday in the bedroom. And it is even quieter than Loxjie.
 

NJC

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2021
Messages
38
Likes
15
For comparison sakes let me add: I have also had the Emotiva A-100, the Aiyima A07 and the 3E Audio DAP2002 in with the same system.
Most of my listening is below 65db. The 3E audio amp had so much distortion it went back the same day. The Aiyima A07 was much, much better. Plenty of power but not better sounding than the Spark to me. The Emotiva A-100 wants to play loud but not a refined sound.
No numbers involved, just a quality of sound comparison.
I am very sensitive but hammer away!
So was the Aiyima a step below, on par or above in SQ compared to the Spark? I wasn't sure if you were comparing the A07 to the Spark or the other amps you had. I bought a 36v PS off of Amazon via Parts Express because according to another purchaser, "This 36 volt AC/DC adapter is excellent...no hum, no noise, low heat, correct DC (5.5mm) plug end, and does a better job providing power to these over-rated digital chip amps.".

Overrated or not, for the price to performance they do fine, especially Aiyima A07. I havn't hooked the 36v PS up yet as I have been using my Keces the past few months. I do find the Keces E40 better in SQ to the Aiyima as well as an Emotiva I have heard.
 

dtaylo1066

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jan 12, 2019
Messages
628
Likes
741
No excuse for a poor linear power supply. If you are going to solder up some diodes, capacitors and resistors, why not do it right? A basic chip amp is inexpensive to make and has relatively few parts, and one could build a kit project in two hours for not much more than $100 that would outperform this unit.
 

Kegemusha

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2020
Messages
488
Likes
462
Is any tube amp measured here that you can point me out to compare.
Is a pity the PS noise, waste of that handcrafted toroid.
 

Labjr

Major Contributor
Joined
Dec 14, 2018
Messages
1,051
Likes
949
We should invite Boris and Vista Audio to ASR! The members here could help him build a better amp. The price might reflect a EU reality, I'm not sure if costa are crazy in Serbia.

The amp in this review is a joke. It's his business. And not up to members to help him design his products.
 

NJC

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2021
Messages
38
Likes
15
Still, in spite of the measurements, people have found this amp enjoyable to listen to. Can't take that away from them. But I won't be buying this amp myself.
 

Thomas savage

Grand Contributor
The Watchman
Forum Donor
Joined
Feb 24, 2016
Messages
10,260
Likes
16,298
Location
uk, taunton
When I read Steve G’s review and he says “the Spark's bass was clearer and better defined. So was everything else, the Spark is a higher resolution amp. More than that the Spark has something harder to pin down, something that had me coming back to listen long after I finished writing this review.” I have to believe that Guttenberg, Fremer and many audiophiles don’t realize how much they like distortion.
They just like making stories and thinking they've found something lol
 

dtaylo1066

Addicted to Fun and Learning
Joined
Jan 12, 2019
Messages
628
Likes
741
The one YT review displays the amp's innards. The transformer has an "OK" mark on it. Maybe it is not OK? The layout looks presentable, but something is amiss in the circuit, and the power output is rather sad. In 15 minutes I'd bet someone on this forum could find the design flaw(s) in this amp.
 

ta240

Major Contributor
Joined
Nov 7, 2019
Messages
1,357
Likes
2,653
Still, in spite of the measurements, people have found this amp enjoyable to listen to. Can't take that away from them. But I won't be buying this amp myself.

That is why I want to hear one now. Maybe the baseline noise isn't that audible and what comes across as harmonics is pleasant for them.

This review will cause a "disturbance in the force"....aka youtube audio reviews.

Nah, few will change their minds.
 

Ismapics

Active Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Messages
213
Likes
285
...a lot of YT review is very fine with it...




In the words of the Church Lady, "could it be.... commissions"
spweh.jpg
 

Ismapics

Active Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2020
Messages
213
Likes
285
You can't EQ more power, less noise and less distortion.
You can't straighten a tree that starts croo
For me it is pretty clear that these kinds of so -called "reviews" are only paid advertisements (in the form of [ "sponsored" ] reviews). In the best case they consists of nice pictures and video shots, but they usually are filled at length with meaningless jargon (to give a misleading impression of expertise) and unfortunately some factually false statements ( claims of high fidelity...), e.g. for the garbage device Amir has exposed presently.
I guess: the more the pay, the longer and the better the reviews...

I have seen though exceptionally some (shorter than usual) negative reviews by this kind of people, e.g. re. Focal's headphones (though no mention the limits re. subbass at very high loudness), I guess Focal didn't pay the guys, and they might have been paid by a competitor (it might have been a case like Audeze having to defend the awful measurements of the LCD-4 versus the Utopia).

Your read my mind. I have argued that with the class of you tube reviewers and they don't have any argument but to say that "they work really hard at doing the reviews its almost a sacrifice and that their years of experience its what lets them discern between what is good and what is not" also that measurements are not everything that there is a feeling to it. They are just part of the Audio Industry complex. Years ago they advertised in Stereo Review, the internet killed it, so they now invest in reviewers. Really simple, same money different medium.
 

boblinds

Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2020
Messages
18
Likes
63
Someday, just for fun, I would like to see a rival audio journalist directly take on guys like Guttenberg and Fremer who have been spouting nonsense for decades (and worshiping stupidly overpriced hardware) but have been doing it for so long in so many places that they've cultivated a faux credibility. I know the result would be just another online cat fight, but sometimes it's entertaining to watch a good fight. :D
 

NJC

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2021
Messages
38
Likes
15
Someday, just for fun, I would like to see a rival audio journalist directly take on guys like Guttenberg and Fremer who have been spouting nonsense for decades (and worshiping stupidly overpriced hardware) but have been doing it for so long in so many places that they've cultivated a faux credibility. I know the result would be just another online cat fight, but sometimes it's entertaining to watch a good fight. :D
As to those individuals, I don't place much faith in their interpretations, even other reviewers online I may listen but I have tried to read inbetween the lines.

The absolute best ones which are not just reviewers but to me are philosophers in the audio world are Thomas & Stereo and A British Audiophile. You can learn alot from them. Can add in The Hans Beekhuyzen Channel and ASR for the technical aspects. For just POV/opinion reviews, I like Soundnews and iiWi Reviews the best. The rest range from sometimes useful to entertaining...to just plain wrong.
 
Top Bottom