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Before I start I want to make two points VERY clear. If I make a less than favorable remark about one stereo, this does NOT mean I am condemning it. It is only a compare or point out a difference.
When I first listen or get a new stereo my brain works in reverse. I seem to want to find a reason NOT to like it first. Why - because I want another stereo!
When I first started listening to the Sherwood I had to work out what ohm speaker tap I liked and what level to tune the subwoofer. Once those details were worked out - away I went! Oh yeah, did I mention this vintage amp has a subwoofer tap.
After a few hours I started to notice the subtle differences between this and my $3k new SS setup. The big differences were like a smack in the face (in a good way). The entire frequency response is very full and very dynamic. No weak spots here. You can really feel and hear the punch of even the background instruments. Something I rarely hear with SS stereo. The last time I heard that was with my Dynaco ST-70 amp. May it rest in peace where ever it is.
The separation is great. Very nice wide separation of channels and instruments. Even in very complex orchestral pieces. There is a nice depth to the music. I wouldn't call it 3D but more "real". Like you are really there. SS tends to have a 3D quality. Instruments have a more velvety quality. Even the background instruments. SS tends to be a little more "crisp". And here is were the two differ. SS tends to be very detail oriented. The Sherwood is not as detailed as SS. I can't explain this very well - but it also has detail but only in a different way. It has a very detailed musical presentation. It sounds like music. Also again I can't put this into words very well. But it sounds very organic - like music was supposed to sound.
I guess I'll wrap it up here since I can't seem to get this into less than 3 pages.
Follow Ups:
It is great to know that there finally is someone who seems to have dug into the S5000 and understands it and how to keep the quality while improving on its strengths.
I had a S5000II kicking on a shelf for a couple of decades without ever turning it on. Finally had it gone through by someone who had never seen one but was well thought of as a tube guy and he did a fine job of getting it up and running and was going to dig into some of the Sherwoods to see what made them tick and how to improve on them, if possible. Sadly, he passed on before he accomplished this.
After getting it and the companion S3000IV tuner back and putting them into my system that included a set of KLH Nines, for the first time swince buying my McIntosh MC250, C28 and MR77 system new in the late '60s, I found a system that competed with it sufficiently that I felt I could live and have lived without the Mc system. Think the Sherwood tube period and early ss designs competed with the best from any company at their time.
I did eventually sell them to someone who was willing to pay a silly price after hearing them. I eventually replaced them on an off chance with the S9500c and S3300 1st gen amp and tuner and have to admit they are as good. They do not exhibit the typical ss sound Airtime attributes to ss units and which I concur with in my experience with the exception of some of the early ss amp designs that have a common denominator of being capacitor coupled in the outputs or the McIntosh autoformer or the output transformers used in the early Fishers. I think what is being heard and attributed to ss maybe more attributable to direct coupled designs. I have never heard a set of OTL tube amps such as the Futtermans so can not make it as a statement of fact or general rule.
Don Brian Levy, J.D.
Toronto ON Canada
Mike, if I post some close ups would you describe some of the incredible detailed work that you did?
I only notice ALL the work you did after I ENLARGED those photos. My eyes are really going.
charles
ss ive posted before my samrawood 5000 is my daily driver and i love it
Brian
were you able to power KLH nines with the S5000?
Honest amplification is better than excessive 2nd order distortion anytime.
Charles
It will get better and better as the new caps break in.Now,down the road you may want to get a hold of Jim McShane and get some fresh 7189 tubes to roll in it along with a fresh pair of 7025s for the phono.Your philips sound really nice and made 22.4 watts before clipping and they should be around a while..Jim has some 6P14P-ER and a few other types that respond really well in the Sherwood amps.
Honest amplification is better than excessive 2nd order distortion anytime.
Got used to those volume control remotes! Now I need a IR line level control.
Also the cello and other string instruments have a real "woody" sound. Like you are there sound.
Interesting thing about clarity vs. distortion. SS amps clarity and low distortion is very different from tube amps clarity and low distortion. SS has a more razor edge feel to it. While tubes have a more "I'm there" feel to them.
charles
Nice description of your restored tube Sherwood.It seems that you won't be going back to SS anytime soon!I'm sure that Mike kicked it up to a whole new level.Enjoy.
Yes you are right, Mike did kick it up a level. Usually I'm making lateral moves. But this is clearly a step up. I am luck to have finally have put together a wonderful NEW solid state system. BTW - NOT an easy task!!! Earlier today I hooked it back up just to compare. ANd yes, I still like it as much as I did before the Sherwood arrived. I'm lucky to have two very fine setups.Although my wife did commented on how ugly the little Sherwood was. If it's s ugly then she can replace it with something purdy - like a CronusMagnus.
Edits: 03/10/14 03/10/14
Usually wives love the Sherwood because they have a more feminine and elegant look to them with the pearl white finish and gold trim but your unit was a slightly challenged cosmetically but it sounds very good.
Honest amplification is better than excessive 2nd order distortion anytime.
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