Starke Sound HALO Series Owner's Manual

A New Approach to High-end

At Starke Sound, the belief is that high-end audio should be about musical enjoyment, not luxury statements. The new Halo series embodies this philosophy, where every innovation serves the soul of music, not the ego of ownership.

The approach combines cutting-edge technology with purposeful design, challenging conventional wisdom by focusing on what truly matters: the pure, emotional connection between listeners and their music. The Halo series is not engineered to win specification wars or showcase exotic materials; it is created for music lovers who seek authentic musical experiences.

Every component in the Halo series is chosen for performance, not prestige. From meticulously designed first-order crossovers to precisely engineered drivers, each element serves a clear purpose in delivering exceptional sound quality. This approach pioneers new paths to acoustic excellence rather than following traditional high-end formulas.

What sets Halo apart is not just what has been added, but what has been eliminated. Unnecessary complexities and excessive components that often inflate prices without enhancing performance have been removed. The focus is on purposeful innovation, precision engineering, and an unwavering commitment to musical truth.

The result is a high-end system that reconnects listeners with the heart of music. It offers no distractions, no compromises – just pure, engaging sound that evokes the initial love for music.

The new Halo series aims for technology to serve the soul of music, with excellence measured by emotional impact, not price tags.

Product Overview

The HALO series includes three primary models:

• M1: Main Speaker - Designed for exceptional musical reproduction.
• C2: Center Speaker - Optimized for cinema sound, delivering clear dialogue and immersive audio.
• W1: Main/Surround Speaker - A versatile on-wall speaker for seamless integration into any space, suitable for surround or standalone use.

M1: Main Speaker

Description

The M1 is the inaugural masterpiece of Starke Sound's new HALO series, a speaker that embodies the vision of "pure musical connection." It merges groundbreaking innovation with the essence of music, setting a new benchmark for high-end audio.

At its heart lies a seamless fusion of advanced materials and exceptional engineering. It features the Diamaze28™ Be Tweeter for refined highs and the MaxCarbon65™ Woofer for expansive, richly textured low-frequency extension. These drivers are integrated through a premium-grade first-order crossover, ensuring low distortion and perfect phase coherence for an awe-inspiring musical texture and immersive soundstage.

The M1 also features a pioneering design foundation with the Rogrid™ Aluminum Frame and a reinforced aluminum cabinet, providing unmatched structural stability and acoustic precision. The robust metal frame eliminates unwanted vibrations, allowing pure and authentic sound reproduction.

Color Options

Available in: Samurai Black, Lunar White, Ember Noir.

Main Specifications

Sizes and Weights

C2: Center Speaker

Description

The C2, a core masterpiece of the HALO series, is designed for cinema. It brings clarity, authenticity, and emotional depth to multi-channel systems, making every dialogue and melody feel more alive. It is the soul of sound, completing every listening experience.

The C2 features the same high-performance drivers as the M1, excelling at reproducing natural vocals and lifelike ambiance. The Diamaze28™ Be Tweeter provides unprecedented detail, while dual MaxCarbon65™ mid-bass Drivers deliver power and maintain harmonious balance. The C2 allows listeners to not just hear, but feel the sound.

Continuing the signature design of the HALO series, the C2's aluminum-reinforced cabinet provides a solid foundation for sound excellence. The Rogrid™ aluminum Frame ensures exceptional structural stability, eliminating unwanted vibration and preserving the purity of each note. Whether paired with the M1 or the upcoming M3, the C2 serves as a solid anchor for any multi-channel cinema system, creating a dedicated cinematic experience.

The C2 is more than a center channel speaker; it is the bridge between picture and sound, blending emotion and technology for a more captivating and meaningful movie experience.

Color Options

Available in: Samurai Black, Lunar White, Ember Noir.

Main Specifications

Sizes and Weights

Key Features

• Equipped with the same Diamaze28™ Be tweeter and MaxCarbon65™ mid-bass driver as the M1.
• Similar Rogrid™ structure, delivering exceptional stability.
• ZeroR PhaseAlign™ Crossover: No resistive components, ensuring unmatched signal purity.

W1: On-Wall Speaker

Description

The W1 is the first on-wall speaker in the HALO Gen3 series. It combines elegant design with outstanding sound performance, fitting seamlessly into any space. Whether used as a surround speaker or a standalone unit, the W1 delivers rich, natural sound that fills every corner.

Equipped with the Diamaze28™ Beryllium Tweeter, the W1 produces crystal-clear highs, revealing the finest musical details. The MaxCarbon65™ Woofer adds smooth and powerful audio, ensuring every dialogue and bass note feels authentic and natural.

With its slim body crafted from dual aluminum panels reinforced by the Rogrid™ aluminum frame, the W1 delivers stability while minimizing vibration. Its compact size sacrifices nothing in sound quality, achieving a perfect balance of robust performance and elegant design.

Whether used as a standalone speaker or part of a multi-channel system, the W1 excels in every configuration. Seamlessly pairing with other HALO series speakers, it creates a truly immersive, cinema-grade experience in your home. This is sound, reimagined.

Color Options

Available in: Samurai Black, Lunar White, Ember Noir.

Main Specifications

Sizes and Weights

Key Features

• Impressive performance with the same driver and crossover configuration as the M1.
• Ultra-stable Rogrid™ structural cabinet.
• Slim design offering exceptional flexibility for wall-mounted installations.

Specifications Comparison

Important Safety Instructions

[Important Safety Information] The exclamation mark represented in an equilateral triangle is intended to alert users to the existence of important instructions in the user manual relating to the use and maintenance of the device.

• Please read these instructions thoroughly.
• Keep these instructions for future reference.
• Please take all warnings into careful consideration.
• Follow all instructions precisely.
• Do not use this device near water.
• Clean only with a soft, dry cloth.
• Position your loudspeakers away from heat sources such as radiators, stoves, heat registers, or any other devices (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
• Only use attachments, stands, tripods, brackets or tables recommended by Starke Sound or those supplied with the product. When using a cart or rack, please exercise caution when moving the equipment to avoid injury from tip-over.
• Please refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the device has been damaged in any way, such as liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
• To prevent risk of injury, please use only accessories recommended by Starke Sound.
• Never insert any object into the ventilation openings on the device. Such objects may contact high-voltage components or cause a short circuit that could result in fire or electric shock. Never spill any liquid on the device.
• Please do not attempt to service this product yourself. Opening or removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltages or other hazards. For all service matters, please contact qualified Starke Sound service personnel.
• When replacement parts are required, please ensure the service technician uses replacement parts specified by Starke Sound or those having the same characteristics as the original part. Unauthorized substitutions may result in fire, electric shock, or other hazards.
• Following any service or repairs to this device, please ask the service technician to perform safety checks to determine that the product is in proper operating condition.
• The device should not be mounted to a wall or ceiling unless specifically designed for such installation by Starke Sound.
• To protect your hearing, please avoid prolonged listening at excessive volume levels. Extended exposure to high volume sound reproduction can cause permanent hearing damage. Listening at high volumes (above 85dB) for more than one hour may result in irreversible hearing impairment.
• Your Starke Sound loudspeakers utilize a tweeter with an inverted dome crafted from pure beryllium. While beryllium is completely safe in its solid form, please observe these precautions:
• The beryllium dome should never come into contact with abrasive materials.
• If the beryllium dome becomes damaged, please immediately apply the protective adhesive strip provided to cover the entire dome surface. This adhesive strip can be found in the plastic packet containing the documentation for the pure beryllium inverted dome tweeter.
• Please contact your authorized Starke Sound dealer to have the tweeter professionally replaced by trained personnel.
• In the unlikely event that the dome breaks, carefully collect any beryllium particles using adhesive tape, place them in a sealed plastic bag, and return them to your dealer along with the loudspeaker.
• For more detailed information, please consult the safety manual included in your product packaging.

For any questions or after-sales service, please contact Starke Sound at: service@starkesound.com

Thank you for choosing Starke Sound for your listening experience.

Connections

Halo HL301 connectors deliver reliable, versatile connectivity for stripped cables (up to 6mm diameter), fork terminals, or banana plugs. These premium terminals feature innovative torque-pressure sensing technology that ensures optimal pressure and contact quality by detecting the precise torque applied during connection.

Always observe proper polarity when connecting your loudspeakers. The terminal marked "+" must connect to the positive output on your amplifier, while the terminal marked "-" must connect to the negative output. Stereo imaging and bass response will be significantly compromised if these connections are reversed. Use high-quality cables with appropriate gauge for your cable run length; your Starke Sound dealer can provide expert recommendations.

Stereo Positioning

Starke Sound loudspeakers are engineered to faithfully reproduce all music genres and home cinema content. Following these guidelines will help optimize their performance for exceptional tonal balance and realistic soundstaging:

Position your loudspeakers symmetrically facing the listening area, ideally forming an equilateral triangle. These distances can be adjusted to accommodate your room's layout while maintaining optimal sound quality.

Securing the HALO M1 Bookshelf Loudspeaker to a Stand

The M1 loudspeaker can be securely attached to either the Stand3s or StandB models using the provided hardware. Each stand comes with two M6 screws that align perfectly with the two M6 threaded inserts on the bottom of the speaker.

Ensure the M1 loudspeaker remains stable throughout the mounting process to prevent falls. The speaker must be firmly secured to the stand with properly tightened screws for optimal safety and performance.

Optimization

For audiophiles seeking perfect placement, consider this formula: If A represents the distance from the woofer center to the nearest wall or floor, B is the distance to the next closest boundary, and C is the greatest distance (A < B < C), the equation B² = AC determines ideal speaker placement.

Example: With the woofer center 24" (60cm) above the floor (A) and 28" (72cm) from the side wall (B), the ideal distance to the rear wall would be 32.7" (83cm) [C = B² / A = 32.7" (83cm)].

Mount the loudspeakers at identical heights in the same horizontal plane. For ideal performance, the tweeter should align with the listener's ear height in the primary listening position.

Avoid placing loudspeakers too close to room corners or walls, as this can create unwanted resonances and artificially boost bass response. If bass seems insufficient, carefully move the speakers closer to walls to achieve proper bass balance.

Mount the W1 Speakers to Your Wall

The W1 packaging includes a full-sized reference template that shows the actual dimensions of the speaker and precise positions for wall bracket mounting holes, along with recommended screw sizes.

Select an appropriate drill bit size and use a power drill to create holes at the marked positions on your wall. Then secure the wall mounting portion of the bracket using screws of the recommended size. Take special care to ensure the wall bracket is perfectly level.

Once you've confirmed the speaker is securely mounted, you can use the adjustment spikes on the rear of the speaker to fine-tune its angle. For optimal stability and performance, ensure both spikes maintain firm contact with the wall surface.

HALO Speakers: Spikes, Mounts & Pads

Starke Sound center channel and on-wall loudspeakers feature precision-engineered adjustable decoupling feet that ensure perfect stability on any surface. These sophisticated adjusters compensate for uneven platforms or wall mountings, guaranteeing all contact points maintain firm, consistent pressure for optimal acoustic performance and structural stability.

M1 bookshelf speakers come with premium silicone isolation pads that provide both protection and acoustic benefits. Before placing your speakers on furniture or shelving, make sure these specially designed pads are in position to prevent surface scratching while simultaneously minimizing unwanted vibration transfer between the speaker and supporting surface.

Recommendations for Use

Your loudspeakers' performance depends on room acoustics, speaker placement, and listener position. Fine-tuning these elements can enhance your listening experience.

• If stereo imaging seems imprecise or poorly centered: Try positioning the speakers closer together and/or angling them more directly toward the listening position.
• If sound appears harsh or aggressive: Your room may be too reverberant. Consider incorporating sound-absorbing materials (carpets, upholstered furniture, tapestries, curtains) and sound-diffusing elements (varied furniture pieces) to manage resonances.
• If sound seems flat or constrained: Your room may have excessive acoustic absorption. Seek balance between absorptive and reflective surfaces for optimal sound reproduction.

Generally, maintain a somewhat reflective wall behind the speakers to allow proper sound development. The wall behind the listening position should ideally incorporate absorptive materials to prevent reflections that could compromise stereo imaging.

Strategic furniture placement along side walls helps diffuse sound waves and prevents exciting specific frequency ranges, particularly in the midrange (eliminating flutter echoes).

Break-in Period

Starke Sound loudspeakers utilize sophisticated driver components that require time to reach optimal performance and acclimate to your room's temperature and humidity. This break-in period varies with environmental conditions and may extend several weeks. To expedite this process, Starke Sound recommends operating your loudspeakers for approximately twenty consecutive hours at moderate volume. Once fully stabilized, you will experience the complete sonic potential of your Starke Sound loudspeakers.

Special Precautions

Starke Sound loudspeakers require minimal maintenance—simply dust with a dry cloth. For more thorough cleaning, use a slightly damp cloth.

Never use solvents, detergents, alcohol-based or corrosive products, scrapers, or abrasive materials on any loudspeaker surface.

Keep all loudspeakers away from heat sources.

Warranty Conditions

All Starke Sound loudspeakers are covered by warranty through your authorized Starke Sound distributor. Your distributor can provide complete warranty details. Coverage extends at minimum to the legal warranty requirements in the country where the original purchase invoice was issued.

Environmental Disposal Notice

The symbol on this product indicates that it should not be disposed of with regular household waste. Please follow your local regulations for electronic waste disposal by taking it to a designated collection facility for electronic waste, or returning it to a retailer when purchasing a similar product.

In many regions, manufacturers have paid recycling fees to promote environmentally responsible processing of these products. Proper disposal contributes to resource reuse and recycling, minimizes environmental and health impacts, and helps avoid potential penalties for incorrect disposal.

Please consult your local waste management authorities for specific disposal requirements applicable to your region.