Starke Sound A2.640 with glowing review on hometheaterhifi.com. Hmm....

[retro]

Another Starke amp with a glowing review. No measurements of-course..

Considering Amirs review of the Starke Sound AD4.320, I really wonder how this one performs on the bench...?
Not class D though, conventional class AB..

https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews...r/starke-sound-a2-640-power-amplifier-review/

The Starke edges out its competition with outstanding performance in every sonic area.

The STARKE SOUND A2.640 is the most articulate, dimensional, and powerful amplifier that I’ve heard and justifies its price with these virtues.​

 

[nstzya]

As part of his intro, he references that review of the AD4.320:

“…I had the pleasure of reviewing the Starke Sound AD.320 a while back and thought it was one of the best amplifiers I’d heard. A lot of readers accused me of hyperbole with that review, but the vast majority who actually auditioned that amplifier quickly and overwhelmingly agreed with me. In fact, many bought the AD.320 after hearing it. That amp is still my top recommendation for friends who ask for a power amplifier recommendation near the thousand-dollar range….”

So others are being influenced to buy what amounts to either a faulty product, or a grossly misrepresented one.

 

[nstzya]

Someone from Starke must be monitoring (or otherwise been informed). The AD4.320 is completely absent from the site this AM.

 

[peng]

As part of his intro, he references that review of the AD4.320:

“…I had the pleasure of reviewing the Starke Sound AD.320 a while back and thought it was one of the best amplifiers I’d heard. A lot of readers accused me of hyperbole with that review, but the vast majority who actually auditioned that amplifier quickly and overwhelmingly agreed with me. In fact, many bought the AD.320 after hearing it. That amp is still my top recommendation for friends who ask for a power amplifier recommendation near the thousand-dollar range….”

So others are being influenced to buy what amounts to either a faulty product, or a grossly misrepresented one.

In my opinion, subjective reviews are really for fun reading, especially for power amps because power amps just amplify. The reviewers can say anything they want and they go by/trust their ears/brains, so unless your can hear/think what they hear/think you may or may not what they like.

 

[Spocko]

In my opinion, subjective reviews are really for fun reading, especially for power amps because power amps just amplify. The reviewers can say anything they want and they go by/trust their ears/brains, so unless your can hear/think what they hear/think you may or may not what they like.

When amplifiers begin "opening up the soundstage" and "lifting the veil to get listeners closer to the music", I begin to wonder how bad the reviewer's earlier amplifiers have been! So all this time he was reviewing expensive audio equipment behind thick veils with zero soundstage??

 

[nstzya]

Interestingly, if you read the comments section of his review of the AD4.320, the first sample of the AD6 that he received did not work and when he opened it, it was set on 220V. Seems they might have a wider spread QC issue?