Nov 29, 2008 11:34 pm Hey neutronbomb, and Welcome to the HRC.
You can go to the peak rating of the speaker that you have with no issues.
In theory, you can never stay at the full output rating of an amp. The program signal changes to rapidly for that to happen.
But, still, if you buy an amp that has a 300 watt peak, keep an eye on the meter for the first few times you use it. Make sure your not in the solid red while running.
A few peaks in the red a minute is fine.
Just make sure that you do not have any distorted sound coming from the speaker. 1 watt of distortion to a speaker is death to them.
A few brand names that I always been happy with are:
QSC
Crown
Lab Guppen
Yamaha
Crest
If you have any more questions on a certain model, please ask away.