Harbeth P3's or CS7 easier drive

No doubt the Croft is great with the P3s - I've heard it myself and enjoyed it a great deal.  I thought I was making a step up from the P3s to the C7s.  While I certainly got more bass and better dynamics from the C7s (and the beautiful Harbeth midrange) I missed the clarity of the P3s.  That being said, many others would prefer the C7.  And it would be a great match with the Croft.  You'd be able to really turn it loose.

If you want the clarity of the P3ESR and the efficiency and bass of the C7, I think the M30.1 is what you need.

But all speakers like power, so I use a 2x100 watt Quad 405-2 to drive my P3ESR, and I just bought a 2x250 watt Yamaha P2500s for my son to drive the M30.1s that he is planning to buy.

Has anyone tried the baby Leben (300X or XS) with the P3's, or C7's? It would seem like a stretch to think 15 watts would drive them to satisfying levels. Obvious exceptions to the case would be a small room, acoustic music... played at relatively normal listening levels.

The P3ESR is a closed system and less efficient than the bigger models. So it needs more power for the same sound pressure (about twice as much). At the same time the driver is rather smaller so it cannot handle as much power. Remember, however, that a small amplifier driven into clipping is a lethal weapon for speakers. The conclusion, therefore, is not surprising: the P3ESR is a speaker for smaller rooms (and I love mine for that). So it needs a fair amount of power, but should not be driven into destruction. My best advice would be an amplifier that delivers something like 100 watt into 8 Ohm (like my Quad 405-2), i.e. some 130-150 watt into 6 Ohm). There is a video of Alan Shaw driving a P3ESR with exactly that, and he said it was on the edge. Much depends on how long you do this, and with what kind of music. There is quite a difference between playing low dynamic range but loud heavy metal (dangerous), and high dynamic range symphonic music that demands big power for the occasional peaks, but then lets the speaker recover (cool down). Powerful solid state is what Alan Shaw himself advocates. He designed the P3ESR using a Quad 405. It is a gloriously refined and revealing combination, as long as you respect and accept its limitations.