Risk using amp Wattage than speaker rating?

Exactly. And when that distortion is being caused by an over driven amp, it's going to be excessive heat that literally "fries" your drivers. Mechans is dead on. Unlimited power eliminates this factor from the scenario. I would definitely not use a classical cd to see how far I could go with my speakers, but buzzing due to over driven speakers versus buzzing due to an over driven amp is way less dangerous. Just turn down the volume and be reasonable.

I second the previous comments. Probably the most common speaker damage scenario is blown tweeters resulting from the distorted signal that would be produced if an underpowered amp is asked to put out more power than it is capable of.

Based on some rough calculations, your speakers should be able to produce an SPL (sound pressure level) of about 100 to 102 db at a listening distance of 4 meters (about 13 feet), when driven by an amplifier rated at 200 watts into 8 ohms. Most listeners would be unlikely to raise the volume level high enough to send more power than that into the speakers. And even if you did, it would probably just be on occasional brief peaks, which would probably not do any harm as long as the amplifier's maximum power capability is not exceeded.

Regards,
-- Al

@Stevecham: 1) very large room. ~16'x24', it opens to the kitchen and the ceiling is vaulted and transitions from about 8' in the kitchen to 18' in the front of the room. primary listening position is ~13 ft from speakers. 2) I'm not sure about the dB level. Normally, listening levels are moderate, but occasionally I like to crank it. I am very protective of my hearing though, so if I begin to experience any discomfort, I always back it off a bit.

@Mechans, @Csontos, @Almarg, thanks for your input. This is the impression that I've gotten from my research so far, but it is always nice to be reassured some more.

-Rob

Well, no need to be a fly on your wall, Elizabeth.