Matt Umanov said at a GAL convention back in the 70s that Martin made the Dread to 'fill in the boom-chucks' between the banjo and the bass. It does that by having strong bass response with fast attack, thanks to the scalloped bracing on the top, and lots of air volume to support the low pitches. It is 'loud' up close, as I said, due to the way a guitar-sized box puts out sound at different pitches, but at a distance that advantage is lost compared to the bass, which has the top area and air volume to actually make a lot of power in the low range. It also has more output in it's low midrange than the banjo does, along with lot more sustain. It can cut through the mix because it does something that the banjo (or mandolin) doesn't do on one side, or the bass on the other. In that sense it's like a good singer.
A singer has a very limited power output, and most instruments in the orchestra can put out more sound than even a well trained singer. What the singer has that most instruments lack is the ability to shape the sound they make over a wide range of overtones. Trained singers can put out power in a range around 3000 Hz where most instruments are limited. This, combined with the use of tremolo and vibrato, allows the singer to take advantage of the way that listeners process sound to establish themselves as an individual voice that the listener can follow. The trumpet in the pit may be putting out a lot more power than the soprano on stage, but the audience can not only hear Brunhilda, but can tell that she's not happy, because of the way her voice stands out.
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