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C´mon, someone own up. What´s the secret of good sound at lower volumes ?

High sensitivity seems key, living voice speakers are great for late night listening.
esl 57 are superb at whisper levels.
I’ve found horns manage trick of filling large spaces with minimal effort, and I have heard big tannoys (15in) do same trick.
 
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Quiet music never does it for me tbh. For sure, I don't listen at such high levels as I used to, but for me, music comes alive when you turn up the wick a bit.
 
Mine is a Sugden A21Se, by the way and the speakers are WD25TEx. Can anyone recommend a freebie sound meter phone app, just to get an idea of levels.

Sound analyzer app by Dominique Rodrigues on Android. It's free and has no adds. Has some stats available together with frequency band spectrum.
 
A good power amp not a big monster but with a very good Damping Factor and O.T. PSU.
I use Royd's, with my amp and the Bass is fantastic even at low levels.
I have at this time a A40 new design.
 
I thought active was supposed to help at lower volume. I know Linn apply 'bass shelving' or something to provide more bass at lower volume.

Depending on your system, you might benefit from a better power amp. I recently found that a NAP110 driving Kans at low volume is not great - the music starts to fall apart whereas medium levels it is fine. Swapped round with the NAP160 and it provided tunefulness, control and engagement right down to very low levels.

And yet the 160 cannot provide much interest with Saras at low volume. The music doesn't fall apart but it's boring. Maybe it's the speaker or perhaps a 250 or active is needed. Just another example - not after advise as it's fixed another way now.
 
If heightened sensitivity speakers can improve it, doesn´t that reflect negatively on most amps and their delivery ?
Not really. It's partly why a light Mazda MX5 is more engaging to drive than a heavy but more powerful BMW M5. Certainly at lower, more sensible speeds.
 
High efficiency speakers is often the solution but........too big for me, I prefer small speakers so I went with the beefy amplifier that gives you everything on each note no matter the sound level and it’s under the form of a Naim NAP 250.2
 
A good power amp not a big monster but with a very good Damping Factor and O.T. PSU.
I use Royd's, with my amp and the Bass is fantastic even at low levels.
I have at this time a A40 new design.

Yup. I was up till silly o clock listening to mine through the tiny q acoustics plonked on the window sill, and even at very low levels it's outstanding.
 
I'm guessing, but sensitivity of the ears, including problems like tinnitus etc? I find that when I turn the volume down, all the low level info disappears and that WRT tinnitus, I have good and bad days and this makes an enormous difference to my ability to hear low level info.
 
I'm guessing, but sensitivity of the ears, including problems like tinnitus etc? I find that when I turn the volume down, all the low level info disappears and that WRT tinnitus, I have good and bad days and this makes an enormous difference to my ability to hear low level info.

I have tinnitus to, but to me it means I can't stand high volumes. It hurts. Listening at low volumes is simply a bit boring, independent on me using my KEF R100 (tiny) or JBL 4331B's (rather large) and has NOTHING to do with the kit.
 
Tone controls…….I haven’t needed to upgrade or swap out separates since embracing them. If you get an amp with tone control bypass it should sound great at normal to loud listening levels and can be switched in when you listen at low volume levels?

Many high end amps have them (Luxman, accuphase, McIntosh, Marantz) as well as reasonably priced ones…many purists decry their inclusion in a circuit but it’s a practical solution as none of us have identical listening environments. And sound treating a room is wayyyyy more expensive than tone controls…lol!!
 
Perhaps you could agree on hours during which you can listen at your preferred level, and other periods when you won't?

I listen to large-scale music at satisfying levels when it won't impinge on anybody else. I go to chamber music, or turn the music off, before 22:00.

Domestic harmony is as rewarding as the musical variety!
 
I have tinnitus to, but to me it means I can't stand high volumes. It hurts. Listening at low volumes is simply a bit boring, independent on me using my KEF R100 (tiny) or JBL 4331B's (rather large) and has NOTHING to do with the kit.
Yes, same here to a degree. Too low a volume, might as well not bother. Too high a volume and certain frequencies aggravate tinnitus so the music just sounds distorted. There is a reasonably wide 'sweet spot' if you can call it that though.
I also tend to listen when 'er indoors is out!
 
I think it's possible to play musical styles and build a system that is rewarding a low levels. Although I sold mine, I think it's a strength of an aktiv Linn system and late night listening is the one time I miss it. There's bags of resolution and it's very tuneful so is engaging with melody driven music. I'm sure there are many other workable solutions too.
 


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