Customer Reviews

Sherwood R-904N 700 Watt 7.1-Channel Dual-Zone receiver (Black)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is my first review on Amazon.

I live in a small house with my girlfriend who watches a lot of soap operas. I can hear them right through the wall and am always asking her to turn down the TV. I heard about Dolby Volume in a podcast (Dolbycast podcast) and was intrigued. Dolby Volume is a new technology they've licensed which basically allows you to hear the full spectrum of audio content at much lower volumes. It also smooths out the volume changes during commercials. After researching the price of a receiver with the technology built in I found I would have to spend in the $1,000 neighborhood which was above my price point. Then I saw that the Sherwood unit included it for $649. I placed my order with Amazon back in November, but it was backordered until late December. When it finally shipped, I noticed that Amazon's price had dropped to about $525. I asked them to refund the difference and they did, so I'm a happy customer.

The receiver is surprisingly light weight when compared to the old Sherwood unit I replaced, but feels like solid construction. It comes with a full featured remote, but I programmed my Logitech Harmony One to replace it and haven't looked at it since.

The back connectivity is full featured enough for my needs. The audio and video switching allows me to hook up my TiVo and Cinematube media streamer via HDMI and make just one video connection to my Sony LCD 1080p tv. I also have three additional audio sources which are a combination of analog and digital. All good. I have an open HDMI input if I want to add another video source. One thing is that this receiver doesn't do any conversion or upscaling. You cannot use a component video source and play it out the HDMI port. Not a big deal in my case, but worth mentioning. This came into play when I tried to hook up a Wii which has only composite video out. I had to extend the video up to the TV and plug the audio into the Sherwood. Again, not at all a big deal. My Harmony One makes all this a breeze.

The Dolby Volume feature is great. You absolutely can turn it waaaay down at night and still be able to enjoy what you are watching without blasting everyone else in the house.

My only real complaint is that they use blue LEDs on the front which are too bright.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants the Dolby Volume in an affordable package.

I chose this to replace a Panny SA-XR70 which died . The small form factor and digital amp = low heat were critical and it fits the bill perfectly . The automatic speaker setup worked well but i had to bump up the subwoofer for my taste . After a few weeks of listening i find the sound to be a little harsh compared to my memory of the Panasonic which I loved .
The biggest problem for my setup is the complete lack of any line level outputs . There is no aux out or tape out meaning this can't be hooked up to any non-hdmi recording equipment - older tape decks vcrs etc . In my system i have audio and video distributed through distribution amps to several remote locations . This unit can't do it . I screwed up by not noticing the complete absence of outputs other than the single hdmi out .

The blue lights don't bother me but it is odd that you can turn off some of the lighting but not dim or turn off the rest .
The vu-now functions are completely half-baked - the load time alone is enough to put me off and once it's loaded theres nothing there that has any use to me . I've used different media players over the years - currently WDTV , LG BD570 , PS3 and AppleTV and Vu-Now is a complete joke in comparison . It plays almost no currently used formats . Don't buy it thinking it will do double duty as a network media player.

Pros Size Digital amp ; Easy setup ; Decent sound
Cons NO AUX OUT ; Network (Internet) and media player functions pretty useless.

UPDATE: 7 Oct 2010 - If you use both the HDMI and COMPONENT output of the Sherwood to those inputs to your HDTV set, you can switch between those formats although you are using the same designation on the Sherwood. In other words, if you choose Video 1 on the Sherwood and an HDMI cable signal connected to Video 1 but you also have a COMPONENT device going connected to Video 1, then you can switch between the HDMI and COMPONENT inputs on your HDTV set and see either inputs. However, you do have to use your remote to change the audio assign for the Video 1 choice. For example, I use the HDMI cable to carry the audio from my cable box so the AUDIO ASSIGN when I'm using that is H. But when I am using Video one for my COMPONENT input, I may have to change the AUDIO ASSIGN for that signal to analog, optical or coax - all of which are options for AUDIO ASSIGN.

UPDATE: 1 Oct 2010 - The VuNow feature on the unit suddenly stopped working one day. However, I still use it as my media center for feeding my HDTV cable, DVD, Wii and S-VHS player to my HDTV set. I love the surround sound and the rest of it. Please look below for the replacement product I got for the VuNow feature - Westerm Digital - Western Digital WD TV Live Network-ready HD Media Player WDBAAN0000NBK-NESNWD-TV Live HD Media Player


This product (Sherwood R904-N) works perfectly in my small New York apartment when matched with the compact set of ORB surround speakers. It's one of very few AV/Rs low in height but packed with the latest features like connection to the web and automatic room equalization of the speakers. The three HDMI inputs from cable, DVD and my FLIP HD camera flow through beautifully to my HDTV. . The web service input gives you direct access to on-line YouTube videos, web video sites all over the world, web radio as well the front USB port from which I play downloaded movies (with their surround sound),mp3 files and any of my own home-made videos and pictures I've saved to a USB memory device - all displayed on the HDTV and surround speakers. I had a nearby desktop PC with an optical audio output that I connected to the Sherwood playing some of the newer web radio sites that now stream in 5.1 Surround - cool! And speaking of sound, there are enough options for Dolby, speaker adjustment, etc. for the audiophile to play with. However, since I believe critique of sound quality varies with the individual, I will only say it sounds great to me.

Needless to say - I love this unit.

This AVR turned out to be a horrible investment. Both the company and the product leave a lot to be desired.

Pro's
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* The manual isn't half bad; it's fairly logical and easy to read, and it appears as though the Chinese-to-English translation was done by someone/something that actually knew what he/she/it was doing.

* You can access internet radio stations, which is a really nice feature.

* You can use a USB dongle and get wireless connectivity to your home network; you don't need to run a cable (but you can hook it up that way as well).

* It's a mere 3" high, so if space is an issue -- which it is for me -- then this unit will fit virtually anywhere.

* Changing the channel levels is fast and easy, because you can do it through a dedicated button on the remote.

Con's
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* Dolby volume flat out doesn't work. Period. No matter how you configure it, or what settings you use, the commercials still blare.

* There's no three digit code for a Motorola cable box, so the Sherwood remote can't control things like the TV channels. Comcast, which is one of the largest cable providers in the entire country, uses a Motorola STB, so you would assume Sherwood had that covered. You would have assumed wrong.

* It gets very hot. One of the primary reasons I bought this unit was because it supposedly had a class D amp. I've never seen a class D amp get anywhere near this hot.

* The DSP's (Hall, Concert, Movie, etc) all sound positively ghastly. Almost every one of them has some type of echo as well. That "feature" is completely useless.

* It seems to be sensitive to other electrical devices, especially those with motors, like fans. If you change the speed of a fan anywhere near this thing, or just turn it on/off, the sound from the speakers will sometimes disappear for a second or two. This happens even if the fan is not plugged into an outlet on the same circuit.

* The front control panel uses the most hideous blue lights on the planet. Every single one of the few reviews that can be found on this AVR all contain the same complaint, yet Sherwood is too oblivious to fix the problem (even though this unit has been out for at least 2 years). There's a "dimmer" function which lowers the intensity on about half of them, but it gets reset back to full intensity every time the AVR is turned off. That means each time you use it you have to run the dimmer function again, otherwise the piercing blue lights blind you.

* The crossover can only be set for 40/80/100/150/200Hz. Variable is obviously the way to go, except if you're Sherwood. At least adding 120Hz would have helped, which a lot of smaller satellites appear to work best with.

* The AVR must be on for the inputs to work. If you want to watch a DVD late at night, and you simply wish to use the TV's speakers so as not to disturb anyone, you're out of luck.

* There's no phantom center, even though the manual says there is. Try as I might I was never able to get that to function, no matter how I had the speakers configured or connected. This was only an issue for me at the beginning, when I was using just 2.1 setup. Regardless, if it's something Sherwood claims as a feature -- and it's listed in the manual -- then the AVR should actually have it.

* No separate EQ, only bass and treble. Don't like how your system sounds? Tough luck.

* The amp has an insane THD of 0.5%! That's beyond appalling, unless this is the 1960's of course.

* There's a "pass through" feature for the Sherwood remote, whereby all the controls for volume will "pass" back to the AVR, even if you have it controlling another device. Trouble is, the Mute button doesn't get past through. What kind of genius would forget to add Mute? Guess Sherwood doesn't think something that mutes the sound is actually part of the functions controlling volume.

* There's no Audyssey. Sherwood has it's own "auto room EQ", but it really doesn't function very well. I have yet to find an instance where it set the distance or channel levels properly, especially for the subwoofer.

* There's no separate settings for LFE, with the exception of a +10db boost for "legacy" connections. Since you can't tailor the LFE to your liking/room, it makes the sound terribly unbalance with some DVD's.

* You can't change the labels for the HDMI ports, so you're not able to name them what they really are. You're stuck with things like AUX, VIDEO 1, F AUX, etc. Not at all helpful or intuitive.

* You can't listen to an internet radio station without the television being turned on. Why is that? How much video content do you see on the radio? This is yet another one of those things you find yourself saying "didn't anyone at Sherwood actually test this thing before they released it?".

* The level from the sub-out connector is very weak. I've tried it with 5 different subwoofers now, and in each instance the volume has to be set really high before the sub comes out of standby. Adjusting the channel level seems to make no difference. Once activated the sub often goes back into standby shortly thereafter, unless you keep the volume fairly high.

Sherwood has a program called VuNow that controls a number of the more advanced features, like playing MP3's or accessing audio and video directly from the internet. Even this cool option they screwed up somehow. For example:
* VuNow itself takes a looooong time to load. I think the quickest it's every loaded was about 90 seconds, but it's usually closer to 2 minutes. That's preposterous for something going from ROM to RAM.

* The first second or two of every MP3 is clipped, so you always start to hear a song after it's already in progress.

* The total run time displayed for MP3's is completely random, and not close to accurate. This is simple addition we're talking about here, yet even something that easy they can't get right.

* Want to change the channel level or dim those offensive blue lights while VuNow is running? Forget it. Those keys are disabled, so you better set all that up beforehand. AAMOF, about half the remote control stops functioning while VuNow is running, which is a double bonus considering how long it takes VuNow to load. If, for some reason, you need to change anything you have to exit VuNow, make your change, then go back in. You're talking a 3-5 minute ordeal, each and every time.

But by far -- and I do mean by far -- the absolute worst part of owning this AVR (and perhaps any Sherwood product, for that matter) is they have no support whatsoever. Nada. Zip. Zilch. No matter what avenue I tried, I simply was not able to get anyone. Email, voice, chat. Nothing. I even tried contacting their sales department to see if they had any way of getting a hold of their own support team, but no one was home their either.

After about 2 months of trying I finally go someone from sales to give me an email address for a person in the support hierarchy. He turned out to be the VP of Customer Service, so I assumed there was finally a light at the end of the tunnel. Turned out to be an oncoming train instead, because he was as inept as the rest of them. It started to become a matter of personal pride to obtain some type of support, so I pressed on.

I was finally able to get a hold of someone who alleged to be a technical guru, able to resolve all the problems I was having. He turned out to be as apathetic and incompetent as the rest of them. So how was this person rewarded for his inferiority? They made him the president of Sherwood NA!! And no, that's not an exaggeration, it's a 100% true story. The most arrogant and unprofessional person I encountered during the entire miserable journey was named chief executive. Some stuff you simply can't make up...

This is actually the abridged version of the support nightmare. I didn't go into any detail whatsoever about the sheer number of ignored emails, VM's that were never returned, promises of things that would occur which never did, etc. We've all run into horrendous support problems -- that never ending "treadmill from hell" experience -- but this one is perhaps the worst I've ever encountered. It was over 6 months worth of crap before I finally threw in the towel and conceded defeat. I honestly don't know if I've ever done that in the past; my tenacity usually wins out, but this time I ran into so many unqualified, inane people I was simply outnumbered.

So, the bottom line is run -- don't walk -- from the R-904. Since Sherwood is probably using the same people in their service department for everything you're rolling the dice buying from this company, so be very cautious before you plunk down your hard earned cash. It's a huge shame too, because Sherwood used to be a decent company making well respected products. Apparently they've decide to switch directions.

Our primary goal in picking this model was its low-profile form factor. We needed to fit a receiver into a 5.5" opening in our cabinet and there weren't a lot of AV receivers that would fit. The VuNow network feature is hit-and-miss. It's clever but it only uses a 4:3 image on our 16:9 HDTV. We have a 5Mbps internet connection and the video streaming is adequate in terms of quality, but not great. You can use it to play music from a PC on your network, but the UI makes it very tedious to select the artist that you want to play (if you have a long list). You can dim part of the blue lights on the front panel, but not all. I'm not sure why they felt the need to have such aggressive illumination. The microphone audio equalization worked well. The audio and video quality are good.

In short, I would buy this receiver again. I think that it's a fine AV receiver and the perfect fit for our cabinet. I don't think that we'll really use the internet VuNow feature too often because it's very slow to launch and the UI makes it slow to select things, but it's there if we want to play with it.

I purchased this receiver thinking that it would work for a 2 zone audio and for the internet radio feature. For the money, the sound is pretty good and it has some very good features. However, zone 2 only plays in stereo and is not enhanced by the other sound equalizer functions. So zone 1 sounds much better, even though they are the same speakers. As for the internet radio feature, there is a limited selection of stations (nothing like what is available on a computer) and it only works if the receiver is paired with a monitor or TV. I plan to switch the Sherwood with an Onkyo I have in my home entertainment center in another room. The smaller Sherwood is a better size for the cabinet there and I can use it to stream both audio and video. FYI, the instructions are only adequate and there is very little customer service support if you call.

I originally bought this player in February 2010 because the wife had to have a specific entertainment center.

The audio portion is actually really decent and packs some punch, although nothing like my AudioSource Tripath based amplifiers. The R-904N has a really clean sound to it, even at loud volumes. I was really surprised considering how light the product was, probably because I was not that familiar with Class D amplification. I do not believe that the SNAP Room EQ does a very good job with the setting of the subwoofer volume. It knocked mine down to -12. I ended up bumping it up to 0 because there was no bass. At least they let you make some adjustments by hand. It is possible that my room has some standing waves that caused a false reading at the microphone. I personally would not let this deter anyone from purchasing the product.

Dolby volume is not all that it is cracked up to be. I do not feel that it puts much of a cap on the commercials. I do use it with movies that have a ton of soft dialog though. It does a really nice job at making sure that vocals do not get lost in the mix.

The product is really easy to use and the remote is minimalistic. Someone unfamiliar with it would not feel overwhelmed. The remote is just layed out really well. I mostly use my harmony remote but dig out this one for odds and ends.

The VuNow portion is handy (if it worked) for watching YouTube on the big screen, and accessing some free movies from crackle. I also use some of the internet radio stations if I just want to listen to something different instead of the same old stuff that my local stations play.

This is where things get ugly. The VuNow portion on this device feels much unpolished. The boot time is very slow. Many of the features will display out of service. I have actually paid to have my receiver shipped back to Sherwood several times because the PCB that runs VuNow has failed. The board has been swapped a total of three times. The current board was starting to develop problems, but has been very tame for the last week.

Sherwood has been really good about repairing my Netboxx while under warranty, except for the fact that it has cost me money. I am really hoping that that my receiver remains to be tame and that the last little fit that it has been a fluke. I am getting the feeling that I am wearing out my welcome when dealing with Sherwood's support. I do like the small mom and pop feel when dealing with Sherwood.

UPnP/DLNA support is half way decent. It has some problems like jittering during the first few seconds of playing a song.

If you are looking at this because of the digital media capabilities, I would personally move along. That is just one man's opinion. If you are looking for something with a small footprint and has decent audio capabilities, I would purchase this.

The blue LEDs do not bother me. I care more about functionality then cosmestics when it comes to products like this. If they got too annoying I could alway remedy it with a resistors or some tinted tape.
VuNow is no longer working again. Nothing but a black screen. Still under warranty, but I am trying to see if it is even worth my time and money getting fixed a fourth time. Just tired of tossing good money after bad. I have until February 9th to figure that out. Paul, I am in the same boat as you for now. Sherwood no longer replies to my communication so the warranty appears to be a moot point.

Update - Jan 8, 2012 - (Sherwood is working with me to resolve the problem.)

I really love this unit and I don't regret it one bit. I paid around $260.00 for it and for that money, I don't think I could have found anything with the features and modern looks that it has. I read some reviews complaining about the blue LED'S but I think they look great and match my new Directv receiver lights perfectly.They can actually be dimmed or cut off if you like.The size of the unit is great also,being compact which leaves more room in my TV cabinet to work with.It makes me wonder why other companies are still making AV receivers so big and bulky,looking like Austin Powers should have it or something!LOL!.Sherwood is on the right track with this one. You can dial in the right sound for each speaker really well and the surround sounds great. All the features it advertises work great and have no complaints. If I must report about the negatives, The remote could have been made more solidly(feels kind of cheap)like the receiver, which is made like a tank.Also ,it would have been nice if the wifi was built in the unit so I wouldn't have to stick the vunow module in the USB port to use it.It doesn't come netflix ready but heard you can pay xtra to get it.It does pick up all my video's,pics,and music thru my home network which is nice.You can go to several websites such as crackle ,youtube,discovery,ect.... If my Netboxx were to get stolen,I wouldn't think for a second to buy anything else.I would buy it all over again with a smile.As a matter of fact,I may buy another one to replace my big giant Austin Powers JVC unit I have upstairs ,to update my system there also.Bottom line: if you like the features that this unit has,don't worry about the quality,It's there!!!

We searched long and hard for a receiver/amplifier that was narrow enough to fit in the AV cabinet we purchased at Ikea. This one fit the bill and on top of being the right size, it was very easy to hook up.

I had a rather short lived experience with this receiver. The first phase of its installation went well. I turned it on and began to take it through it's paces however, the design of the speaker hook up circuitry then took its toll. The unit would not stay functional for more than a few moments. The internal end user unserviceable speaker output circuitry had failed making the unit unsalvageable by the user(me). The user instructions state 8 ohm speakers are to be used and that should the speaker wires be shorted to one another trouble will ensue-and it did. Unless there is some new standard of which I am unaware, namely that receivers be unplugged from AC power before making or servicing any speaker hook up, then fie on me. Should a user make this rather basic and easy to make error, the user will be unable to get the device to turn on and stay on. The receiver then must be replaced or factory serviced. The unit has no external serviceable fuse to restore function to the device after shorting speakers wires to each other. The owner now needs to contact Sherwood tech support and beg forgiveness for such a basic error. The tech support contact process is perverse, but once one gets in touch with them (it took me two days) they are pleasant enough. Tech support offered to replace my receiver. This means I paid shipping back to the seller and replacement unit was sent to me without a shipping charge. I ultimately opted out of ownership of the unit and obtained a full refund minus a 15% restocking of the new and unopened replacement unit. I felt that life is just too short to put up with such a perversely sensitive speaker hook up-project just so that I could own this thin, handsome, but burdensome to own device. Sometimes it is just better to cut your losses than to prove a point.