Low volume, high quality

[matthewpiano]

I'm sat here listening to music at a very low volume and thoroughly enjoying it and feeling really pleased with how far my system has come, particularly the huge pleasure that the Dynaudio speakers have given me since I bought them back in February. So often I've found amps and speakers to be good at medium volumes, but hopeless at low ones, but this combination still has depth, good soundstaging, detail and that engaging quality.

How good is your system at low levels? How important is it to you?

 

[BigH]

I'm sat here listening to music at a very low volume and thoroughly enjoying it and feeling really pleased with how far my system has come, particularly the huge pleasure that the Dynaudio speakers have given me since I bought them back in February. So often I've found amps and speakers to be good at medium volumes, but hopeless at low ones, but this combination still has depth, good soundstaging, detail and that engaging quality.

How good is your system at low levels? How important is it to you?

Mine is excellent at low volumes maybe because its active not sure but it sound does not change really as it gets louder it just gets louder, other systems Ive heard change significately when the volume increases and often have a sweet spot.

 

[BigH]

I'm sat here listening to music at a very low volume and thoroughly enjoying it and feeling really pleased with how far my system has come, particularly the huge pleasure that the Dynaudio speakers have given me since I bought them back in February. So often I've found amps and speakers to be good at medium volumes, but hopeless at low ones, but this combination still has depth, good soundstaging, detail and that engaging quality.

How good is your system at low levels? How important is it to you?

Mine is excellent at low volumes maybe because its active not sure but it sound does not change really as it gets louder it just gets louder, other systems Ive heard change significately when the volume increases and often have a sweet spot.

 

[iceman16]

I'm sat here listening to music at a very low volume and thoroughly enjoying it and feeling really pleased with how far my system has come, particularly the huge pleasure that the Dynaudio speakers have given me since I bought them back in February. So often I've found amps and speakers to be good at medium volumes, but hopeless at low ones, but this combination still has depth, good soundstaging, detail and that engaging quality.

How good is your system at low levels? How important is it to you?

My bedroom system is really very good at low volume listening. I can still clearly hear minute detail and separation of instruments.

 

[spockfish]

I'm sat here listening to music at a very low volume and thoroughly enjoying it and feeling really pleased with how far my system has come, particularly the huge pleasure that the Dynaudio speakers have given me since I bought them back in February. So often I've found amps and speakers to be good at medium volumes, but hopeless at low ones, but this combination still has depth, good soundstaging, detail and that engaging quality.

How good is your system at low levels? How important is it to you?

Actually with my new PMC's I'm now capable of listening at low volume levels. It's rather important, because now I can listen to music late in the evening without waking up the rest of the family ;-)

 

[T1mb0]

Agreed it's a great characteristic to have for a system to retain its level of performance at low volumes. My previous integrated MF M3i was very good for low level listening. Since changing (upgrading) to a higher output power amp and better preamp in my system I've found it harder to listen at lower volumes - although it sounds good it just sounds excellent when 'liberated' a bit and cranked up slightly - very addictive.. although not always neighbour (or gf) friendly..

Having said that due to living in an apartment and listening position being only approx 2m from the speakers I believe my 'low' volume to be probably more like 'very low' and my turned up a bit could still be classed as low. If that makes sense...

 

[matthewpiano]

I'm sat here listening to music at a very low volume and thoroughly enjoying it and feeling really pleased with how far my system has come, particularly the huge pleasure that the Dynaudio speakers have given me since I bought them back in February. So often I've found amps and speakers to be good at medium volumes, but hopeless at low ones, but this combination still has depth, good soundstaging, detail and that engaging quality.

How good is your system at low levels? How important is it to you?

Mine is excellent at low volumes maybe because its active not sure but it sound does not change really as it gets louder it just gets louder, other systems Ive heard change significately when the volume increases and often have a sweet spot.

I suspect it is a control thing - that when your amp can properly control the speakers it will grip them better at low volumes, hence your actives being excellent in this respect.

 

[CnoEvil]

My bedroom system is really very good at low volume listening. I can still clearly hear minute detail and separation of instruments.

Your main system isn't too shabby at low volumes either. *smile*

 

[DIB]

Another happy bunny here when it comes to low level volume listening, a very definite prerequisite when I came to choose my Epos Elan 30 speakers to go with my Creek Evolution 5350 amp. My wife works some really strange shifts and I must listen at low levels occasionally.

.

 

[Vladimir]

We all know the real challenge is making a system sound good at loud listening levels where things fall apart. However, at low listening levels IMO its all function of properly implementing loudness compensation (in preamplifier section), the listeners hearing and room acoustics. Basically the preamp must EQ to a smiley face curve to compensate for our midrange favoring hearing (Fletcher-Munson curve). We all have a slightly unique loudness curve and what can be perfect low listening level system to someone, it can be lacking to others.

I've read opinions that first watt solutions with high sensitivity speakers (preferably single drivers) excel at low listening levels. Any truth to this?

Mark Levinson formed his new company Daniel Hertz completely arround this concept. He explains it in this video interview.

 

[CnoEvil]

We all know the real challenge is making a system sound good at loud listening levels where things fall apart.

Dolby Volume does a good job at low listening levels, but it's an AV solution: http://www.dolby.com/us/en/technologies/dolby-volume-tech-paper.pdf

For 2 channel, a good Class A amp (Valves or SS) with sensitive speakers is a good way to go.

 

[unhalfbricking]

Bass and treble controls help at low volume. Just tweaking them to +1 or +2 is an easy and effective solution.

 

[iceman16]

My bedroom system is really very good at low volume listening. I can still clearly hear minute detail and separation of instruments.

Your main system isn't too shabby at low volumes either. *smile*

Hi Cno..I don't think I still need to say what the main system sounds

. That's why I'ts really not easy for me to choose a second system on a budget.

 

[Vladimir]

For 2 channel, a good Class A amp (Valves or SS) with sensitive speakers is a good way to go.

Without implemented loudness compensation in the preamp it is kinda pointless to take advantage of the First Watt aproach. I haven't seen today manufacturers declaring in the specs if the amp has loudness compensation circuitry (integrated in the volume gain or separately controlled).

 

[superphill]

hi my system comprises roksank2,dalizensors7 and nad c545bee cd player the sound is great at low volume with all the detail and when i turn it up the sound doesnt get louder it gets bigger thats the best way i can describe it

 

[Vladimir]

How about Naim amps? They are practically Class B with only 0.0032W in Class A. People still love them, call them fast and exciting. How well they do at quiet levels?

 

[CnoEvil]

For 2 channel, a good Class A amp (Valves or SS) with sensitive speakers is a good way to go.

Without implemented loudness compensation in the preamp it is kinda pointless to take advantage of the First Watt aproach. I haven't seen today manufacturers declaring in the specs if the amp has loudness compensation circuitry (integrated in the volume gain or separately controlled).

My comment was really about how (imo) to make the most out of what is available now.....due to its topology, a good Class A amp has a very fast transient response, which combined with sensitive/efficient speakers, can help preserve the excitement in the music at low volumes.

 

[Covenanter]

I'm happy with my system at low levels. Living in an apartment I can rarely have it on loud.

Chris

 

[ID.]

All of my systems (2 active, one passive with an active sub) sound OK at low volumes, but really come to life when the volume starts to climb, but that is the way with any system. Low level listening is important, but I find myself listening on headphones once circumstances demand that others not be disturbed (sleeping babies, consideration for neighbours due to apartment living).

Woke up at 5:30 am and have been listening to my little speakers in my living room, and I think that out of all of my systems, the little Fostex actives seem to be the most engaging at lower volumes.

 

[plastic penguin]

I'm sat here listening to music at a very low volume and thoroughly enjoying it and feeling really pleased with how far my system has come, particularly the huge pleasure that the Dynaudio speakers have given me since I bought them back in February. So often I've found amps and speakers to be good at medium volumes, but hopeless at low ones, but this combination still has depth, good soundstaging, detail and that engaging quality.

How good is your system at low levels? How important is it to you?

Having a youngster and neighbours on one side, the system needs to be wonderful at lower volumes. At this juncture it is essential. Hits the bullseye pretty much at all levels.

 

[unsleepable]

My bedroom system is really very good at low volume listening. I can still clearly hear minute detail and separation of instruments.

A couple of people had posted here that the LS50 didn't perform so good at a lower volume. I meant to ask if it could be the amplifiers they used, but didn't get to it.

My own Arcam A19 and Kef R100 sound superb to me at very low volume. And the volume control of the A19 is a pleasure to use.

 

[Neptune_Twilight]

it’s of greater importance for me that my system sound good at lowish volumes than high, there is often various relations & offspring & their children & I need my system to sound good at reasonable levels - I used to listen to music quite loud but now I rarely feel the need (though at times I do turn the wick up) - I know the RX2’s are inexpensive compared to many members speakers but with the K2 amp they sound really dynamic at quite low levels, at times even when they seem loud it’s still possible to hold a conversation which shows the actual SPL must be quite low - I intend to upgrade the speakers maybe in the next few months but I don’t want a system I have to play loud to enjoy - I think good stands & attention paid to solidity of the position enables the speakers to be dynamic.

 

[saga]

Low volume is very important to me.YAMAHA A-S2000 is very good at low volume.

 

[iceman16]

My bedroom system is really very good at low volume listening. I can still clearly hear minute detail and separation of instruments.

A couple of people had posted here that the LS50 didn't perform so good at a lower volume. I meant to ask if it could be the amplifiers they used, but didn't get to it.

My own Arcam A19 and Kef R100 sound superb to me at very low volume. And the volume control of the A19 is a pleasure to use.

I have no idea what other component(s) they use with the LS50. But in my system, they really shine with plenty of detail and still getting better even at low level volume. "Synergy" might be the right word for it

 

[matthewpiano]

Yes, low volume capability is far more important to me than high. Like some others here, we live in a flat so have to consider the neighbours above us, and also I don't actually like music blisteringly loud at home anyway. I would never have it as loud as some dealers seem to insist on having it during dems or at shows.

I think it is something that could become an issue for more and more people. Homes are getting smaller, it is getting more and more difficult to be able to afford a house rather than a flat, and even in houses sound insulation can be pretty poor. Being able to enjoy music in high quality at low volume levels is probably a bigger need now than it has ever been.