If you heard the same pop, but at a lower volume when you used your AR-9's, the level is now louder because the Eros ESL panels are 6-10 dB more efficient. The pop may be intrinsic to your Rotel processor. Be thankful you aren't using ALE or Goto horn systems: at 115 dB/w/m efficiency, the pop would probably sound like dinner theatre night with John Wilkes Booth.