After HK, Denon, and Onkyo, here's another 2.1 stereo receiver

[Danny Tse]

New Sherwood stereo receiver spotted on Sherwood's website. Did a little bit of research and here's a pic from soundstage.com....

http://www.soundstage2.com/lasvegas2008/jan07c/sherwood_2channel.jpg

Caption from soundstage.com....

Remember the stereo receiver? So does Sherwood,which has devised a solution for playing back multichannel audio sources such as SACD or DVD-Audio players through a two-channel system. The RX-4503 has a 5.1 channel input that will convert the signal to stereo and output it with Dolby Virtual Speaker or Dolby Headphone processing to simulate a surround speaker system. It is priced at only $149.

According to Sherwood's website, the RX-4503 2.1 stereo receiver (http://www.sherwoodusa.com/prod_rx4503.html) has a dedicated subwoofer output.

[Kex]

Looks like a cool unit. I would probably not have much trouble going back to two channel, with the ability to use a subwoofer, we'll see ...

Whilst the price is almost scary, I'm not too excited about those speaker connections, which look like the good ol' spring loaded "pinch 'em in" version.

[ben62670]

They have had these at Rat Shack for a while. You would be so much better served looking for a refurbed HK from the HK ebay store. If you take your time you can find them under $200.

[Danny Tse]

Whilst the price is almost scary, I'm not too excited about those speaker connections, which look like the good ol' spring loaded "pinch 'em in" version.

The Sherwood RX-4109 stereo receiver (http://www.sherwoodusa.com/prod_rx4109.html) (with binding posts and phono pre-amp) will only be $60.00 at Radio Shack on "Black Friday".

[ben62670]

The Sherwood RX-4109 stereo receiver (http://www.sherwoodusa.com/prod_rx4109.html) (with binding posts and phono pre-amp) will only be $60.00 at Radio Shack on "Black Friday".

That would be a cheap way to do a puter system:eek:

[Danny Tse]

That would be a cheap way to do a puter system:eek:

Here's the Radio Shack "ad" for the Sherwood on "Black Friday" (http://bfads.net/Sherwood-RX4109-Stereo-Receiver-at-RadioShack)

[Kex]

Did anyone notice that the output is rated 100w/ch, at 0.1% THD?! WTF, I'm surprised because almost nobody uses such a borderline measure, and at 0.1% THD, according to hometheatermag.com, my trusty ol' h/k 147 puts out 89.5w/ch when driving just two channels, and it's a whole lot more versatile since it's a full blown 5.1 receiver with HDMI and comprehensive bass management features, not to mention that the published specifications are just 50w x 2ch (40w x 5ch).

Still, it seems like a bit of a bargain for a two channel rig, and if Sherwood power is anything like NAD power, 100w/ch is far more than enough for clean sound in my experience. If it can't match those published specifications on the bench, however, it may be a bit of a dud.

[ben62670]

Yeah and that is at 40-20k. They are pretty crappy, but $60 it would be a decent workshop, or puter rig.

[Keiko]

Yamaha has the RX-797 which is a 2.1 receiver. I've owned it for a couple years now and have been very pleased. It can be had for just under 400.00 new if you shop around a little.

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200028&CTID=5000600

[johnda]

I have not one, but TWO Sherwood RX-4109 receivers. I got the first last year, on sale at RS for $80. I liked the sound so much, I picked up another one this year at the full price, $100. Folks who dismiss this unit, without listening to it in their home, are really doing a disservice to people who are trying to keep their expenses down while wanting to listen to a good stereo system. The web specs are not the same as the owner manual's specs. The frequency range for the owner's state 100 watts per channel from 20-20K at .07% distortion, not from 40-20K at.9% as shown on the web. Specs scmecks, what really counts is how does the RX-4109 sound. Lemme tell ya, it AIN'T "crap" or only good as a "puter" system. It has an extremely clean sound with excellent sound staging and can pump out volume with the best of them. I am running one in my listening room coupled to Polk Monitor 30's and a Polk PSW10 subwoofer. The sound is right up there with the best I've heard. In my study, I am driving a pair of Best Buy Insignia 6.5" speakers with the other Sherwood and that sound is very satisfying, again it's very clean, but not overly harsh. The bass just doesn't go down quite as far as the subwoofer can take me. It also includes a very decent phono section, not seen much these days. Since I still enjoy vinyl, this is a nice feature for me. The 4503 has a subwoofer output which is helpful. I wired my 4019 to the sub and then from the sub to the speakers. Having the sub output simplifies that.

There ARE some caviats:

The RX-4109 receiver is not designed for speakers rated below 8 ohms, so you need to be aware of what impedances your speakers have.

In searching the web, I read about some units failing and the owners being told that there are no replacement parts. It's a throw away society these days, and this seems to be the case with a lot of new electronic gear. Fixing it will cost more than buying a new one. Thus far I have had no problems with mine, they run cool and have been fully reliable. Would I take a chance on another one on sale? You betcha!:D

[curved]

Sherwood makes some good AVR's - the Newcastle

http://sherwoodusa.com/nc_cat_av.html

[Danny Tse]

Sherwood makes some good AVR's - the Newcastle

Don't forget the separates from Atlantic Technolgy, Boston Acoustics, Outlaw Audio, and of course, its own Newcastle line.