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Sherwood RD-7405HDR available now at Radio Shack

M

Mike Walker

Guest
My aging Pioneer receiver is on it's last leg, but I told my wife I wouldn't replace it until this one became available.
Well...here it is! http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4272947

Has anyone tried it yet? I was doing my usual weekend walk-through at Radio Shack in Lenoir, NC and there it sat! I had been watching J&R Music World's website, and it still says "coming soon", so I was surprised it appeared first in a small-town "Shack".

Nice looking unit! Two HDMI inputs, a single HDMI out for your TV, a composite video out that I suppose could be used to record onto a dvd recorder, two tape inputs (one a monitor loop, best I could tell), three other analog audio inputs, two (I think) analog video inputs, two RCA digital inputs and one Optical, plus an output to feed audio to an amp in another room.

SWEET! I want HD Radio, minus the ugly Accurian that still sits on top of my audio rack. This looks like the one.

SO, have you tried it?
 
I really need a new (inexpensive) receiver for the bedroom, as my father's ancient hand me down unit is falling to pieces, sonically speaking.

This thing is #1 on my wishlist. I'm skeptical of the build quality of anything with the Sherwood name on it, but for a bedroom unit it looks really, really tempting. Now, where can I find $250? ;)
 
Sherwood's Newcastle line is still among the best built available, and receives great reviews from audio and home theater publications.

I've owned a lot of Sherwood components through the years, but I'll admit...the last one was a tuner I bought more than 20 years ago. It worked great, though!
 
That must be the least expensive stereo receiver with a built-in HD radio I;ve heard of. I don't know how well it performs, however. Last year I would have to spend much more (Yamaha, Denon) to get a built in HD radio.
 
Well the best-performing HD Radio unit I've ever used, and I think the best one made, is the Sony XDR-F1HD...a 100 dollar tuner that outperforms Supertuners from the 70s and 80s on analog FM stereo (virtually no "stereo penalty"...with dsp decoding, distant stations are fully separated AND noise-free), and also holds on to HD stations in even very rural settings...like my house in the foothills of NW North Carolina...in the deep fringes of every FM station but one!

The second best performing HD unit is my Insignia pocket HD radio, which I think cost all of 40 bucks. It also is a champ at weak-signal reception of distant analog stations (though obviously not as good as the Sony, with a proper outdoor antenna and rotor).

With the dsp in the best HD Radios, what would have been world-beating performance just a couple of decades ago is available on the cheap. Truly "champagne, on a beer budget"!
 
Agreed--If Sony would update the XDR-F1HD with a tuning knob, AM stereo, and forced analog reception option, and a better, cooler-running power supply and call it something like XDR-F2HD, that would be great. Best Buy has an Insignia component tuner (not the HD walkman) about the size of Sangean HDT-1/1X, but I find it to be a piece of garbage (insensitive on FM, lousy AM). Why Best Buy stocks this instead of the Sony, I guess to fool customers.
 
ddsparxx said:
Agreed--If Sony would update the XDR-F1HD with a tuning knob, AM stereo, and forced analog reception option, and a better, cooler-running power supply and call it something like XDR-F2HD, that would be great. Best Buy has an Insignia component tuner (not the HD walkman) about the size of Sangean HDT-1/1X, but I find it to be a piece of garbage (insensitive on FM, lousy AM). Why Best Buy stocks this instead of the Sony, I guess to fool customers.
Click to expand...

I'd love to see a hot-rodded version of the Sony tuner. In fact, Broadcast Warehouse makes two; one intended for translator use and one for critical monitoring or very high end audiophile use. The only thing that is not to like is the price. Mind you they are probably worth it, but still more than a casual user would like to invest.


As for Best Buy, you guess correctly. Their Insignia brand, it is merely a marketing tool. By having a house brand, it is impossible to price shop for an identical item. That makes it easy to have a "low price guarantee." If the shopper can't find an identical item anywhere else, then you never have to worry about someone hitting you up for a refund or exchange because they found it cheaper at another store. Your only competition is yourself. It is a very common practice in retail electronics and appliance sales. Sears and the late Montgomery Wards did it well over a hundred years ago. In fact, it is even common with main-stream brand names as well. Each retailer gets their own model number, so it makes it difficult for the consumer to find an "identical" item elsewhere.
 
I know that this is not HD radio-related, Sears used to have a 412.36380700. That was their rebranded version of the Yaesu FRG-7 general coverage communications receiver back in 1979-1980.
 
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