Sherwood RX-4109 Receiver

johnda

Addicted Member
The Sherwood RX-4109 receiver is a 100 watt/channel, two channel unit, with a minimum of fluff that packs surprisingly excellent audio performance inside.

I discovered it at Radio Shack and it was on sale for $79.99 in 2007. I have since then purchased a second RX-4109 receiver at the full price of $99.99. This past Thanksgiving holiday the RX-4109 was on sale for $59.99 from Black Friday through the weekend. It is now back to $99.99. Possibly following Christmas it may be on sale again.


The RX-4109 weighs 19.5 pounds. It is 17 3/8" wide by 5 7/16" high by 14 9/16" deep. The receiver feels properly hefty in today’s world of lighter equipment. The included specification sheet states that the receiver has 100 watts per channel at 8 ohms impedance from 20-20Khz with a terminal harmonic distortion of .04%. These are good numbers, if they are accurate. The amplifier uses a ”Discrete Amplifier Stage system” which I understand is the equivalent of a monoblock amplifier for each channel to reduce crosstalk and feedback.

Although the receiver looks simple to the eye, it really has a decent array of features. It has AM/FM, CD input, Tape In/Out, Aux In/Out, and even a Phono stage, which is something that many receivers today have unfortunately dropped. The Aux In/Out can be used for an additional recording device or incoming source. I use it for my internet audio.

There are buttons to choose speaker system A and/or B, but see the warning below about speaker impedances. The receiver has an interesting indoor antenna which is a single wire terminating in a push on F connector. I found the FM antenna to be at least the equal of a small folded dipole.

The AM section uses an AM loop antenna that connects to the AM antenna leads and it performed satisfactorily. The FM section tunes in 10k steps, for example, 104.4, 104.5 104.6 Mhz and the stations were properly tuned. The unit comes with a remote control and you can program 30 memory locations. The display is easy to see and the unit gives an uncomplicated appearance. One feature I enjoy about the display is that it only shows what is active. If you are on the phono input, only the word “PHONO” shows in the display. The tuner information only shows when you are actually using the tuner, and this is pleasing to me. When I am not using the tuner the clean look of the receiver makes it look more like an integrated amplifier than a receiver. This is a very user friendly unit with a low learning curve.

In keeping with the minimalist approach, there are no AC accessory outlets on the back of the unit for plugging in extra equipment. Since I use a surge protected power strip, this did not bother me. The only item that gave me some pause was that the keyboard on the remote only lets you key in memory locations. You could not key in the frequency of a station directly, a bit inconvenient, but the 30 memory presets helped offset that limitation.

I am using my two RX-4109’s with two different systems:

System one is in my 12x14 listening room and has my Polk Monitor 30 and PSW10 self-powered subwoofer. I am using my Grace wireless internet radio in that system along with my Denon DCD-590 CD player and Denon DP 300F turntable.

System two is in my 12x12 study and has my Best Buy Insignia NS B-2111 speakers.

The receivers have been very satisfactory to me in overall sound. I normally listen at moderate volumes and my feelings are based on using moderate volume settings. The sound from these receivers is clear and clean with an ample punch, The RX-4109 has a very neutral character of sound. Not overly bass heavy nor harsh in the highs, and I have seen numerous reviews of the RX-4109 that people wrote praising the clean sound it produces.

I do have one caviat:

The receiver is rated for only 8 ohm and above impedance rated speakers. The manual specifically states that if you intend to play speaker system A and B at the same time, you must use 16 ohm speakers. The RX-4109 will not work well with speakers that have lower impedances than 8 ohms and possibly severe damage can result if you run less than 8 ohms impedance.

In one review I read, a person stated his receiver “stopped working” after one month. He stated that Radio Shack would not help him and he was told by Sherwood that” they didn’t have parts” for the unit.

I checked the Sherwood RX-4109 warranty and it is for two years. It does say that they are not responsible for ”incidental or consequential damages”. I have a feeling that possibly this person did not follow the manual and destroyed the receiver, which obviated the warranty. So, if you intend to load up speakers or present unusual impedance loads to the receiver, do NOT buy this unit, it is not for you.

If you are looking for a reasonably priced receiver with good wattage and a phono input, I suggest that you consider the RX-4109. I am glad I did.:music:
 
Thanks for the detailed review, I'm looking for a entry level 2 channel new receiver and have heard Sherwoods and Onkyos are the ones to look at.

Do you feel that it really has 100wpc in terms of power/strength of sound compared to an older receiver (or higher end amp)? I don't need insane power, but I don't want to get a newer receiver that sounds thin or weak compared to a vintage receiver with a power rating of "only" 20-60wpc or so.
 
I feel it has the rated power and can work well in average rooms with speakers rated at 89 Db or higher. It's only weakness is that it is only for 8 ohm or above impedance speakers. There are lots of excellent speakers rated at 8 Ohms. I would NEVER hook up AR3a speakers to it, because at 4 Ohms impedance the amp section would probably fry itself. There are also speakers rated at 6 Ohms and these could be a problem. I own a number of highly regarded units including my Kenwood KR-6600 receiver and Sony STR-6055 and the character of sound of this receiver is amazingly good. I think it is one of the cleanest sounding units I have owned with excellent sound staging. I honestly do not think there is a receiver out there that can compete with the RX-4109 in its price class. Are there better units? Of course, but if you are in a money crunch, this is a great deal.
 
Sounds great, thanks for all the info! :thmbsp:

I'd probably never buy 6 or 4 ohm speakers and right now don't have any so I'm ok there. My Usher's are only 86 db, but I use them in my main system and am looking for new bookshelves to use in my second system, where this would go. I'm considering KEF iQ3's which have an 89 db sensitivity.

I'm not of the school that old receivers and amps are more powerful than anything new, at least in a comparable price range, but then I haven't heard a lot of newer gear and have been surprised how strong the older gear I have is. So I just want to make sure I get "true to rating" power from a new component.

I like hearing the sound described as clean with a wide soundstage, sounds great. If I see this go down in price again I'll get it: how can you go wrong for $60-$80 or even $100 dollars?
 
Right now I'm in my study using the RX-4109 to listen to internet radio "Happy Days" new age music. My speakers are the Best Buy 6.5" speakers, which are of similar design to the KEF iq's. A single speaker, bass reflex, with the tweeter in the center of the woofer. They are on top of my bookshelves in the corners of the room and angled in. The sound is mesmerizing and American Indian music with drums is playing. Everything about the sound is just right to my ears. Life is good, and at a nice price too!

Good luck with whatever you decide on, it's a hell of a lot of fun!
 
"The receiver is rated for only 8 ohm and above impedance rated speakers. The manual specifically states that if you intend to play speaker system A and B at the same time, you must use 16 ohm speakers. The RX-4109 will not work well with speakers that have lower impedances than 8 ohms and possibly severe damage can result if you run less than 8 ohms impedance."

I am too much a novice to understand. What is being damaged? I was going to use it to drive two sets of Paradigm AMS 100R speakers which have 8ohm impedance in two different rooms at the same time. Does the above mean I should not do that? Thanks
 
"The receiver is rated for only 8 ohm and above impedance rated speakers. The manual specifically states that if you intend to play speaker system A and B at the same time, you must use 16 ohm speakers. The RX-4109 will not work well with speakers that have lower impedances than 8 ohms and possibly severe damage can result if you run less than 8 ohms impedance."

I am too much a novice to understand. What is being damaged? I was going to use it to drive two sets of Paradigm AMS 100R speakers which have 8ohm impedance in two different rooms at the same time. Does the above mean I should not do that? Thanks

It means that doing so is risky. The issue is that lower-impedance loads draw more current, and thus more heat is generated in the output stage. If you are using moderate volumes, and watch that the receiver doesn't heat up too much, you will likely be OK - but if you have a problem running it under these conditions, you won't have warranty coverage.
 
Thank you . I just lost in the last few days the B channel on the old Denon DRA -400 tuner/amp I was running both sets of speakers off of. I wonder if this was the cause? In the past I had run my McCintosh speakers and a set of bookshelf speakers off of that amp with no problem. I had just moved the Denon to power these new ceiling speakers when the amp soon broke down. What kind of amp do you use to handle this set-up so I can operate both sets at the same time? I think I am about to finally understand what pre-amps are for. I never understood that.
 
You need an amplifier that works well into low impedance loads. Usually the specs will show a power rating for 8 Ohms and a rating for 4 Ohms, sometimes for 2 Ohms. These are known as high current amplifiers. My vintage Kenwood KR 6600 will handle those loads. If that is what you want to do, you will have to get an amplifier or receiver rated for low impedances.
 
I too thought the Sherwood Rx 4109 was a good deal. I bought it last year from Circuit City on clearance for $79.99. It had good specs. 100Wx2 RMS and brand new.
I took it home and set it up in my home office replacing an old Toshiba SA-725 (25Wx2 RMS). My speakers are Large New Advents.
After just one day, I replaced the new Sherwood with my old Toshiba SA-725.
Even with only 25W per channel the 30 year old Toshiba smoked the new Sherwood in both power and sound quality.
The Sherwood is now playing Kidz Bop tunes in my 10 year old daughters bedroom.
I'm not knocking Sherwood but if you check Ebay, you will see alot of these receivers (RX-4103, 4105, 4109) for sale and few takers. I have doubts about the specs being accurate. In any case, this receiver does not stand up against low powered old school receivers.
As I side note, I also have a new (refurbished) Harmon Kardon 3385 in my bedroom (80Wx2). This one is a keeper. Powerful, deep rich sound at any volume level. This HK is an example of something new that will stand up to something old. You can get one for about $150 and it will impress you.
 
Thanks for that good advice. A local stereo store was telling me today about a "speakerbox"; some gadget they said would modulate the impedence issue so that I could use a less expensive parallel 8ohm amp without burning it out when I ran both sets of speakers ( I think I may have butchered the explanation provided to me) They said it would be about$150 so I don't know if I should just look for the high current amp johnda describes. I feel I am a lot better educated on this than I was and I appreciate the advice from you all.
 
Exactly my fear: 100wpc new will not always (or even most of the time?) beat an old receiver's/amp's output even if it is much lower in wpc output.

The only real experience I have with any newer receiver is my '91 Kenwood KR-A5040 which was the center of my first "real" system I bought when I was 14 and had been using for over a decade due to my lack of $$$ and ignorance of audio (I just figured it was "good enough"). Compared to ever other receiver I have bought since joining this site (all listed in my sig), it is just not as powerful and sounds (imo), really bad (although after having heard different receivers I have found out I'm not a fan of Kenwood's sound at all, from this bpc one to the vintage Kenwood KR-7600 powerhouse I bought). My Pioneer 980 blows it away, so does the 650, and my little 7100A Sherwood, at about 20wpc, also kills it. In fact, that little guy sounds great and is so powerful that it is one of the reasons I thought modern Sherwoods might be good as well, and of course the reviews of the 4109 have been good.

My main reason for wanting a cheap new receiver is to use it for my comp system where I do not do critical listening and don't want to be frequently turning on and off one of my vintage receivers that could wear out and then need repair. I just want something that sounds good, not great, and if breaks from heavy use won't bother me.

Which leads me to the H/K recommendation: I've heard these sound good as well, but also that H/K's tend to break a lot. T/F?

Maybe I'll just go with some old vintage receiver/amp under $50 (like the 7100A) where I won't care a lot if it breaks. But I still hate to have to deal with an vintage receiver repair!
 
It is a very good reciever for the money. I bought my sister one off of ebay for $50. It will shut down on ya at high volume levels. It is running a pair of Mirage 190is speakers and sounds very good. Haven't really checked the tuner part because she has a XM radio hooked to it.
 
Exactly my fear: 100wpc new will not always (or even most of the time?) beat an old receiver's/amp's output even if it is much lower in wpc output.


Which leads me to the H/K recommendation: I've heard these sound good as well, but also that H/K's tend to break a lot. T/F?

Maybe I'll just go with some old vintage receiver/amp under $50 (like the 7100A) where I won't care a lot if it breaks. But I still hate to have to deal with an vintage receiver repair!

I have not heard anything about new HK's breaking down alot. Of course, I can only speak about my own HK3385. I've never had the slightest problem with mine and I use it every day. Anyway, even the refurbished Hk's like mine come with a full warrantee. Harmon Kardon Direct sells them on Ebay. When mine came in the mail, I could not tell it was refurbished. It looked brand new. I only mentioned the HK as a recommendation for something new that sounds like something vintage and wont break the bank. In my opinion, for just $50.00 more than the Sherwood, it is a much better deal.
 
It is a very good reciever for the money. I bought my sister one off of ebay for $50. It will shut down on ya at high volume levels.

No offense, but I'm confused: you assert it's a good receiver yet you state it will shut down on you at high volume levels? Do you mean actually turn off? Doesn't sound good to me! :D

I have not heard anything about new HK's breaking down alot. Of course, I can only speak about my own HK3385. I've never had the slightest problem with mine and I use it every day. Anyway, even the refurbished Hk's like mine come with a full warrantee. Harmon Kardon Direct sells them on Ebay. When mine came in the mail, I could not tell it was refurbished. It looked brand new. I only mentioned the HK as a recommendation for something new that sounds like something vintage and wont break the bank. In my opinion, for just $50.00 more than the Sherwood, it is a much better deal.

First, I'm sorry, I meant no offense, I'm sure that HK is a good receiver and have seen that model recommended on other forums. :thmbsp: I've seen other H/K receivers recommended as well, and was in fact in Worst Buy last weekend and saw a H/K unit (don't remember the model) and when I went to pick it up I was stunned at how much it weighed. Seemed to be of good build quality, like an old vintage unit. :yes:

Also I too think refurbished or used electronics can be an incredible bargin (or else what would I be doing here with the vintage gear I've bought :D); in fact I just switched from a Sony Vaio comp I had for well over 7 years that I bought refurbished and had little (for a comp...they all mess up sometimes), trouble with. It was still working fine after near daily use for all those years but the hard drive was making noises so I finally replaced it before it went. I've heard about the H/K ebay store and need to look into it. As for vintage sound do you mean warm and smooth? I tend to like detailed and bright with some vintage smoothness like my Pioneers, have, although my Sherwood 7100A is a good mellow, silky, and very deep rich bass alternative.

However, I was just mentioning what I've heard on various forums regarding H/K reliability. Their reputation seems to be hit or miss, other recommended modern receivers like Onkyo and Sherwood don't have that rep as far as I can see. This is just what I've read from a preliminary search for a decent modern cheap receiver for my needs. It need not be a general, much less universal truth. :thmbsp:

Finally, I forgot to mention the wpc of my old '91 Kenwood: it's 80wpc and my old 7100A Sherwood at around 20wpc blows it away. :no:
 
I believe it's a protection circuit. Only happens when you really push the amp. Will play all day at a good moderate level. Those Mirages will dip below 6 ohms. As said above they don't recomend playing 2 sets of speakers at the same time unless 16 ohmers.
 
First, I'm sorry, I meant no offense, I'm sure that HK is a good receiver and have seen that model recommended on other forums. :thmbsp: I've seen other H/K receivers recommended as well, and was in fact in Worst Buy last weekend and saw a H/K unit (don't remember the model) and when I went to pick it up I was stunned at how much it weighed. Seemed to be of good build quality, like an old vintage unit. :yes:

Also I too think refurbished or used electronics can be an incredible bargin (or else what would I be doing here with the vintage gear I've bought :D); in fact I just switched from a Sony Vaio comp I had for well over 7 years that I bought refurbished and had little (for a comp...they all mess up sometimes), trouble with. It was still working fine after near daily use for all those years but the hard drive was making noises so I finally replaced it before it went. I've heard about the H/K ebay store and need to look into it. As for vintage sound do you mean warm and smooth? I tend to like detailed and bright with some vintage smoothness like my Pioneers, have, although my Sherwood 7100A is a good mellow, silky, and very deep rich bass alternative.

However, I was just mentioning what I've heard on various forums regarding H/K reliability. Their reputation seems to be hit or miss, other recommended modern receivers like Onkyo and Sherwood don't have that rep as far as I can see. This is just what I've read from a preliminary search for a decent modern cheap receiver for my needs. It need not be a general, much less universal truth. :thmbsp:

Finally, I forgot to mention the wpc of my old '91 Kenwood: it's 80wpc and my old 7100A Sherwood at around 20wpc blows it away. :no:

The HK 3385 is the closest thing to vintage I've heard that is entry level priced. Two channel, no Dolby, no digital inputs, has a phono jack and preouts which I dont use. Except for the video inputs, the back is old school. I tend to judge a receiver by how it sounds at low volumes as well as high volumes. This one sounds great at low volumes. The sound seems to reach you with ease. Especially good in the low frequencies. So good in fact that even though it has a subwoofer out, I turned off my subwoofer. Im running it with Original Large Advents and found the HK and Advents didnt need any help from a subwoofer. As for the rest, crystal clear detailed mids and highs. I would call it warm and smooth almost tube like. Also, the tuner is excellent. I live in a valley and am pulling in all stations strong using nothing but a speaker wire as an antenna.
It really is too good to be in a bedroom but the only reason I have there is the sleep timer which is a great feature.
I dont mean to sound like an HK salesman, but since you seem to be seriously considering one, I am trying to share my honest feelings about mine. Maybe there are better entry level two channels out there that I dont know about but trust me on this point. I own both the Sherwood RX4109 and the HK3385. There is a reason the Sherwood is in my 10 year old's room and the HK is in mine.
 
The HK 3385 is the closest thing to vintage I've heard that is entry level priced. Two channel, no Dolby, no digital inputs, has a phono jack and preouts which I dont use. Except for the video inputs, the back is old school. I tend to judge a receiver by how it sounds at low volumes as well as high volumes. This one sounds great at low volumes. The sound seems to reach you with ease. Especially good in the low frequencies. So good in fact that even though it has a subwoofer out, I turned off my subwoofer. Im running it with Original Large Advents and found the HK and Advents didnt need any help from a subwoofer. As for the rest, crystal clear detailed mids and highs. I would call it warm and smooth almost tube like. Also, the tuner is excellent. I live in a valley and am pulling in all stations strong using nothing but a speaker wire as an antenna.
It really is too good to be in a bedroom but the only reason I have there is the sleep timer which is a great feature.
I dont mean to sound like an HK salesman, but since you seem to be seriously considering one, I am trying to share my honest feelings about mine. Maybe there are better entry level two channels out there that I dont know about but trust me on this point. I own both the Sherwood RX4109 and the HK3385. There is a reason the Sherwood is in my 10 year old's room and the HK is in mine.


Thanks for all the great info! :thmbsp:

Looking into it further the H/K does seem to be the preferred one on boards, and I like hearing that it sounds good at low volumes as well as high as I would mostly be listening to it at low or moderate volumes but would like to crank it too sometimes as well. It also looks cooler.

However now I am considering upping my price to $300 and getting an entry level integrated amp like the Cambridge - 540A v2, NAD C325BEE, or Rotel RA-04 (if I can find it). The reasoning is that I don't listen to the radio much and I'm going to get a external DAC to run from my computer (playing lossless files) to my reciever or amp. So I will already be spending around $100 to $150 on that and should maybe get a higher quality amp to go along with it. Not saying these necessarily are better than the H/K, but possibly. They all have great reviews. The H/K option is certainly not out of the picture yet though! :thmbsp:

Ok thread hijack over! :D
 
Thanks for all the great info! :thmbsp:

Looking into it further the H/K does seem to be the preferred one on boards, and I like hearing that it sounds good at low volumes as well as high as I would mostly be listening to it at low or moderate volumes but would like to crank it too sometimes as well. It also looks cooler.

However now I am considering upping my price to $300 and getting an entry level integrated amp like the Cambridge - 540A v2, NAD C325BEE, or Rotel RA-04 (if I can find it). The reasoning is that I don't listen to the radio much and I'm going to get a external DAC to run from my computer (playing lossless files) to my reciever or amp. So I will already be spending around $100 to $150 on that and should maybe get a higher quality amp to go along with it. Not saying these necessarily are better than the H/K, but possibly. They all have great reviews. The H/K option is certainly not out of the picture yet though! :thmbsp:

Ok thread hijack over! :D

If you are considering an HK, then consider the HK 3485. I confess I haven't bought one. But when I was looking at the Sherwood, I was looking at comparable among the 100 watt range receivers with phono. Even the Sherwood RX-5502 could be a candidate as well as the Onkyo TX-8522. But the HK looked very interesting.

The RX-4109 would certainly be a contender as a low-cost hard to beat price when on sale for $59.99. It would make a nice subsidiary fun system but not necessarily a main system for more demanding requirements.
 
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