What is a really good sounding low volume system??

Well two monoliths is rather an exaggeration.
My Maggies are widespaced, and near the picture window. With tweeter 'in' the sound great. they look like screens. And the hid the shelving with piles off DVDs. Great.
Think positive about them. Not 'they are door size...' Well they are also only two inches thick...

Elizabeth, yes the Maggie's would fit well in a room, but I'm assuming that the woman is the decorator of the home and audio equipment would be secondary to her design. We'll have to hear what B_limo thinks.

Honestly, it's not my fiance that I'm worried so much about. She isn't going to care about where I place my audio gear, or what it looks like, I just don't want to bother the homeowners who are the neighbors also. We will be living in a small apartment (13x20 foot room that doubles as a living room / bedroom, a kitchen area that is 9x20 that is seperated by a wall and door from the bedroom / living space). I though about setting up my rig in the kitchen space because I can close the door and not bother my soon to be wife, but the bedroom / living room is just a way better size. Who knows, maybe I'll have two systems, one small set-up more for nearfield in the kitchen, and another set-up in the bedroom / living room. The kitchen area is also further from the homeowners bedroom and the sound would probably be less intrusive there.

Maybe maggies in the bedroom / living room with my current front end and a possibly a tube set-up with either my kef qx-5's or (? Tekton lores or zu's or whatever might be super tube friendly?) in the kitchen area, oh snd a nice headphone set-up too. Now I'm starting to sound like a true audiophile.

I spend alot of time in the bathroom too...inwalls perhaps?

P.s. wife to be does know about my audio addiction, but I learned a long time ago not to tell her how much it costs.

Pick up a set of quad 63's. It is usually available for $1500-2000. Use with a tube integrated and you have a great low volume system for not a lot of money.

the marriage isn't the problem, even if she's not really into hifi. The problem, for now, is the environment you will be living in. Headphones would be perfect, if you can do it. I've got a nice pair of stax, and even though I like them, I just don't use them. To be honest, they aren't even hooked up at the moment. I always feel isolated/trapped, when I use them. I would go the high efficiency speaker route and adjust to the volume issue, you will adjust. (funny I say that with Paul Simon pounding in my living room lol) when I was first married, I had to listen at low levels too. I'm lucky now to live just outside of town, with cool neighbors. Quite often they hear my outdoor speakers and come over for a beer in the summer. Do what you have to for now, your day will come. Good luck, and congrats on the marriage! BTW, that was a good one rog!