Recommendations for speakers that sound great at lower volume levels.


I have a pair of Harbeth SHL5 Plus and they sound wonderful when I crank them up. But at moderate to low volume levels they sound disappointingly flat and unengaging - instruments are less palpable, bass has less bloom, and soundstage has less air and dimensionality. I drive my speakers with a tube integrated - a Line Magnetic 845 rated at 26 watts of power. My Harbeths are rated at 86db. Would a higher sensitivity speaker be helpful? Or how about a good quality small shoebox sized pair of speakers coupled with a subwoofer? Or not. What speakers are going to deliver music you can feel at low volume levels? What say all you wisened audiophiles?
128x128neptune123
The best late night low volume listening I have had was with Magnepan MG-20..............but it was also a heck of a system...CJ ART, etc.  I have had Martin Logan, Advent, Vandersteen and others.  The myth about efficiency and low level listening is just that. 

Quite true @terry9. That's a result of the Fletcher-Munson characteristics of human hearing, not the Quad ESL itself. Of course, a speaker with more bass output at higher levels will have that at lower levels too, relative the Quad.
Big.high.efficiency.speakers…

Got a pair of Cornwalls specifically for this reason. 
Also have a pair of ESL-57’s which also, as it has been stated above, sound lovely at low volume.

Big speakers that are high efficiency do help in low volume listening.


Low noise, low distortion, electrical synergy, a quiet room.  The whole signal path is relevant for engaging low level music.  Don’t just blame your speakers.