Mojo has pretty much nailed it. Really all that happens when you exceed the numbers that so often make up power specifications, either output or handling, is that time stops being “continuous”. But audio playback does not exist in a world of continuous time, it is dynamic. So what is most important when chasing a great audio experience is what happens above the continuous power rating or handling. An amplifier with good dynamic headroom can play many times its continuous power rating for short periods of time without clipping; this is critical to a great listening experience as clipping is best translated as harshness when listening. Harshness, though not pleasant at any volume level, is downright nasty at loud levels. The numbers are interesting in a large room. For example it would take around 64 watts of continuous power to achieve an average listening level of around 96 dB. If you wanted to be safe and maintain 15 dB of available dynamic headroom you would need over 2,000 watts of power available for short periods of time.
The same is true for speakers. It matters little what they can handle for continuous power, generally measured as 5 hours of modified pink noise, because we do not listen to pink noise (ok, maybe Mojo does). What matters is what happens above the continuous rating for short periods of time. We take this very seriously in the design of every Axiom speaker. It is in fact the main reason we use aluminium cones as their heatsinking capabilities for the voice coil allow for much greater power handling; both continuous and dynamic. We also make sure that Axiom speakers do not make any extraneous noises when pushed way beyond their continuous power rating. Extraneous noises from your speakers will kill a great listening experience instantly.
