Ok, I think I can chime in here in a meaningful fashion.
With all due respect, I'm willing to bet that the 50hz and beyond that those pioneers were producing was pure, unadulterated, crap.
I had a similar pair of JBLs - rated with lower SPL's, but were louder, rated to 40hz, which compared to the M40's I bought... but the specs were all just fluff. The JBLs were much louder, sounded like a tin can screeching from within a bass tube compared to my very low end axioms.
I would not ever worry about powering my speaker with too much power, unless you are living in a stadium. The 1w figure banted about is pretty much accurate, but I frequently hit the 40w peak of my old amp, so I upgraded. Level meters are more than just for looks, sometimes.
Axiom and Grado are the most forthright companies I have ever dealt with. You ARE getting what you pay for. If you don't like and send it back - they are more than nice.
