Amplifier Sherwood AX-5505

Contrary to contemporary fashion apparatus is fairly high housing, which explains some of the conservatism and the structure itself. For example, instead of a toroidal power transformer used here is more cumbersome, made on EI core. In fact, many manufacturers prefer to luxury appliances such transformers as they passed less interference from the network and are less sensitive to the constant component of the mains voltage. The second element, defining the vertical size of the body - very large by modern standards, heat output stages, which for more effective convection is vertical.

In the great tradition built himself a sound path - in addition to the tone controls, and in it there is a frequency correction Loudness. Last compensates for the reduced sensitivity of our ability to hear high and low frequencies at low volume. Very useful thing, but in modern amplifiers somehow extremely rare. All correction can disable button Direct.

The amplifier incorporates the principle of DAS (Discrete Amplifier Stage), ie in contrast to the receiver, where the power amplifiers are based on powerful chips, they are discrete transistors. The power of each channel - 100 Watts into 8-ohm load, and that somewhat puzzled, is the minimum resistance to the amplifier. According to our measurements, real 8-ohm speakers in the market is very, very little. However, looking ahead, I will say that the AX-5505 coped well with floor speakers Monitor Audio Gold Reference 20 that at a nominal impedance of 6 ohms have a minimum order of 4 ohms.

The amplifier is designed to connect five sources, including and turntable with MM-head. Provides switching acoustics two buttons A and B. The front panel also has a quarter-inch jack for stereo headphones.

With remote access to all the switching and regulation, except the tone and balance. If we use a proprietary bus Digi-Link III, it is possible to assemble several components in Sherwood with a single management.

A bit difficult to drive the amplifier turned Dream Theater - hard and full range of some tracks slightly simplified, became smoother. But the rhythmic structure lined up perfectly, even the most intricate pieces passed exactly without any disturbances. Precisely controlled low-frequency drivers speakers, so the impact is not tightened, with a sharp and fast attack. IMD and extraneous overtones caused by the inertial movement of the cone, the ear is not noticeable.

Sherwood AX-5505 Amplifier photo