I tried this when I got home as chris3g suggested above. With the vol. at -05 (much louder than I can stand) I hear absolutely nothing when I switch off my cd player. If I crank it all the way to 10 there is a slight hiss at the speaker but I bet a Lexicon would exhibit just as much hiss. Overall, I'm very, very pleased with this product. More to say later once it's broken in and I've figured it all out.

that sounds like a very acceptable amout of hiss...i just wish mine was like that.

I also decided to check mine -- ran it on analog (cable box) for a while, switched to digital (CD), then stopped the CD player. At -20 dB volume, I had to get within 6 inches or less of the tweeter to hear anything. YMMV...

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gonk -- Saloon Links | Pre/Pro Comparison Chart | 950 Review

oaf:...GREAT post. you're in for a treat.

i'm running close to 4,000 watts of monoblock and bridged amps, outboard bass management components, 7 speakers, a monster of a sub, dvd player, sacd player, vcr, tv, cd player and ld player, connected by a literal ocean of cables powered by 2 dedicated 20 amp circuits thru 2 tripp lite lc 2400 line conditioners. (i remember when my live band was powered by less amplification).

audible hiss at +10db??? your kiddin', right?
1 foot from the tweeter?...i dare you.
(relax, i know you mean during dead time...a little levity)

scott: your points are, as usual, well written and equally well taken and i appreciate eveything you all did to deliver my 950 in it's current state: astoundingly clean, versitile, a huge source of my current enjoyment of life and plenty quiet.

gonk: (your first post in this thread) great advice to everyone connecting a home theater!

desperado: 950/770...

Scientific experiments confirming the presence or lack there of of any hiss introduced by the Outlaw Model 950 into my system will commence in about, oh, ... 24 to 72 hrs. Just ordered! Can't wait!

(... please let there be no hiss, please let there be no hiss ...)

I have to agree with Scott and hope his comments put this issue to rest. I never noticed any hiss from my previous Parasound unit, in any mode, until I started reading these threads. Since I was still on the waiting list, I did a few listening tests with my Parasound unit and guess what? To my surprise there was hiss coming from my mains, in analog mode, that coud be heard at least 18 inches away. I didn't have a problem with this because I had been listening to the unit for 4 years and never noticed it. When I introduced the 950 into "my home theatre environment", the first thing I did was just sit back and listen for a while. Sometime later I did listen for hiss in analog mode and noticed that the 950 reduced the amount of his "in my setup" by at least 50%. Not only that but overall sound quality in all modes increased substantially. Not too shabby if you ask me.

Now, back to enjoying my 950 - didjdude

Scott is right to some extent ("hiss hunt"), but if some people hear noise from their listening position, and the noise is not dependent on the volume setting, it is definetely not normal. Just re-read the first and second posts. Interesting that Scott cleverly avoided answering them.

O.K.
It's late, I'm tired, and my ears are ringing from my new toys

I have an Adcom 2 channel 300 watt amp. Stereophile Recommended component.

I run it through a Creek Audio OBH12 pre-amp (passive) another Stereophile Recommended component.

My 950/770 hisses ALOT less than those components did.
I'd be hard pressed to even call it a "hiss"...it sounds more like raw power just waiting to be unleashed.
Just got done listening to Joe Satriani Live in San Francisco....at +5 on the master volume control....through Klipsch towers, center, and surrounds.
"It ain't hiss I heard".

When I read this I thought, "Oh boy, here come the detractors" and sure enough on the same day you posted that somebody posted a review that basically slams the 950. It's funny because the only nice thing the reviewer says about it is "for the price it is unbeatable" but then proceeds to give it a 4 out of 5 stars on value. ???

[This message has been edited by Jed M (edited September 25, 2002).]

Yes, and it is also interesting to note that the reviewer indicated that "It hisses in many people's set ups." It would appear that whoever posted this has a real axe to grind with Outlaw. Why post problems that "others" are experiencing and that have been resolved? The reviewer indicated that he has had a 950 for "3 months to 1 year" but if this were the case, why talk about the hiss problem now that it is no longer an issue. The guy is probably a shill for Rotel or one of the fellowship of the miserables that seem to plague these forums.