What makes a speaker sound great at low volume?

If you are going to listen at low volumes, you will require a quiet listening space.  Plus, all the comments about Fletcher-Munson and loudness controls are correct.  The ear is progressively less sensitive to certain frequencies as the volume is reduced.  It's somewhat misleading when people say they hear more detail at low volume levels.  They are actually hearing a very upper midrange dominated frequency response which they interpret as more detail.  A well designed loudness control addresses this problem.

What makes a speaker sound great at low volume?

1) Not sure what you mean by sounds great, in what way?
2) The equipment makes the speaker sound great.

Happy Listening.

The one thing that helped my system in low level listening was the use of a autoformer or a transformer volume control . Check out the Dave Slagle Intact Audio site .

Please..it's BASS, not base...unless we're talking about footers or stands or fans...BASS. Thank you. Also, looking for low tones in audio is called Bass Fishing...they have tournaments...here's a thing, my Schiit Freya has a clicking yet interesting "128-step relay attenuater" that purports to keep levels equal in each channel at any volume and it seems to work. And that Loki...can't say enough about how well it works, although maybe I just did.

Among many many parameters, I'd say the single most important one is the speaker itself. I own several, and I find that usually, bookshelves sound the best at low volumes. If your room is not that big, I would look that way. I have 99dB (Tannoy Westminster GR), 95dB (Tannoy GRF90 GR) and 89dB (XTZ Divine Alpha) speakers. All quite different types, and the Westminster clearly being the best speaker, but the XTZ Alpha sounds far better at lower volumes, and costs 5 times less. It also sounds very very good at high volumes actually, and in my view betters many 20k to 30k speakers out there... I highly recommend that speaker. It also has tuning possibilities to suit taste and/or room.    

hddg, been looking at XTZ, seems like a great value just don’t see anyone carrying them in the States. Are you in US?

You may be barking up the wrong tree.  HE speakers are specialized and have compromises that not everyone warms up to.  
All other speakers of normal to low efficiency will come alive at lower volume with proper amplification.  
Class D amplifiers tend to sound thin and weak at low volume levels.  Higher powered Class AB amplifiers will do the job nicely.  I used to run a 150 watt / channel NAD amplifier and I was simply amazed at how incredible the bass in a typical mid efficient tower speaker sounded at low volume.  
Get yourself an amplifier with some guts and you will be all set with the speakers you already have.  

I think good speakers sound equally well at all volumes. At least, this is what I observe with my Thiel CS6 and CS3.6 ones. I can hear the same deepness and resolution at a low volume as at a high volume (given that the recording quality is good) from any angle including from the back of the speakers. I would not believe that a speaker with other behavior reproduces naturally enough a good quality recording. Loudness, tone and other artificial tools I think are extreme and non-efficient.

I had experienced lately a Luxman 590AXII with the Magico A1. Near field like one meter.
To my surprise heaven.

My Graham’s 5/9 sound glorious on low volume driven by a 30w class A Belles.

Its actually the ear’s that work less well at low volumes with extreme hi and low frequencies in particular.


https://ehomerecordingstudio.com/fletcher-munson-curve/


Tone and loudness controls used to be provided in a lot of gear to make the needed adjustment for low volume.


Brighter speakers and/or speakers with tipped up bass  inherently sound better at low volumes. Also speakers with adjustable powered subwoofers.

1994-1996 era BIC Venturi v-62
with Venturi port!

 Best bookshelf,speaker ever heard!

 Bass low, tight, mids are there, and highs are crystal.

Everyone will throw their speakers in the pot”

 as well as I will.  
Energy rc -70’s
low volume is amazing!

try the Energy speakers.  
 Or,a,pair,of bookshelf speakers!
  

you need a receiver or a preamp for integrated amp with a”LOUDNESS”
Button. Read up on what’s called the Fletcher MunsonCurve

Yeah we covered "Fletchmun" earlier...ya gotta read the thread...

Since every recording has a different "sweet spot" you getting off your chair .