OK.......
The plan is to check each speaker separately for any issues. First up, the brand new
VP-160 on the center channel. Crank it up and sit back and listen.....
First observation is it sounds very muffled.....not clean what so ever.....
2 minutes in at +1.5. CLIP!
Next up my left M60 on the same center channel. Wow now that sounds good...
Ran it for 20 minutes at +1.5 .....no problems

There you have it, a bad VP-160 is the bloody culprit......

Happy ending will be when I receive my new from AxiomAudio

Thanks to all!