If you haven't read the Crutchfield advisor review for that deck, here it is: http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/ISEO-rgbtcspd/reviews/20040406/panasonic_cqc9800u.html

They were very impressed by it. Apparently it's not all hype.

As for 22x4 powering the speakers, I guess it depends on your listening habits. I don't blast my music, and have a Kenwood Excelon 22x4 unit that sounds great for my habits. If I crank it very loud there is some distortion, but since I prefer lower volumes it's not an issue.