Monoprice Monolith Liquid Spark - By Alex Cavalli

[sacd lover]

I bought one when the amp first came out. Now years later I still think the Spark is the best entry level amp available. I like the Spark better than the Magni and the Piety, Asgard 3 etc... The Spark treble is so refined for an entry level amp and just does everything well.
Best $100 bucks I ever spent on audio. I use a second Spark as a preamp (dead silent) for my 12v6 tube speaker amp.

 

[Jimmyblues1959]

Curious to see if anyone is still using this little beast as of 2024. I am.



4 years of service in a couple of months.

I still have mine and continue to appreciate how nice it sounds after nearly 6 years.

 

[rockclassics]

Curious to see if anyone is still using this little beast as of 2024. I am.



4 years of service in a couple of months.

Yep. I still use mine along with a Schiit Modi 3 and Wiim Pro. This is my bedroom system for streaming.

 

[Simon1961]

Curious to see if anyone is still using this little beast as of 2024. I am.



4 years of service in a couple of months.

Curious to see if anyone is still using this little beast as of 2024. I am.



4 years of service in a couple of months.

Yes, I am. After I read mastering engineer Bob Katz’s rave about them last year (I posted a link in here I think) I got one, and use it between my DAC and Dynaudio BM 5A powered monitors on my desktop setup. Still using an Audio Note Meishu SET with 300B tubes for my main setup.

 

[earmonger]

Just got one when Monoprice dropped the price to $32.50 a couple of days ago. Very happy with the sound -- though it runs so warm I'm putting it on a coaster that leaves some airspace underneath. Booklet said it runs warm, so I hope it's not defective.

 

[Jimmyblues1959]

Just got one when Monoprice dropped the price to $32.50 a couple of days ago. Very happy with the sound -- though it runs so warm I'm putting it on a coaster that leaves some airspace underneath. Booklet said it runs warm, so I hope it's not defective.

Looks like Monoprice is getting ready to discontinue the Liquid Spark. They did the same thing awhile back with the Liquid Platinum.
Huge discounts and then no more inventory. I've owned my Liquid Spark since 2018 and it's a very nice little headphone amplifier
for the retail price. At the price you paid it's a steal. Hope you enjoy it!

 

[sacd lover]

My original Spark from 12/2018 runs warm (they all do) and works as good today as when I first bought the amp. The heat from the Spark is not excessive and the amp is obviously very reliable. Just make sure you plug the power supply into the amp before you plug the power supply into the wall outlet.

 

[Magic77]

Just got one when Monoprice dropped the price to $32.50 a couple of days ago. Very happy with the sound -- though it runs so warm I'm putting it on a coaster that leaves some airspace underneath. Booklet said it runs warm, so I hope it's not defective.

Not to worry about the amp getting very warm, it’s normal. I’ve had mine for a long time and never had a problem. Your Liquid Spark is not defective. Enjoy the Music.

 

[brydon10]

My original Spark from 12/2018 runs warm (they all do) and works as good today as when I first bought the amp. The heat from the Spark is not excessive and the amp is obviously very reliable. Just make sure you plug the power supply into the amp before you plug the power supply into the wall outlet.

Yes, exactly, or you'll see a few small sparks in there like I just did.

 

[Jimmyblues1959]

Yes, exactly, or you'll see a few small sparks in there like I just did.

Monoprice is having a sale on these for $129 (discounted from $199), the same price as the open box units.

 

[frkasper]

The little Spark was one of the very few that survived the test of time: https://www.monoprice.com/category/audio-video/headphones/headphone-amplifiers

 

[Jimmyblues1959]

The little Spark was one of the very few that survived the test of time: https://www.monoprice.com/category/audio-video/headphones/headphone-amplifiers

The LS is a nice sounding headphone amplifier with a small footprint that can easily be part of a desktop audio system.
I purchased mine as an open box unit back in 2018 for $79.99. It's been a great little headphone amplifier.

 

[jvandyk]

The little Spark was one of the very few that survived the test of time: https://www.monoprice.com/category/audio-video/headphones/headphone-amplifiers

Geez, should grab one. $89 today. Good price.

 

[Jimmyblues1959]

Geez, should grab one. $89 today. Good price.

I had a Magni 3 version 1, JDS Labs version 1, and I always preferred the sound of the LS. It does not cause listener fatigue like the other two headphone amplifiers. The LP has the same signature as the LS, just more of everything. IMO they're both excellent headphone amplifiers and I'm glad that Dr. Cavalli has been able to bring his designs to a larger number of headphone enthusiasts, through Monoprice. I do wonder if he will ever design more products for the company.

 

[frkasper]

There is something about the Liquid Spark (LS) I simply cannot explain. My IEMs seem to scale, and I always tend to have a better enjoyment when I plug them on this little amp. My rational can only speculate over the tactile feel of the analog volume control with an added granularity given by the attenuator (iEMatch+). And the looks.

However, screw the rational. I choose to be happy than being right, so I will keep using my LS until the day it goes to the fritz.