Short answer: the SHIVAUDYO Point Zero. It ranks #29 of 119 powered bookshelf speakers by sound quality (rated 4.5/5) and is still sold new; the Thomann Swissonic A306 ranks #54 (rated 4.3/5) and is discontinued, so it is only an option used.
The SHIVAUDYO Point Zero is the more accurate, deeper-bass choice. Active speakers with balanced sound, useful deep bass, reduced rear energy, and a wide choice of analog and digital inputs. Its measured preference score, a predictor of how neutral it sounds, is 6.59 against 5.41 for the Thomann Swissonic A306. Its bass reaches about 31Hz before falling 3dB, against 43Hz for the Thomann Swissonic A306. The catch: Cardioid control begins around 200Hz rather than extending through all deep bass.
The case for the Thomann Swissonic A306: Affordable studio monitors with useful bass and tone controls that make a capable budget setup when carefully tuned. The catch: The published result is not the flat-control setting: it specifically uses -2dB treble.
Buy the SHIVAUDYO Point Zero. It is rated higher for sound quality; the Thomann Swissonic A306 is no longer sold new.
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Measured Differences
- Bass depth: the SHIVAUDYO Point Zero reaches 22 Hz (10 dB down) against 34 Hz for the Thomann Swissonic A306, about half an octave deeper. You hear more of the lowest bass notes and kick drums.
- Efficiency: the SHIVAUDYO Point Zero is rated at 92.9 dB sensitivity against 89.9 dB for the Thomann Swissonic A306, so it plays as loud with roughly half the amplifier power.
- Close enough not to matter: preference score with a subwoofer (7.7 vs 7.3).
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Specifications Side By Side
| SHIVAUDYO Point Zero | Thomann Swissonic A306 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €6,500 per pair | $250 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #29 of 119 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #54 of 119 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 |
| Amplifier Power | 600W total (300W subs + 200W mid-woofer + 100W tweeter, Hypex NCore) | 100W bi-amplified total (50W + 50W, Class D) |
| Crossover Frequency | 120Hz / 1600Hz, 4th-order Linkwitz-Riley | 2600Hz |
| 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) each | 13.6 lbs (6.17 kg) each |
| Frequency Response | 30Hz - 20kHz ±1dB (anechoic, Preset 1) | 43Hz - 20kHz (manufacturer specified) |
| 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 | - |
| Maximum SPL | 110dB long-term, 116dB short-term, 120dB peak (manufacturer specified) | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 6.59 | 5.41 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 7.66 | 7.29 |
| XLR Input | Yes | Yes |
| RCA Input | Yes | Yes |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | Yes | No |
| Coaxial Input | Yes | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
Where the Ratings Come From
- SHIVAUDYO Point Zero: Spinorama.org measurements and reviews by Erin’s Audio Corner.
- Thomann Swissonic A306: Spinorama.org measurements and reviews by Erin’s Audio Corner.
This comparison is generated from the ratings, specifications and measurements on each product’s own page, and it updates when that data changes. How we rank explains how each rating is decided.
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