Vinw- what higher power amplifiers have you tried?
Because all of my use with C1s directly contradicts your statements. 30 watts won't do it. I blew through 200 watts on a McIntosh. I had a 100 watt digital amp that got smoked by the C1s. I had 300 watts into 4 ohms on my BAT which seemed to do the trick. However, the best amp i had on them was a Pass X250.5 which is much more powerful---and had control/speed/clarity in spades.
I think a lot of folks under drive their speakers---or only listen to acoustic music in small rooms.
I also think this speaker is weak at low level listening, but that's another topic for another day.
Keithr
Keith, I've tried Pass X150.5, 250.5, and 350.5, Krell 2250,
FPB 200, Sim W5, Mc 402, ASL Hurricane ....to name a few.
Your room must be very large to have tripped the 200W Mac amp. A good 30 W class A to start with is enough for a small to average room. Mine is 21'X 17' enclosed room with a few sound panels. Even at high listening level, the 30.5 bias meter stays still.