That must be an old thread, because I don't recall that one. Oh well, they say when you get older the mind is the first thing to go!
Just because you can run 8 split stack cabs to one amp, doesn't mean you have to run it full power. I'm sure it would be louder than a war zone, but I've never run any of my amps wide open like that. Even my Fender 400PS. I find that when you have that extra power, you get better clarity. That's something I've been a fan of for a long time.
Even with my B200S, Microtube 100, and Microtube 200, I only run the poweramps up about 50%. The output on my preamps becomes my master volume for these rigs, but having the huge speaker array does give me a huge guitar sound without excessive volume levels. I know, it seems like a lot of hassle to haul all that gear around, and not push it to the edge, but then I do want to hear the rest of the band on stage. It's sort of like recording in a way, where you get the best possible sound going into the front of you recording device, I try to do the same with a live band mix. Get the best possible sound you can with everyone involved, and a good sound man can take that and elevate it for you.