Have you tried the VP180 with a 60hz crossover? Also placement of the speaker can make a difference, a few inches higher or lower, even a slightly different angle can greatly increase SQ.

I agree the M80s love power and sound better(IMO) with lots of power available but they don't sound bad with just a simple good quality avr driving them.

Thanks for taking the time to write up your thoughts smile

Jason
M80 v2
VP160 v3
QS8 v2
PB13 Ultra
Denon 3808
Samsung 85" Q70