Short answer: the Kii THREE. It ranks #2 of 31 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality; the SHIVAUDYO Point Zero ranks #14.
What the Kii THREE offers: A genuinely full-range active cardioid monitor. Watch for: The protection limiter becomes evident above approximately 96dB at 1m; bass-heavy material can overdrive the compact woofers with an audible plop even though many tracks exceed 100dB at a four-meter seat.
What the SHIVAUDYO Point Zero offers: Three-way powered cardioid design: 1” waveguide-loaded dome tweeter and 6.5” mid-woofer up front, plus two opposing 8” side-firing subwoofers (sealed, Q=0.707) that cancel internal cabinet vibration. Watch for: Doesn’t extend quite as low nor match the output potential and linearity of the pricier Dutch & Dutch 8C.
Buy the Kii THREE if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the SHIVAUDYO Point Zero if the price matters more than sound quality.
Specifications Side By Side
| Kii THREE | SHIVAUDYO Point Zero | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14,000/pair | €6,500 |
| Ranked | #2 of 31 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #14 of 31 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 28Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 31Hz (measured on-axis, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Sensitivity | Not applicable (active DSP loudspeaker) | 92.9dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner; Erin notes this figure is scaled rather than directly comparable to passive-speaker sensitivity) |
| Drivers | Four 6.5" woofers; 5" midrange; 1" waveguided tweeter | 6.5" mid-woofer, 1" waveguide dome tweeter, 2x 8" side-firing subwoofers (opposed, vibration-cancelling) |
| Amplification | Six Ncore channels, 1,500W total per speaker | - |
| Radiation | DSP-controlled cardioid above approximately 70-90Hz | - |
| Dimensions | 15.7"H x 7.9"W x 15.7"D | 15.7"H x 8.7"W x 15.4"D (400 x 220 x 390 mm) |
| Weight | 42 lb each | 36.4 lbs / 16.5 kg (36 lbs) each |
| DSP | Yes; boundary, contour, phase-exact and low-latency modes | Yes (Hypex, downloadable software, 3 bass presets) |
| Output Power | - | 600W total (300W subs + 200W mid-woofer + 100W tweeter, Hypex NCore) |
| Crossovers | - | 120Hz / 1600Hz, 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley |
| Frequency Response | - | 30Hz - 20kHz ±1dB (anechoic, Preset 1) |
| Max SPL | - | 110dB long-term, 116dB short-term, 120dB peak |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | - | 22Hz (measured on-axis, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Inputs | - | XLR, RCA, AES-EBU, S/PDIF, Toslink |
| App | - | No |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor vs Dutch & Dutch 8C
- Dutch & Dutch 8C vs Genelec 8361A
- Dutch & Dutch 8C vs Neumann KH420
- JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor vs Kii THREE
- Kii THREE vs Dutch & Dutch 8C
The Two Speakers In Full
Kii THREE: $14,000/pair Vintage King
Pros: A genuinely full-range active cardioid monitor. Erin measured a 28Hz F3, and boundary gain in his room kept useful response close to 20Hz. Four side/rear 6.5-inch woofers use DSP delay and cancellation to suppress rearward radiation above roughly 70-90Hz, reducing front-wall and sidewall interaction while the 5-inch midrange and waveguided tweeter maintain exceptionally smooth directivity. Six Ncore amplifier channels provide 1,500W total per cabinet, phase-exact mode offers precise impulse behavior, and Erin found imaging, tonal neutrality and left/right symmetry outstanding.
Cons: The protection limiter becomes evident above approximately 96dB at 1m; bass-heavy material can overdrive the compact woofers with an audible plop even though many tracks exceed 100dB at a four-meter seat. The BXT modules are the appropriate but very expensive solution for more deep-bass headroom. Erin preferred the treble control at -2dB because broad radiation around 3-5kHz could sound sharp. Phase-exact operation adds latency, while low-latency mode trades away some low-frequency correction. System cost, proprietary connectivity and 42-pound cabinets also narrow its audience.
Full Kii THREE review and specifications →
| Amplification | Six Ncore channels, 1,500W total per speaker |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 28Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| DSP | Yes; boundary, contour, phase-exact and low-latency modes |
| Dimensions | 15.7"H x 7.9"W x 15.7"D |
| Drivers | Four 6.5" woofers; 5" midrange; 1" waveguided tweeter |
| Radiation | DSP-controlled cardioid above approximately 70-90Hz |
| Sensitivity | Not applicable (active DSP loudspeaker) |
| Weight | 42 lb each |
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SHIVAUDYO Point Zero: €6,500 Shivaudyo
Pros: Three-way powered cardioid design: 1” waveguide-loaded dome tweeter and 6.5” mid-woofer up front, plus two opposing 8” side-firing subwoofers (sealed, Q=0.707) that cancel internal cabinet vibration. Cardioid loading above roughly 200 Hz cuts rear-wall mid-range reflections, giving a more coherent, less smeared midrange when placed close to a wall, and letting you trade boundary gain for bass reinforcement. Hypex NCore amplification with built-in DSP (300W subs + 200W mid-woofer + 100W tweeter) and three selectable bass presets - full-range to 20 Hz, 30 Hz, or an 80 Hz high-pass - trading extension for extra SPL headroom. Tweeter hiss was inaudible even at full volume from about 1.5 feet away. Roughly half the price of the similarly-designed Dutch & Dutch 8C. Long-term SPL rated to 110 dB, with peaks to 120 dB.
Cons: Doesn’t extend quite as low nor match the output potential and linearity of the pricier Dutch & Dutch 8C. Erin’s measurements show the cardioid pattern doesn’t fully engage until about 200 Hz, versus SHIVAUDYO’s claimed 100 Hz. Sweet spot is narrow: you need to stay on-axis between the tweeter and mid-woofer, or vertical off-axis listening brings a significant suckout. Some “chesty” coloration turned up on certain female vocal tracks. In full-range preset, far-field listening at a few meters can trip the amplifier’s protection limiter, so the preset needs to be matched to room and listening distance.
Full SHIVAUDYO Point Zero review and specifications →
| App | No |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 22Hz (measured on-axis, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 31Hz (measured on-axis, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Crossovers | 120Hz / 1600Hz, 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley |
| DSP | Yes (Hypex, downloadable software, 3 bass presets) |
| Dimensions | 15.7"H x 8.7"W x 15.4"D (400 x 220 x 390 mm) |
| Drivers | 6.5" mid-woofer, 1" waveguide dome tweeter, 2x 8" side-firing subwoofers (opposed, vibration-cancelling) |
| Frequency Response | 30Hz - 20kHz ±1dB (anechoic, Preset 1) |
| Inputs | XLR, RCA, AES-EBU, S/PDIF, Toslink |
| Max SPL | 110dB long-term, 116dB short-term, 120dB peak |
| Output Power | 600W total (300W subs + 200W mid-woofer + 100W tweeter, Hypex NCore) |
| Sensitivity | 92.9dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner; Erin notes this figure is scaled rather than directly comparable to passive-speaker sensitivity) |
| Weight | 36.4 lbs / 16.5 kg (36 lbs) each |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons