I've used this speakers for five years now. I have 4 of these fullsized speakers in my home cinema.

The Audio Physic Spark 5 is awarded as the best speakers money can buy in the middle-price range. Not without a reason.

As others may also have noticed, the only drawback is the lack of "oomph-bass". Having that said, the speakers are beyond excellent in the middle and upper sprectrums. The hissing ssss spewed out by my H/K 635 can only be pleasantly presented by these speakers. God knows i've listened to various combinations, but while other speakers seem to mute or distort those delicate whisteling sounds, these speakers present them sharp and with amazing detail. Details you probably won't find in similar-priced speakers.

I have had my Spark IIs (exactly the model pictured above) for over a year and enjoy them immensely. They are paired with a Plinius 2100i integrated amplifier and a Rega Apollo CD player (amongst other sources).

I have found the Sparks to be incredibly responsive to room placement. They have single-handedly opened my ears to the importance of the room in the pursuit of audial nirvana, so ignore AP's advice at your peril!

I am lucky enough to have a listening room that is the perfect size for them and for lengthwise listening (3.3m x 5m) and spent several sessions experimenting with placement. I finally settled on locations that provide me most enjoyment, even though my wife complains that the speakers get in the way by being positioned so far into the room.

Sitting in my listening position against the wall opposite, the Sparks just get out of the way of the music. Instruments and voices sound like they should and are precisely placed on a wide and deep soundstage. Mids and highs sparkle without being bright and tiresome, and the bass is impressive for the size of the single mid/bass driver. Again, the bass can be reinforced or reduced by their proximity to the rear wall.

I am stoked with this model and I'm an enthusiastic fan of the firm. They're truly dedicated to their motto and to the listening experience of their customers.

Imaging and soundstage Smallish and non obtrusive size Curved cabinets seem to eliminate standing waves

Not biwireable and could go a little deeper. A small price to pay for the overall sound

This is a review for the new sparks. These speakers are a steal. Their imaging and soundstage is second to none. Sweet, extended highs and unrivalled midrange. They are relatively small for a floorstander, but the sound is just amazing: natural and silky smooth. I run mine with tubes and the sound is so real it's scary. They could use a little more bass extension but the sweet midrange makes me not miss that last bit of bass. Certainly sound better when farther away from the back wall (4-5'). Overall, an excellent choice for vocals, classical and jazz. They suffer just a little strain when driven hard with rock music at higher volumes, but this doesn't occur until very high volume levels. I tried them with solid state amplification and they definitely sound better with tubes. If you can find them for a good price used, you can't do any better for the money.

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Paradigm Studio 60's B&W Nautilus 804 PSB T55 Boston VR3

Construction in'Nout, nice build/looking cherry on mine. Detailed, accurate, transprent sound, of course it's superb 3D soundstage..

matching(better with tube amps and warmer cables), <60Hz bass extension(then the price likely to be in a different league).

I think for the price, this speaker is probably the best kept secret in the Audio Physic line. Althoug many people mentioned the drawback of the low bass extension, it's simply because people tend to compare it with it's sounstage, transparency and accuracy, which never be found in this price range speakers. I've been through many speakers, and the Sparks can always give me new feelings of the music. It's superb for its own right, I just don't feel the urge to buy the Virgo when I purchased them. I also audioned the newer Sparks III, they look better, just not the same delicate and artiuculate. Maybe Audio Physic just put in more soul on earlier models? Pricewise, the speakers costs the least in my system, but it's just difficult for me to find an absolute winner to replace them. matching equips: Conrad Johnson Premiers Naim CD+cap, Linn LP12 Nordost, Kimber, Cardas cables.

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B&W N805, Sonus Fabre Concerto, ProAc R2.5, Spedor SP1/2

Simply fantastic imaging and deep soundstage. In my listening room everything starts clearly beyond the imaginary speaker plane and extends really deep. In many recordings, especially in the audiophile ones, i also gain a spectacular width of the stage. Tonically i find that the speaker deserves a high level of neutrality in the mids and treble and that permits the owner (or the candidate one) to built the sound he/she wants simply by selecting the components behind them.

Low bass extension for some kinds of music and rooms, the small mid-bass driver restricts the speaker from playing loud. The latter is not a problem if the speaker is combined with a good sub. Also it is not wise to be used with components under the $1000 range.

This is an excelent speaker that suits small to moderate rooms and with the addition of a subwoofer, even a large living room more than 400-500 sqare feet. The sub is almost mandatory for those who need extended bass performance,although the mid-bass driver, aided by the bass reflex mechanism , provides a reasonable and tunefull bass, enough for many mid-sized rooms and listeners.

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as above

lack bass but thats is good for me at present.

Very good imaging and treble clarity. I cannot find any sensitivity data though - will they be driven ok by 18 watt audionote valve monoblocs I ve just ordered?

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a/e 190's

Accurate, clean sounding, soundstage

Low power (100W), No grill, Not bi-wireable, Needs to be far from the wall for good soundstage

Spark sounds surprisingly good (w/Krell Amp) for its size and price at ~$2500. It is the only speaker I heard under $4000 that sounds as good as the Joseph's RM22 (w/Bryston Amp). Vienna Acoustics and Monitor Audio are pretty good too. Di-polar (DT's) and omni-polar (Mirage) speakers I tried do not sound as accurate as these speakers. Since no dealer carries both Josephs and APs, I was not able to compare them side by side. Without a noticeable difference, I chose the Joseph 22 for more power (200W) & bi-wire to be on the safe side. The Josephs also seem to be less position sensitive, making it easier to deal with for a casual listener.

My own equipment:
Amp: Bryston
Preamp: B&K
Wire: Good stuff, don't know the name (chosen by my audiophile friends)

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Joseph, Vienna, Monitor & others

exceptional imaging,excellent tonal balance and clarity.
great value.

lack low bass.

These are by far the finest loudspeakers I've had in my room.As you can see above I have owned a lot of speakers in my search for for audio perfection within a limited budget.
I owned a pair of JM labs daline 3.1's which I upgraded with kevlar focal drivers and I was shopping for an amp at sound by singer when I heard these...That was two years ago and I have not felt the need to upgrade since.
The sparks are very coherent and tonally correct,they also possess a stunning clarity and focus that I have not heard bettered by any speaker.The only way to describe the imaging is to say that I have heard of them being compared to $100,000.00 wilson whamms in this regard.No,the bass they have will not shake the foundations of your house but what bass they do have is tuneful and musical,meaning that bass notes sound like notes and not ill defined thumps,the bass also rolls off far lower(in my room)than what bass is foumd in those tiny, teeny mini monitors I used to be so fond of...
I paid $2400.00 for these two years ago and felt they were a good deal. They currently list for $2000.00 according to the importer's website, at this price they are an excellent value. Factor in the fact that you won't have to spend any $$$ on stands and they are a great deal.They will also stand up very well to any upgrades in your system, With their clear,grain free,unfatiging sound you will want to keep them around for a long time.
By the way, the lack of biwiring capability is a positive attribute in my opinion. A well designed minimalist crossover allied with excellent,well engineered drivers (such as the ones in this speaker) make the need to spend money for an additional run of speaker cable not only unneccesary but ludicrous. Don't believe the hype!
I can't afford the virgos(the only other speaker out there I would consider)without factoring in the cost of a divorce,
but I just found out there is a spark II coming this summer.
My checkbook is ready!

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celestion sl700,proac response 1,jm labs daline 3.1,rega ela,totems,heybrooks,tannoys,missions,infinity and others.

Absolutely stunning ability to disappear. Rich and detailed sound. Speed and unreal soundstage in a small package.

Deep bass

In the context of my very high end system, these speakers were not at all embarrassed by the lofty company. They have a wonderful tonal balance coupled with speed and the most amazing soundstage you will hear. Properly set up, they are probably the best speakers I've heard for under $5000. They are not appropriate for people who want to be slammed back into their chairs by pounding bass. However, the bass is tight, tuneful, and energetic. Outstanding speaker that deserves more recognition.

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numerous

This is an extremly detailed loudspeaker with a beautiful soundstage! I don't think there is anything better for the money!