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What is a really good sounding low volume system??

I'm trying to gear up for when I get married this september and move in with my fiance into her place. Living quarters will be cramped and we will share a wall and floor (thier ceiling) with the home owners. Headphones don't sound like fun but perhaps I'll have to bite the bullet and buy some hd 800's or something. I suppose my other option is to build a "second" system that really excels and sounds good at low low volumes. Nearfield listening? I've thought about just adding a nice pair of bookshelf speakers to my current front end, something that lacks bass but excels in micro detail and imaging at low volumes. I guess I could set up a secondary nearfield listening station but don't know where to start. There is a prima luna pl2 integrated amp for sale locally and I'm wondering if this int. paired with a bookshelf speaker that has great detail and imaging might work for me.
What do you guys think??
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rrog
1,958 posts
 

It was nice knowing you. Good luck with your marriage. I will do some research for you on power cords for your new Bose radio.
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,758 posts
 
I use a PL2 with Ascend Acoustic Sierra Monitors. Sounds very good at low volumes. Rega RS1 are good speakers at low volumes, as well. You will get quality sound, just not all the audio niceties.

I am president of my coop with a spouse who can hear mice peeing on wool, so I do not play my music at anything more than low volumes, with the occasional foray to mid level volumes on a weekday afternoon when no one is at home.

Save your cash for a bigger place. Don't place your electronics on the common wall, that is common courtesy.

Rich
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
I'll use headphones and some cheap PC sound system. You can also get Samson active studio monitors specifically designed for the low-volume music. My headphone choice is Beyerdynamic T70 will have no compromise to HD800 for a fraction of price.
larryi
3,805 posts
 
Unfortunately, the best sounding systems at low volume are horn systems that are also physically big in size so they create other placement problems. There are other somewhat bass restricted higher efficiency systems that also sound pretty good at lower volume.

Dipole speakers are also great for keeping sound levels down outside of the primary listening area. Such speakers, like quad electorstatics, tend to focus sound within the listening area they are aimed at, so that there is MUCH less sound spilling outside of the listening area (the out of phase front and back signal cancel at the sides, large panels tend to have less fall off of soundlevel with distance than speakers that are closer to being point sources).

I have owned large panel electrostatics (Martin Logan) so I can personally say that they are much better than conventional dynamics in reducing the amount of sound outside of the listening area.
nonoise's avatar
nonoise
10,706 posts
 
Once you spend some time listening at lower volumes, you'll be surprised at how soon you adjust to it. I've had (and still do) some time off due to an injury and I now listen at lower levels than I thought possible and still get the satisfaction.

You won't be able to tell what is missing or lacking until your hearing adjusts so do the waiting and critical listening before you change out anything. It should only take a couple of weeks before you narrow down your search for that "right" component.

My first take on what would be necessary is to seek out (if you don't have one already) a high efficiency speaker that doesn't take much to "come on strong". That would lead to a smaller (less powerful) amp which generally sound better than the big brutes out there.

You have a long, quiet road ahead of you. Enjoy,

All the best,
Nonoise
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