.....debating with people over audio setups is tiring...hell reading all the crap that gets tossed back and forth is tiring...

I agree that you should not run more than the RMS power to the subs, but the best way to get the highest quality soundis to get an amp that will acheive this without running at 100% duty...just like when you crank up the settings on the head unit to max...cranking up an amp to max is also going to result in a more distorted sound. So get an amp rated a little higher and run it turned down some.

Unless you have proof...you shouldn't say that an amp'd speaker will not last as long as an unamp'd speaker...the amp doesnt decide the life span of the speaker...its all about how you treat the speaker. As long as your amp is within specs of the speaker you stand no more chance of harming it then with the deck power.