Sorry for my ignorance but would someone describe in a nutshell exactly what the "hiss" problem is? I have read everything from hiss only being heard if you have your ear up to the speaker grill, to it being heard standing 4 feet away, to it being heard in the next room, to not being heard at all.

Is it heard when any amount of volume is put through the system or only when silent? When the hiss-hearers are watching movies or listening to cd's at whatever their normal listening levels, are they still hearing hiss?

It makes no difference either way I suppose as I will patiently wait until it's fixed. I was just hoping for more precise info on the "abnormal level of hiss" they were talking about. Thanks.

robertd,
I don't think you're the least bit ignorant, just perhaps confused like the rest of us !!
You seem to have hit on exactly why the "hiss" problem is such a problem. It "masks" itself into may different forms, and yet is very inconsistant and spotty.
Everything you mentioned has been a reported "problem". Different people with different systems in different rooms and environments are experiencing varying degrees of hiss. Some experience none.
I used to work on cars....people would bring in an auto with an intermitant problem, and diagnosing it ended up being the hardest part. The fix was always easy. I guess I equate Outlaws current dilemma with that.
So, there is no real nutshell to put it in...

A case of mass hiss-teria.