Sherwood S-9500C (1971–1976)
The Sherwood S-9500C is an AM/FM stereo receiver from the early-to-mid 1970s. Sherwood was building big, feature-heavy receivers for serious listeners then, not entry-level buyers. The catalog record from HiFI-Stereo (1971, p.38) lists it among the amplifier offerings of the day. The model appears to have stayed in production from roughly 1971 to 1976, which is a long run and suggests it sold steadily if not spectacularly.
On paper, the S-9500C is a meaty piece of gear. It's rated at 40 watts per channel RMS into 8 ohms, 20 Hz to 20 kHz, both channels driven, at 0.5% total harmonic distortion. The phono section is well specified for its era: 1.8 mV input sensitivity, 85 mV overload at 1 kHz, and an 80 dB signal-to-noise ratio. The FM tuner claims 1.6 µV sensitivity at 98 MHz, 80 dB selectivity at 400 kHz, and 38 dB stereo separation at 1 kHz. The chassis measures 480 × 146 × 330 mm and weighs a substantial 13.9 kg. One source says 16.5 kg, and the record disagrees on this point.
The sources conflict on the design. One description says "discrete components throughout," while another claims an IC-based design. Both appear in the record, and there's no way to reconcile them from primary documentation, so the internal topology stays unresolved. The sources do agree on a few things. The S-9500C uses modular circuit boards, has "magnificent styling," and carries bass, mid, and treble controls, each ±12 dB at 50 Hz, 700 Hz, and 15 kHz respectively. It also has a 10 kHz high filter and a 25 Hz subsonic filter. The FM section uses a 4-gang front end with a 3-section IF filter and a PLL stereo demodulator, which was a modern approach for the early 1970s.
The S-9500C exists in the archive mainly as a well-specified catalog entry, a serious receiver from a brand that rarely chased headlines.
Known specifications:
- Power: 40 W/ch RMS at 8Ω, 20 Hz–20 kHz, both channels driven
- THD: 0.5% at rated output; IM distortion 1.0%
- Phono: 1.8 mV sensitivity, 85 mV overload (1 kHz), 80 dB S/N
- Tone controls: ±12 dB at 50 Hz (bass), 700 Hz (mid), 15 kHz (treble)
- Filters: high at 10 kHz, subsonic at 25 Hz
- FM tuner: 1.6 µV sensitivity, 80 dB selectivity, 38 dB stereo separation, PLL demodulator
- Dimensions: 480 × 146 × 330 mm; weight approximately 13.9 kg (one source: 16.5 kg)
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