BEST SPEAKER THAT COMES TO LIFE AT LOW LISTENING LEVELS

there is a lot of bad advice on this forum and every audio forum because most of the members get their info from people trying to sell them bigger and more expensive amps. There are dealers who are members here to throw fuel on the fire.

I had Martin Logans CLS and what I liked most about them was the tremendous midrange that sounded excellent at low volume. of course they lacked bass but ML fixed that with the hybrid and your 11A sould be spectacular at low volume.

I often say that if your system has to be turned up to sound good, then your system sucks. Not attacking your system at all but I commend you for wanting to achieve what most people here think doesn’t exist.

First, lets look at your source. the Qutest is nice, probably your best bet in that price range. I have the DAVE. I upgraded DAVE to a Lampizator GG3 but right now I am back to DAVE as my Lampizator isn’t playing nicely with the Amp. A used chord DAVE is an awesome buy right now as they are getting old but still sound excellent. Between the DAC and the AMP, I have a Transformer Volume Control by Akustika Eterna (disclosure, I have an interest in that company). Using the TVC makes any system sound "bigger" and "fuller" at low volume. It it is a bit spendy.

Streamer--I have a grimm which is a higher price range but you get the least bang for the buck upgrading your streamer. So I would focus elsewhere.

Now to the meat of the system. I discussed the source first because GIGO, you have to have a good source. But then if your amp isn’t great, you’ll lose all the good work you are doing at the front end. At your listening levels, you’re listening to 1 watt or less. But you have a 300W amp. I’ve yet to hear a 300W amp that sounds great at 1/2 watt. I’ve often wondered if you can get by with a 6 wpc 300b amp on the new MLs since the bass is provided by the onboard amp. Probably not. But I did try my ML CLSs with a 30 wpc push pull tube amp that sounded great. That was a decware ZMA. If you don’t want tubes, there are many lower power ss amps that focus on giving you a great first watt. but as they say, if the first watt sucks, the next 299 won’t help. Focus on the first watt.

So in conclusion, I’d focus on the amp first and then the DAC. I have a friend who uses the Qutest in a very excellent system that sounds great at low volumes.

Jerry

PS you can probably lose the preamp. Preamps aren’t necessary in most cases but again, dealers always want to sell more gear and owners always want to stand behind their buying decisions. they just add another level of processing that takes away from the great sound, espcecially at low levels. easy to try--plug your DAC into your amp and see how it sounds.  I don't think the Qutest has volume control (DAVE does) but you can use Roon volume control is pretty good if you use Roon.  of couse I recommnd the TVC mentioned above but it is another expense.

I suggest a look at Reference 3A speakers like the de Capo or the Reflector

I have the de Capos with a 4 watt tube amp and at 13.5 feet i easily get 56-60 db, can go much louder but its very detailed and full sounding even at lower levels.

Chase Innards, a Motorola Chip I presume for the display and remote, a Philips Chip for the features, zero noise (105 db s/n ratio) useful features.

I just bought this spare unit, I will add a front toggle on/off switch when it arrives, so I can get back to defaults without unplugging it.

One unit arrived no good, the little transformer on the power board had come off, it must have been seriously dropped,

OP, 

I think it is very resonable to assemble a high end audio system and only listen at very low levels. I listen at lower and lower levels as I have gotten older and enjoy the nuances better and better.

I do not have an answer. My system has sounded the better it has gotten. Each upgrade cycle has made it sound better at lower levels. I have heard a couple of vary well know reviewers typically listen in the 60db range. 

I see you have started 5 separate discussions, all come down to this one, revealing that you need to listen at low volumes. Your ear’s sensitivity at low volumes is the source of the lack of body, and perhaps lack of brilliance.

Please trust that Fletcher Munson sensitivity is real, well known, and the solution is easy, some slight signal compensation that is needed by nearly anyone, any speakers, any system, try that 1st, you have some very nice equipment.

I am saying, for me, I don’t need the highs boosted, you might, if so, remember it is a deviation from a speaker designer’s goal (essentially flat at normal volumes), best accomplished by signal compensation, in your case most of the time, but still it can be automatically variable, or manually variable relative to known facts about our hearing. Ignoring this is like a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Self-Thickening Socks are needed as the Sun moves.

1. L-Pads in the speakers, you would do well with mine, or any vintage speaker that included L-Pads or a Switchable Resistor Network. However, they are best used to adjust in the listening space, for ’normal listening levels’, as they are ’set and forget’, not progressive. I adjust mine, takes about 1-1/2 days of careful work with a SPL Mic and CD with Test Tones. That is for ’normal’ and louder. I’m a big fan of adjustability for a listening space, and/or adjusting for individual ’general’ preferences, but this still does not solve low level listening.

2. Equalizer: I just tried a DBX Clone 31 band dual channel equalizer, it is also ’set and forget’, ’in or out’, I took it out

3. Chase RLC-1 is automatic and progressive, it works, remotely, very much like my Yamaha Receiver which has two volume controls that you manually setup and adjust:, one marked ’volume’ (set it like a preamp, for normal volume, leave it there; and the other marked ’loudness’. start ’flat’, it progressively implements Fletcher Munson bass boost and also boosts highs as you lower the volume, louder than flat, you raise the main volume control, remember to lower it to ’normal. this implementation can work, but I know, and still turn the wrong one, which is why using the Chase and re-setting it to it’s defaults is handy.

As I mentioned, I use the Chase for Remote Volume and Mute when working, thru the ’adapter’ loop.

You can view the photos large enough to see all the details/features of that CR-Yamaha CR-1040 Receiver here, those were the days.

https://www.audiogon.com/systems/11519