High end speakers at low volume

You need a dynamic speaker to sound good at low volume. I have only heard the Sabrina on your list. It is ok but low efficacy and probably nothing special at low volume. It was fine when I demoed it but I probably ran it around 90db for the demo. I am a Wilson fan but always passed at each price point. 
 

Honestly a good horn goes a long way at low volume. Big drivers and high efficiency that move a lot of air with little driver movement are the way I would go. 
 

After buying the JBL 4367 I am probably never going back to standard box speaker. They sound so much more real/live due to better dynamics. I mean a lot better dynamics and you don’t really give up anything to get it. they can go from warm to bright with their built in adjustments too. You might even get away with the 4349. There is a good deal on a pair of 4349s on audio mart right now. 

High efficiency does not equal sounds good at low volumes. Tone controls definitely not part of the equation. You want as pure and high quality signal as possible to excellent sounding speakers. The lower the noise floor of the system the less volume reqired. Putting tone controls in the equation raises the noise floor.

@james633 Wrote:

You need a dynamic speaker to sound good at low volume.

Honestly a good horn goes a long way at low volume. Big drivers and high efficiency that move a lot of air with little driver movement are the way I would go.

Agreed!

Mike

You (anyone) need Loudness Compensation at LOW volume listening.

https://www.google.com/search?q=fletcher+munson+equal+loudness+contours&rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1042US1042&oq=fletcher+munson&aqs=chrome.4.69i57j0i512l9.11011j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

We expect our systems to be frequency balanced at NORMAL or LOUD listening levels. true for any speaker, any type, any efficiency.

Due to Fletcher Munson's documented human listening curve, at LOW listening levels, both bass and highs are perceived diminished by our ears. Thus for low volume listening we need more bass and need more highs to get back to frequency balance. We do not want this 'boost' at normal volume listening.

i.e. Jazz, Bass Player, awesome at normal volume, frequency balanced. When played at low volume, even though the speaker is still frequency balanced, our hearing is not, thus the bass will need to be boosted to maintain it's proper presence in the performance (re-creating frequency balance at/to our ears).

The 'loudness' circuit is designed to alter/thus restore frequency balance at low volume listening (should have been called 'Low Volume Compensation' LVC, something sensible).

Most Vintage Preamps/Receivers had 'Loudness' controls, to be engaged when needed for low volume listening.

Many new or recent preamps lack LOUDNESS option, thus the speakers continue to produce frequency balanced sound at low volume listening, exactly when our ears need more volume of bass frequencies, i.e. unbalanced frequency dispersion to human's unbalanced hearing characteristics at low volume.

Situation:

Florida Condo  ground unit – walls ceiling poured concrete  - neighbors sides and above virtually deaf – how fortunate – none the less,  I can blast and no one hears because of construction.

I like (not loud music) unless wanting a full organ.

Low volume is superior – BUT am using a set of Magneplan inner and outside a set of ProAc towers tuned using a tube amp driven for low volume via a Pioneer SS ancient recapped Spec1 pre amp (rather than my tube preamp) with matching Pioneer crossover and equalizer units,  separate low end isolation feed for the sub,  am able to adjust sound to my personal liking that is both rich in base and superb in the middle and high range.   Not likely possible without tinkering with the crossover and equalizer.  Perhaps a kluge solution but works for me. 

T.

PS still tinkering with my additional 1980’s Enigma sub woofer – the four 15 inch drivers  are being inspected having recently recapped and restored the Hafler 909 amp and crossover.   More on that as we progress --  I miss my tie fluttering behind me in the sonic wave sitting in front of the 4x4 foot dipole.