The Compact does have a very effective limiting circuitry, just as the L1 does. I think it would be impossible to damage it by too hot an input.
I haven't tried any really big jobs yet, but from experience I know it will handle up to a couple hundred people with no strain. It won't make your ears bleed, as will some of the more conventional sound systems can, but that's not what I'm looking for, and that's not what it's designed for.
DonM