The Dahlquist DQ-10s are known for their inefficiency, so I decided to check in my own environment. I listen in a 1560 cu.ft. living room that opens into a 1040 cu.ft kitchen. I sit between the speakers i.e. off axis. My seating is at the apex of an isosceles triangle with a 65" base (speaker center to center) and 87" sides with the mid dome and tweeters at ear level. I guess that this would be called near field listening in a fully furnished living room. I listen to all kinds of music. I have the DQ-10 tweeter level controls set to 0 or "flat". I set up a Radio Shack meter one meter from one of the speakers at ear level dead center of one of the DQ-10s. I set the range for 80db fast response A weighting. I played the 2nd movement scherzo of the Shostakovich Symphony No. 10 on Chandos with the Scottish National Orchestra conducted by Neeme Jarvi, with the volume knob of my Hafler preamp gradually set to a little less than 10 o'clock driving my Phase Liner 400s. I'll tell you that that sound level buried the meters and would have pinned my ears back had I been seated. I normally wouldn't listen at that volume. Of course this is a personal preference, but the frequency balance, clarity and dynamic range of the DQ-10s precludes listening at deafening levels for me in my environment. I would imagine that many other listeners also have a smallish environment as I do. Just food for thought. Be well all.