Why are high efficiency speakers preferred for low volume listening?

Easy to drive speakers avoid low impedance and phase shifts at all frequencies and require an amp work less hard in general be it at low or higher volumes. So that is advantageous. They will also tend to sound more similar with various amps.

 

Whereas high efficiency speakers simply produce higher spl overall per watt. The advantage there is mainly going louder with a less beefy amp.

@mapman  , so are you saying it is the way that the speaker handles low impedance versus it's sensitivity rating?  Although I would think that at low levels the impedance of a speaker would remain relatively stable and not dip?  

So is the bottom line that you liked the Klipschs better than the KEFs, particularly at low levels?

No, definitely not. For the time they were great, but I love the KEF’s, even for low volume. I just wonder if another speaker might be a little more lively at lower volumes. 

@elliottbnewcombjr  , so are you basically saying that the bottom line is that horn (tweeters?)  sound better when played at low levels than traditional cone (tweeters/) do?  Sorry if it is obvious that this is what you said, but I am not good with this stuff, and I often have trouble wrapping my head around it.

consider that highly efficient speakers are likely to involve horns,

the throat/directivity of horns give dispersion control cones do not.

i.e. smooth ’received’ frequency response curve at the listening position (not just 1 meter away), the different relationship of direct primary and reflected sound waves

the perception of any frequency, and clarity of instantaneous peaks is/are enhanced when less reflected sound waves are involved.

dispersion, not volume

No, definitely not. For the time they were great, but I love the KEF’s, even for low volume. I just wonder if another speaker might be a little more lively at lower volumes. 

Thank you for clarifying that, @zlone  .  (And a quick google showed that your KEFs are rated at 85.)

I just sold some Cornwall iv speakers. They were great just moved on. I will say that yes they were great at low volume as if you weren’t missing anything. Dynamics and punch and everything else intact. Problem is I don’t listen that way very often and I found something else that suits me better but at low volumes the Cornwalls were more betta.