Starke Sound AD4.320 Review (Multichannel Amplifier)

[mac]

They look like Sure amplifier boards, though I can't say with certainty.

 

[sarumbear]

They look like Sure amplifier boards, though I can't say with certainty.

Those Sure amplifier prices are bonkers! (Low)

http://www.store3.sure-electronics.com/audio/audio-amplifier-board-output-power-classification

 

[abdo123]

i think headless panther is a tiny tiny bit too much but honestly fuck manufacturers who are not honest with their spec sheet. they don't deserve any empathy.

 

[abdo123]

They look like Sure amplifier boards, though I can't say with certainty.

Looks like you and Amir live close to each other, I think if you're open to the idea of measuring the LX521 we could crowd-fund the gas money .

I think a lot of people would be very grateful! I hope you consider it.

 

[levimax]

I think the amp actually exceeds it's specs.... it just that the specs are written in a very misleading way.

"225 W RMS 4-channel output" is spec. @amirm measured 69 watts so 69 * 4 channels= 276 watts. Publishing a spec like this is grounds for a headless panther I think.

 

[ac3dtsthx]

Either a voltage blunder or this manufacturer is outright SCAM! I also suggest verifying voltage selection check, just to be sure and do another round of testing if the former is true.

 

[sarumbear]

I think the amp actually exceeds it's specs.... it just that the specs are written in a very misleading way.

"225 W RMS 4-channel output" is spec. @amirm measured 69 watts so 69 * 4 channels= 276 watts. Publishing a spec like this is grounds for a headless panther I think.

It also says Maximum output current per channel: 16.5A. That is 1089W at 4 Ohms per channel!

 

[Bruce Morgen]

A pair of $50 Aiyima A07s connected to a 48VDC 15-20A SMPS will handily outperform this thing for well under $200, including all the bits -- AC mains line cord, DC cables and barrel connectors, plastic cable clamps for strain relief -- required to wire up and operate that PSU safely.

 

[GWolfman]

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.

Because there are very few sites like this and too many dishonest companies. You just didn't know.

 

[GimeDsp]

Whats the worst audible problem with this amp?

 

[amirm]

"225 W RMS 4-channel output" is spec. @amirm measured 69 watts so 69 * 4 channels= 276 watts. Publishing a spec like this is grounds for a headless panther I think.

Ah, you may be right! The wording is obscure enough that it could mean this.

 

[musicforcities]

I made the emotiva mistake.

“The emotiva mistake” — a new thriller series from the makers of “Chernobyl”, coming to HBOMax this fall.

 

[musicforcities]

Those Sure amplifier prices are bonkers! (Low)

http://www.store3.sure-electronics.com/audio/audio-amplifier-board-output-power-classification

I seem to recall some of these sure boards available to purchase on parts express…maybe ”express” is what they mean by “fast amplification.”

 

[charlieevett]

Well, shucks, I just got mine yesterday and have been listening to it quite a bit for the past two days. I've been running it exclusively in 2-channel bridged mode. It sounds pretty great to me. I have it driving a pair of Revel M106s. I've been comparing it to an Emotiva XPA-2-Gen3 and my wife and I agreed it seemed to have better details, like the breath onset of a flute, or the bow attack in a double bass. Not a blind test to be sure, but it really seemed obvious as we got into each test track.

 

[musicforcities]

Well, shucks, I just got mine yesterday and have been listening to it quite a bit for the past two days. I've been running it exclusively in 2-channel bridged mode. It sounds pretty great to me. I have it driving a pair of Revel M106s. I've been comparing it to an Emotiva XPA-2-Gen3 and my wife and I agreed it seemed to have better details, like the breath onset of a flute, or the bow attack in a double bass. Not a blind test to be sure, but it really seemed obvious as we got into each test track.

Well…the mind wants you to hear that breathing on the amp you just dropped a wad of cash on…

 

[jasonhanjk]

By looking at this graph, they use lousy inductor for the their class D LC filter.

 

[charlieevett]

Well…the mind wants you to hear that breathing on the amp you just dropped a wad of cash on…

Could be. The goal was to decide between the Emotiva ($1099) and the Starke ($1399) and my wife didn't have any idea of the cost of either and she had a very decisive opinion without any prompting from me.

 

[GimeDsp]

Well…the mind wants you to hear that breathing on the amp you just dropped a wad of cash on…

Im not sure about that, but I've been mixing live sound for decades and there was this old cheap Soundcraft mixer from the 80s that would just sound amazing pushing the levels up.
An engineering friend of mine looked at the parts and design and said it should not sound great, but it did.

 

[musicforcities]

U

Could be. The goal was to decide between the Emotiva ($1099) and the Starke ($1399) and my wife didn't have any idea of the cost of either and she had a very decisive opinion without any prompting from me.

ah…I thought you had the emotiva already

 

[ROOSKIE]

I think the amp actually exceeds it's specs.... it just that the specs are written in a very misleading way.

"225 W RMS 4-channel output" is spec. @amirm measured 69 watts so 69 * 4 channels= 276 watts. Publishing a spec like this is grounds for a headless panther I think.

I definitely agree they are quoting total power and not per channel power.
Kinda shady I guess because it is not typical (except in pro audio and Pyle level gear).
The missing THD spec is a little more shade.
Not cool.

Could be. The goal was to decide between the Emotiva ($1099) and the Starke ($1399) and my wife didn't have any idea of the cost of either and she had a very decisive opinion without any prompting from me.

Well make sure you at least switch up the order of the amp you play tracks on as the 2nd run almost always sounds better.
With two of you you could easily level match and do a blind test with amps. Lets see if the love is real.
Speaking of level matching make sure you are within 0.5db or ideally even less.