I've only been using a model 950 for a month or so, and it's my first experience with a 7.1 set-up. However I've spent a lot of time sampling all sorts of soundtracks / music, using all of the 950's modes, and with the exception of 7 STEREO mode, my conclusion is that there's not much in the center rear channels that is likely to strain most amp / speaker combinations.

All four of my surrounds are Bose 301 Series IIIs and all of them have more than 100 Watts available to them. The center rears normally have bridged NAD 2155s driving each of them (125 Watts continuous, 250 Watts peak), with the 950's center rear set to "small" with an 80 Hz crossover. However last week I took one of the amps out of the system to be used elsewhere for a while. I'm currently using the other unbridged to drive each center rear (55 Watts continuous, 100 Watts peak). I've not reduced my listening levels and to be honest I don't hear any "straining" of the center rears.

Yes I believe that more power is always better. (Your 200 Watts should be more than enough.) But in practical terms there's not a lot of tough content showing up in those center rear channels - yet. The exception in the case of the 950 is, as I mentionned above, the 7 STEREO mode. That one definitely gives those channels something to do. But since I don't like the way it sounds, I'm not planning on using it at all.

Regards.

Jeff Mackwood