Starke Sound AD4.320 Review (Multichannel Amplifier)

[jamesoco]

Good to hear @jamesoco. Did they pay return shipping as well?

I am very curious to see how this all turns out. I want to believe it is merely a manufacturing error and not a defective design - or worse yet, outright fraudulent. If a manufacturing error, the question becomes how many units? I suspect even they don’t know and why they are offering refunds to everyone. I still can’t understand why they continue to promote and sell units however. Unless they have evaluated/tested the current stock and found it to be within specs - but then why not simply provide such results? At a minimum, they get poor marks for quality control and damage control which are offset somewhat by points earned in customer relations - as long as the refund policy continues.

Yes they sent me a return shipping label.
My experience with Starke was good.
The amp sounded great.
It had compelling features - 4 channels that are easy to bridge.
It just didn’t have the gain or power like the NAD C298 and it lacked the critical detail I’m after and the bass boost wasn’t what I’m after.
I hope they sort this, clearly they could have done a better job with communicating this to the community.
Happy holidays everyone

 

[nstzya]

But then yours was a new purchase 30 day trial return, wasn’t it? How are disgruntled owners being treated and are they paying return shipping on those units? And what is being done with the returned units? Silence only breeds speculation - sometimes wild.

 

[Mack]

Call them and ask for a return and a full refund. They aren't offering anything at all (repairs or otherwise). We had to call them out in this thread to get a refund, so it was forced, not offered.

OK thanks I'm a poor man's audiophile can you recommend anything in this price range I've been using my 45yr old kenwood 9600s as power amps so the sound of the Starkes are a different experience better lots of mid sweetness but not as powerful again thanks

 

[nstzya]

Yes, get a refund. There are many solid alternatives I think you could be happy with. But rather than take the thread far off topic, may I suggest you start a new topic, Mack? You will get a wider audience. I will PM you my suggestion.

 

[Slayer]

OK thanks I'm a poor man's audiophile can you recommend anything in this price range I've been using my 45yr old kenwood 9600s as power amps so the sound of the Starkes are a different experience better lots of mid sweetness but not as powerful again thanks

If it still operates properly and you like it. It definitely has that vintage appeal. After 45 yrs, things are going to be way out of spec and not sound as they should. I would send it in and get a full service on it. Replace caps and what not. Shouldn't cost more than a couple hundred dollars.
Once it's been serviced, you most likely will be very pleased.

 

[Bobo77]

If it still operates properly and you like it. It definitely has that vintage appeal. After 45 yrs, things are going to be way out of spec and not sound as they should. I would send it in and get a full service on it. Replace caps and what not. Shouldn't cost more than a couple hundred dollars.
Once it's been serviced, you most likely will be very pleased.

Hey Slayer...and Mack.... Just my 2cents... I have a 40+ year-old Bob Carver C-500 Power Amp. Stock. Bought it new. It works fine "to me"..LOL!
It sounds better than my Marantz SR6015 in stereo mode on my speakers...so...I still use it. I did get in touch with a tech about a year ago to ask about servicing it...(It took quite a bit of searching to find someone who knew what they were talking about regarding my amp. He is 'relatively' local to me so I could drop it off to him. He said to check the amp out, bring it up to spec., replace the caps etc. would run me about $500. I have an emotional attachment....LOL...but I have been shopping amps for a while now so I would have a second amp...as he said he would have my amp for 4-6 months. He is in demand, I guess. That is why I was considering buying the Starke AD4. I was going to pick one up with the black-Friday sale price and then get my Carver serviced..... Glad I didn't... Maybe my guy is expensive..Don't know..but I figured that I would throw that into the knowledge pool. Good luck with your quest!

 

[ThomasMac]

James...thanks for reaching out....I mentioned this before...but I am going to repeat it here and elaborate...It is over the feeling of being deceived, clearly by Starke, also...well discussed here... by Gene...but the one that bothers me most is Jay. I cannot prove ANY of what I am about to say..but I am a guy from New Jersey...and I am very aware of "the grift". LOL!...I have been a huge fan of Jay's for well over a year..and have not missed one..not a one of his reviews...so I wanted to think that I had a good sense of him...Some of the qualities I liked was his enthusiasm, and his BALANCED reviews. He seemed very consistent and thorough with his reviews and I was VERY familiar with him...Me, being a New Jersey Guy, when he reviewed The Starke AD4.320 I was taken aback and quite suspicious....about the review...He is a TOTAL adherent to Class A/B amplification....ALWAYS!... So...he reviews the AD4 and GUSHES about it...with no downsides (or nothing close to his regular balanced reviews). Call the amp "insanely great". Never heard him say that before. He is utterly amazed that it is class D, puts out SO MUCH POWER (and has "tube-sound" and warmth as I recall)...ALL of this also can be had for $1500...and possibly $hundreds less during Black Friday Sales. The way he gushed ...it just seemed too good to be true. He justified his claims and I looked into the amp (I have been patiently shopping for a power amp for quite some time), so I had particular interest in my revered reviewer's excitement ...but it just sounded "too good to be true" (and you know what they say about that!). So his very next review is a review of the Buchardt S400 Mark II...and guess who is sponsoring it...LOL!..Starke Audio..They are announced in the beginning with highlighting lots of details about..guess what?....the Black Friday Sale...
and then again in the middle of the video where he just-so-happens to discuss the amplification (which is normal for him) being used to power the Buchardts (starts at ~minute 9) which of course, it is the AD4 (where he gushes AGAIN and does ANOTHER ad for the Black Friday Sale)... I was thinking...hey..now I really smell a rat. OK..so he is also powering the Buchardts for the review with the Denafrips Hades/Thallo pre-amp/amp combo as well. Thujan, his buddy says he cannot hear any difference between the Starke and the Thallo/Hades Combo..but Jay does admit "he" hears ever-so-slightly more refined highs from the Thallo. The Thallo is a bona fide A/B amp putting out a under-rated 125wpc @8ohms. Knowing what I know now....I am sure that the Denafrips (incredible reputation), is twice the amp that the Starke is ....if not more. After sitting thru the two reviews and having a long history with his reviews I got the feeling that he was almost laughing in my face..sort of smirking when he gushed about the Starke here. I have got a great gut. I believe that Starke paid Jay and Gene and who knows who else to say specific things about the product and the people "sold-out" for the money. And it turns out that the amp is complete junk. Not a big deal...that is the way the world turns....but I just feel it is so deceptive to viewers, especially in the case of Jay and Thujan. Again...I can prove NOTHING of what I have said here...and it is TOTALLY my opinion...but there it is.

I noticed the same as well. Jay's channel has been added to my ever growing " for entertainment purposes ONLY" reviewer list. That's my nice way of saying that I don't take him very serious. It takes a lot to loose credibility in this game. But once you do... its a muddy hill trying to get it back. I hope he's careful.

 

[kingbarbuda]

I am new on this forum, but experienced over at the Audiogon forums. I bought an AD4 during the current Black Friday 2021 sale. I came upon this controversy from a comment made over on the OCD Hifi Guy YouTube channel. I emailed Starke asking about it. They replied quickly and offered a return and refund if the AD4 wasn’t for me. I then found this forum after doing one Google search. It was right on top of the results. I have been busy and have not yet played through the AD4. But I am tempted to just return it. I tend to buy, use and sell gear which is part of our audiophile disease. So I am concerned if I keep this AD4 I will be keeping it for life as the resale on it will be nonexistent due to this controversy and the lack of data/measurement verification of their own or via third party. This controversy seems to be on an entirely different level of concern as compared to Amir’s testing of Schiit gear. Life is too short and there are too many other amps to keep this one with the bad rep, damaged company rep and likely damaged resale value. So I think I will just initiate the return that they offered me.

 

[beantownT]

WELL, crud. Bought this one last year for my home theater. In reality, I needed something class D, sealed (its in the basement where I'm occasionally woodworking), and had balanced connectors. But if the amp performance of this is worse than a denon x3700, and my emotiva xmc-1's performance is also worse than the denon x3700, then.....why the fudge am I even mucking around with separates with the all in one performs better? stupid choices i've made.

i'm on the same boat!! maybe i'll switch this to run my atmos heights

@Amir - any chance to test the a8.350 https://www.starkesound.com/detail.html?id=46
hopefully this isnt a dud too

 

[kingbarbuda]

Starke sent me a prepaid USPS label and I sent my AD4.320 back to them. It was delivered today. Now waiting for my refund to original form of payment.

 

[beantownT]

what was your process to get a refund? I live in Singapore and purchased through a dealer. I doubt the dealer will entertain a refund - i purchased in August and like many of u had to turn up the volume a lot more than my kinky ex-M1+ integrated amp

 

[kingbarbuda]

I emailed [email protected] when this controversy broke. The response back was if the AD4 wasn’t ‘for me’ they will offer to provide for the return and refund as long as the amp is in great shape and will all of its packing and boxing materials. I opted to take them up on that and they emailed me a prepaid USPS label with tracking number. USPS tracking says it was delivered back to them in Gardena, California today. I am awaiting their acknowledgment and issuance of my refund. That is it.

 

[nstzya]

@beantownT:

Having “to turn up the volume a lot more” is likely related to the low sensitivity/low gain of this amp rather than the low output problem. Doesnt mean you don’t have both.

Try emailing Starke directly and asking for a refund related to the output problem. Then ask how they would like to handle the return - whether to your dealer or shipment to them.

 

[audio_lover]

It has a 23dB gain, so yes, it is completely normal to turn up the volume higher when you come from a 26/29dB amp.

 

[tlin]

This is an interesting thread to read (getting through all of it now). I didn't expect it to measure as well as Hypex or Purifi (recognizing they intentionally.....or unintentionally.....added their own sound/noise) but the woefully low power output is a deal breaker. Alas, I'm only on Page 7.......perhaps there's a "happy ending" further down the line.

.....Screwing up is bad, but admitting to it and making it right goes a very long way to showing pride in your work. And that I can respect.

Spot on my friend....well said.

 

[JRaab]

This is an interesting thread to read (getting through all of it now). I didn't expect it to measure as well as Hypex or Purifi (recognizing they intentionally.....or unintentionally.....added their own sound/noise) but the woefully low power output is a deal breaker. Alas, I'm only on Page 7.......perhaps there's a "happy ending" further down the line.



Spot on my friend....well said.

So far the happy ending is a bunch of us returning the units for a full refund and Starke continuing to blame Amirm for "not knowing what he's doing". I've held off on returning mine just to get through the Christmas rush. I worked for UPS for 10 years so I know what happens to packages right now. But I have my return slips ready to go.

 

[tlin]

So far the happy ending is a bunch of us returning the units for a full refund and Starke continuing to blame Amirm for "not knowing what he's doing". I've held off on returning mine just to get through the Christmas rush. I worked for UPS for 10 years so I know what happens to packages right now. But I have my return slips ready to go.

Yup - no real "happy ending" here. I'm glad you guys are getting refunds although that just puts you back at square one (insofar as getting an amp).

That Jay/Gene soap opera was interesting to say the least.........I at least now know I will NOT be buying a Starke amp - period.

Happy New Years folks!!!

 

[JRaab]

Yup - no real "happy ending" here. I'm glad you guys are getting refunds although that just puts you back at square one (insofar as getting an amp).

That Jay/Gene soap opera was interesting to say the least.........I at least now know I will NOT be buying a Starke amp - period.

Happy New Years folks!!!

Well yes and no on the square one. I got so fed up with the situation I swung full on in the other direction and bought a McIntosh MC8207 for my system. It's wonderful, I legit think I had AD4s that were issues, because I was expecting a bump in sound quality, but this isn't even close to what I was hearing previously, and I barely have to crank the volume.

 

[amirm]

Measurements of second sample just posted: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...arke-sound-ad4-320-amp-review-sample-2.30122/

 

[whazzup]

A YouTube video review is needed for this seriously.