What speakers excel at low volume?

I suggest to try planar speakers like Magnepans or even Martin Logan. Quads unfortunately are outside of your price range.

I recommend Salk SongTowers ($2K/pr), SongCenter ($800), SongSurround I ($900/pr) = $3700 + shipping.

http://www.salksound.com/songseries%20speakers.htm

Or try the 30-day risk-free return speakers from NHT.

NHT Four Towers ($2K/pr) + ThreeC ($500) + Absolute Zero ($400/pr) & free shipping both ways.

http://www.nhthifi.com/Tower-Speakers

Or

Absolute Towers ($1K/pr) + Absolute Center ($300) + Absolute Zero ($400/pr) = $1,700 (free shipping to you, and if you are not 100% happy, free return shipping back to NHT) :

http://www.nhthifi.com/Absolute-Towe...&category=3773

Focal 800 series
http://www.dedicatedaudio.com/inc/sdetail/13211
http://www.dedicatedaudio.com/inc/sdetail/25799
http://www.dedicatedaudio.com/inc/sdetail/25529
http://www.dedicatedaudio.com/inc/sdetail/27012

Monitor Audio RX Silver
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo...0%20%20EBLKOAK
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo...0%20%20PNATOAK
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo...20%20%20NATOAK
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo...X%20%20%20PWAL

Omega single driver speakers will sound nice at any volume and need as little as 5 wpc to drive them.

Of similar characteristic to the Salk SongTowers you may wish to look at Philharmonic Audio. AcuDefTechGuy can confirm performance at low volume, but then again I can't imagine him listening at anything less than 90db with his impressive gear

Due respect, but everybody's answering the question entirely wrong.

The correct answer is: a speaker that has perceptually similar spectral balance at low volumes as a neutral speaker would at a recording's ideal volume level.

That leads to a search for speakers voiced along the lines of the old BBC/KEF LS3/5a, with hyped-up upper bass and polite treble.

The problem with such a speaker is that it does not sound good loud. Speakers like the LS3/5a get away with that by simply being unable to play loud.

There is, however, an alternative to such a speaker: loudness compensation in the electronics chain. There are at least two adaptive/DSP-based systems that do a good job at mimicking the spectral balance one perceived at louder levels: Dolby Volume (modeler, not leveler) and Audyssey DynamicEQ. All three of the AVR's you mention include one or the other (and of those, as an aside, I think the Anthem is superior, because I prefer ARC to Audyssey.)

Something like the KEF Q-series, KEF R-Series or the Tannoy Revolution series would be where I'd look in the ~4k USD price range for 3 identical mains and two surrounds.

In general, I do not reccomend speakers that sound warm or bright
to me. I like speakers with good resolution, that image well and
have a good soundstage. Air to me - are speakers that have good
detail, definition and depth. I do not like speakers that hide things.
I can describe the sound - however when you listen, it may sound
different to you. Find the speakers that interest you the most, buy
a pair of bookshelves to audition, bookshelves are easier to send
back. If you decide to test Focal, buy the 705 - if you like the sound,
then send them back for the 800 series. Your decision and choice.

For someone spending 3,500 to 4,000 dollars - find a way to listen.

Do you remember this?
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1401622

Look for speakers that have a high sensitivity rating (above 90 dB). I have also found that ribbon tweeters and ribbon midrange drivers tend to be very sensitive even at low volumes.

I am biased of course, but I highly recommend any speaker in the Legacy Audio line. All are high sensitivity (over 93 dB) designs, and all utilize very sensitive and smooth sounding ribbon tweeters. Because of the high sensitivity ratings, they play very nice with tube or solid state gear. Models starting at the Signature SE and above also use ribbon midranges, too. Legacy has speakers available at many price points and sizes to fit a wide range of needs. They all sound excellent, and are great values.

I also agree with the comment above about using an AVR that has loudness compensation like Audyssey Dynamic EQ built in. That will surely help you hear a corrected frequency response at lower dB levels, for full, satisfying sound. You should read the Audyssey page I linked above for their comments on the technology.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

My daughter's room is right next to my HT room. So after 9PM on weeknights, I have to turn the volume to like -35.0 to -40.0 with certain songs. Yes, the Philharmonic speakers sound great even at much lower volumes.

I can vouch for KEF as well. Detailed and accurate sound.

They are not power hungry and are easy to drive. 80W is not power hungry by any means. As to their sonic signature, they are neutral, letting the quality of the recording dictate what you hear; that's how speakers are meant to be IMO. They have great off-asix response and power response and image very well.

How loud will you be listening for music and movies? I imagine you intend to cross to a subwoofer?

+1!!!

Purists tend to hate loudness comp systems, but for people who can't always turn up their system to the levels that were heard at the original recording session and/or where their own hearing system is "flat" i.e. hardly anyone, they can be very useful.

FYI: conventional loudness comps aren't perfect, because sometimes their upper & lower frequency boosts happen to coincide with a room's or speaker's own frequency response anomalies, causing some unwanted sonic isues. But overall I still like to have them available.

Question: does Audyssey etc set levels for just one volume setting i.e. "reference level" or does their compensation work at all volume settings?

^^^^
You can do an in-room demo

NHT Classic Three from Stereophile

Measurements
The NHT Classic Three's voltage sensitivity was significantly lower both than average and than specified, at an estimated 83dB(B)/2.83V/m. However, its impedance was generally higher, dropping below 6 ohms only in the lower midrange and above the audioband (fig.1). The minimum value was 4 ohms between 120Hz and 170Hz, but there is also a combination of 5.5 ohms and –46° electrical phase angle at 94Hz that will demand a goodly amount of current from the partnering amplifier.

Both Dolby Volume and Audyssey DynamicEQ progressively change their target curves based on how far one's listening volume is from "reference," as calibrated in the initial setup. One can vary the amount of compensation by adjusting the "reference level offset."

They're both pretty sophisticated systems. I basically always listen with Dolby Volume's "modeler" component on. (The DV "leveler" component is entirely different. It's a compressor, basically their equivalent to Audyssey's Dynamic Volume. I've never touched it, except to make sure it was off...)


How reflective are your side walls? Three NHT Classic Threes up front would be hard to beat in a room with relatively absorptive side walls. But because they have such wide dispersion, I wouldn't use them in a room that had, say, one sidewall made of glass.

Classic Threes would make good surrounds, too.

Definitive technology speakers such as the bookshelves would be great. Way under budget and very clear at low volumes.

High sensitivity speakers may be the way to go. Take a look at klipsch.

You may feel the urge to turn it up. NHT has a 30 day return policy
with free shipping. If really interested in them - then test them out.

Then Classic Threes are a bad idea. That's too reflective for them, and too unevenly reflective.

IMO, you should be looking at something with narrower and tighter pattern control, to minimize the influence of your side walls.

Perhaps three KEF Q900's, if you can fit one of those as your center channel. Or three of KEF's Q-series center channels across the front (never use a different speaker from the other two for left, right, or center) all horizontally oriented and perhaps above your TV.


No. It may even hurt. Room correction is great for fixing things like uneven boundary loading across the front three speakers. But it cannot fix power response errors. Only speakers better suited to the room can do that.

Can you explain this "One can vary the amount of compensation by adjusting the "reference level offset." , and how? Thanks.

No other recs, given your conditions. Maybe three Tannoy DC8's, if they'll fit in your budget. I don't know how much they are, though. You can skimp on the surrounds if they're close.


Not if you care about sound quality.

There are two approaches to a front stage:

(1) three identical speakers, at the same height, in the same orientation.

(2) flawed and low-fidelity


Imaging, clarity/intelligibility, and spaciousness primarily.