To be honest, most of the time, I'm LOOKING for a drop off in volume! Rather than cover the entire room, most venues I play want a dance floor volume on the dance floor, and a conversational volume at the bar or dining tables. I've played with a guy with a full L1 system, and this was pretty difficult to achieve.

For a venue with no floor, or an elderly clientele, I think the Bose's are the bees knees. But I seldom get those gigs.