Thing is, one man's ear bleed is another man's normal level!

That's what I keep trying to point out. Yes, most of us are NH OMB's and cocktail performers of one kind or another. But even so, I am sure there's still quite a volume difference between even people doing the same material.

There's also a considerable difference between those that can tell they are pushing their gear hard, and those that can't. Zuki thought it sounded 'compressed'. It may well have been... He may have had it up to the point where the limiters kick in (there's no visual indicator to say you've hit it, is there?), and they start changing the dynamics. Some of us may not realize that that is happening.

I realize that in the vast majority of cases, an L1+ system will do the job. But no amount of engineering is going to make a 150W mono PA fill a room to the level one of those will do. Even Bose themselves realize that. That's why they still MAKE the L1+!

But my real point is that, unfortunately, a thousand word may be as good as a picture, but they also are not as good as a listen! Writing about a volume level is like describing a color. Entirely subjective.

Your post kind of confirms it. There's a HELL of a lot of music out there that isn't grunge, and is played quite loudly in bars and clubs. Blues (could a Compact even keep up with a guitarist with a Fender Bluesman? I doubt it!), reggae, alternative, trance and electronica, rock, heck, I've heard bluegrass/newgrass bands louder than any 150W PA could keep up with. And NO complaints to keep it down! (that by itself pegs the age of the audience )

You wouldn't listen to it, but that doesn't stop the club from being full, and patrons and management happy. Now go and play those venues with your Compact... No, you wouldn't, would you?

That volume ceiling is impossible to quantify. Zuki hit it, and he's not what I'd call a screamer! Within it's limits, the Compact seems perfect. But those limits come a LOT sooner for some than others. Advice needs to be tempered with this knowledge, IMO...