Klipsch The Nines II at a Glance
The Klipsch The Nines II are the largest of Klipsch's powered stereo speakers, a two channel system that carries its own amplification inside the cabinet. That single fact shapes everything about how you use them. A traditional passive Klipsch speaker asks you to supply an amplifier. The Nines II simply ask for a source. Connect a turntable, a streamer, or a television, and you have a complete high fidelity system in two boxes.
What makes this a Klipsch and not just another set of active speakers is the design language the company has refined since 1946. Each speaker uses a Titanium compression tweeter mounted on a Tractrix horn, the horn loading technology Klipsch is known for. Below it sits a high output 8 inch woofer in a bass reflex enclosure with a rear firing port. The result is the lively, immediate, effortless presentation that horn loaded Klipsch designs deliver.
The Klipsch Design and Technology
Tractrix Horn Loading
The Tractrix horn on the Titanium tweeter is the heart of the Klipsch character. Horn loading directs high frequency energy forward with high efficiency and controlled dispersion. In practice that means clear, detailed treble that stays composed at low listening levels and stays clean when you turn things up. It also gives the presentation a sense of ease, as if the speaker is never straining.
The 8 Inch High Output Woofer
The 8 inch woofer is the largest driver in the powered range, and it is the reason The Nines II reach lower and move more air than their smaller siblings. Paired with the rear firing bass reflex port, they can fill a larger room with weight and body while keeping the midrange open. This is a speaker built to be the sole system in a real living space, not just a desktop.
Built In Amplification and a Full Connection Suite
Because The Nines II are powered, all the amplification lives inside the cabinets. The connection panel is where the flexibility shows. You get HDMI ARC for a television, Bluetooth for wireless playback, USB, network and optical digital inputs for streaming, analog RCA for a line level source, and a switchable moving magnet phono input for a turntable. The built in switchable MM phono stage is a genuine convenience because it means a suitable turntable can plug straight in with no outboard phono preamp required.
Sound Character and Ideal Use Case
The Nines II sound like Klipsch: dynamic, forward, and revealing, with the kind of quick transient snap that horn systems do so well. Vocals sit up front and present, guitars and brass have bite, and the larger woofer gives drums and bass lines real physical foundation. This is a rewarding speaker for anyone who wants music to feel alive rather than polite.
The ideal setting is a medium to larger room where those speakers can be the main event. They serve equally well as a two channel music system and as the audio for a television by way of HDMI ARC. If your listening leans toward vinyl, movie nights, and streaming all in one place, this is a system designed for exactly that mix.
Where The Nines II Sit in the Range
Klipsch offers three powered stereo models, and they scale by cabinet size, driver size, and room capability. The Klipsch The Fives II are the most compact, well suited to desktops and smaller rooms. The Klipsch The Sevens II step up in scale and output for mid sized spaces. The Nines II sit at the top with the largest 8 inch woofer, offering the most low end authority and the ability to energize a bigger room. Within this Klipsch range, moving up the line legitimately buys you more cabinet, more driver, and more room filling capability, so let your space guide the choice.
Building Your System: Sources to Pair
Since The Nines II are self amplified, your job is choosing good sources to feed them. Keep the pairings appropriate to the quality of the speakers.
Turntables for the Phono Input
The switchable moving magnet phono stage makes vinyl easy. The Dual CS 529 Fully Automatic Turntable is a friendly, fully automatic option that connects directly to the phono input for relaxed everyday listening. If you want to lean further into analog performance, the MoFi Electronics UltraDeck Turntable is a more resolving deck that will reward the detail those horns reveal. To finish either setup cleanly, consider the Audioquest Angel Turntable Cable, and for a compatible upgrade path there is the Audioquest Angel 90 Tonearm.
Streaming and Digital Sources
For network streaming into the digital or analog inputs, the Cambridge Audio CXN100 is an excellent network player that brings your streaming services and library to the speakers with a polished interface. If you want a characterful wireless front end, the Advance Paris WTX-Tubes Bluetooth Receiver adds a touch of tube flavor to Bluetooth playback.
How They Compare to Other Powered Systems We Carry
If you are weighing The Nines II against other all in one active systems, the differences come down to design goal and preference rather than any one being superior. The Cambridge Audio L/R X Advanced Active Stereo Streaming Speakers and the more compact Cambridge Audio L/R M Compact Active Stereo Streaming Speakers, along with the ultra compact Cambridge Audio L/R S Ultra Compact Active Stereo Speakers, are streaming focused active designs with their own voicing. The Devialet Phantom Ultimate 98 dB and Devialet Phantom Ultimate 108 dB take a sealed, omnidirectional approach aimed at deep output from a small footprint. The Nines II stand apart with their horn loaded Klipsch presentation, the built in moving magnet phono input, and that immediate, dynamic character. Choose the voice and format flexibility that speaks to you.
Placement and Setup Notes
Because the enclosure uses a rear firing port, give the speakers a little breathing room from the wall behind them to let the bass develop naturally. Set them at a comfortable ear height on solid supports and toe them toward the listening position to bring the Tractrix horn on axis. A little experimentation with distance from the wall goes a long way toward balancing the weight of that 8 inch woofer.
Come Listen
All Elite Audio is an authorized Klipsch dealer with a showroom in Timonium, Maryland. Demo units rotate and not every model is always set up, so reach out to us before you visit and we will do our best to have The Nines II or another model from the range ready for you to hear. We are happy to help you match the right sources and build a system around them.