I think this is typical with most movie mixes. I find the volume of effects to sometimes be super loud in my 7.1 system (though not in an uncomfortable way, except for my upstairs neighbor). Also, it is also possible that since you are running your 340SEs large and therefore sending all frequencies to it, your XR55 can't keep up with the power requirements and is adding distortion in the loud passages, which can sound louder/harsher than if the speakers were playing cleanly. Though, the 340s are pretty efficient and the Panny does supposedly double the power available when playing in 2 channel. Just a thought.