Sherbourn Re-Enters Home Theater Market with Pre/Pro

After a hiatus during which Sherbourn Technologies focused mostly on multiroom audio technologies, the manufacturer is re-entering the home theater market with its fully-equipped PT-7020A preamplifier/processor.

Ron Fone, president of Sherbourn, says the product, which took Sherbourn a couple of years to develop, is positioned as a cost-friendly step-up solution that’s attractive for installers and their clients.

The PT-7020A includes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-MA decoding, multiple HDMI inputs and RS-232.

“Separates continue to decline in the face of one-box receivers, but ‘separates’ are still an important sector for integrators and specialty dealers who seek to enhance their clients’ entertainment value and their own profitability,” he says.

“Without an up-to-date, fully-featured, reliable and compliant pre/pro/tuner it is impossible to engage in today’s home theater market.”

Why the Wait?

Fone emphasizes that it's the "platform" that drives pre/pro products.

"These ‘platforms’ are expensive, often short-lived and generally are the preserve of larger companies whose volumes allow them to afford the massive developmental costs. Over the years, Sherbourn has been fortunate to link itself with organizations and people who have helped us gain access to such ‘platform’ opportunities.

“Today, few companies offer ‘separates’ with their required criteria of performance, features, competitive value, margin value and reliability. Sherbourn competes and survives because we deliver on these exacting criteria."

For Sherbourn and its dealers, though, is the PT-7020A pre/pro worth the two-year wait?

"Were we right not to rush the launch and handle issues via software updates? Has it hurt our top and bottom lines? Yes and a thousand times yes," Fone says.

"But we survive on our ability to support our dealers with products they can trust. We know it is their reputation and their clients so they must have confidence that we as their vendor will never let them down”

Green Focus

With the custom electronics industry, slowly recovering from the recession and home theater remaining a strong category for installers — especially in retrofits — Sherbourn is jumping back into that arena. It's also turning to green technologies.

Fone says Sherbourn is preparing to introduce several green products:

• An eco-friendly receiver
• Two eco-friendly home theater amplifiers
• An eco-friendly stereo amplifier
• An eco-friendly preamplifier

Fone adds that Sherbourn is reviewing its custom products so they can meet the latest European Union 2-watt standby mode energy conservation standard.

Sherbourn PT-7020A

Features

• Twin Cirrus 32 bit dual core DSP’s. Cirrus 497004 & 495315 for true 192K performance
• Decoding support for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Digital True HD, Dolby PLIIx, DTS, DTSES, DTS HD, DTS Master Audio, DTS Neo 6, SPDIF, PCM 8 channel (note: some audio formats are only supported via HDMI)
• Genesis Torino high performance video scaling engine for true 10-bit processing
• Integrated 3D video decoder
• Faroudja DCDi Cinema® Format Conversion and Truelife™ video enhancer
• Automatic Cirrus/Sherbourn multi-channel room correction and automatic loudspeaker setup. Calibrated measurement microphone included.
• Quadruple bass manager with independently selectable high and low pass frequencies from 40hz – 160hz
• Balanced subwoofer output
• All legacy video inputs can be scaled and output over HDMI at up to 1080p
• HDMI sources can be format converted to component video up to 1080i
• Intuitive, full color graphical OSD with adjustable transparency presented over live video, including HDMI
• HDMI 1.3a Deep Color compliant
• All inputs are assignable and feature input labeling, selectable decode modes, selectable triggers, etc.
• Independent graphic EQ with global bass and treble controls by channel groupings
• 0.5dB level trims
• High voltage, low impedance main analog outputs (7 VRMS)
• RS-232 controllable

Specifications

• 5 - HDMI inputs and 1 HDMI output
• 3- composite video inputs (RCA)
• 3 - S-video inputs (S-video mini DIN)
• 3 - component video inputs (RCA)
• 1 - component video output (RCA)
• 4 - stereo analog audio inputs (RCA)
• 1 - 7.1 analog input set (RCA)
• 1 - 7.1 analog output set (RCA)
• 4 - coaxial digital inputs, (RCA)
• 3 - optical digital inputs (Toslink)
• 1- coax digital audio output (RCA)
• 1- optical digital audio output (Toslink)
• 1 - Stereo or 2 channel analog multi channel mix down output for fixed level monitoring (RCA)
• 1- stereo analog variable and independent Zone 2 output (RCA)
• 1 - stereo analog fixed level record output (RCA)
• High performance AM/FM tuner with 24 FM and 6 AM presets
• 3 - assignable trigger outputs Movie/Music/Amp (3.5mm mini)
• 1- IR input (3.5mm mini)
• 1 - IR output (3.5mm mini)
• 1. Microphone input (3.5mm stereo mini)
• 1- USB data input (for software upgrades only)
• Size: 17” W x 3 7/8” H x 13” D