@stuartk -- I have nothing against lots of power and have owned and heard lots of amps over the years, ranging from not much power to lots of watts. So, you're putting words in my mouth with the "mutually exclusive" comment. It's just in my case, my favorite amp is currently a 20 watt/channel class A Aegir, which replaced a VTV Hypex with many times the power. I prefer the Aegir's sound and never had a hint of running out of steam at my preferred listening levels.
That's the nice thing about this hobby -- people can pursue what works for them. As they, YMMV for others.