Best Late Night Low Volume Speaker

I like certain higher efficiency horn systems for very good low level clarity and "jump" (dynamics). But, one has to like horn sound to begin with or find the relatively few such systems that don't have as much of horn coloration or assemble a system from parts.

For more conventional systems I think you should look at something like the Reference 3A (someone mentioned it above), perhaps a classic box-type Spendor (not their floorstanding speakers) or Audionote speakers.

Electrostatic speakers, such as Quads, sound really good at low volume because of their clarity and their speed (good at small dynamic changes). They also have the advantage of being dipole speakers. With dipoles, there is a back wave that is in opposite phase to the front wave. The two waves tend to cancel out at the sides and significantly less energy is put out into the room outside of where the speakers are aimed. When I changed from electrostatic speakers to my current dynamic system (horn midrange, cone woofer, bullet-type tweeter) I was surprised at how much louder was the leakage into other rooms. Magnepans (planar magnetic) are also dipoles, but, they tend to need to be played a little bit louder before the music starts to "jump" so I don't know if they would work for you (but otherwise, they are terrific sounding and not too expensive).

I know that it is a gross oversimplification, but, as long as one has sufficient power, lower powered amps tend to sound better than behemoths. Also, some higher powered amps sound particularly dull and lifeless if they are made to loaf along at really low output.

Geoch has offered some really good choices for getting very lively sound at lower volume level. I like OTL amps, though I am more familiar with the smaller Atmasphere amps (the 30 and 60 watt versions) driving speakers with more modest requirements. I have a Placette Active linestage and it, too, is particularly good at sounding very lively (moreso than the Placette passive, and more than my other solidstate preamp, which is a Levinson No. 32).

As I mentioned earlier, I too like electrostatic speakers for low level listening. Not only do electrostatics deliver detail without being strident, the dipole bass cancellation effect to the sides means less bleeding of sound into other rooms (so one can play them a bit louder). For conventional dynamic speakers, I think Audionote floorstanding speakers and stand-mounted speakers are also very good at low levels. I've also heard small DeVore speakers, powered by Shindo amps, that sounded very good at lower volume levels.

Mapman mentioned Triangle speakers. I also think these are terrific low level speakers. Some people find them a touch bright (they are), but they are not strident and are good candidates for low-level listening.

I have also listened briefly to some Living Voice floorstanding speakers that sounded quite full and naturally balanced at lower volume.

For late night listening at more than modest levels, I use headphones. Sure, they don't deliver a conventional soundstage, but they can actually be more engaging and have MORE visceral impact (than listening to speakers at low level). I have gotten used to the inside-the-head sound and so I appreciate them as a completely different experience. The speed and freedom from resonance (from either the drivers or the room) muddying up the sound is a big plus with headphones. The headphones I use are Stax Omega II, Mk. 1 with HeadAmp Blue Hawaii Special Edition headphone amplifier.

Bumping up the bass to compensate for lower hearing sensitivity to bass at low volume (i.e., compensation that mirrors the Fletcher Munson curve) would result in a more natural sound. But, bass energy is more easily passed through walls and other structure so it would also be more annoying to others in the house, and in that manner, defeat the goal of playing softly to avoid disturbing others.

If one must use speakers, instead of headphones, finding something that sounds decent for nearfield listening (a speaker that is not too bright) and sitting fairly close to the speaker would be another approach.