Video Asylum

Posted by 12stepper on March 27, 2001 at 15:25:43

..I know, I used to ask "why the hell would someone pay for amps and not use them?"

Who knows, but now I'm considering it.

I'm currently running an AMC AV81HTc-DD pre/pro with Bryston 5B-St for front 3 speakers, and an Adcom GFA-555 for the rear surrounds. I love the analog aspect of this pre/pro, and it does movies great as well.
But I'm considering making room in my A/V rack, and getting a pre/pro with more convenience (better remote, s-video). If I get a receiver, I can use two of the channels of amplification for my surrounds, I can sell/use elsewhere my Adcom, which is overkill for the surrounds and takes up lots of space. Plus my separate tuner (which doesn't get much use now) can go as well, and use the receiver's tuner instead. Plus the receiver can give me the features/better remote I would like.

So, I stress good ergonomics, analog pass through, and good sound. Will the Sherwood Newcastle 945 Mk.II be a better choice than the newer Sherwood Receivers? I could probably get a better deal on the 945 Mk.II, and do I need the DTS-ES or EX or whatever that the newer Sherwood receivers have? I'm also looking at the NAD 751, which got a good review in the Perfect Vision. I'm not interested in the mega-receivers that we're all familiar with (B&K, Denon, Marantz, Yamaha). I looked at the Arcam but the remote is sort of weird, and the Sherwood's and the NADs seem comparable. Thoughts?