It sounded like pancakes???
I'm not a loud listener, except when showing off, so I'm probably very rarely using more than 90 watts in my small 12x12 room where my HT resides. I have certainly never stressed out my 120 watt Denon, in any case, except maybe in experimentation.
However in comparison, in my much larger (forget the dimensions) living room with very high (2 story) vaulted ceilings and open concept to the kitchen and open double doors to another room, I have (although rarely) turned the volume knob on my old beater 100w Panasonic far enough that sound quality suffered. I suspect it was clipping just slightly, thus adding a small but noticeable level of distortion. It wasn't a static like distortion per say. I can best describe the sound as 'tiring' to listen to.
Different camps will argue about the perceived sound quality from amps at normal listening levels but both sides can probably agree that if you play exceptionally loud or have a huge area to fill loudly, then added amplification is required to avoid the effects of clipping.
You didn't mention your listening habits or your room size so I just thought I'd mention this.
