Yeah, well my system is not very typical, and I admit I have rather low standards for the program sources the 950 handles. The 950 replaces a Fosgate Model 3 which went belly up. I don't use DSS or my VCR or radio for any serious listening or viewing. I was just disappointed by the excess noise. I was hoping I could use the 950 for DVD playback, but unfortunately, my old equipment works better at this task, so I pressed them back into service. I've always had the vacuum tube preamp driving my main left and right channels (the preamp is a custom design and build) and always use it for 'pure stereo' playback, which I am very picky about, as it is used as a final quality control step for film music soundtracks I master. I have a button which controls an 8 channel relay switcher which changes the input from the whole system from a HT mode to the output of my mixing console for work duties.