Positive Grid's Spark CAB 2 is a 140-watt powered speaker cabinet that turns any Spark amp into a full rig. Plug in the Spark you already own, stack your Spark 2 on top, and the tones you've built get the volume and clarity for rehearsals, open mics and small stages. It also works as a full-range cab for floor modelers, amp-modeling pedals and amp sims.
When Your Spark Gets Lost in the Room
Every Spark owner hits this moment sooner or later. Your tone sounds exactly right at home, you've spent weeks getting the drive just how you like it, and then you walk into your first rehearsal with a drummer. The cymbals start, the bass player turns up, and suddenly your sound is somewhere in the room but you can't quite find it. The same thing happens at a backyard party or an open mic where the space is bigger than your living room and there are people talking over the songs.
I want to be clear about something here, because it matters: nothing is wrong with your amp. Spark amps are built for home, and they're really good at that job (small amps have a lot going for them). A band room is just a different job. The answer isn't a bigger amp that makes you start your sound over from scratch. It's giving the amp you already love more room to breathe, with a bigger speaker and more power behind it. That's the whole idea behind Spark CAB 2, which is why we've been calling it the rig expander.
What Is Spark CAB 2?
Spark CAB 2 is a powered speaker cabinet, which means it has its own 140-watt amplifier built in, driving a woofer for the low end and a pair of tweeters up top. It's an FRFR cab, short for full range, flat response, and in plain English that just means it plays your amp's sound back as is, without stacking its own character on top. Whatever you dialed in on your Spark is what comes out, only bigger. It's been redesigned inside and out, with re-tuned acoustics that bring out more detail and an upgraded signal path that keeps things composed as you turn it up.
Do You Need a Bigger Amp to Play Louder?
This is the question I hear most, and the honest answer is not necessarily. The wattage number printed on a box is a pretty rough guide to how a rig will fill a room. What you actually hear comes from two things working together: the power amp pushing the signal, and the speaker moving the air. A bigger number on a new amp is one way to get louder, but it's not the only way.
Your Spark already handles the part that makes it sound like you, meaning the amp sounds, the effects, and every preset you've built in the Spark app. Spark CAB 2 takes over the other part. It puts 140 watts and a bigger speaker behind your Spark, so the sound you know gets the volume and headroom it needs without you rebuilding anything. Your tones stay your tones, and your rig just grows into the room.
How Spark CAB 2 Works with Your Spark Amp
Spark CAB 2 works with every current Spark amp: Spark 2, Spark GO, Spark MINI, Spark PEDAL and more. There's a dedicated Spark Input on the back, and the 3.5mm stereo cable you need comes in the box, so you run that from your Spark's output, set the Input Selector to the Spark Input, and you're playing. Your Spark's own speaker mutes by default when it's connected, so all the sound comes from the cab. If you'd rather connect Spark 2 from its line outs, you can choose whether its speakers stay on in the Spark app settings.
Then there's the part I think a lot of Spark owners are going to love, which is that one wall outlet runs the whole rig. The DC output powers Spark 2 (using the adapter that's in the box) or Spark 40, and the USB-C output powers and charges Spark GO, Spark MINI and Spark PEDAL. If you're a Spark PEDAL player, this pairs nicely with the other ways you can set that pedal up. One thing worth knowing is that the cab's power switch also cuts the DC and USB-C outputs, so when the cab goes off, so does the power to your amp.
So, in short, here's what Spark CAB 2 needs to work: a Spark amp or any other line-level source, an AC outlet, and the cables that already come in the box.
Spark CAB 2 on Stage: PA Out and Monitor
Once you're playing out, Spark CAB 2 does two jobs at once. The balanced XLR output sends your sound to the PA, while the cab sits behind you as your own monitor. The best part is that Speaker Volume and Line Out Volume are separate knobs, so you can set what you hear on stage and what the room hears through the PA independently. Turning yourself up in the monitor doesn't touch what the sound person is working with, which tends to keep everyone friendlier at soundcheck. If you want to get more out of that front-of-house signal, I'd suggest reading up on how to EQ your guitar for live sound.
There's also a Ground Lift switch on the back for when a venue's power gives you that low hum that nobody wants in the quiet parts. For a real-world look at gigging with a Spark CAB, our post on playing a show with Spark CAB walks through a full night.
Spark CAB 2 at Home
Spark CAB 2 isn't only for loud rooms. The Contour switch fills out the lows and highs when you're playing at lower volumes, which is exactly when a speaker tends to sound a little thin. I'd leave it on for evening sessions at home and switch it off once you're at gig volume.
It also looks the part. Spark CAB 2 is matched to Spark 2 in Black and Pearl, so when you stack the two together it reads as one rig rather than two boxes that happen to be near each other. If you're into the design side of things, this closer look at Spark 2 is a good read. The solid wood cabinet has recessed side handles for carrying and a cable tie on the back to keep things tidy between the car and the stage.
Using Spark CAB 2 with Other Modelers and Pedals
Not playing a Spark? Spark CAB 2 still works as a full-range cab for floor modelers, amp-modeling pedals, amp sims, keyboards, or anything else with a line-level output. You plug into one of the two XLR/TRS combo inputs on the back, set the Input Selector, and the cab plays back whatever your rig is sending. It can also work on its own as a stage monitor or feed straight to a PA without a Spark amp in the chain.
Two things to keep in mind. Spark CAB 2 isn't designed for tube amp heads or traditional amps, and connecting one can damage both pieces of gear. And if you want to run a microphone through it, you'll need a mixer or preamp in front of it first.
Upgrading from the Original Spark CAB
If you already own the original Spark CAB, the big changes are under the hood. Spark CAB 2 has re-tuned voicing with a tighter low end, firmware updates over USB-C, and a finish matched to Spark 2.
Watch the Spark CAB 2 Walkthrough
If you'd rather see it than read about it, the walkthrough covers the connections, the back panel and how it all fits together with a Spark.
Spark CAB 2 FAQ
Will Spark CAB 2 work with my Spark amp?
Yes. It connects to Spark 2, Spark 40, Spark GO, Spark MINI and Spark PEDAL through the dedicated Spark Input, using the 3.5mm stereo cable that comes in the box.
How loud is Spark CAB 2, and is it enough with a drummer?
Spark CAB 2 reaches up to 118 dB, with 140 watts of power behind a 10-inch woofer and two tweeters. It's built for rehearsals and the stage, so playing with a band is exactly what it's made for.
Can I plug my floor modeler or amp-modeling pedal into Spark CAB 2?
Yes. Any modeler, amp-modeling pedal, amp sim or keyboard with a line-level output connects through the two XLR/TRS combo inputs. It isn't designed for tube amp heads or traditional amps, and microphones need a mixer or preamp first.
Can Spark CAB 2 feed the PA and be my monitor at the same time?
Yes. The balanced XLR output sends your sound to the PA while the cab works as your stage monitor, and the separate Speaker Volume and Line Out Volume controls let you set each level on its own.
Does Spark CAB 2 charge my Spark amp?
The DC output powers Spark 2 (with the included adapter) and Spark 40, and the USB-C output powers and charges Spark GO, Spark MINI and Spark PEDAL, all from one wall outlet.
Hear Spark CAB 2 for Yourself
The best way to understand what a bigger speaker does for your Spark is to hear it in person. Find a dealer near you to try it out, or head over to the Spark CAB 2 page for the full rundown.
And if you're still deciding which Spark to build your rig around, the whole lineup lives on the Spark series page.
Spark amps sold separately.