Short answer: the Adam Audio T8V for better sound quality, the Thomann Swissonic A306 for the lower price. The Adam Audio T8V ranks #22 of 31 powered bookshelf speakers at $349.99. The Thomann Swissonic A306 ranks #24 at $250, $99.99 cheaper.
What the Adam Audio T8V offers: Quite balanced and neutral, very close to the Yamaha HS8. Watch for: A crossover-region notch around 4.6kHz where tweeter and woofer interact, and a hole in the vertical response below the tweeter axis - keep the tweeter at or above ear height.
What the Thomann Swissonic A306 offers: Powered two-way desktop/nearfield design with a shaped waveguide around the 1” silk dome tweeter and a 6.5” woofer, giving very good dispersion control - about ±60° horizontal, wider and more consistent than its closest direct… Watch for: Out of the box has an audible treble rise (symbols/sibilants get a bit of extra emphasis) and a mild dip in the lower mid-range/vocal region (200-400Hz) that the reviewer wished were filled in a bit more - both are addressable…
Buy the Adam Audio T8V if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Thomann Swissonic A306 if the price matters more than sound quality.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Thomann Swissonic A306. It ranks near the bottom of the 31 powered bookshelf speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| Adam Audio T8V | Thomann Swissonic A306 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $349.99 | $250 |
| Ranked | #22 of 31 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #24 of 31 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Dimensions | 15.8"H x 9.8"W x 13.2"D (401.3 x 248.9 x 335.3 mm) | 8.8"W x 14.2"H x 11.1"D (224 x 361 x 282 mm) |
| Frequency Response | 33Hz - 25kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) | 43Hz - 20kHz (manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | XLR, RCA | XLR (balanced), RCA (unbalanced) |
| Weight | 21.6 lbs / 9.8 kg | 13.6 lbs / 6.17 kg each |
| Drivers | 8" (203mm) woofer | 6.5" woofer, 1" silk dome tweeter with waveguide |
| App | No | - |
| Bluetooth | No | - |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) | - |
| DSP | No | Yes (rear-panel treble/bass trim, wall/near-wall placement switches) |
| Output Power | 90w Per Speaker | 100W bi-amplified total (50W + 50W, Class D) |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 2600Hz |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | - | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 34Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | - | 89.9dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
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- Adam Audio T7V vs Kali Audio LP-8
- Adam Audio T7V vs KRK Rokit 7 G4
- Adam Audio T7V vs Focal Alpha 65 EVO
- Thomann Swissonic A306 vs KRK Rokit 7 G4
- Adam Audio T7V vs Adam Audio T8V
The Two Speakers In Full
Adam Audio T8V: $349.99 Amazon
Pros: Quite balanced and neutral, very close to the Yamaha HS8. Deeper bass than the HS8
Cons: A crossover-region notch around 4.6kHz where tweeter and woofer interact, and a hole in the vertical response below the tweeter axis - keep the tweeter at or above ear height. Distortion is well controlled at 86dB SPL but gets messier at 96dB.
Full Adam Audio T8V review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth | No |
| DSP | No |
| Dimensions | 15.8"H x 9.8"W x 13.2"D (401.3 x 248.9 x 335.3 mm) |
| Drivers | 8" (203mm) woofer |
| EQ | Yes (Room adjustment) |
| Frequency Response | 33Hz - 25kHz (-6dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | XLR, RCA |
| Output Power | 90w Per Speaker |
| Weight | 21.6 lbs / 9.8 kg |
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Thomann Swissonic A306: $250 Thomann
Pros: Powered two-way desktop/nearfield design with a shaped waveguide around the 1” silk dome tweeter and a 6.5” woofer, giving very good dispersion control - about ±60° horizontal, wider and more consistent than its closest direct comparison, the JBL 306 MK2. Overall a neutral, smooth speaker once the rear-panel DSP trims are dialed in: dropping the tweeter trim by 2dB and raising the bass trim by 2dB got the reviewer to a response he had no real complaints about. XLR and RCA inputs plus a standby function. Erin directly preferred this over the JBL 306 MK2 in his side-by-side comparison, primarily due to more consistent directivity. Genuinely good value for the price, especially for European buyers who avoid the international shipping premium.
Cons: Out of the box has an audible treble rise (symbols/sibilants get a bit of extra emphasis) and a mild dip in the lower mid-range/vocal region (200-400Hz) that the reviewer wished were filled in a bit more - both are addressable with the rear DSP switches, but that means the speaker needs some setup time to sound its best rather than being right out of the box. US buyers face real added cost: the speaker ships from Germany with a EU plug, and after ~$60/speaker shipping plus needing a EU-to-US adapter or IEC cable, all-in cost lands around $370-385/pair rather than the $250 sticker price.
Full Thomann Swissonic A306 review and specifications →
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 34Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 43Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossover Frequency | 2600Hz |
| DSP | Yes (rear-panel treble/bass trim, wall/near-wall placement switches) |
| Dimensions | 8.8"W x 14.2"H x 11.1"D (224 x 361 x 282 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5" woofer, 1" silk dome tweeter with waveguide |
| Frequency Response | 43Hz - 20kHz (manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | XLR (balanced), RCA (unbalanced) |
| Output Power | 100W bi-amplified total (50W + 50W, Class D) |
| Sensitivity | 89.9dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 13.6 lbs / 6.17 kg each |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons