ICA,
I'm not totally sure what the hissing is that some report to hear. Not saying that it doesn't exist, I just don't think that I've ever experienced it to the same level as others have. But from all our shooting tests Woodsmans and other heads do make more flight noise than plain field points all else being equal.
I personally spent a good deal of time on broadhead noise with several different broadheads and designs. God bless my father that put up with my numberous requests to listen to broadheads, field points, feathers and arrow combinations as I shot them past him;) I had to enlist his help and that of others too to listen to arrows in flight because from the beginning I couldn't tell a difference myself of one head to the next from behind the bow. Some designs were discluded for the volume of noise that they created. Heads were tested under several conditions situations that amplified arrow noise.
Couple of results that came from out tests. Firstly, no one could tell what head was coming till AFTER the arrow passed them. This follows anything I've every personally experienced in the woods. If I've missed a totally calm unalert animal, they react to the noise of the arrow past them, not coming at them. Again, just my experience.
Secondly, every comination that we tested head to head against a field point it was always quieter than a broadhead. Under amplified conditions a field point disturbes less air and thus makes less noise compared to a broadhead.
Lastly, after comparing all of our head combinations and designs we concluded in blind testing that the new Elite made less flight noise than even the original head.
So in a long way around to answer your question, all of us involved did take the issue of noise very seriously and feel confident that we have produced a head that is quieter than the original. dino