Originally posted by Bardsley
You'd probably get a lot more worth out of, say, a 40 or 50 watt amp that sounds nice quiet, than a full stack.

Marshall actually also makes 50 and 60Watt heads, but the reality is that these won't sound that much quieter than a 100Watt version. And the thing about Marshalls sounding nice at high volumes only used to be true for their older models, but with their newer models, it seems like they sound pretty decent at any volume.
I think Marshall is worth the price, IF you live in Europe. But I do think it is completely useless to buy a full stack. There is no situation in which you would need 2 4X12's.(unless you never use a PA at gigs, and have a fetish about getting deaf real quickly)