You'll notice a real big change in sound when a system is pushed past its limits. It is very easy to detect, no skill required. The thing is that some people don't care. Think of the buzzing trunk lid in car stereos, that kind of thing. It is very apparent, and it is really hard to ignore. Same thing with the sort of sounds made by a system in distress from being pushed beyond its limits. You'll know long before failure, and probably will find that your natural inclination is to turn it down because it sounds bad in that mode.