Sherbourn 5/1500A Owner Opinions? (1 Viewer)

[dpippel]

I'm about to take my first step into separates and am seriously considering this amp. Right now it's a tossup for me between the Sherbourn and an Acurus A200x5. I can pick up the Acurus for $800 (used) and a dealer demo Sherbourn will run me about $400 more. Is it worth the price difference? I've read nothing but good reviews on both of these 5 channel amps, but I'm leaning towards the Sherbourn.

Anyone out there who owns one with an opinion to share that might help me make my decision? FYI, demoing these units is not possible, so I'll be making the purchase without hearing them first. I've got Polk RT800i front mains, Polk CS400i CC, Polk R10 surrounds and an Infinity powered sub. For now I'll be using my Nakamichi AV-10 receiver as a pre/pro.

UPDATE: My dealer demo 5/1500A deal fell through, as in they didn't actually have it. Sooo, I'm in the market for a used 5/1500A. If anyone has a line on one, let me know?

 

[Randy G]

Doug,

My dealer friend sells them for 25% off and I plan on getting one soon(or the 7 channel version coming soon). I think it sounds absolutely wonderful, it's features are great(balanced ins, auto-sensing, etc), it's a monoblock design, and its got current out the ying-yang. I take it over anything NEAR its price. Ya might need a crane to lift it, though. Grab it!

 

[Marc_E]

Randy,You just made my eyebrow raise with curiosity!!!

What do you know about the 7 channel?? Price, power? Is it based on the monoblock concept? How do they fit 7 in there??

Marc

 

[Kevin George]

hi,
ive got this amp mated to a classe proccessor. the amp is an awesome value and sounds very clean in my system. i will have this amp for years to come! anyways, the above poster is right about the weight of the amp, start working out if you dont already.
o ya, good luck if your looking for one of these on the used market. they are rare to say the least. lastlly, fwiw, if you do find a used one the first sherbourn released was the one with the 5 purple leds accross the front. the newer model only had one led ( by the power button) and also added balanced inputs.

 

[GaryMil]

I love my Sherbourn. It's powering B&W CDM7s and sounds awesome. I currently have it mated to a Denon 2801 but am on the infamous Outlaw 950 prepro waiting list. Oddly enough Sherbourn will be selling a clone of the 950 but for considerably more money($2K).

Anyway the 5/1500a is the best bang for the buck amp on the market today. And yes, it's freaking heavy!!!

 

[Gregg Hart]

Actually Sherbourn's upcoming preamp is MSRPed at $1500. I was told this yesterday by the owner of Sherbourn. It will probably run less than that on the street. That might be a good alternative to the 950 considering we might not see it till 2003 with the delays those people keep giving us.

I too have the 5/1500a and love it to death. Have only had it 2 days now and found a huge improvement in sound quality over my previous Golden Theater GTA-1 amp. I would call AV Science and find out what they would be willing to sell one to you new. Might get fairly close to $1200.

I know the Acurus is supposed to be a nice piece too, but I have no actual experience with it.

Gregg

 

[Randy G]

The 5/1500A(if it's A stock) for $1200 would be an awesome steal if it's brand new...I mean, 40% off!!

Marc,

Sherbourn's new 7 channel amp is still under development, but is supposed to be ready by late spring. It'll be called the (surprise!) 7/2100, and will list for around $2750. It'll also have 7 torroidal transformers and will put out 200 watts into 8 ohms, and 300 into 4 ohms per channel. How about this; 6 of the channels will be bridgeable....whoa!

And don't forget the balanced inputs and auto-sensing circuitry. I'm guessing it'll be just what the hernia-repair doctor ordered.

ps-Ooops, almost forgot. Since it has the potential to draw over 20 amps, it's gonna have 2 power cords!!! Think I'm kidding? Not!

 

[Fred DeGrandis]

I also own the 5/1500A, and I love it. I picked it up new from an authorized dealer, and lets just say I was really happy with the price
I was considering others, but for the price, and how the amp sounds with my speakers, this was truely a no-brainer.
Doug,
Drop me an email at: [email protected]
Fred

 

[JimHS]

Hello Doug, I bought this amp about a month ago and for the money, you can't beat it. Check out The Stereo Trading Outlet online, I think its [email protected]. I bought mine used for a good price and great customer service.
jhs

 

[Randy G]

You win!

I've never seen a font that large in all my Internet viewing life. That's BEYOND screaming!

 

[Dan Driscoll]

What do you know about the 7 channel?? Price, power? Is it based on the monoblock concept? How do they fit 7 in there??

Marc,
When I talked to Ron Fone a couple of weeks ago he described the 7/2100. It is similar to, but not exactly the same as the 5/1500. Yes, it is a mono-block design, with 7 independent channels. But those channels are squeezed into the same chassis as the 5/1500 and if you've seen the inside of a 5/1500 then you gotta be asking how they got 2 more channels in. They did it by making some of the power supply components, like the torroids, a little smaller.
However, that means that the power supplys don't have as much capacity. So the amps in the 7/2100 are actually class G, not class AB. Class G amps operate in class AB mode most of the time, but when current demand exceeds a predetermined level the amp(s) either switch output devices or the rail voltage is switched higher until the current demand drops back down. (Ron did not indicate which method Sherbourn will be using) The problem with both methods is that they introduce distortion when switching.
Ron and I talked about the pros and cons of this approach and we agreed that this probably won't be a problem when using the amp for home theater, but it almost certainly would be an issue for multi-channel music. That's why Sherbourn is going to be marketing the 7/2100 pretty much exclusively for HT, not audio.

 

[Randy G]

Great information, Dan!!

So would YOU still consider this amp a no-brainer if you were gonna use it for 50/50 music and HT?? How many watts would you guess it would take(per/channel) to push the amp into its protective/switching mode? guesses?

Your info certainly gives one pause to think twice....

 

[Dan Driscoll]

Great information, Dan!!
So would YOU still consider this amp a no-brainer if you were gonna use it for 50/50 music and HT?? How many watts would you guess it would take(per/channel) to push the amp into its protective/switching mode? guesses? Your info certainly gives one pause to think twice....

Randy,
I'm just passing along what Ron and I talked about. FYI, just in case anyone is wondering, Ron did not tell me any of this in confidence.
WRT to the 7/2100, I have no doubt that it is going to be a very good amp with excellent sound quality for its price and features. As to whether it will be a good fit in your system depends on what is most important to you. Are you and HT buff or more of an audio enthusiast? While my usage is probably 70/30 HT/music, the quality of the music is by far what's most important to me. Also, the balance gets skewed by my wife and step-daughter, who are more interested in movies.
If your preferences and system are primarily geared to HT, the 7/2100 may be a very attractive option, particularly if you are on a budget or have limited space, but still want separates. Also, if you have efficient or low power speakers and will never drive the 7/2100 into class G operation, it may be an option for a multi-channel music system.
But I am definitely more of an audiophile wannabe, so the 7/2100 isn't an option I would seriously consider. When I am ready to expand again I will probably look more towards a high end 2 channel amp or monoblocks.

 

[Randy G]

Dan,

Thanks again.

 

[Marc_E]

Yes Dan thanks! Fantastic info. That plus the answer to my Rotel/Sherbourn comparison question at the Secrets site is making this a complicated decision for me. Good thing I have a long time to go before I can put the money down. Plewnty of time for in home demos.

It is between RMB-1095/Rb-1090 combo or Sherbourn 5/1500A 2/600A combo.

Marc

 

[Randy G]

Between the 2 Rotels and 2 Sherbourns, that would be an easy one for ME....Sherbourn without a doubt.

 

[Lee-c]

Marc: On the 5 channel amp, a strong argument can be made for the Sherbourn 5/1500A. You've got to
like those independent power supplies for each channel.
But on the stereo amp for your mains, I'd go with the 1090. 380 WPC with independent
large power supplies for each channel is very hard to beat. And reports are that the Rotel
has excellent sound. Of course, you'll want to test that in your own system to see how it
sounds with your particular gear. But if they both sound good, I'd give the nod to the 1090.

 

[Bobby_N]

I have a Sherbourn 5/1500A mated to a Yamaha RX-V1 pre/pro. Excellent amp, worth the dollars.

 

[Marc_E]

hmmmm, 5/1500A plus RB-1090? I like the idea of that. I totally agree that the mono block construction of the sherbourn is very sexy! That sounds like the winner. RB-1090 plus sherbourn 5/1500A!!!!!

Marc

 

[Bobby_N]

Actually, I erred, I have the original 5/1500 - its not the balanced version, it has the 5 blue led's on the front, but its still a killer amp.