How to unleash the optimum power of a receiver?

Btarianto, I believe the -25/-20 dial on the master volume that you refer to really does not mean much about the quality of the sound. If this is your concern, the best thing to do is to get a RadioShack SPl meter to set your SPL level at optimum and to balance the sound level of your speakers. In a 14x16 room, when I using the MACC on my Pio SC05, my FR/C/FL was calculated at -5db ( in range with the level of 75db/ C weight on the SPL meter) and the result is I have to dial up the master volume to 25/20 but in a whole, the sound quality is much more balance. Interesting enough, some of the salesman at local store boosts all the speakers to 0db manually and as the result, the master volume does not have to crank up higher to give customers a sense of false "powerful amp". I asked one Bose rep why did he do so, he simply replied :" it sounds better". Not, louder is not better. Quantilty vs. Quality. Go figure.

I am listenning to my budget Pio A35r intergrated right at this moment. At 45WPC, at the same set up ( speakers, source, cables...), the Pio A35r intergrated at between 10 and 11 o'clock position sound much louder and more musical than my 130 WPC Ice power at -25 dial on the master volume. A $200.00 intergrated vs. $1,800.00 AVR in 2 channel audio playback ....Just a thought about your concern with your master volune level so I take note.