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Review 4 of 17
Price Paid:
$179.00
from Fry's Summary:
There is no question the olde audio cliche about one getting what one pays for is generally true - 20-plus years of audio addiction has proven that to me time and again.
But then again, sometimes you run into a product like the 6090 A/V receiver. It is that rare avian, a real bargain. For less than $200, you get more than enough power for most listening needs and environments (65 per in 5.1 mode), crystalline Dolby Digital decoding, a very respectable pre-amp section and (even rarer for A/V gear) quite easy to set up and enjoy.
Playing through Infinity fronts and center speakers, Klipsch rears and a Paradigm sub (all of which are, admittedly, quite efficient units), the 6090R does the home theater obstacle course (Gladiator, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park and Amadeus) with minimal fuss and considerable grunt. Clarity is the primary virtue, even when clipping approaches. This thing can't be used in huge spaces (mine is about 12' by 15'), but in your average den or family room, the 6090R more than fills the space.
Just as importantly (for this reviewer anyway), the 6090R handles music-only demands with finesse and real musicality - whether in 5.1 mode or in regular olde stereo (remember stereo, kiddies?). Hard rock (Metallica, Pantera, Iron Maiden et al) crunches satisfyingly; be-bop (Monk, Miles, Ornette, Coltrane) has real immediacy and warmth; and classical has shape, focus and a very tangible sweetness.
Okay, there are compromises: The tuner is barely adequate, with hissy stereo locks the norm. The remote control spends 80% of its real estate on other Sherwood components you probably don't have, rather than allowing buttons for a number of important A/V functions. And this unit, I discovered after taking it home and hooking it up, WILL NOT play DTS-encoded DVDs without hooking up the 6-channel inputs from a DTS-capable DVD player with those outputs (check around, there aren't many for less than $400), despite promises to the contrary from the 6090's face and controls, the owner's manual AND Sherwood's own Website. (For your info, the Sherwood 6095R, for about $50 more, DOES accept optical/coaxial digital inputs for DTS and Dolby Digital. You live, you learn, right?)
In sum, though, this unit is quite the bargain, and an ideal starting point for that all-important First Decent Home Theater Setup. By all means seek it out.
Strengths:
musicality, clarity, (relative) ease of use Weaknesses:
tuner section not the best in the world, NOT DTS-capable (as it declares on face and in manual) Similar Products Used:
Pioneer, Technics, H/K, Denon
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