"I have been looking at the amps from china and one big question is how low powered can I go on these?"
Pretty much as low as you want. The 1C's are very easy to drive. You would have no problem with a well made 20-30 watt/channel tube amp as long as the room isn't too big and/or the volume too loud. From the 2's up, you would probably want more power but not so with the 1's.
If you haven't had a chance to listen to them yet, you're in for a pleasant surprise. I put my 1's next to some very well regarded speakers that cost a lot more and thought the Vandersteen beat them easily. The cheapest speaker that I could find that I like better are the 2's.
Pretty much as low as you want. The 1C's are very easy to drive. You would have no problem with a well made 20-30 watt/channel tube amp as long as the room isn't too big and/or the volume too loud. From the 2's up, you would probably want more power but not so with the 1's.
If you haven't had a chance to listen to them yet, you're in for a pleasant surprise. I put my 1's next to some very well regarded speakers that cost a lot more and thought the Vandersteen beat them easily. The cheapest speaker that I could find that I like better are the 2's.