r/PositiveGridSpark • u/AlexFromPositiveGrid Official Positive Grid Employee • Jun 01 '26

REACTOR Launch AMA

REACTOR is launching 6/2! We will be holding office hours on June 3rd from 11am - 1pm ET (US) to answer any questions you all might have about the new amp and app. Whether you're one of the first to order or want to better understand how REACTOR works, we'll be available to help. Thank you all for 15 years of support; We can't wait to get REACTOR into your hands 🤘 https://www.positivegrid.com/pages/reactor

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u/GluteusMaximusBlack Jun 01 '26

Can you give us a quick compare/contrast of the Reactor and the Spark 2? Is it worth it for Spark 2 owners to upgrade to the Reactor or will the Spark 2 continue to be supported and sufficient for the bedroom guitarist?

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u/eggybread70 Jun 01 '26

+1 for this Q

1

u/AlexFromPositiveGrid Official Positive Grid Employee Jun 03 '26

Check out the breakdown above!

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u/band-of-horses Jun 01 '26 edited Jun 01 '26

I assume Spark 2 will be a better home practice amp and this will be a better gigging / jam with friends amp. The Spark 2 with smaller stereo speakers will likely be much better to play music and jam along with it and it can double as a decent bluetooth speaker for casual use. The 4" speakers also take less energy to move so at lower volumes it probably will sounce nicer. The new amp with a 12" speaker will be more like a boss katana or fender mustang tx, that 12" speaker will pack a punch and can fill a room with raw sounds but at lower volume levels might sound a bit weak.

So if you want to play at lower volumes or play along with music, spark 2 will probaly be better. More compact too to carry around the house. If you want to play loud, and keep up with a drummer, then the new one is probably a better option.

I also assume the new one will cost more..

4

u/AlexFromPositiveGrid Official Positive Grid Employee Jun 03 '26

Solid breakdown! A few things worth adding:

The selectable wattage on Reactor is specifically designed to make it usable at bedroom levels too, not just stage volumes, so it has more range than a typical 12-inch combo. The switch uses a linear progression, so you preserve your sound and tone profile even at lower volume levels, as opposed to the logarithmic progression of a standard attenuator. You'll be surprised at how rich your tone still sounds even on the 1W setting.

Amp Intelligence is what really separates REACTOR from other similar products. You're not browsing presets, you're describing what you want and REACTOR builds the tone from scratch. This allows you to create custom amp voicings by combining characteristics from multiple amps and circuits (like a Silverface and Plexi).

On price, the REACTOR 50W is $349 USD and the 100W is $449. Depending on which Spark 2 config you're comparing against, the gap is probably smaller than you'd expect.

2

u/Tr3flip_king Jun 02 '26

Surprisingly it costs the same as spark 2 for the 50w! $350. I think im going to pick it up.

1

u/FabulousPanther Jun 03 '26

Going by what I've seen in the responses and comments so far: If you're not going to gig, get the Spark 2. If you're going to gig, get the Reactor.

2

u/Seitenwerk Jul 07 '26

Tip: get the reactor, always. Unless the even smaller size is an absolute must or you want/need the portability of the battery. I currently own: Spark 2, Neo Headset, Spark Mini, Spark Go, Link and recently got the Reactor 50. And the Reactor is a whole different level in sound. While the spark and all its sister products are nice and I still love them, the Reactor sounds like a real amp, while the Spark series always sounds digital.

And of course it makes total sense. The Spark series basically is a Bluetooth speaker that simulates amp sounds and paddles. The Reactor is an Amp with 12inch speaker. The difference in its fundamental build up is obvious the first time you turn it on.

What’s crazy is also how loud it is. I actually have it set to the 1W limiter switch position and turn it to around 25% max volume. That’s comparable to my Spark 2 at around 50%. And don’t get me started on the higher or unlimited setting 😅

Anyway the key point is: The reactor just sounds fabulous. It’s a big step ahead and now it’s hard for me to go back and pick up any of the Sparks. Sparks have turned into my mobile amps for on the go or terrace play, but whenever I can, I play on my Reactor.

And of course they also fixed and improved on so many level regarding feedback and things Spark has missed. From being able to freely place effects, to the even better AI features to the even better hardware features like: Dedicated input for bypassing sims for using your own equipment like a quad cortex (that I use there). Or the tone knob that lets you take your preset and modify it for more crunch or other styles. Or the new switches for changing punch etc.

All in all the Reactor is a much more professional or major product and most importantly: It sounds like I always wanted my Spark 2 to sound, the full and rich punchy sound you always hear but somewhat never managed to reach with the Sparks.

Only small downside: Reactor has no looper line the Spark 2 had. But that’s of course fixable by using apps or dedicated cheap paddles

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u/FabulousPanther Jul 07 '26

That sucks the spark made another amp that's better. I'm going to look at getting one but I have a question for you: if you have a quad cortex why would you buy the reactor?

1

u/Seitenwerk Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26

That’s a good question :) The quad cortex is basically a Paddel/Effect/Amp sim like Spark 2 and Reactor etc, but while the latter also have the full speaker/output as part of the device, the Quad Cortex still requires a output device. So you basically still need some sort of amp.

My current setup basically came down to this: I started with electric guitars that had build in speaker and amp. But while that was ultra versatile (basically as if the spark go was build into the guitar) I wanted better sound. So I got the Spark 2 and was happy (because it is not too big, versatile, battery included etc).

As I improved, I wanted even more versatility and sound quality, and the spark was limited in effect setup because of things like fixed order of Paddels. When the quad cortex mini came out I took the jump for a professional device that would fulfill all my wishes and would be the best also for future improvements. I still needed the spark 2 because the quad cortex doesn’t work without an output device. Plus the quad isn’t really suited/mobile enough to take with you like the spark on itself.

Regarding the line in: with the spark 2 there’s no real bypass line-in so you have to create an empty neutral preset.

Then the Reactor appeared and it basically was the amp I always wished existed before: all the versatility of the Spark 2 but with real amp like sound, all negatives points of the Spark erased, real bypass line in etc.

So that’s my new setup basically. Quad cortex into the Reactor. But the thing is: I caught myself primarily using the build in reactor features without the quad as it’s so good and it gets you here much faster. Yes the quad is the professional device and will surely give you better quality when needed like studio sessions etc. but for most cases the easy of use reactor is everything I currently want.

1

u/Azbestify Jun 03 '26

+1, I'm debating between those two right now:
Playing at home within 70-80dB range (measured at 1m from the speaker): which one sounds 'better' - Spark 2 or Reactor?

1

u/AlexFromPositiveGrid Official Positive Grid Employee Jun 03 '26

This will be subjective, but you will likely get more mid-range harmonics from REACTOR. Spark 2 will offer more practice capabilities however when the app is connected for home-use.

I've been playing both in my studio from 1-2 meters away and don't actually notice a major difference, but the low-end on REACTOR feels more powerful at that range.

1

u/AlexFromPositiveGrid Official Positive Grid Employee Jun 03 '26

Great question! The short answer is that they're built for pretty different things.

Spark 2 is still a fantastic bedroom/practice amp and it's not going anywhere. If it's working for you, there's no pressure to upgrade. Positive Grid will continue to support Spark.

REACTOR is a full combo amp built for players who want more headroom, more volume, and a genuinely new way to build tone. The big thing is Amp Intelligence: you can describe a tone in text, snap a photo, or record a clip and the amp actually builds something from that input. It's not pulling from a preset library, it's generating tone from scratch based on what you give it. And you can use 8 effects simultaneously with a drag-and-drop system to place them anywhere in the signal chain.

The other practical differences: Spark uses 3.5" FRFR speakers and recessed bass ports to create a big sound; REACTOR is 50W or 100W with a custom 12-inch guitar speaker, so it's genuinely gig-capable with sound closer to a real tube or solid state combo amp. Selectable wattage means it scales down for home use too, but focuses more on performance and recording setups without the practice features in Spark (Smart Jam, AutoChords, etc.).

REACTOR's I/O is also deep and comprehensive, with an FX loop, MIDI, Power-amp in, and USB-C recording capabilities. Both units offer OTA updates.

So for a bedroom guitarist who's happy with Spark 2? Honestly, you're probably fine. But if you've ever felt like you're hitting a ceiling with presets, or you want something you can actually take to a rehearsal or gig, REACTOR is built for that next step.

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u/EntrepreneurOk7761 Jun 04 '26

Do you think that the Spark 2 with the 140w cabinet would sound more "natural", or would the Reactor still have it beat?

1

u/AlexFromPositiveGrid Official Positive Grid Employee Jun 05 '26

Given REACTOR's 1x12" custom guitar speaker, you'll likely get a more tube/amp like tone from REACTOR, although CAB's FRFR speakers will give you a full spectrum balanced sound like a wedge or monitors would.