John, what are you driving them with?
When I first got my 80's, I was driving them with a 2ch integrated Luxman amp from the early 80's. It was rated at 70w/ch@8ohms. I now have a Yamaha 5660 6.1receiver rated at 85w/ch@8ohms.
With the Lux, I could turn it up to stupid levels cleanly, until it would just shut down. (It didn't like the 4 ohm load) No hint of strain, and it seemed effortless.
With the Yamaha I haven't had it shut down, but as the volume goes up things start to fall apart. Vocals sound strained & harsh. The high's become shrill. Bass seems sloppy. Remember, this is at STUPID levels, by myself.
I would love to hear the 80's with some real power behind them. Peter described how awesome Tharkuns 80's sounded with those parasound amps. Drool.....
