BEST SPEAKER THAT COMES TO LIFE AT LOW LISTENING LEVELS

I know this is late to comment on this post.

Sounds like people are saying that at low volume levels, this Fletcher Munson curves indicate at lower volumes our hearing does not register lows and highs as much. 

Well, your post did not indicate your input, your source. I use JRiver and rip all my music CD to a dedicated music server. Jriver has a built in graphic equalizer.

I don't use it, but it is there. So, at lower levels, you could simply boost your frequencies, as desired to your liking.  Jriver, is dirt cheap, a yearly upgrade is roughly $30, and it continues to work even without an upgrade. 

A high quality music server will get the most from your CD's.  You can look at Baetis music servers, or lots of many other brands. I can personally recommend Baetis.

In my experience good low volume performance comes from inert enclosures.  Less vibration of the enclosure means more of the drivers energy being audible at lower volumes.  Typically ultra inert enclosures are costly.

Not much to do with how inert a cabinet was or not.

If you define "coming to life at low levels" as a lot more detail and resolution is perceived even at low levels.... you didn’t miss of much of the spectrum, the presentation sounded real, etc....

it comes from high sensitivity speakers (can be a pain in the neck if you don’t know how to execute)..., 100db or more....also requires a more linear response, which is hard to do on a high sensitivity speaker rollercoaster, but, can be achieved with a active crossover, tweaking filters, peq, etc..They also won’t have much bass, but, higher fidelity subwoofers take care of that issue....  One can compute how much louder/more audible small details can get on say ..a 86db vs 100db speaker...As obvious by now, analog purists might be out.

Or one can do atmos, 360 reality, etc with an array of speakers even if they are not the highest sensitivity..When they are all calibrated focused in on one guy sitting inside a sonic dome....it can come to life at very low levels there too..The latter type of technology also gives you more clear/accurate spatial separation and placement of sound objects (in space), which helps. 

The OP’s listening requirement of 55 db (?!!) is looking like a lost cause though, (he doesn’t know it yet).. might as well turn everything off, stop wasting electricity and go to sleep at 55db. There may be more hope at 70db, at least.

 

In my experience good low volume performance comes from inert enclosures.  Less vibration of the enclosure means more of the drivers energy being audible at lower volumes.  Typically ultra inert enclosures are costly.

GR Research Bully