I really disagree, as there have been many, many preamps from various companies, and in all price ranges that ARE quiet. It is _not_ impossible to engineer a component, the complexity notwithstanding, that meets it's published specifications. Consumers should be able to rely on what manufacturers publish, to make purchasing decisions, otherwise we are back to things like the "wattage wars" of the late 60's and 70's before the federal trade commision chimed in. The 950 still has a problem with noise. I'm afraid that is a fact that many are experiencing.

By the way, the noise measurements were made with a lab AC decibel/voltage meter, and no, they are not subject to power line hash. I've been making measurements such as this for almost 35 years, and I think I've picked up the protocol by now.



[This message has been edited by soundhound (edited October 05, 2002).]