When I began reading this thread it struck me how free of typical volume considerations I am. Since my wife of fifty years plus recently passed away I live alone in a house pretty much in the middle of my eight acre plot. Despite this my listening levels seldom exceed 87 dB on crescendos. My fully horn loaded, triamplified, 103 dB sensitivity, DIY speakers are very good at maintaining good detail, imaging and frequency balance at quite low levels.
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?
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- 121 posts total
- 121 posts total