To hiss or not to hiss, that is the question...

I got my new one. 02-0212... serial number batch.

Quick observations:

1) The hiss is much better. About 1/4 reduced from my "rev 2" unit (01-0208... s/n). My rear center: 4 ft to about 1 ft, the rest: 2 ft to about 6 inches. Still not as good as the Sony TA-E9000ES I had. Like SH mentioned before, less of a "hiss" too and more of a "shshshsh".

Another sub-data point. I just switched from 2 Acurus A200x3 amps (6.1) to 1 A200 plus 1 A200x5. The hiss from the 950 stayed exactly the same on my old unit. So at least it was consistent from Acurus amp to Acurus amp.

2) My hiss is still not volume dependent until I get to 00 to +10 dB. No change from say -77 to -5 dB. (Analog input.)

3) The quirk that my unit had, is not there in the new one. While playing a CD, switch DSP modes, my old 950 would lose the lock never to regain it unless I pause or stopped and restarted the DVD player. On the new one, works the way it is supposed. (Loses the lock for a sec or so, then comes back on its own.)

4) I did not reference levels, but I took into account the -8 dB difference between this one and the old one. But like I said, the hiss doesn't change with volume anyway.

5) With this one, I noticed a metallic smell coming out of the air vents on the top when I fired it up. Will have to see if any of the sound/hiss characteristics change once the smell goes away. (About 45 min since 1st turning it on, and it's still there.)

6) This 950 still loses signal on Pearl Jam's Riot Act, in between tracks 8 and 9, and about a min into track 8 when the music dies down, and then starts up again. Bummer. I had hoped that that would have been accidentally fixed... (Happened on Pioneer's 45a and 47ai players.)

7) Does have the "active" mute for at least CD sources. Not there for analog inputs.

So all in all, a keeper. I have to admit, I had higher expectations based on what SH and Obie said, but "bad boys bad boys, what you gonna do?"

My internal measure was: if say the hiss hadn't been improved from my old unit, I would have moved over/up to the B&K Ref 50 within 3 months. But with the latest 950, I will have the it in my system a nice, long time.