I bought the Sherwood Newcastle R945 MK 2 which is another 25watts more total 125wpc for 5 channels.before buying a receiver ,i made alot of listening from Denon,Sony,Marantz and with price higher than the 945 mk2 and is not satisfied with the movie sound.
It does not had the movie sound from my r945 mk2 which had real slammed and solid bass weight and sound separation is excellent and clean.Dialoge is trimmed and croaky realism and for detail i was satisfied with it.low extended bass is clean as well.
It handle very well with pro logic,DD and DTS as menstion from above.Action movies,music
dvd all sounded awesome.
Besides all this ,sherwood operation and features is simple and does not have the unnessary features like Denon or Yamaha and also complicated to set up.
For 2 channels steroe ,i agree with some reviewer that music from cd or tape don"t sound good as compare to Marantz and Yamaha,but then i bought this recevier was purely for action and music movies only.Still keeping this receiver now, cause is hard to find another receiver as good as Sherwood Newcastle r945 mk 2.Hope Sherwood will make a come back.

My system:
Sony BDP s370
sherwood newcastles r945 mk2
B&W CDMC center spk.
CHARIO HIPER 1000 L/R spk
MONITOR AUDIO RADIUS 90 rear spk.
VELODYNE CT120 SUBWOOFER
VAN DEN HUL cable.(clearwater)
monster subwoofer cable and coaxial.

If you get this for $400 it''s a deal. Any more and you should keep looking.

For the price there''s many better alternatives.

The 945 was the first DTS reciever in the US for under $1500. I bought it without doing the research or holding out until the Sony''s of the world moved the new technology into the stores. The 945 lacks many of the features found on less expensive models in the Sony and Yamaha lines. The sound is OK but if you use a DTS setup CD you''ll find that it cannot produce at the lower ends of the sound spectrum. I''m buying a Onkyo DS989.

Similar Products Used:

Sony, Denon, Onkyo.

great sound both in stereo and surruond modes
great remote
looks classy and more expensive that it truly is
sufficient power for almost anyone not listening in an auditorium

manual
DSP modes

With a quality speaker system (I recently purchased the
Monitor Audio Silver Series) this receiver suonds fantastic
in stereo and with a good subwoofer, great in Dolby Digital
or Prologic.
After puchasing this system I also listened to the Parasound separate sytem and the Denon 3300. The Sherwood has a larger "sweet spot" than the Parasound and sounds
as good as the Denon. The Sherwood,can nowbe puchased for
about $100 to $150 less than the Denon.Anyone interested in the Parasoun or Denon units should dive the Sherwood a
listen. You will be suprised at the quality.

Warm, natural sound; excellent remote control; simple, clean front panel controls and indicators; functions work as described; OUTSTANDING customer support.

power seems a bit lower than 100 watts x 5; user manual unclear in spots; lower midrange/upper bass a bit warm.

I had been using a Yamaha Pro Logic receiver for a couple of years and decided to look at getting a new Dolby Digital/DTS receiver. A local store advertised the 945 for $599 in a sealed box (they had ONE). I snarfed it up and feel I got a real bargain!

While installing the receiver, I could not get the LFE (subwoofer) channel to work. I tried the front panel buttons, but the display would not change. I sent an email to Sherwood. A tech support person emailed AND called me and gave me directions on what to do. I followed the directions when I got home and now it works perfectly.

I also noticed that the Sherwood receiver is much quieter than my Yamaha was--far less ambient hiss. I am sure that better receivers are available at a higher price, but the quality, operation, sound, and support offered by the Sherwood R-945 is an excellent 5-star value!

Similar Products Used:

Yamaha, Denon, Marantz products compared.

Clean sound. Well design, and bunch of others.

So far......NONE.

I was given the R-945 for my birthday. My first thought was Why Sherwood? I always thought Sherwood makes sucky products. Man was I wrong. I play it with my B&W 601 speakers, and it produces such a clean sound. For the price, features and the capabilities, the R-945 is a bargain in comparison to some other high-ends cost twice as much.

This posting is for Dave, the 'Audiophile'.
I'm going to try and keep this gentlemanly.
Yes, ‘Dave, the audiophile’, some of us DO use this unit for more than home theater. As a musician, I can vouch for this unit’s excellent music reproduction.
By the way,‘Dave, the audiophile’, let’s review what this site is for: reviewing similarly priced products in the same class.
Did you review other products in this class? How did they compare? For you to rate the
R-945 a one, for whatever reason, means you A. Don't understand how these ratings work, B. You’re trying to be inflammatory, or C. You expect us to believe your 'opinion' is more informed than many experts who have literally gushed over this product (Video, SGHT, Audio-Revolution.com, and FI magazine, to name a few.)
My guess is all of the above.
There is no way any aspect of the R-945’s performance rates a one.
Besides, if you're interested in music reproduction, WHY would you buy a home theater receiver? I didn’t realize ‘audiophiles’ like yourself approved of surround sound OR receivers.
Maybe I’ll have better luck with a ’29 year old Fisher’. I’ll just go down to Fred Flintstone’s Audio and pick one up.

Good stereo sound

none

Back in 1999, when I was bitten by the Hi-Fi and Home Theatre bug (well I still am), I wondered into Audio Connection, a reputable Hi-Fi shop in beautiful Sydney, Australia.

I had intended to buy an Onkyo DVD player and Dolby Digital receiver because they looked so good in Gold together. I was also set on the Axis brand of loudspeakers, especially the front stereo pair LS88 model. I had read very good reviews of the LS88 even way back in Singapore before I migrated to Australia.

It so happen that Audio Connection sells the Axis speakers range. I asked the shop assistant to demo the Onkyo and Axis combinations for me. I had brought along a favourite CD, the 'Mighty Sam McClain - Give It Up To Love'on JVC extended recording. To my untrained ears, the music sounded thin and without warm. I was unimpressed. My hopes were dashed. The Onkyo receiver was not up to the task. The dealer suggested the Onkyo 939 model but that was beyond my budget. Then I saw the solitary Sherwood model being advertised for a bargain A$1600 from $A2200. It looked good but Sherwood didn't sound like a good Hi-Fi brand. The dealer then showed me a copy of the Stereophile Guide to Home Theatre, where the Sherwood Newcastle 945 was awarded the best budget receiver for Home Theatre. My interest being aroused, I ask for a demo with the same Axis speakers. I found my feet tapping in time to Sam McClain. The music was now more full bodied and it sounded good. Very good indeed. I was afraid though that the Axis LS88 being 4 ohms might be a difficult load for the Sherwood but because I like the sound so much I bought the Sherwood, Onkyo DVD player and the Axis speakers (front floor standers, centre channel and rear speakers. I also bought the Definitive Technology PF12 subwoofer.

It's been 3 years now. I still enjoy my Home Theatre system. In fact I prefer to listen to music. The Sherwood is still driving the Axis beautifully. That sums up my feelings about the Sherwood. If you're prejudiced about the name, then you miss out on a sweet sounding receiver.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo TS656

Excellent FM tuner, "warm" sounding amp, excellent remote once you get used to it

DSP modes are unadjustable and sound terrible,power rating is with ONE channel driven(other manufacturers do the same)

This receiver oozes quality. Fit and finish is first rate (at this price of course).Amplfiers run warm and require adequate ventilation .Pro-Logic,Dolby digital,and DTS are all quiet,clear and have excellent steering with VERY low levels of leakage into adjacent channels.Remote macros allow me to hit one button and have receiver,tv,cable box,2 vcr's,dvd,and low wattage light strips for equipment rack that are plugged into switched outlet on receiver's rear panel, to all come on at once.GREAT SOUND,good looks,great value,what can I say, I love my Newcastle R-945.

Similar Products Used:

ADCOM,YAMAHA,APT-HOLMAN,PIONEER

The asthetics of a particular piece of A/V gear is subjective. But I am left scratching my head how anyone can find the ergonomics of the R-945 confusing.All major functions can be accessed through either the remote OR clearly labeled buttons on the front of the unit. You simply hook up your speakers, select the input you'd like, then adjust the DSP mode, and you're ready to go. It's that simple. Did the previous reviewer take the product home, or just audition the unit on the showroom floor? I'm not trying to be argumentative--the previous gentleman's review seemed intelligent and unbiassed--but I must stress to potential buyers what a pleaure it is to use this unit. Check out not only this month's SGHT, but the issue Michael Fremmer originally reviewed the unit in. I think it was early last year. He is far more eloquent about the ergonomics than I. BTW, the remote control included with this unit is included with high end gear like Dwin, B&K and Runco--and has been praised in almost every review I've seen for it's ergonomics. Go figure.

This really, really rocks for HT. I thought it was one of the best receivers for watching movies. I'm thinking of getting one for my second HT room. How does it compare to the Pioneer Elite VSX-07tx? I'm also considering that and this R-945. I'm sort of confused on what to get. The -07tx works much better for music, and is THX certified. Though this one has DTS too...