Short answer: the SHIVAUDYO Point Zero. It ranks #14 of 31 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality; the Klipsch The Nines ranks #25.
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.
What the Klipsch The Nines offers: Erin calls these his favorite Klipsch speaker he has heard. Watch for: The app’s flat setting leaves the treble elevated, and Erin preferred a -2dB tweeter trim.
Buy the SHIVAUDYO Point Zero if sound quality matters more than the price. Buy the Klipsch The Nines if the price matters more than sound quality.
If sound quality matters at all to you, skip the Klipsch The Nines. It ranks near the bottom of the 31 powered bookshelf speakers, so look higher up the list instead.
Specifications Side By Side
| SHIVAUDYO Point Zero | Klipsch The Nines | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €6,500 | $1,349.99 |
| Ranked | #14 of 31 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #25 of 31 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Drivers | 6.5" mid-woofer, 1" waveguide dome tweeter, 2x 8" side-firing subwoofers (opposed, vibration-cancelling) | 8" high-excursion fiber-composite woofer, 1" titanium LTS vented tweeter with Tractrix horn |
| Output Power | 600W total (300W subs + 200W mid-woofer + 100W tweeter, Hypex NCore) | 240W total (480W peak; 100W LF + 20W HF per powered speaker) |
| Crossovers | 120Hz / 1600Hz, 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley | - |
| Dimensions | 15.7"H x 8.7"W x 15.4"D (400 x 220 x 390 mm) | 19.13"H x 9.5"W x 13.38"D |
| Weight | 36.4 lbs / 16.5 kg (36 lbs) each | 28.4 lbs primary, 27.0 lbs secondary |
| Frequency Response | 30Hz - 20kHz ±1dB (anechoic, Preset 1) | 34Hz - 25kHz +/-3dB (manufacturer specified) |
| Max SPL | 110dB long-term, 116dB short-term, 120dB peak | 115dB at 1m (stereo pair, manufacturer specified) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 31Hz (measured on-axis, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 41Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 22Hz (measured on-axis, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 31Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| 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) | 82.5dB (measured at 0.30V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Inputs | XLR, RCA, AES-EBU, S/PDIF, Toslink | HDMI ARC, Bluetooth 5.0, phono/line RCA, 3.5mm, USB, optical |
| DSP | Yes (Hypex, downloadable software, 3 bass presets) | - |
| App | No | Klipsch Connect (bass/mid/treble EQ) |
| Woofer Cabinet | - | rear-ported bass reflex |
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- Klipsch The Nines vs Klipsch The Sevens
- JBL 4305P vs Klipsch The Nines
The Two Speakers In Full
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 |
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Klipsch The Nines: $1,349.99 Sweetwater
Pros: Erin calls these his favorite Klipsch speaker he has heard. With the tweeter trim set to -2dB, the listening-window response stays within roughly +/-1.5dB from 40Hz to just above 10kHz, and they produced genuinely powerful bass that reached about 30Hz in his room. The 8-inch woofer remains below 3% THD from 30Hz upward at 96dB/1m; compression is well controlled through about 90dB, and its limiter was not a concern at realistic listening levels. Exceptional all-in-one connectivity includes HDMI ARC, phono, USB, optical, Bluetooth, analog inputs and a subwoofer output; the Klipsch Connect app supplies useful bass/mid/treble adjustment.
Cons: The app’s flat setting leaves the treble elevated, and Erin preferred a -2dB tweeter trim. There is a likely tweeter/waveguide breakup feature around 16kHz, though he did not hear it. Horizontal coverage is narrow (about +/-30 degrees), prioritizing a focused image over room involvement; listeners who prefer a wider soundstage may not like that trade-off. Ear height matters: he recommends the reference plane between woofer and tweeter rather than directly on tweeter axis. The speaker begins limiting above roughly 90dB/1m, and the two cabinets still require a physical inter-speaker cable.
Full Klipsch The Nines review and specifications →
| App | Klipsch Connect (bass/mid/treble EQ) |
|---|---|
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 31Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 41Hz (measured, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Dimensions | 19.13"H x 9.5"W x 13.38"D |
| Drivers | 8" high-excursion fiber-composite woofer, 1" titanium LTS vented tweeter with Tractrix horn |
| Frequency Response | 34Hz - 25kHz +/-3dB (manufacturer specified) |
| Inputs | HDMI ARC, Bluetooth 5.0, phono/line RCA, 3.5mm, USB, optical |
| Max SPL | 115dB at 1m (stereo pair, manufacturer specified) |
| Output Power | 240W total (480W peak; 100W LF + 20W HF per powered speaker) |
| Sensitivity | 82.5dB (measured at 0.30V/1m, Erin's Audio Corner) |
| Weight | 28.4 lbs primary, 27.0 lbs secondary |
| Woofer Cabinet | rear-ported bass reflex |
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