Every noodler needs to practice. But waiting for others in the house to go out for the day so you can crank up the amp can be frustrating. That's where the Positive Grid Spark Neo comes in, which puts a powerful smart amp on your head.
A few years ago, Boss released a pair of wireless headphones. Though unusual, a music gear company releasing some ear candy is certainly not unheard of. But these headphones weren't designed for listening to your favorite tunes over Bluetooth, they were built with gitfiddle pickers in mind.
The Katana Waza-Air headphones come with a wireless transmitter that plugs in to an electric guitar or bass and sends your chops straight to your head, while offering a bunch of nifty Katana amp tones as well. Up to six can be stored on the headphones.
There are more tones available via a companion app, and the cans feature clever tech that can place the amp anywhere "in the room" so to speak. So you can have it sound as though it's pushing air behind you, to the side, in front of you, whatever. It works great, but it isn't something I use often – even though I have my Waza-Air's on my bonce most days for quiet practice.
Now Positive Grid is muscling into Katana territory with its own smart guitar amp in a pair of headphones. The Spark Neo lacks the directional surround-sound trickery of the Boss headphones, and comes with just four tone presets loaded into the system out of the box. But there are plenty more "presets, amps & effects, and advanced tone controls" waiting to be unlocked via the company's excellent mobile app.
And this is where I think the Neo will shine brightest. The Katana app is powerful but fairly basic. The Spark app is monstrous fun, with picture-perfect visual representations of amps and pedals, the ability to build custom chains, or tap into "AI-powered tone generation" as well as the tone-shaping talents of other Spark users via the ToneCloud, launch practice tools and of course get your jam on to backing tracks. An Auto Chords feature will help students learn faster by displaying chords of a song in real-time while playing along.
The headphones and transmitter connect over a proprietary 2.4-GHz system for the promise of "ultra-low-latency" connectivity. There's also an instrument jack built in for those who prefer to cable up directly. Custom-designed 40-mm drivers and lightweight bio-fiber diaphragms make for "rich, balanced sound for every style of music" – which is just as well, because you can also use the Neo over-ears as regular Bluetooth headphones.
The Neo cans fold down for travel or storage, and come rocking enough battery for up to 6 hours of play per charge. And they sport "ultra-soft, durable ear cups" for long-haul comfort. Like the Waza-Air, the only isolation here is passive, but Positive Grid reckons that "advanced damping materials, tuned venting, and precise port adjustments" should let "every musical detail shine without external interference."
Sweetwater currently lists the Katana Waza-Air headphone amp at US$349.99, making the Spark Neo an even more compelling option thanks to its $199 price tag. All we have for availability is "coming soon."
Product page: Spark Neo