I think you are correct, Mojo, about Rock taxing his speakers with just 80 watts per channel from his NAD. I drive my M22s with 175 watts per channel, and together with the EP500 sub, they play as loud as I ever want in my 2200 cu. ft room without any signs of strain or distortion. That includes momentary peaks in excess of 95 dB SPL from my listening position about 10 - 12 ft from the M22s.
I also wonder if he might be running his M22s "full range", thinking, incorrectly, like many enthusiasts, that he'll be "losing bass" if he uses a crossover with the subwoofer. In fact, using a sub with the M22s with an 80-Hz crossover greatly eases the job of the M22's woofer, transferring the bass duties to the subwoofer. He could easily overdrive the M22s at high levels if he is running them full-range.
Alan
