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Let me get this this straight.. you are running the Axiom M80's (which say they need a minimum wattage of 10W) with 2.3 watts of power from the Sony Boombox? I would have to think that dynamics, bass frequencies and overall clarity would be greatly diminished.



Not even 2.3W actually. More like a quarter watt...so well below the Sony's maximum spec. Members that read these posts regularly, know that I listen to music through my M80s at about a half watt per side (for an SPL of around 80dB) and movies at a few watts.

As I understand it, the minimum power spec of 10W tends to be indicative of the power needed for "good" bass output. If you take a look at the M80 frequency response plot, the SPL at "lower" frequencies is attenuated. Hence, putting in a minimum of 10W will bring the SPL at say 20Hz, up to around 75dB which is a respectable level. It will also blow your ears off at higher frequencies so putting in more power is not a great way to increase low frequency performance.

This is why during normal listening, I also have my EP600 on. For this "test" however, I had the sub off. The point is, the listeners could not tell the difference between the dynamics, bass and clarity of the two systems. BTW, although I did not participate in the test, I can certainly tell you that Poncho sounded great through the M80s at this low level.