Sherwood RD-6105

Never judge a book by its cover

By Jamie Gemming

November 2004

Sherwood RD-6105 AV receiver, $699

Occasionally I go out with my mates, have about 15 pints and a good curry. While it always seems a brilliant idea at the time, when I stumble home smelling of lager and onion bhaji you can imagine the reception I get. Normally, my punishment is to accompany the wife shopping for new clothes. With each outfit, she appears from behind the changing-room curtain, beaming smile, wanting my positive opinion. Usually I like what she picks but every once in a while I can't help screwing up my face. That was what it was like when I removed the protective wrapping from the receiver. This black box has certainly been given a couple of heavy taps with the ugly stick.

So it’s not much to look at, but what are the stats you ask? Well, the receiver sports all the normal input options (sadly only composite video, no s-video or component video here) as well as a six-channel direct input. The manual states that the receiver is 5 by 125 watts while in stereo the output drops to 100W per channel. Pro Logic II and DTS decoding are. The lack of component and s-video inputs on the back means a nice uncluttered environment and, as handily the speaker terminals accept banana plugs, set up is very simple.

The remote does not have learning ability, LCD display or two million buttons that a lot of new remotes do have but it makes up by being very simple to use. Every button is well labeled and the frequently used ones are within a thumbs arc, making adjustments child’s play.

Brotherly advice

Growing up I never had a big brother, so I sought counsel from my friend's older brothers about life. Besides “deny everything”, the other gem of advice I remember is that “pretty girls don't really make the best girlfriends”. They said that pretty girls have things too easy, they are rarely single and just don't put in a good effort. Ugly girls on the other hand often go a while between innings, so when given half a chance they throw all caution and respectability out the window because they don't know when they might get it again. This certainly applies to the Sherwood; while it may have looks only a mother could love, when given a chance it certainly performs well.

The Sherwood came into my lounge as a direct replacement for the awesome Yamaha RX-750 I tested last month and musically, what a difference. The Yamaha was very precise but it was cold as an Antarctic day. The Sherwood on the other hand is like a summer's day in Greece. Every piece of music sounds better than it did last month. Dire Straights, Dido, Norah Jones, Aretha Franklin and even Dr Dre are all produced with an extra dimension and softness. I found that the bass from my floorstanders, was more musical and with good extension. Although, fast tracks by Black Eyed Peas, Scribe and Tupac did highlight a small lack of control compared to the Yamaha, I must point out that the Yamaha does cost another grand.

While the 6105 punched above its weight in stereo mode it didn't make quite the same impact when being used for movies. Don't get me wrong by thinking that it sounded poor because it didn't. Voices and musical scores sound fine but whereas the Yamaha RX-750 made intense action scenes such as the Omaha landing in Saving Private Ryan bloody scary with its whizzing bullets, thunderous explosions and panning effects the same scenes with the Sherwood never quite encompassed me the same way. I suspect that receivers in this price range miss some of the smarter decoding software and components of more expensive models.

The bottom line

At $699 it would fit perfectly into a budget system for someone wanting an amp to perform stereo duties as well as having the ability to take their DVD-watching and gaming console to the next level, without spending a good deal of cash.  It’s now three weeks into my liaison with the Sherwood and these days I no longer notice its looks - I just sit back and enjoy the sound.

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