I agree that some (most?) of the complex multiway speakers can sound more authoritative on transients with more watts. But for the same dollars, a lower power amp may sound more musical. There are now amps that combine musicality with big watts, but it can be an expensive proposition.
Why has amplifier power become a big issue
Back in the day I drove my Advent speakers that were very inefficient with 30 watts per channel. Today I run Vandersteen 2 ce speakers which are more efficient then the old Advents with 50 watts per channel and way more current. By most this is underpowering the Vandersteens, what has changed?