Yamaha NS 1000M Find

Speakers don't have watts.
You could hook 'em up to a couple kilowatt monoblocks and have no problems. Just don't crank it to the clipping / distortion level.

I also have no idea where the manufacturers get the rating attached to a speaker. Sine wave RMS? Some kind of averaging music power?
I'm sure you could feed 'em way more power than 150 each as peaks while the continuous never got above say ...... 20% of max.

Long term listening at hi levels will heat up the drivers from resistive heating. Than they will begin sounding different and may even fail. My understanding is that Pro gear is designed with this continuous beating in mind.

One other parameter besides power handling is sensitivity. I'd expect a 100db sensitive speaker which could handle 100 watts to play more loudly than a 90db speaker which could handle the same 100 watts.

My friend years ago sold these Yamaha's speakers at his store. Asked about him about the power rating, 150 watts is about max.

Great speakers. They are 90dB at 8 ohms. Maximum recommended input is 100W.

Agree with T_bone.
As long as they are working properly, they have a sound more attuned to 'live music' than the typically British and US 'sound' of the speakers ruling at the time they were introduced. You bought a bargain.

Only 100 watts? Well they were hooked up powered by a Mac 2300 amp. Power meters did swing passed 100 watt power reading at times up into around 150 .

Agreed. For $30, that counts as garage-sale find of the year.

Thrift Store find. I found out yesterday that the person that donated the 1000's dropped them of on a motorcycle?
I paid $50 for the Sansui AU 919 in January.
Sansui AU 919 - $50
Luxman PD 272 - $15 (Audio Technica AT130E NOS Boxed $1)
Polk SDA Prototypes? - $40
Tannoy System 800's - $10
Sony 222 ES CD Changer - $40 boxed unused
All from my local thrift. The first three where found this year.

I wouldn't worry. You will be more likely to damage the speakers with too little power than too much. As long as you send them undistorted power they will be fine.

I am finally running them with the Sansui AU 919. They are very nice sounding.
They have to be as heavy as the Polk SDA's.

Seems you should send a anonymous check to the thrift store since you've gotten such under priced deals. I do hope its not linked to a charity.

I tell you what JohnK, you send a check in for me.

Lav, I will do the donating for you. What is the address and I'll send the check;)

Deal of the year. 50W RMS, 100W musical. Personally, I find or 2 Watts is quite loud on these monitors at 12 feet. These have the cleanest middle range and voice I've heard outside of an electrostatic (which I own), and I've heard a fair number of other box type speakers from Wilson, Mirage to Vandersteen and they all do something different and sometimes their bass blends better, but none were quite as "right" or live as the lowly Yams. They can make bass, and are good to about 35Hz, but need room treatment and boundary reinforcement is usually welcome. If you can accommodate their demands, their presentation is up there with some $15000 speakers.

I have to say after playing them for a week now that they are superb. Yes, if you are putting out 20 WPC you are shaking the walls.
I just wanted an idea on their input capabilities. The Sansui AU 919 drives them nicely.
I have noticed that the tweeters are quite detailed, and sensitive. I can see if you get carried away you could damage them.
They really are a quality speaker.
I will let others debate market value.