Starke Sound Halo Series Owner's Manual

Beyond Limits

In 2009, a group of Southern Californian designers, engineers, and audio enthusiasts joined together to form Starke Sound, a speaker company created specifically for high-end audiophiles. The founding partners shared an interest in high-end audio performance and felt that the current state of speaker technology, particularly multichannel technology, was lacking not only in performance but also in the design of the speakers themselves.

Starke Sound built a highly qualified multi-disciplinary design team to create a line of world-class speakers that combines state-of-the-art performance with a modern, sleek design. Strict standards and engineering excellence have made Starke Sound a leader in the audio industry. The company's goals were simple: high-performance speakers with groundbreaking technology housed in beautiful cabinetry.

Starke Sound's relentless focus is on accurate acoustic reproduction with minimal distortion. Their multi-channel systems fulfill the need for timbral accuracy, wide dynamic range, and optimal performance with speakers placed against, on, or in walls and ceilings. This approach allows everyone at home to enjoy the best music and sound in a clutter-free environment. A systems approach to design, featuring patented LMF Driver Technology®, advanced materials, and superior electrical components and cabinetry, combines to reproduce lifelike performances in customers' homes. Starke Sound innovations and vertical integration result in high-definition sound reproduction that is unparalleled.

Starke Sound hopes you enjoy listening to their speakers as much as they enjoyed making them.

Sincerely,
The Starke Sound Design Team

IW-H1

More Powerful Than It Looks

Diagram Description: A line drawing showing the front of the IW-H1 speaker with a tweeter at the top, a midrange driver below it, and a larger bass driver at the bottom. The back view shows input terminals and mounting points.

Specifications

Model: IW-H1 Elite / Be

More Powerful Than It Looks: The efficiently compact IW-H1 utilizes state-of-the-art Starke Sound LMF Technology™ that is proven to effectively reduce audio distortion. This model offers a rear enclosure shell ensuring easy installation, perfect for limited depth wall/ceiling assemblies. Rear aluminum hangers are included to provide a stable mounting foundation, diminishing its vibration factor. This beautifully designed speaker can be installed as an in-wall or on-wall application.

Location of Front Channel Speakers

Three loudspeakers should be placed across the front of the listening room for a home theater system. The width of the stereo image is determined by the distance between the left and right speakers. If speakers are too close, the image will be too narrow; if placed too far apart, the blend will suffer, creating a void in the middle section.

Your speakers should create a continuous "virtual image" when properly placed from left to right, creating an illusion of sound outside, in front of, and behind the speaker systems.

Starke Sound recommends a 45 to 60 degree angular separation when viewed from above. The distance between the speakers should be 75% of the distance from the speakers to the listener at the minimum 45° separation. At the maximum 60° separation, the distance between the speakers is equal to the distance from the speakers to the listener.

Diagram Description: A diagram illustrating optimal placement of front channel speakers (left, center, right) relative to a listener. It shows angular separation (45-60 degrees) and distance guidelines from the listener. Two variations are shown for different screen sizes: Picture 1 for screen size greater than 150", and Picture 2 for screen size smaller than 150".

To create a seamless sound image across the front, carefully consider location and placement. Optimally, there should be equal distance from the left, right, and center channel speakers to the listener location.

The height of the midrange/tweeter module of the front channel speakers should be installed as close as possible to the height of a seated listener's ears. The front channel tweeters should be located within two vertical feet of that height.

Location of Surround Speakers

Starke Sound provides the following information for surround speaker placement. While many opinions exist, Starke Sound offers recommendations based on thorough research, academics, and installation experience. The models used in illustrations are arbitrary and apply to both IW and IC series.

Preferred Surround Speaker Locations: If two surrounds are used in a standard 5.1 configuration, they are best mounted directly to the sides of the primary seating location, preferably within ±15° (see illustration). This placement is preferred over back wall mounting because it optimizes the ear's ability to discriminate left from right, producing maximum "envelopment." Mounting rear speakers behind the listener increases the angle between front and rear speakers, potentially reducing a continuous front-to-rear sound image. Locating surround speakers to the side improves the listening experience.

Diagram Description: Diagrams showing recommended placement of surround speakers for home theater setups. This includes preferred locations to the sides of the listener (within ±15 degrees) and alternate locations behind the listener. Diagrams also illustrate placement for multiple rows of seating, recommending one pair of surround speakers for every other seating row.

For even sound coverage, adjust the balance of all channels using a circulating noise signal until the apparent or measured sound level is even across multiple listening locations. Proper surround speaker placement minimizes level variation from seat to seat. Increasing the distance of surround speakers from the listening area improves evenness.

Mounting speakers high on side walls or in the ceiling can improve the listening experience. Surround speakers should be mounted at a minimum of one foot (305 mm) above the height of a standing listener. For ceiling-mounted speakers, place them close to the side walls, away from an overhead position, as placing them too high can create an artificial elevation in the surrounds.

For large theater rooms with three or more rows of seating, use more than one pair of surround speakers for even coverage and a more immersive sound field. Starke Sound recommends one pair for every other seating row (first, third, fifth, etc.), mimicking professional cinema applications.

Speaker Connection

Prior to wiring, plan and lay out wiring paths from speakers to the amplifier. For runs up to 25 feet, use 16-gauge wire; for longer runs, use 14-gauge wire. Ensure speaker wire integrity is not threatened by sharp objects. Allow approximately an extra foot (305 mm) of wire at the speaker location for easy connection.

For standard single-wire connections: unscrew one set of terminal knobs (counter-clockwise). Remove approximately 1/2" (12mm) of wire insulation from the two conductors, twist the strands into a tight bundle, insert into the terminal shaft hole, and rotate the terminal knob clockwise to secure. Ensure no stray wire strands touch the other terminal shaft.

Confirm that the positive and negative speaker terminals of the amplifier connect to the corresponding + (red) and - (black) terminals at the speakers. Speaker wires are typically marked with striped or ridged insulation, or color coding, to identify conductors. Wires with pin lugs or spade lugs are accepted. Dual banana plugs can also be plugged into the rear terminals.

Series/parallel wiring is used when connecting more than two speakers per amplifier channel. Ensure the total impedance does not fall below the amplifier's rating. Contact your STARKESOUND dealer if you have questions.

Diagram Description: A diagram illustrating how to connect speaker wire to the binding post terminals, showing positive (+) and negative (-) connections.

Power Handling and Listening Levels

Starke Sound recommends reasonable amplifier power output settings to avoid distortion. Even a modest amplifier producing distortion can damage speakers. Turn down the volume if you hear a gritty noise or other signs of strain. Prolonged or repeated operation with a distorted signal can cause damage not covered by the warranty. Do not overdrive the bass capability of smaller speakers. Listen for noises like pops caused by bass lines. Use of loudness controls and/or full bass boost at louder volumes may overdrive the woofer; use such controls sparingly.

How to Care for your Speakers

Slightly dampen a soft terry cloth towel with water, glass cleaner, or a diluted, mild detergent. Carefully clean the speakers. The towel should be just damp enough to remove surface dirt without leaving moisture. Do not use abrasive cleaners or any cleaner containing chemicals harsher than those found in glass cleaner.

Limited Warranty

Starke Sound will repair for the original owner any defect in materials or workmanship that occurs in normal use of the speaker system, without charge for parts and labor, for ten years from the date of purchase.

It is your responsibility to use the product according to the instructions supplied, to provide safe and secure transportation to an authorized Starke Sound service representative, and to present proof of purchase from an authorized Starke Sound dealer (sales slip) when requesting service.

Damage resulting from abuse, misuse, accidents, shipping, repairs, or modifications by anyone other than an authorized Starke Sound service representative is excluded from this warranty. This warranty is void if the serial number has been removed or defaced.

This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights that vary from state to state.

If Service Seems Necessary: Contact the dealer from which you purchased the speaker system. If not possible, email service@starkesound.com or write to: Starke Sound, Inc., ATTN: Service Department, 17810 S. Main St. Ste. B, Gardena, CA 90248.

Starke Sound will promptly advise you on the action to take. If it is necessary to return your speaker system to the factory, ship it prepaid in the original factory packaging. Starke Sound is not liable for shipping damage due to improper packaging. Repaired items will be returned freight prepaid in the U.S. or Canada.

For European Customers: The symbol ♻️ found on the product indicates that the product must not be disposed of with household waste. Instead, it may be placed in a separate collection facility for electronic waste or returned to a retailer when purchasing a similar product. The producer has paid to recycle this product, contributing to reuse and recycling, minimizing adverse effects on the environment and human health, and avoiding fines for incorrect disposal.