STARKE SOUND A2.640 POWER AMPLIFIER PREVIEW

See the complete review for the Starke Sound A2.640 Power Amplifier.

What weighs 92 pounds, is so gorgeous it brings tears to your eyes, and sounds so sweet you just can’t stop listening?

No, it isn’t the hot girl from upstairs – It’s the Starke Sound A2.640 power amplifier.

With Battlestar-class power (capable of putting out 2,100 peak watts per channel for brief crescendos), and stable at 2-ohm loads or anything above, the Starke Sound A2.640 2-channel power amplifier is also cooler than your upstairs dream girl (84˚F under a loud 2-ohm load).

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Oh well – Looks aren’t everything… How does the Starke Sound A2.640 power amplifier actually sound? Before I answer that question, allow me to share some ennui. Over the years I’ve built, heard, and owned more audio amplifiers than I can even remember. And sometimes a jaded feeling sets in that I’ve heard it all before. Another stereo power amplifier? Sigh…

Having had some of the best equipment around from previous reviews, I’m forced to say that this amplifier not only surprised but excited me. Fast, detailed and spacious without even a hint of glare or granularity, this amplifier is “wet sounding” while still being more articulate than anything I’ve heard before.

My beloved Heathkit 12-watt tube monos? Yes, they still come close to the A2 in the midrange, but (unlike the Heathkits), the Starke A2.640 is balanced. It does bass, dynamics, treble sparkle, and “you are there” voices and instruments even with multiple different speakers. The fact that the Starke Sound A2.640 is so outstanding in so many different aspects makes this a slam-dunk. This amplifier is without a doubt the best I’ve heard. Period.

Watch for the upcoming review for full details.

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See the complete review for the Starke Sound A2.640 Power Amplifier.

Glenn Young

I learned to play the guitar in high school, hoping to persuade Berma Sanchez to date me, but alas, no such luck! In the late 1970s, a neighbor who was the station engineer for the local PBS network took me under his wing and taught me the electronics of audio reproduction. Throughout college, I used that knowledge to modify Dynaco vacuum tube equipment for friends. After graduation from LSU, I took a job in the chemical manufacturing industry, learning about industrial hygiene and the mechanics of hearing. In the 1990s I learned to write, initially as the newsletter editor for my local Safety Engineering chapter. In the early 2000s, I had my first book published (I’m now working on my third). A few years ago, the Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity website issued a call for authors. I responded and was excited to be selected. Over the years, I’ve published a number of equipment reviews and am honored, in 2019, to be given the title of “Senior Editor.” But none of the above offers the “why” of my interest in home audio. My musical tastes are highly diverse, and my love of music (acquired probably in the church choir of Grace Baptist Church) has been passed on to my daughter, who got her B.S. degree in music and her M.S. in violin performance and music education before being switching gears and then going on to graduate from Harvard Law. Although the majority of my extended group of friends and family prefer hobbies such as hunting, fishing, football games, etc., I’ve found that I still greatly enjoy time with my audio system and discovering new music. At some time in the fairly near future, my hearing will decline and I’ll no longer be able to listen analytically. But so long as my audiograms show acute hearing, I’ll keep doing what I enjoy best - listening to wonderful music and sharing my thoughts and impressions with like-minded friends.