Short answer: the SHIVAUDYO Point Zero. It ranks #14 of 31 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality; the Thomann Swissonic A306 ranks #24.
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 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 SHIVAUDYO Point Zero 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
| SHIVAUDYO Point Zero | Thomann Swissonic A306 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €6,500 | $250 |
| Ranked | #14 of 31 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #24 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) | 6.5" woofer, 1" silk dome tweeter with waveguide |
| Output Power | 600W total (300W subs + 200W mid-woofer + 100W tweeter, Hypex NCore) | 100W bi-amplified total (50W + 50W, Class D) |
| 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) | 8.8"W x 14.2"H x 11.1"D (224 x 361 x 282 mm) |
| Weight | 36.4 lbs / 16.5 kg (36 lbs) each | 13.6 lbs / 6.17 kg each |
| Frequency Response | 30Hz - 20kHz ±1dB (anechoic, Preset 1) | 43Hz - 20kHz (manufacturer specified) |
| Max SPL | 110dB long-term, 116dB short-term, 120dB peak | - |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 31Hz (measured on-axis, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 43Hz (measured, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 22Hz (measured on-axis, Erin’s Audio Corner) | 34Hz (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) | 89.9dB (measured at 0.3V/1m, Erin’s Audio Corner) |
| Inputs | XLR, RCA, AES-EBU, S/PDIF, Toslink | XLR (balanced), RCA (unbalanced) |
| DSP | Yes (Hypex, downloadable software, 3 bass presets) | Yes (rear-panel treble/bass trim, wall/near-wall placement switches) |
| App | No | - |
| Crossover Frequency | - | 2600Hz |
Related Speaker Comparisons
More useful head-to-heads from the same speaker class:
- Adam Audio T5V vs Adam Audio T7V
- Adam Audio T7V vs Kali Audio LP-8
- Adam Audio T7V vs Adam Audio T8V
- Adam Audio T8V vs Thomann Swissonic A306
- Thomann Swissonic A306 vs KRK Rokit 7 G4
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 |
As an eBay Partner, we may be compensated if you make a purchase.
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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