Warming up with MOSFET Sherwood S-6040CP

[absolve2525]

Warming up with MOSFET 100w Sherwood S-6040CP

I bought this amp recently from the auction site, and after cleaning out the speaker selector buttons, Im still getting a more forward lean sound compared to my Yamaha P2100 100w amp. The Sherwood had the caps replaced and the bias and DC set before I bought it, according to the previous owner, and is supposed to have a more warm tube-like sound; I havent really found that to be the case, and it may be because I need a better preamp and interconnect match. What are you Sherwood mosfet guys using with them? I tried leaving it on to warm up, but the Yamaha sounds smoother regardless. The Yammie has volume pots, and a found it to sound best with them set around 12 oclock. The sherwood does not have volume pots. Thanks for suggestions!

 

[Elliot Thompson]

I bought this amp recently from the auction site, and after cleaning out the speaker selector buttons, Im still getting a more forward lean sound compared to my Yamaha P2100 100w amp. The Sherwood had the caps replaced and the bias and DC set before I bought it, according to the previous owner, and is supposed to have a more warm tube-like sound; I havent really found that to be the case, and it may be because I need a better preamp and interconnect match. What are you Sherwood mosfet guys using with them? I tried leaving it on to warm up, but the Yamaha sounds smoother regardless. The Yammie has volume pots, and a found it to sound best with them set around 12 oclock. The sherwood does not have volume pots. Thanks for suggestions!

These two amplifiers differ in many ways.

There is no such thing as “warm up” a solid-state device.

Every Yamaha Amplifier/Receiver I heard sounds bass and lower midrange shy, which the Sherwood does not.

A better pre-amplifier may help however, if you are looking for it to sound like your Yamaha, chances are, it will not happen.

Also, basing the quality of the sound on where the gain pot resides is not a fair comparison since the Sherwood 6040 is a Power Amplifier and offers no gain controls. It is just raw power and needs a preamplifier.

I used to use the 6040 with it’s matching pre-amplifier to drive a pair of home audio 15-inch speakers decades ago. It is more of a high current amplifier, whereas the Yamaha is not.

The Sherwood 6040 falls more in the range of Nikko Alpha and Soundcraftsmen in terms of sound.

Personally, I never fancy Yamaha Integrated/Power Amplifiers/Receivers so I can understand why the Sherwood may not be your cup of tea.

Best Regards,

 

[absolve2525]

Thanks for the reply. What is the matching preamp for the Sherwood? The Yamaha is actually a pro power amp with front level controls from the late 70s. It is very hefty with a huge power supply and heat sinks on the sides of the unit. Its a favorite of a few members on here, and actually has a lot of bass impact and smoothness. I have not tried Yamaha integrated amps. I dont have access to photos of each at the moment - I can post some later, but there are some detailed threads on the Yamaha. I agree that the Sherwood sounds different; Im just looking to maximize synergy in my setup (which always rotates around!).

 

[Elliot Thompson]

Thanks for the reply. What is the matching preamp for the Sherwood? The Yamaha is actually a pro power amp with front level controls from the late 70s. It is very hefty with a huge power supply and heat sinks on the sides of the unit. Its a favorite of a few members on here, and actually has a lot of bass impact and smoothness. I have not tried Yamaha integrated amps. I dont have access to photos of each at the moment - I can post some later, but there are some detailed threads on the Yamaha. I agree that the Sherwood sounds different; Im just looking to maximize synergy in my setup (which always rotates around!).

I just notice you own P 2100 is a power amp. I have edited my post please read it again.


The matching preamplifier is the S 6020.

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee125/dunhill1966/DSC_7507_sm.jpg

I actually sold the 6040 years ago due to only offering 100 watts per channel. I did keep the S 6020 to use on a larger wattage amplifier. You will need a preamplifier for that Sherwood. You cannot operate it as is without a preamplifier and expect it sound good.

The Sherwood 6040 offers two power transformers and more heatsink than the Yamaha P2100. It is a better amplifier than Yamaha P 2100 from a design and current perspective. However, what is sounds like is the determining factor.

I have no idea what you mean by "synergy in my setup." The only "Synergy" I know of is the gym I attend.

Best Regards,

 

[absolve2525]

Thanks for the link the the preamp, Elliot. The set looks very nice together! I have tried using a passive pre and am currently using the pre-outs of my Marantz 2230 for a preamp at the moment, which is actually noise free and very clear. What I mean by synergy, is where the preamp and amp have a proper impedance match. Fortunately, the 100W is more than enough for my smaller listening room. I bought the Sherwood as an upgrade and I agree that it offers a lot; I want to take advantage of it!

 

[absolve2525]

I have the Sherwood amp back in rotation - I tried using it with my passive pre-amp, but different interconnects. I've had some luck with the passive in some systems, but unfortunately it was still sounding a little cold and bass lacked impact. So, I decided to try using it in conjuction with my big ol Kenwood Nine G receiver. The Kenwood serving pre-amp and tuner duties. I have a Pioneer SX-980 too that offers a pre-out, but I decided to try the Kenwood since I'm using some vintage Kenwood LS-408B speakers and I love the looks of the big Nine G. Verdict - much better! Midrange and bass are fuller and there is plenty of detail without being fatiguing. Perhaps I'll have to try a Kenwood Basic preamp next! Im happy to have the Nine G in rotation at the moment, so I'm in no hurry! And the Sherwood sounds great - finally.