Sherwood 2770R (c. 1987)

The Sherwood 2770R is a late-1980s digital remote-control stereo receiver. Period materials generally badge it as the S-2770R CP. It was one of Sherwood's more ambitious audio/video models of the era. Sherwood's own advertising ran in Audio (August 1987, p.67) and High Fidelity (February 1988, p.40). The ads pitched it as the hub for TV audio, VCR audio and video, CD player, turntable and tape deck, all in stereo, at a claimed 74 watts per channel. They also highlighted two then-novel tricks. One synthesized stereo from mono sources such as broadcast or cable TV. The other decoded rear-channel information present in most stereo sound and video programs, so a second pair of speakers behind the listener could turn a living room into a makeshift theater.

The more substantial record is the test report in HiFI-Stereo (August 1987, p.50-51). It listed the 2770R at $449.95 and found a well-equipped receiver. It has a motorized volume knob with a bright red LED position readout, which is useful when adjusting via remote. It has a switchable subsonic filter with a 12 dB/octave slope below 30 Hz. The front panel is 17¼ inches wide. The measured amplifier performance was strong. At its rated 70 watts into 8 ohms, distortion ran 0.004 to 0.01 percent from 20 Hz to 4 kHz, rising to 0.045 percent at 20 kHz, and it was lower still at half and one-tenth rated power. The magazine judged it capable of more than enough clean power for most listeners. It called the FM tuner exceptionally low in noise, with generally very good performance otherwise.

Beyond the ads and that one test report, the trail thins. Production years, weight, and full input/output details aren't recorded in any source found so far. The model numbering itself (2770R versus S-2770R CP) shifts from ad to ad and review. What's solid: $449.95 in 1987, 74 W/ch advertised (70 W/ch as rated in the lab test), remote control with motorized volume, the mono-stereo synthesis and rear-channel decode features, and a 17¼-inch-wide panel.