An Unexpected Bargain: The Sherwood RX-4109 Stereo Receiver
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- If you are considering the purchase of a modern stereo receiver, here is one you really ought to look at. The Sherwood RX-4109 (or the recently discontinued Best Buy Insignia NS-R2000) stereo receiver is a heck of a deal for the money (less than $100 USD as of this writing). Although its power ratings are bit optimistic, this receiver still manages to put out some pretty good sound. It may be a little soft in the bass department, but the dimmable/blankable display, numerous inputs, decent remote control, dedicated phono input and strong power supply (complete with nice 'n heavy transformer) make this a receiver worthy of a long and hard look if you're in the market for a stereo receiver. I would say it compares very well to even much more expensive offerings.
Both of mine came from eBay. One was new in the box.This one was said to be "broken".
If there is anything wrong with this design, it would be the stingy heatsink that Sherwood chose to use for cooling the final power transistors. And an RDS decoder would have been nice, to make use of the fully alphanumeric display. (There's a plug in for this card on the main board, as the European versions of the RX-4109 have an RDS decoder.)
Sherwood has a tremendous OEM business and a long history. They are making many of Pioneer's current-day stereo receivers, as well as those of others. And, perhaps rather amazingly, I did get service literature for this unit out of them after some bothering and asking.
The RX-4105 receiver is largely identical to the RX-4109/NS-R2000, but it lacks the phono input. With it, you get a "TV/VIDEO" line level input in place of the phono input. - Наука та технологія
how ironic I found one of these in a thrift store and I've been subbed to you for years I googled it and your video popped up. What a lovely small world and I remember watching this when this video came out.
I’ve had mine for 5 years and it still works great! Like the video says, use 8 ohm speakers and you will be fine.
Sherwood, for the price point is truly a good value.
My friend gave me this unit with a couple of old Infiniti speakers that stand 21 1/2 inches tall. You know, speakers from the ol' days. This set was rarely used, so in great condition! I'm very happy with the quality of highs and lows coming from these speakers hooked up to this unit. Now all I need is a real turntable and I'll be able to play one of my 1,300 records! (I used to work in a record store in college.) Looking forward to hearing a true representation of the music and not the digital (flat) sound.
It's very clean. Crank some Led Zeppelin. Or The Who. You'll like it.
This is one of the greatest 'cheap buys' of the century! I had a set of Sony 15" speakers (Not this junk they call speakers today) that could take a couple hundred watts, got one of these things from Best Buy in like 1999 (Only $99 back then I think). I lived in a house that was a bit detached from the rest of the neighborhood - and I cranked that thing up big time. It shook my whole house with the monstrous bass it could deliver. The neighbors always thought my choice of music (they could hear it... lol) was pretty good.
But over time it would over heat and shut down saving itself from my abuse. I installed an internal cooling fan for the power stage, and it could go on all night with the crap I fed it. What an amazing piece of equipment. Wasn't too hard to find the 12v needed for the cooling fan.
3 years later, I bought another one for a friend. That one is still in use to this day more than 10 years later. Eventually my transformer died in my original fan modded receiver a couple of years ago. Tried to find a replacement transformer but good luck with that lol.
So, I went on Craigslist and found a used Sony unit with similar specs for only 35 bucks.
Lo and behold, I took the cover off that thing and it was almost an identical design as my dead Sherwood unit.
This design is a really good one. I've been an electronics tech both radio and pro-audio my entire life and I just gotta say, it rocks. This thing is a sleeper that delivers!
i have the RX-4105 and i have them hooked up to my Pioneer CS-822's and i love it, most sound is crisp, and it makes my concrete floor shake
I bought mine around 2007. I had just acquired a nice Yamaha turn table from 1983 and was looking everywhere for a phono receiver. My ex wife and I drove all over the Quad Cities looking for one but to no avail. Finally in desperation we stopped at Radio Shack and found this receiver for $100 bucks. I still have it to this day.
I have this receiver and love it I do not use it all the time but when I do I load it to two ohms using a speaker selector switch and have never had any problems with it driving 3 pairs of 8 ohm speakers. even in 100+ degree South Texas heat!((outside) in shade under a tree) But then again the speakers are all very efficient. and do not require a lot of power to get the desired volume. I will agree with you that it is lacking in the BASS department.
Thank you I learnt something new about hooking up four speakers at the same time, your way of explaining in simple English is great. Thanks.
Thanks for your informative video. I just purchased one of these :)
Bought this unit a year ago from my local thrift store for $20 to replace a Sony STR-535 5.1 surround sound. The Sony had 100 w x 5 and more features but the Sherwood actually sounds better - clean and crisp. But what I like about this receiver is that is simple and clean and the function buttons are intuitive and obvious. My only issue is I purchased a new pair of Sony SSC-S5 speakers which are rated at 6 ohms. I am concerned that the extra current draw will affect the amplifier life. The sound is fantastic with these speakers.
I saw a Sherwood RX-4103 at Goodwill today, which was the predecessor to the RX-4105, with basically the same features and styling. Had it been the model with a phono input I would've grabbed it, but without that feature, it wasn't quite worthwhile enough for me.
Some friends of mine had the same problem with a newer PIoneer (probably Chinese made) receiver....no phono input. I bought them an external phono preamp and plugged it into one the aux inputs. Worked very well and no hum or distortion. I guess the manufacturers never dreamed that vinyl would be making the comeback that it is doing now.
Picked one up at a tag sale yesterday for $15. Phono input sealed the deal.
hi bill, happy new year from australia.
i just have to say i love your videos man.
i like how you go into detail on each amp, open them up, and show us the back of them, and your opinions are great and some of your funny comments in each video make me laugh :)
Great review! I own it (bought a month ago). The sound is great/clean. However here are some things I really dislike about it. 1) No TAPE monitoring loop (you can't hook up a stereo eq and push "tape" and listen to everything equalized). 2) No switched AC outlet on the back (or even unswitched). 3) Euro style FM antenna jack...not a true 75 ohm F type 4) amp section clips in early when running low impedance loads at higher volumes. I am running a 4.1 ohm speaker load into it and it plays well at normal volume...but will clip at higher volumes. This receiver performs like a 50 wpc...not 105 wpc. Yet, the sound/separation/coloration is really clean for a $100 receiver. I have two Harman/Kardon receivers (HK 3490 and an older 80's HK385i). This Sherwood RX-4109 sounds as clean as these two receivers, but doesn't have the high current headroom like they do. Lastly, I think the speaker connectors are the cause for people frying these receivers...bad design and one can easily short out the amp section by inserting the speaker wire incorrectly (leaving too much wire stripped and shorting against the casing). My two cents! Glad I got it...using it in the bedroom for light duty listening.
bought this now from goodwill for 20$ and don't know what to expect
thanks for your reply to my question yesterday (youtube would not let me type a reply to that message for some reason). I will look for those cut outs. The description in the manual was very odd so I could never figure that out.
The vintage receivers and vintage amplifiers were no doubt were way above in power and bass, the new systems are not like them.
100% true statement...i hate these so called high ( rms)watt per channel ratting as we know it lie when receiver only need lets say 200 watts total in well that sure don't add up when it going output min of 4 channels or even 6 now as of today. My vintage Marantz blows doors off these newer receivers when comes needing true rms power
I have one of these for my turntable setup. It works great on the cheap!
The Speaker terminals have Banana plugs at the end of each terminal you can
use the speaker terminal you were showing for split speakers that have two
cables to each speaker.
ok so that unit will go up to volume 63, well i once had mine running on 53 for almost 2 hours and it got nice and warm but it never had any problems, thats why it has a heatsink that is as big as it is.
Bill, I enjoy your videos very much and I agree with you that I love the vintage audio equipment, better then the new. IN my opinion I think the vintage stereo equipment is superior to the new audio. The Sherwood receiver is interesting, but I wanted to ask you if you knew about the new receiver from Yamaha. The only other receiver that I know of that has a Phono output stage. The model is R-S 300BL. Yamaha makes very impressive products and I may try the Yamaha out. But I bet it can't beat the sound of my Technics receiver from 1992!!!!!
Those speaker connections are more involved to use. But, they allow more choices in wire.
I have the same receiver hooked up to two mid 1980s Kenwood Tower Speakers that are bracketed to the wall in my garage. It kicks butt and can rattle my whole garage. For $99.00 at RadioShack, it does its job well.
I have a few of these pretty good for what they cost. You can also get these cheap on ebay. I upgraded the the main filter caps and also changed the main transistors to 2SB1570 & 2SD2401 darlingtons. A couple 70mm cpu fans on the heat sink and it performs very nicely. I will be doing a 4 ohm test eventually but I think I may have to find a heavier heat sink for the transistors first.
HI UXWBILL THAT WAS MY FIRST RECEIVER I GOT AT RADIO SHACK FOR 90 DOLLARS NEW AND I STILL HAVE IT TODAY IN STORGE AND I HAVE YAMAHA RX-V592 WITCH KICKS BUTT AND I LOVE WATCHING YOUR SHOWS AND I AM FROM PENNSYLVANIA
I had a Sherwood receiver when I was a kid, the surround sound channel died and I had the replacement warranty from Circuit City, So I exchanged it for a Sony. The Sony worked well until I got rid of it. The Sony had more features and sounded better but did cost more. I still think Sherwood is a good brand. I've also had some urban audio car amps and they were decent and are made by Sherwood. I now have a Kenwood KA-6006 Integrated Amplifier hooked up to a pair of Realistic Optimus-1s.
Just Got a Sherwood AX-7030R INTEGRATED STEREO AMP...90watts per channel x2 @4Ohms .....Got it for £25. and Running it on Whardale Diamond III Bookshelf speakers....OHHHH MY!! ....The Sound Reproduction Is way out of this world....Sounds better than 500+ amps.....The Speakers got them for £10......One of the best systems iv owned....
i once found one of these sherwood receivers out on the side of the road in perfect working condition and perfect cosmetic condition it looked and worked like brand new there wasn't a thing wrong with it, i hooked it up and watched 1 episode of the melancholy of haruhi suzumiya, was unsatisfied with the sound quality and unhooked it, set my vintage panasonic bookshelf stereo back up and sold the sherwood for 25$ at a pawn shop
i have the same amp as that and it never failed me once and it only cost me $200 brand new and its on 365 days a year
i bought this at radio shack for $100 and hooked it up to my sdat leb-404 tower speakers and i thumped so hard at volume level 32 my neighbor across the street heard me but be warned to dont max it out with big speakers hooked up it will shut off automatically "and may not turn back on" but i have had no problms with mine and dont expect to have any... a great deal at that price
I went overboard on the caps, 39,000uf 80v x2. lol I got a good deal what can I say. Unloaded the transformer charges them up to about 56v if I remember correctly. As far as the fans go I used some 70X15mm AMD cpu fans. You can mount them by drilling holes in the heatsink or by simply using super glue to hold them into place. With the upgraded darlingtons, my heatsink gets quite warm, I do push it really hard tho. I have another set of 8 ohm speakers on the way so we will see how It does.
Those are my favorite kind of speaker jacks (on home gear) you don't have to worry about the wires coming loose, they will take thicker wire then most cheap clip connectors and they will take banana plugs.
But I agree, for bare wire, they are a pain and manufacturers usually put them way too close together.
Your speaker selector must be impedance matching if you plan to use one so that the impedance won't go down to 2 ohms and overheat the amplifier section.(most receivers cant handle 2 ohms)
Actually most recievers do run them in parallel.
My 1976 Pioneer SX-650, 1980 Pioneer SX-3900 and 1981 Sanyo Plus 55 all do this, as well as my 1988 Technics SU-V98 integrated amp.
Some receivers that are made for 8 to 16 ohm speakers can actually handle 4 ohm speakers because they have a impedance switch on the back of the receiver
Thanks so much for this video. I have read poor reviews for the 4109 but you encouraged me to give it a try. I bought a brand new one which was packaged with a pair of Alto620 speakers which are 6 Ohm despite the warnings in the manual not to run the unit at less than 8 Ohms!!! Well I've been running it sensibly and I love it. The punchy yet warm sound is exactly what I was looking for and I was very pleased to achieve it with my limited budget. Rocking Australia! Thanks again.
Don't wamt vintage equipment? Shit, I've got a Sony amplifier thats going on 45 years old and it still works like new.
Would it be okay to use one pair of speakers that are rated for 4-8 ohms? Specifically the Micca MB42
@uxwbill Sorry for late reply, I have since bought another 4109 for another part of our house so I reckon we're sorted for a few years now. RDS was interesting, the demo unit at JB HiFi in Perth was an RDS unit but when I got home I found that the unit in the box was not RDS. I wasn't worried, that would have been a bit fancy for Perth anyway!. BTW, paid about $160 Australian including the speakers but everything's expensive in Australia, heck, I get my levi's flown in from USA!! Good luck.
i have nice vintage kenwood 5 way speakers (2 tweeters 2 5" midranges 1 12 inch woofer each) that i used with it and it just didn't have the punch, but hooked up to the panasonic stereo they hit hard
this is superb unit/ I have on my night table (little too big for/but has a lot of volumne for any family room
If you wire speakers up to a av receiver at an impedance that is lower than what the receiver can handle you will damage the receiver and also you will hear cracklings sounds coming from the av receiver itself and see smoke come out of the receiver as well
great lookin reciever there bill gotta love it and great bargin too
I bought one of these new at RadioShack for $109.99 plus tax (for a grand total of $115.49). Not a bad buy at all.
u can put a subwoofter to 1 of the speakers left or right?? well some home theatre subwoofers have 2 normal speaker out puts at the back of the sub 1 of them are in. plug the sub in into 1 of the speaker inputs at the back of receiver and plug out from the subwoofer out
just like this video how you said something along the lines of the amp wont blast a party down the street and the police coming if you crank it up :)
good stuff, i like your sense of humour.
Can i please suggest you to upload a video of my receiver ===> Onkyo TX-SR700
and i would love to see you do a video on cleaning the inside of a receiver with a dust can and a cleaning electronic solvent spray bottle with instructions on how much spray to use, and if its ok to spray liquid on the whole board, transistors, heatsink etc
well i have always been satisfied with the quality of the amp in dolby d. Of course there is so much competition, there a lot of good amps out there. Something different from the normal Japanese stuff i guess. But then, we have owned a Sony tv that broke within 6 years, Japanese vcrs that broke and broke again after fixing it. Also dvd player that broke. Had a Sherwood dolby d amp over a decade and works great. I don't abuse it though. Find it actually works fine for music too.
I had two of these got them from CL cheap and for a good reason, because that is exactly what they are. One of them died in a short time. The power supplies are less stout than some of the vintage 10w per channel receivers. Tiny transformers and main filter caps are a joke. A 105w per channel receiver at 20lb? you have to be kidding! maybe at 1KHZ peak for one tenth of a second, just gutless. I'm using one as a preamp because it came with a remote outside. Had a friend help me cut in some pre outs thats about all its good for even then the sound is gutless. I will be getting rid of it soon. Have never been so disappointed in a receiver and I had many of all kinds of caliber until going separates, wish someone pointed me in that direction many years ago, would have save a lot of time and money. In my opinion if you are on a budget get a good vintage pro audio amp and pre amp and call it a day, in many cases they perform just as well if not better than some of the high pedigree amps. There are hidden gems out there that fly under the radar, that will be your quest Im just pointing you in the right direction! ;-)
1. Please _don't_ preach to the choir. I've got plenty of vintage hi-fi equipment, some of which I've made videos about.
2. I've tested them (1 kHz sine wave into an 8 ohm dummy load) and found that all of my examples of the Sherwood RX-4105/4109 do meet or slightly exceed their claimed power ratings. The design may well only be just good enough, but sometimes just good enough _is_ good enough.
These tests lasted for several minutes to half an hour. Maximum output isn't the most "stressful" time for a class AB amplifier anyway. That's actually around the 1/3rd rated output mark. To be sure, the components got hot, but only my dummy loads showed any sign of distress.
3. As great as vintage hi-fi gear is, and it certainly is, a lot of it is old enough now to require significant service. Many people aren't interested in being technically inclined enough to do this. They just want to hear the music. The Sherwood isn't a bad choice for this audience.
4. Speaker selection matters a *lot* with these. That seems to have been a long running thing with Sherwood's designs. I've got an RA-1140 from the late 1980s and it's the same way. (It's flea powered, but also a favorite of mine. A lot of more powerful receivers have filled in for it, yet time and again it's the one I come back to. What it lacks in power, it more than makes up for in excellent sound reproduction with the right speakers.)
Enjoyed watching your video on the sherwood stereo receiver. I am thinking of purchasing a rx4105 within the next week and wanted to know if i could install a small fan on the unit to help it cool down when the unit is running hot.
hi bill,
i have the same type of receiver. when plugged in the standby light illuminates red. when i press the power button the unit powers on and will display an fm station for a few seconds and then powers off, but the stanby light (red) remains on. i am somewhat able fix it, but any suggestion on what might be bad will be greatly appreciated.
thank you, ed v.
sherwood is underated and kind of unheard of over here in u.k. not sure where to buy one here. you say that Sherwood makes the components for pioneer. I also heard they make components for other brands. hm, is this true. They can't be bad if they are making the insides for brands better known than themselves.
Is that a bong?
Makes the amp sound better
Thanks I have just purchased one
Right on, thanks man.
I have one of these. Got it for my wife and kids, so they keep their hands off my Harman Kardon home theater receiver, my Onkyo stereo receiver, and my vintage Marantz and Sansui units. Had a kid, who never admitted to it, destroy a very expensive Carver amplifier of mine entertaing friends once. Never again, so I bought this for them to play with instead. Paired it with a pair of old Radio Shack Minimus 7 speakers from the 70s I had laying around the garage, paired with an old, (name unknown ) passive 10" down-firing subwoofer with it's own built in crossover. It sounds great. Granted, it's not as beautiful, or flawless like my other receivers, nor does it meet demands of a discriminating audiophile, but at the price point of only $79.99, I'd say it's pretty hard to beat. It doesn't produce 105 watts RMS into 8 ohms per channel, as the overly sensationalized, exaggerated claims of the manufacturer suggest, and certainly not near the 75 real world, high current, RMS watts of my 2275 Marantz. I'm sure it also doesn't have true low % THD, or high signal to noise ratio figures like my better equipment, either. But it's got a decent amount of reserve power for moderately decent sound to satisfy the tastes of most average listeners.
I have rules established for it's use, and keep bass and treble controls straight up at zero, only 8 ohm speakers on A, not to be paired with B speakers, and they are only allowed to turn it up to a certain number volume, preventing damage due to an over enthusiastic moron at the volume knob. Not a bad setup, and if you crank the volume enough, it produces nice, full range sound with decent bass. I don't know what others mean about bass limitations. I think it's all relative to the size woofers you're driving, their individual driver characteristics, such as SPL (efficiency) and Xmax (excursion). I don't find it any different, better or worse than any average Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, or Panasonic Technics in any regard, or any other similar consumer grade receiver in this category of quality ranging in the $99- $169 price range. It's as good as any of those mentioned, many costing much more. For $80, it's a bargain. If you are looking for something in this lower price range, and don't want to break the bank on a HK, Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, Marantz, etc, this might be one of your best choices.
Your commentary about the Carver amplifier reminds me of burning out a voltage regulator in my father's Pioneer SX-5 receiver. I was scared to death when the front panel went mad and the tuner display showed nonsensical characters. At the time, he decided to have it repaired, and the repairman said that the failure was a common problem due to heat.
At the time, the repairman said he'd remote mount the new regulator so it wouldn't happen again. The repair did indeed prove reliable, though I always wondered if the part had really been remote mounted. Years later, when the volume control got dirty and noisy, a look inside confirmed what was done.
I tested the Insignia (Best Buy) branded version of this receiver with a set of dummy loads, and at least by the numbers it does make the power ratings they claim. I have my doubts that the power transistors have sufficient cooling to do so for too long, and there's no question that the sound isn't as rich and full as a vintage receiver of similar specification. Why that is, I don't know. For a modern receiver, and considering that it's one of only a few still having a phono preamp built in, I still like it.
@@uxwbill Indeed, my friend. The Best Buy Insignia model is, in fact, the same receiver as the Sherwood. It's not a bad receiver. I'm a bit surprised that it would produce a real 105 watts RMS into 8 ohms throughout the frequency spectrum, from 20hz to 20KHz. Makes me curious to see if anyone has dynoed this receiver's amplifier. I do know when most manufacturers rate their products, they don't. Where some others are more discreetly, conservatively rated in those high current brands I mentioned above. I never considered Sherwood to be among those brands. But what they do offer is value. Considering what a similarly equipped Sony with comparable (advertised) power, and features would cost possibly twice the price.
Your story about the Pioneer brings back memories of my first receiver, a Pioneer SX model I bought new before I developed a penchant for Marantz. They were good units. Well built, quality made to last. I only retired it a few years ago, giving it to a friend, but the damn thing is more than 35 years old, and still works, despite the many years of hard use, me being an enthusiastic listener in my early twenties back in the day. Thanks for your reply, and comments, friend. Warm regards, and best wishes.
I did once put the Sherwood (the very one shown in this video, in fact) up against some other vintage receivers. (These were a Pioneer SX-1250 and a Technics SA-1010.) The performance difference was definitely marked. Both of those receivers left the Sherwood in the dust, yet in the right place I'd be very happy with it. The biggest difference was the "warmth" of the sound each receiver output. The Sherwood never blew up or became unstable, though.
Even though I took video of this, I'll probably never post it because music on UA-cam has become nothing but a pain and there were some other issues.
Speaker selection does make a big difference with the Sherwoods.
I did my power output tests at 1 kHz. I probably don't have equipment that's good enough to test at much higher frequencies than that. The receiver under test managed about 107 WPC RMS into eight ohms, although the stingy heatsink for the final output transistors got real hot in a hurry. I then wound it up to clipping, and there it made my 120 watt rated dummy loads start smoking a little bit. Needless to say, I didn't do that for very long.
I have another Sherwood model, an RA-1140 from the 1980s. It's paired up with some (very well made) 1980s Garrard GSS-817 branded speakers. This is a flea powered receiver (albeit one with a discrete output stage). Even so, it's a favorite. Lots of other integrated amplifiers and receivers have come along to my computer desk, many with far more power. Yet the little RA-1140 keeps coming back. Paired up with the right speakers, it sounds nothing short of amazing. If you ever found one cheap somewhere, I'd definitely recommend picking it up.
@@uxwbill I have far too many receivers, and amps to consider picking anymore receivers up. My wife would have a stroke if I brought one more home. LOL! I have about 6 vintage Marantz's, including the very first one I ever bought more than 35 years ago, when i was in high school. Then i have about 3 Yamahas, 2 Harman Kardons, 5 Onkyos, a Denon, Hafler and Carver amplifiers, etc, etc. And then speakers: Don't even get me started. Got rid of all my turntables, reel to reel, and down to only 2 cassette decks collecting dust, that I haven't used in over a decade. Storage becomes a problem when you acquire so much stuff.
My thoughts are that if you were able to rate a receiver's amplifier on a dyno from 20hz to 20khz the results may be different. Especially at those lower frequencies that really matter, such as those right at say, 40 hz or just below that, which is deep bass you can feel. This is where less superior, or inferior amplifiers show their stuff, whether they have it, or whether they don't. But it's not all about watts, and RMS power. There are many other factors to consider, such as Signal to Noise Ratio, and Total Harmonic Distortion. I have a Marantz 1030 amplifier that only produces 30 watts of RMS power x 2, and it's probably one of the nicest sounding amplifiers I've heard. Playing through a pair of Alesis bookshelf speakers, (or the KLH's I had them paired with), the depth, and clarity is amazing. Other than perhaps a subwoofer one might want to fill out the missing deep, powerful bass, there is little or nothing it would need to satisfy even the most critical, most discriminating audiophiles.
I don't doubt the Sherwood can achieve 105 watts. I do wonder as to whether it could throughout the entire frequency spectrum, and whether that's certified, before clipping, or uncertified with 10% distortion, and then there's dynamic (peak) power during short bursts. There are many ways to rate anamplifier, but unless it is rated by CEA certified standards, it can be like comparing apples to orangatans. And trusting ratings achieved by anything other than the CEA rating standards, for comparison sake would be like prescribing mail order medicine, and can set actual figures apart like night and day. But the Sherwood receiver is an excellent value, and bargain priced. If I were to advise someone looking for a two channel stereo receiver for under $200, I'd recommend it over anything in it's class due to the low price. Without question, Sherwood does a better job than anyone else at, "bang-for-the-buck." They are unmatched in that respect. The one I have in my home sounds very decent, and nearly as good as many others I have that cost a substantially higher price. When I consider that, comparing a $79 receiver to other receivers costing upwards of 10 times that, that's pretty substantial. 😀
Hi, was very surprised to see such recent replies on a 10-yr-old video! I have this receiver and am looking to add a subwoofer. This unit does not have a dedicated subwoofer output though. What is my best option? Is there a way to connect a powered or non-powered subwoofer to it? If so, any recommendations on particular models that might pair well with this unit? If not, should I invest in better speakers that have better bass output (I bought the speakers 7 yrs ago when I bought this unit)? Thanks for your help!
Hi I have a question, I have two speakers (8ohm) that say to use with 5-250 watt amplifiers. I was wondering if I could hook them up to this receiver along with two other Sony bookshelf speakers (8ohm) or if it would blow up the receiver?
i can easly use this as a subwoofer amp!!!
ok thanks i have another reciever with issue its a kenwood and it was kicking on and off on its own when on did plauy well now it wont come on when i try amd turn it on the relay main click rapidly and i can see blue flashing in it its white in color any ideas?
could you explain about the speaker connectors a bit, you say 'you unscrew them and stick the wires in there." Do the wires get inserted in the holes of the connector, or placed behind what you have unscrewed against the cabinet? I have never understood these and have put mine in the holes of the connector but sometimes one will fall out. thanks
*****
My light comes on, but can not get sound what could be wrong
Check the speaker selector switches to be sure at least one speaker system is on (A or B as appropriate). If that's good, check your speaker wiring. Finally, make sure the volume is set properly and that whatever source you want to hear is both of selected and actually playing.
what a coincidence! The same AM frequency as News Talk Radio 580CFRA
UXWbill, I recently purchased this same receiver off craigslist. I have connected an accoustimass Bose surround sound system to it minus the video speaker. It sounds ok, I'm just concerned about the 16 ohm requirement with A and B speakers connected, I have the subwoofer connected with the cube speakers going to the sub, and two surround speakers connected to the B side. Will this damage anything as far as speaker or receiver? Thanks dd
It's really hard to say for certain. The impedance of a speaker system is always given as a nominal figure, and varies with frequency. I expect that unless you play the system quite loudly, that it should be fine. Just give it decent ventilation. If you can, don't stack anything on top of it.
Can you tell me one thing.... on websites, they say this receiver only goes down to 45hz. is this true? i have a subwoofer that hits 25hz. i would be using the passthrough on the sub. i dont want this unit limiting my frequency range, could you tell me if it goes as low as 25hz?
Does yours have a slight hiss sound to it? Every one I have does. Its by no means bad but kinda annoying when its not playing anything. I think Im going to upgrade to a pair of audiosource amp100's as it comes with a toroidal transformer. any experience with those?
ok this might qualify for dumbest question of the year but here goes...Can you add ventilation to the sides?
I suppose you can, if you're skilled at metalworking or even if you're not and don't happen to care what the end result looks like. Just take the top cover off before you start modifying it, and make sure you've cleaned all the metal shavings out.
i don't quite remember what model it was i sold it off 9 months ago
very well spoken!
I recently bought one of these but the volume knob does not work any suggestions?
With all the stuff that runs hot these days, you'd think the DC fan had never been invented.
I'm not sure if one of the other commenters asked this, but what speakers do you reccomend using? Any brand prefference? If not, any technical prefference?
My friend has one connected to some old Sansui speakers. Ok bass, but not like his old early 90s Kenwood
UXWBILL, Thanks for putting this out there, and I caught the part about 16 ohms Vs. 8 ohms on A&B, which is where the amp would trip off line and shut off, will rum my Kirksaeter 130 Monitor pair on A bank and no others, as I understand to get the best use of this receiver, Is that corrcet?
I have eight ohms speakers hooked them up on the a side is this correct?
I have one of these and no matter what input there is a considerable amount of static in the background. I've tried moving the power cord away from the RCA and speaker wires but it still has static. I've tried it with other speakers too and have the same results. Any suggestions? Maybe shielded RCA cables?
i have a kenwood reciever that keeps kicking on and off on its own any ideas what i can look at?
Bill, I just picked one of these up for $20 and have this question: If the MUTE button was pressed using the remote the last time the piece was used, how do I turn it off if I do not have the remote?
+uxwbill Thanks Bill. That makes sense. I purchased this unit from a Salvation Army thrift store and they told me it worked. Of course, we all know there are big differences in how good something works. And while i trust the folks at the store from previous experiences, I cannot get anything out of the unit when I hook up a speaker and put it in the radio mode. Nothing. Any suggestions to further test it? Of course, the digital faceplate works. I noticed when I got it home and started inspecting it further-w/o anything hooked up but the receiver powered on-that the standby switch made a clicking sound each time I pressed it. Is that normal? I am not an audiophile at all. Not because I choose not to, only because I am not that smart when it comes to electronics. But I do love my vinyl and have been trying to find a decent receiver to hook up with my Sanyo 1012 turn table. This is my third try, and I am now realizing I should have just saved a little more each time and purchased something new. I would really like something vintage with a wooden cabinet, but that's all cosmetics.
You should have got a universal remote.
I had a similar 90s unit, that also had Dolby ProLogic decoding. Worked great for music and movies. Very clean. Does this unit have the DAS (Discrete Amplifier Stage) badge?
+Mario Moreno I don't think this one had that badge. I have certainly seen some that do, including the RX-5502 which says "TDAS", for "Totally Discrete Amplifier Stage".
+uxwbill I suppose that means it has actual transistors, as opposed to ICs. Am I Right. I ran it with some Advent speakers. When cranked, it definitely ran hot. But it sounded flat, very clean and nice.
+Inge Fossen Yeah, five channels, 60 Watts for the front, and 30 for rear and center channels. Pretty powerful for the price.
It does have a DAS badge right on the front.
He just told me why mine keeps going into protection mode its bc I'm useing a car 12 in my room and it's not set for a car sub
i got a sherwood but don't seem to be all that popular. i can use it to get great sound when watching dvds. so all you have here is a radio right, and be able to connect it to a cd player. r sherwoods popular in america. i don't know anyone who owns a sherwood. lol
Will this reciever work in Australia or will i have to buy an adapter/power converter
@uxwbill wow, I didn't know that you could get AM in stereo
3/2014 $19 BIN plus $19 eBay (lowtide) special wozzers!
I'm just getting into audio and I'm looking at getting the receiver cause it meets all my needs. But since I'm just getting into better audio than most mainstream products and I'm a teenager so I haven't been exposed to things like receivers I have a quick question. I know this has 4 speaker outputs but I'm only going to buy 2 speakers. If I buy a subwoofer, do I use the other speaker outputs or do I need to hook up the subwoofer some other way.
Get a pair of cabs with like 12 or 15 inch speakers in it, they'll bump your bass.
Thanks for the video. I want to attach a pair of Yamaha NS-AW150, outdoor 2-way speakers to this receiver. The impedance rating on the speakers is 6 Ohms and input power is 120w/35w (maximum/nominal). Do these seem compatible?
*****
Great as I intend to have one pair at moderate volumes. May explore adding a little cooling fan. Thanks for your help!
is 4 ohm to low for this??? i hope not because im getting this :(
Hey quick question, what are the numbers for the amplifier transistor ICs on this model?
Thanks a lot man, I really appriciate it!
zee
Hi, I just purchased this model and I have 2 Akai Speakers each is 40rms 8ohm.. if I didn’t turn the volume way up... do you think it will work just fine or not...
It'll probably be fine. It's usually better to have an amplifier that's rated for more power than your speakers can take. Clipping (when an amplifier runs out of power) will kill things like tweeters very quickly, and before you notice there's a problem.
@@uxwbill thank you
What would be a good budget speaker currently available to pair up with this receiver?
nandoGdog Micca can't be beat for the price.
Having issues with mine. Bought it a year ago. I turn it on and it clicks over but nothing comes out of the speakers. Yes, I made sure the speakers were on. Any help would greatly appreciated. Thanks
+Richard Sanchez If your receiver stays powered up, it is unlikely that there is a fault tripping the protection circuit. This normally causes the whole unit to power off not long after being turned on. You should hear a relay click each time you operate the speaker selection buttons.
If you're trying to listen to the tuner, I'd recommend checking your antenna in case it has come loose. These sets will mute the tuner audio if reception is of poor quality. For other sources, you might want to make sure that none of the cabling has come undone, or that some helpful person hasn't removed or incorrectly rewired it.
Beyond that, you'll have to get into component level troubleshooting, which requires some knowledge of basic electronics theory and how audio power amplifiers work. You'd also need basic test equipment, like a multimeter and an understanding of how to work safely on anything that's powered from the AC line.
+Richard Sanchez I have the same problem. It clicks, and then a secondary click sounds but no playback from the tuner or turntable. Were you able to get yours working? I had found mine at a thrift store for $20.00 and thought it was a good deal. Hoping to figure it out when I get some time thoroughly troubleshoot it.
It was because I was running to many speakers from it and it was causing it to short out. I ended up just buying a new receiver.
2 ohms? Receiver saw that as a dead short! No wonder they were being crispy crittered.
I've only ever seen *one* home stereo receiver whose instruction manual gave a power rating at 2 ohms impedance, with the footnote that it was not recommended.
I have mind connected to My laptop with Ubuntu and I downloaded the free Pulse Audio Equlizer And I'll tell you I have punch !!!
Thanks for the review, explained well enough even a non-expert, noobie can understand. Question - 4109 manual says do NOT connect turntable with MM type cartridge - I havent been able to figure out what that means. Any ideas? Thx!
it looks like sherwoods could be American designed, although owned by korean company.
I would love to see you fix the samsung unit i have one and like many who have had it it just crackles and pops the speakers no audio. if you intrested i can mail you mine to fix i will pay. many people have had it do the same thing...search samsung AV-R720 theres a video of what it does
I need somewhat of a newbie question before buying this. Is the Aux output usable as a pre amp ? Is the volume fixed or does it adjust with the Receiver. I need to know cause I have a car amp and sub woofer I want to hook up to this.
Nice review, just wondering if this receiver actually pumps 105 watts RMS or is it inflated like many receivers nowadays where it hardly handles half of what they claim.
Thanks!
actually it doesnt play the spkrs in parallel . it plays according to when ucswitch a-b spkrs. also Sherwood was made with the cheapest components. been a Tech 24yrs. its basically a $19.99 receiver in Ajax ontario Canada
Yes, it does -- *if* you turn both sets on at once, which you *can* do! (Someone of your experience should certainly know that, and how it can be very easily determined which approach an amplifier uses when playing more than one set of speakers at a time.)
I would have to disagree about the nature of the components: it's got a decently built power transformer, uses Sanken transistors in the final output stage and other parts from reputable makers (such as the system controller and audio processor/source selector). Could it be better? Sure. Almost anything could be. I don't think you'll find this being sold brand new for $20 anywhere, outside of very odd circumstances.
You couldn't manufacture the transformer for $19.99. I've been a tech for over 40 years, and I would wipe the floor with your comments.
+uxwbill When my Sherwood died, I found a similar SONY unit on craigslist for $35 bucks. I opened it up and it was almost a direct copy of my 10yo sherwood with a dead transformer.
did sherwood make stuff for other makes like pioneer before it joined inkel? if inkel wanted sherwood, then it can't be too bad.
How is it doing 5 years on?
+NgtFlyer Still got it, still works perfectly well. Right now I'm not using it much, however.
+uxwbill Good to hear! And thanks for responding to comments on what I've realized is a rather old video. I imagine something a bit more vintage has the role of your primary music receiver. I have a 1991 model JVC that sounds incredible, and a '90 model Sony that I have owned since new, which while not quite as sweet sounding as the JVC, still sounds great. Both are very well built and heavy, with huge transformers and big heat sinks. They just don't make them like they used to!
+uxwbill What settings should I use for the sound?
Can I plug my two speakers into this plus a subwoofer?