Remember that a lot of people that have commented on the hiss problem replaced a receiver or another pre/pro with the 950, and noticed that the 950 was noisier than the prior unit.

That's not a speaker sensitivity issue.

Plus, don't forget the S&V lab results. The 950 was measured to be noisier than a $300 Panasonic receiver reviewed in the same issue.

Plus, I went back and compared the 950 results to reviews of Yamaha and Denon receivers in past issues, and the 950 still had the worst measurements.