Sherwood RX-4109

Pros: Ease of set-up. Significant reserve power. Response to bass/treble controls are clearly audible. Good tuner sensitivity. Full function remote. Above average design and operation of front panel controls. Capable of handling the entire audio spectrum.

Cons: Lack of signal strength meter or bar. (The front panel display will indicate "ST TUNED" when the correct frequency is reached.)

Summary: I needed a basic 2 channel stereo AM FM receiver for my home office. The Sherwood RX-4109 was the perfect choice for this application. My office is 12 x 14 with an 8' ceiling. An area rug covers most of the floor. The RX-4109 powers a pair of Insignia 3 way speakers, wall mounted. This receiver performed well beyond my expectations. Music and voice reproduction remains exceptional at all listening levels. Bass is strong, solid, and crisp with highs transparent and clean with no discernible distortion. FM sensitivity appears to be excellent with using only the folded dipole antenna. (My home is approx. 18 mi. from NYC). Overall, I believe the rating of 100W/channel is conservative as the amount of reserve power soon becomes very obvious to the user. Certainly, the efficiency of the speakers is a factor in the overall listening experience. Signal results for both instrumentation and voice are clean and strong, and remain even throughout the full audio spectrum. Placing the master volume control on level 30, as a measuring point, would be much too loud for normal listening which is an indication of this receiver's power capacity. I would recommend the RX-4109 to any serious listener and for those who only require a very good piece of equipment to bring out the best from their speakers.