Sony 6046A or Sherwood 7100A

Mark Davis

Active Member
I have a opportunity to buy either one of these. Is one a better choice?

Any advantages or disadvantages?
 
I own a Sherwood S7100 that I am very fond of. I'm not familiar with the Sony but I like that it has a proper power switch as compared to the Sherwood where the fragile switch is built into the volume control. The Sony also has pre-out / amp-in jacks which can be useful for trouble shooting. As far as appearance is concerned, both are good looking receivers but I think the Sony has an edge here. The Sherwood has a very good tuner if that's important to you and has proven to be very reliable.

Les
 
Both receivers have their Achilles heel. On the Sherwood, the on-off switch is unreliable, and use of Deoxit on the combined on-off volume switch will cause it to dissolve. That being said, my S7100A has given me no trouble at all. The downside of the Sony is that it has STK output modules, which will cause you a big headache if they need to be replaced.
 
Sherwoods: Save the switch by soldering a jumper across the terminals. Use a switched power strip for On/Off. This saves the switch from having to do the work.

Sony 6046a: Nice mid-line receiver. They used discrete output devices - not STK's - so no problem there. Same recommendation for the power switch, too.

Search here at AK as they've been discussed many times already. Ditto for the Sherwoods.

Cheers,

David
 
The Sherwood 7100a I had sounded very good. I found it to be a bit bottom heavy with not enough power reserve. It's rated at 18 watts and I think that's all it has. When it's done it's done. So I moved it out for the Sherwood S8900A. Sounds better and more power, 60 watts.
As for the 1974 20 watt Sony STR 6046A, didn't have it. Had the 1969 STR 6050 rated at 30 watts. I found it to represent as closer to 40, and sounded great. I moved it out for a 50 watt 1971 Sony STR 6065, same great sound and more power.

Based on this I predict the Sony STR 6046A will sound better with more power capabilities.

I suggest the Sony STR 6046A
 
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Sony 6046a: Nice mid-line receiver. They used discrete output devices - not STK's - so no problem there. Same recommendation for the power switch, too.

David

I think that the 6046 non "A" version has discrete outputs, while the "A" version has STK or similar outputs. That's what told me months ago a guy who owns a defective 6046A... he was not able to find a replacement for the busted output module.
 
Complete output modules didn't begin to show up in Sony gear until the V-series of the mid 70s. This was part of an industry-wide process to reduce overall parts count in consumer gear as VLSI chip technologies took off.

There were at least 2 generations of Sony stereo receivers produced between the 6046 series and the V-Series, IIRC. I ran a Sony Warranty Repair Station back then and got to watch all this happen from my perch on my workbench stool. Dude, that makes me old!

Cheers,

David
 
I can only speak about the Sherwood in an informed manner.
Based on the service manual, the Sherwood 7100-A is rated at 14 W/ch, 20-20kHz, driving 8 ohm load.
I would not sweat the power figures.
The difference between 14 W/ch and 20 W/ch, with the volume knobs pegged, will likely be inaudible to your ears.

A 7100-A in good shape is a truly excellent receiver.
It has an outstanding tuner in it, and the sound is both notably strong on the low frequencies and clean/clear in the highs, all at once.
It has a really well balanced sound to it.
No one will ever accuse one of sounding thin and weak.

Efficient speakers would be a good idea.
Mine is driving a pair of Grafyx SP-8 speakers at the moment loud enough for my old ears, and the volume knob is at 11 AM.
I can comfortably drive any of my speakers with it well enough to get complaints from neighbors.

It is a very well built little receiver: walnut veneer over plywood cabinet and solid aluminum knobs.
It feels solid and substantial in use. Solid is a good word for it.
It's actually rather small and light as older receivers go.

The combined power switch/volume control is well documented.
If it breaks, then you have to use an external power switch, i.e. a switch in the cord or a power strip.

I always did like the look of the old Sonys though.They strike me as elegant.
 
I can only speak about the Sherwood in an informed manner.
Based on the service manual, the Sherwood 7100-A is rated at 14 W/ch, 20-20kHz, driving 8 ohm load.
I would not sweat the power figures.
The difference between 14 W/ch and 20 W/ch, with the volume knobs pegged, will likely be inaudible to your ears.

A 7100-A in good shape is a truly excellent receiver.
It has an outstanding tuner in it, and the sound is both notably strong on the low frequencies and clean/clear in the highs, all at once.
It has a really well balanced sound to it.
No one will ever accuse one of sounding thin and weak.

Efficient speakers would be a good idea.
Mine is driving a pair of Grafyx SP-8 speakers at the moment loud enough for my old ears, and the volume knob is at 11 AM.
I can comfortably drive any of my speakers with it well enough to get complaints from neighbors.

It is a very well built little receiver: walnut veneer over plywood cabinet and solid aluminum knobs.
It feels solid and substantial in use. Solid is a good word for it.
It's actually rather small and light as older receivers go.

The combined power switch/volume control is well documented.
If it breaks, then you have to use an external power switch, i.e. a switch in the cord or a power strip.

I always did like the look of the old Sonys though.They strike me as elegant.
I don't know that I agree about the power thing. The Sherwood 7100a is a great unit but it can run out of steam real quick. It's easy to get it into a situation where it has nothing left for the dynamics and the sound gets bloated. This can and does severely limit the speaker choices. This in turn limits the use of the receiver.
On the other hand the Sony receivers of that generation that I have experience with have been very under rated power wise.
I don't recommend either of the two asked about but those are the ones in question.
I suggest 30 watts minimum for flexibility because that will run most anything.
 
What speakers do you have? I would love to hear a S7100a with maybe a set of KLH 6.
 
My 7100A definitely reined in my rather rude Pioneer CS99A's, a very good match, and plenty loud. My KLH 17's worked well enough but the 5's were much better with it. The Fisher XP10's were more than it wanted, just to thirsty for it, I fault the speaker on that match up. It had plenty for the Wharfedale 70's and sounded great. With the Dynaco 40XL's it was so good I could have stopped right there. The OLA Advent was about a total flop. They didn't get along at all. The Advent was to set in it's ways.
Others might have different results with these same speakers. I came to these comparative conclusions while having them all at the same time.
Having said all that I would like to hear it with a pair of Klipsch. That just might put it into the WOW category.
 
I don't know that I agree about the power thing. The Sherwood 7100a is a great unit but it can run out of steam real quick. It's easy to get it into a situation where it has nothing left for the dynamics and the sound gets bloated. This can and does severely limit the speaker choices. This in turn limits the use of the receiver.
On the other hand the Sony receivers of that generation that I have experience with have been very under rated power wise.
I don't recommend either of the two asked about but those are the ones in question.
I suggest 30 watts minimum for flexibility because that will run most anything.

I think OP's post of an either/or question.

I have also used my S7100-A to drive Bose 601s, Wharfedale W60E's, and Realistic Optimus 5b's without problems.
Neither are terribly efficient.
For a large space neither of these receivers may not be the best choice.
My living room is around 15 x15 ft with a similar-sized open kitchen/dining area adjacent, all one space.
No problems.
 
I so like those 5b's. Had them in 74 in high school. Want them back.
Nice Realistic speakers are still pretty common used, and demand is apparently light.
You can have if you make the time to hunt them down.
I like my Optimus-1's nearly as well as the 5b's ($5/pair a few months ago).
A very nice pair of Nova 6's have been sitting in a thrift store near me for 3 weeks at $6/pair. Poor things.
If I did not already run a home for orphan speakers, I would start one.

Drifting off topic...while listening to my S7100-A.

I hope Mark made his purchase and is too busy enjoying it to bother with his thread.
 
Thanks for all of the input.

The Sherwood was part of a Audio equipment auction that I did not win, One guy bought up everything for price's I did not understand.

I did get a couple items for my shed. Techniques AM FM Receiver $2.25 and a Sony 5 disc CD/DVD player $5.50.

Hooked them up this evening. Hey you need music in the work shop!!

I also got a pair of near mint Advent / 1 speakers for $45 dollars. They sound great also for the brief time I tested them.

They look like they have new foam and been re capped. I posted pictures earlier in another post.

I ended up with the Sony that supposedly didn't have any output for $25. Guess what ?

Everything works inputs outputs speakers, Only problem is Right channel volume is very low.

I need to do a through cleaning of all pots first before proceeding. Maybe that's all it needs.

The wood case on this is near mint also.

I will update once I get a chance to work on it.

Thanks again!
 
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