Price Paid:  $91.00 from Ubid

Summary:
Having used some of Sherwood's other DD receivers in the past, I thought I'd check out the 7100 due to the value Sherwood offers. This one doesn't have the EX, DPL II or Neo 6 but it does however have a very natural Dolby Virtual mode, something that could benefit someone who does not have surround or center channel speakers. There are 2 ambience modes, Theater and Hall which are surprisingly good, much better than the boingy ones in the 7108, which I also own. The 7108 with the newer center back channel amp does have the ability to decode 3 rear channels, though (see other products used). In a plain Pro Logic setup the sound in the 7100 is very enveloping and natural, even with my rather inefficient PSB Mini's. Just for the fun of it, I substituted set of Wharfedale Diamond 7.2's and the receiver really made these modest speakers croon, and generates enough power for all channels in an average size room. This receiver is perfect for someone interested in a easy-to-operate unit and it has all one needs for a good sounding 5 channel home theater system.

Strengths:
Price - These have been selling for around $100 incl. shipping on Ubid.
Sound quality - has the Yamaha YSS-912 decoder chip

Weaknesses:
Slight buzz from the center speaker when the TV is on. Still troubleshooting this, could be the TV.

Similar Products Used:
RD-6108: (DPL II) This one has 2 very usable settings in Dolby Virtual, Narrow and Wide. Also a very nice buy for around the same price.

RD-7108 Good choice for an entry-level EX, Neo 6 setup, but priced at close to the $200 mark, still a good deal. One nice feature with this one is the ability to change the speaker configuration with the remote. (Center, Rears On/Off, Large/Small, etc.)