embries i feel your pain. it is pretty near impossible to say in words what high-current, oversized components, etc. do for the sound of a system. rated watts are what most people look for, but there is no standardization at all as to how rating is observed. most times the rating methods are not fully disclosed by the manufacturer, so this leaves more gray area. we all know that an amp driving one channel at a specific frequency is going to perform differently driving multiple channels at a full range of frequencies. most "high end" companies rate their power in a realistic scenario, but they all dont, and you can drop a wad on some amps that are junk. at least they spend your money designing their logo.... the best thing a company can do is fully state how they derived their power ratings (accurately of course), that way they dont have anything to hide, if their product is inferior then so be it...