Good post, Brad.
Many think DSP automatically = digital room correction, but at its core it's simply a tool working in the digital domain with conversion(s) along the way, and DRC mayn't be part of that. I've calibrated my setup via a digital crossover (i.e.: DSP) fully actively sans DRC at a specific and desired SPL, call it reference volume level, which is a reflection of where I want it to sound the best. I hardly go any louder than that, and at lower levels it comes surprisingly alive. Still, that the presentation at ref. level is preferred and is where "everything fits" is not saying it sounds bad at low SPL's, but simply that a certain level is required for proper room fill, presence and physicality. Others setups I know very well are obviously "tuned" to lower SPL's via passive, lower eff. speakers, but at louder levels it's clear they become too hot sounding in the HF region while sometimes being overly warm-ish in the LF department. ATC speakers generally have struck me as being at their best at a certain SPL, say, from 80-85dB's, but that only tells me their balance is attained at these levels where they're typically used in monitoring.
