I previously owned a Sherbourn PT-7010 (surround pre/proc) and 7/2100 7-channel amplifier (the previous version of the 7/200a. As a matter of fact, the 7/200a looks identical to the 7/2100a I owned in every respect though they may have found internal ways to improve the mono-block modules, etc... I'd suggest giving Sherbourn a call.
BTW...someone has a 7/200 up for sale here with low hours at a fantastic price.
In short I was VERY happy with both the PT-7010 and the 7/2100 at that stage in my home theater usage. For the price, the 7/2100 (and PT-7010) deliver excellent levels of price, capabilities, fantastic build quality and overall return on your investment. The cabling flexibility and form factor of the 7/2100A is also of benefit in that it packs alot of power for all 7 channels playing continuously into a dynamite box. Many multi-channel amps/receivers are rated in a way that leads you to believe that all channels can deliver the rated power simultaneously but in practice, people who have measured performance have found that the numbers are misleading and in some cases incorrect. Not so wit the 7/2100 and 7/200. This 7.1 chassis can deliver the rated power when needed to all 7 channels simultaneously.
The one thing to remember is that you'll need to connect the amp to two (2) different 15-amp circuits as Sherbourn has done a very intelligent job of supplying lots of power to the unit through using a master and child dual power input scheme. Hooking both power inputs to the same 15-amp circuit is not advisable; you'll want to have two different circuits run close enough to the amp so that your power cords reach. That stated, Sherbourn puts 2 heavy duty cables in the box to help you get started. If you run speakers whose nominal impedance, they suggest that you connect the amp to two 20-amp circuits if memory serves (or at least one); I'd suggest checking the manual for details.
I found the sound quality to be very good and for the price, quite surprising. At extremely high levels, I did find the amps to get a bit grainy however you had to push the amp quite far to hear this. Overall, this is a good 7-channel amp for home theater. If your goal were reference/high-quality stereo playback I'd suggest you look elsewhere. I've heard a number of 5 and 7 channel multi-channel amps over the years and still have fond memories of the 7/2100 from Sherbourn. For musicality, I have to say to be fair that my favorite is the 5-channel amp from Classe but for overall HT uses for 7.1 I would have chosen (and did for about 2 years) the Sherbourn.
Customer service from Sherbourn is first rate. I never had a single problem with my 7/2100. I did have an issue with my PT-7010 in that it was one of the first production run units and had a digital input section that had gotten damaged in transit. In that situation, Sherbourn helped me diagnose the problem, sent me a replacement unit BEFORE I sent mine back and then took my faulty unit back when I had the time to return it once my problem was solved and I was happy.
For the money, you'll get a lot out of Sherbourn equipment and fantastic customer service on top of it. I am a bit dated in my HT trialing of equipment as I left HT about 2 years ago to go back to 2-ch only so there may be other good 7.1 all-in-one amplifier solutions out there but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find better ROI in a one-box true 7-monoblock configuration than what Sherbourn gives you.
BTW...someone has a 7/200 up for sale here with low hours at a fantastic price.
In short I was VERY happy with both the PT-7010 and the 7/2100 at that stage in my home theater usage. For the price, the 7/2100 (and PT-7010) deliver excellent levels of price, capabilities, fantastic build quality and overall return on your investment. The cabling flexibility and form factor of the 7/2100A is also of benefit in that it packs alot of power for all 7 channels playing continuously into a dynamite box. Many multi-channel amps/receivers are rated in a way that leads you to believe that all channels can deliver the rated power simultaneously but in practice, people who have measured performance have found that the numbers are misleading and in some cases incorrect. Not so wit the 7/2100 and 7/200. This 7.1 chassis can deliver the rated power when needed to all 7 channels simultaneously.
The one thing to remember is that you'll need to connect the amp to two (2) different 15-amp circuits as Sherbourn has done a very intelligent job of supplying lots of power to the unit through using a master and child dual power input scheme. Hooking both power inputs to the same 15-amp circuit is not advisable; you'll want to have two different circuits run close enough to the amp so that your power cords reach. That stated, Sherbourn puts 2 heavy duty cables in the box to help you get started. If you run speakers whose nominal impedance, they suggest that you connect the amp to two 20-amp circuits if memory serves (or at least one); I'd suggest checking the manual for details.
I found the sound quality to be very good and for the price, quite surprising. At extremely high levels, I did find the amps to get a bit grainy however you had to push the amp quite far to hear this. Overall, this is a good 7-channel amp for home theater. If your goal were reference/high-quality stereo playback I'd suggest you look elsewhere. I've heard a number of 5 and 7 channel multi-channel amps over the years and still have fond memories of the 7/2100 from Sherbourn. For musicality, I have to say to be fair that my favorite is the 5-channel amp from Classe but for overall HT uses for 7.1 I would have chosen (and did for about 2 years) the Sherbourn.
Customer service from Sherbourn is first rate. I never had a single problem with my 7/2100. I did have an issue with my PT-7010 in that it was one of the first production run units and had a digital input section that had gotten damaged in transit. In that situation, Sherbourn helped me diagnose the problem, sent me a replacement unit BEFORE I sent mine back and then took my faulty unit back when I had the time to return it once my problem was solved and I was happy.
For the money, you'll get a lot out of Sherbourn equipment and fantastic customer service on top of it. I am a bit dated in my HT trialing of equipment as I left HT about 2 years ago to go back to 2-ch only so there may be other good 7.1 all-in-one amplifier solutions out there but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find better ROI in a one-box true 7-monoblock configuration than what Sherbourn gives you.