Starke Sound, the company founded in Los Angeles by Scott DeLoache, Spring Qin, and Dan Wiggins, has now introduced the Fiera multichannel amplifiers, built for enthusiasts seeking higher fidelity from their surround and immersive systems for both film soundtrack and music reproduction in their homes. These new models provide substantial power and effortlessly realistic sound, using Starke's own switch-mode power supplies and Class D amplifier modules.
Starke Sound, the company founded in Los Angeles by Scott DeLoache, Spring Qin, and Dan Wiggins, has now introduced the Fiera multichannel amplifiers, built for enthusiasts seeking higher fidelity from their surround and immersive systems for both film soundtrack and music reproduction in their homes. These new models provide substantial power and effortlessly realistic sound, using Starke's own switch-mode power supplies and Class D amplifier modules.
Founded in Los Angeles in 2009 and incorporated in 2012, Starke Sound designs high-fidelity audio products in the USA and is a vertically integrated designer and manufacturer with worldwide distribution. The company’s mission is to continuously advance the state of the art of multichannel sound reproduction for residential and commercial applications. In just a decade, Starke Sound has developed and manufactured an array of loudspeakers, subwoofers and amplifiers built on advanced technologies that include a patented LMF magnetic drive, Delta Force passive radiators, or Class A+AB smooth switching circuits for high-powered amplifiers.
The Fiera4 ($1,499 MSRP) is a second-generation, 4-channel, Class D amp using the unique architecture and proprietary technology found in previous Starke designs, and can be bridged for 2- or 3-channel operation. Users can upgrade the sound from their audio/video receivers with the Fiera4 driving left, center, and right speakers, add height channels for an immersive rig, or power a 2-channel audiophile music system. The Fiera8 ($1,999 MSRP) is the 8-channel, Class D amplifier model for home theaters. Both amplifiers employ Starke Sound’s new, proprietary, 1-kilowatt SAPS switch-mode power supplies and NS600 amplifier modules to deliver 260 watts RMS per channel into 4 ohms with very smooth sound quality.
As Starke details, these Fiera amps leverage the proprietary SAPS (Shielded Switched Audio Power Supply) with a switching frequency of 350kHz, selected because it is not an even multiple of the main Class D switching frequency until several MHz. The SAPS was designed to deliver 100% of the required power at all times, without brownouts or high idling losses even when power mains fluctuate up and down. It has “battery-quality” flat and quiet DC power rails, using separate module boards (no shared ground plane) to minimize noise, and a large aluminum shield to contain what little stray EMI radiation is produced.
The NS600, its Starke Class D amplifier module which also features a high switching frequency (600kHz) providing a gain of 21.5dB, falling between professional and consumer levels. No adapter board is required to switch between balanced and unbalanced operation; this is done in the amp module, where signals are better buffered and post-switch traces are kept short. The Fiera4’s unique input functionality allows user to choose between 2-, 3-, and 4-channel operation, bridging with speakers always connected to positive and negative binding posts.
The performance of the Fiera amplifiers is optimized for lowest noise and distortion at typical listening levels. The Fiera4 is rated for 260W RMS at 4Ω (1% THD, per channel), 130W RMS at 8Ω (1% THD, per channel), and 450W RMS at 2Ω (BTL mode), delivering a maximum output current per channel of 16.5A or 33A in bridge mode. Signal input connectors are RCA and XLR on all four channels, with output using 4 pairs of beryllium copper binding posts, custom made by Starke Sound.
The Fiera4 amplifier is available now. Sales of the Fiera8 will begin in August 2022.
www.starkesound.com
