Why are high efficiency speakers preferred for low volume listening?

@immatthewj No, I was more suggesting the idea that if the speaker were 91 dB instead of 86, that the amplifier would be doing far less work. You could get the same sound pressure you do now with 1/4th the power. So your 50 Watts would be much closer to 'unlimited power' and distortion would be lower; therefore more transparent.

Ah, now I've got you, @atmasphere  .  That makes sense.  And I suppose that is what I was thinking about when I posted this question.  

@immatthewj, The importance of speaker efficiency: The article below is from 1962 and is as relevant today as it was then. Another advantage, with higher efficiency speakers,  is greater head room with a given amount of amplifier power. In my opinion, a high powered amplifier that can drive lower impedances will never be a proxy for a speaker's lack of true efficiency see here.

Mike

@atmasphere Wrote:

For that reason higher efficiency is good whether played at a lower volume or not since it can take advantage of lower powered and (hopefully) more musical amps.

All amplifiers make more distortion into lower impedances. This distortion is audible- don't fool yourself.

Its that first Watt of most amps that is usually the most important so if your amp has a good first Watt, you can see that a speaker of higher efficiency will be more able to take advantage of that.

I agree!

Thanks, @ditusa  , I am going to have to print that because my eyes are so bad I cannot read that on the screen.

I listen to my apogee duetta 2 speakers at low volume with no loss of detail, it's quite enjoyable.

I have been using 16 ohm 101db speakers driven by 35 watt and 130 watt amps for 47 years. 

During that time, I have noticed that the aging of the components matters a great deal. I recone and demagnetize the drivers regularly. Capacitors start to leak within about the same time, they get upgraded and replaced. Etc. 
 

theaudioatticvinylsundays.com