I had the privilege of seeing Depeche Mode at the Wells Fargo center in Philadelphia last Wednesday. It was the first arena show I had been to in a very long time. So the band was spectacular and I can’t say enough good things about their performance, stage presence, musicianship etc. But I was really blown away by the sound. That system blew the roof off the place. Far and away the best I have ever heard in an arena setting. Loud but not shrill. Powerful bass that was never the least bit muddy or boomy. And somehow my ears weren’t ringing afterward, which is surprising. I would love to see the equipment and understand more about how the production engineers accomplish this. Much respect to them. If you are even a casual fan of this band and you have an opportunity to see this tour, do it!
I used to avoid arena shows for this very reason- the sound was always awful!! But…a few years ago I went to see Fleetwood Mac and my impression changed. Just as you said, it wasn’t boomy or echoing and the vocals were easily discernible. I think the technology has come a long way. I’ve been to several arena shows since then and, sure, the sound at some has been better than others. But, overall, the sound at these larger venues has been a whole lot better than the shows I recall from the 80’s thru the 2010’s.