Richard.
You're quite right saying that it's hard to hear the room, living in your enclosed little world...You can get around that by having a mic pointed at the thronging masses(?) and feeding it into the monitor mix (to Taste!)
As for Limiting...I've never had any problem with my ears....(I don't listen loud anyway, don't need to!)
If you wanted to go down Anahatas JBL route...Have used them, and clean crisp sound indeed.

Anahata old bean ...remind me of those wonderful German hand made cube speakers....(individally powered, so jolly expensive). AMC?? or AMT??... something like that.

Horses or courses really. But I know which road I travel!!!
Ralpie