Klipsch Heritage
Klipsch The Nines II Powered Stereo Speakers with HDMI ARC, Built-In Phono Preamp, and Bluetooth — Pair
Klipsch The Nines II Powered Stereo Speakers with HDMI ARC, Built-In Phono Preamp, and Bluetooth — Pair
Klipsch The Nines II Powered Stereo Speakers
The flagship of Klipsch's powered lineup — an 8-inch woofer, a Tractrix horn tweeter, and a complete input suite that makes a full component system genuinely optional.
At a Glance
- Horn-loaded 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter delivers the hallmark Klipsch dynamic efficiency and transient precision at flagship level
- 8-inch copper-spun IMG woofer — the largest driver in the Klipsch powered lineup — extends bass response deeper and moves more air than any other speaker in the series
- Built-in Class D amplification — no receiver, no preamp, no external amp required
- HDMI ARC input connects directly to your television with a single cable, controlled by your TV remote
- Built-in moving-magnet phono preamp — connect a turntable directly and play records without additional hardware
- Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX for high-quality wireless streaming from any phone, tablet, or laptop
- Subwoofer output for system expansion in the largest rooms
- Optical digital, analog RCA, 3.5mm aux, and USB-C audio inputs also included
- Remote control included
- Available in matte black and walnut finishes
- Sold as a pair
What They Are and Who They're For
The Klipsch The Nines II are the flagship of Klipsch's powered speaker lineup, and they represent the fullest expression of what the company believes a self-contained powered speaker can be. Every other speaker in the series — The Fives II at $1,399.99, The Sevens II at $1,999.99 — builds toward this product. The Nines II uses an 8-inch woofer, the largest driver in the lineup, in a cabinet tuned to extract every Hz of low-frequency extension that driver is capable of delivering. Paired with the same Tractrix horn-loaded 1-inch tweeter found across the series, the result is a speaker that can fill rooms that smaller powered speakers simply cannot address at realistic listening levels without strain.
The buyer for The Nines II is not looking for a compromise. They want the sound of a serious hi-fi system — deep bass, effortless dynamics, precise imaging, wide frequency extension — in a package that does not require a dedicated rack of components, a tangle of interconnects, or hours of system tuning. They may be furnishing a large living room, a home office where music plays for hours at a time, or a dedicated listening space where they want everything on their credenza rather than mounted on a rack. They understand that $2,399.99 for a pair of powered speakers represents real value when the alternative is a separate amplifier, preamp, phono stage, and DAC at the same performance level. The Nines II makes that alternative genuinely unnecessary for most listeners.
The Engineering Behind the Sound
The 8-inch copper-spun IMG woofer is the defining feature of The Nines II and the specification that most clearly separates it from every other speaker in Klipsch's powered lineup. IMG stands for Injection Molded Graphite — a cone material selected for its combination of rigidity and low mass, both of which are required for a woofer to behave as a true piston across its operating bandwidth without adding coloration or compression. The copper-spun finish indicates tighter manufacturing tolerances within the Klipsch production hierarchy. An 8-inch woofer has substantially more cone area than the 6.5-inch driver in The Sevens II, which means it can move more air at any given excursion level. More air movement at lower excursion produces lower distortion, deeper extension, and a bass presentation that feels effortless rather than worked. The Nines II is rated down to 32 Hz, which covers the full fundamental range of a bass guitar, a kick drum, a pipe organ, and the lower registers of a grand piano — frequencies where smaller woofers begin to roll off and lose definition.
The Tractrix horn that loads the 1-inch aluminum dome tweeter is the same fundamental technology that appears in every Klipsch speaker from their most affordable product to their flagship Klipschorn. The Tractrix profile — a mathematically derived horn shape — minimizes internal reflections and resonances within the horn throat, producing a cleaner, lower-distortion output from the tweeter than a conventional horn or waveguide design. The practical result is a tweeter that sounds open and extended at the top without the edginess or brightness that poorly designed horn tweeters can exhibit. Combined with the 96 dB sensitivity rating, the horn loading means The Nines II requires very little amplifier power to reach any listening level, which keeps the amplifier operating in its cleanest, lowest-distortion region at all times.
The Class D amplifier built into The Nines II is matched to the speaker system rather than sourced generically. Class D amplification is the correct technology choice for a powered speaker — it is highly efficient, generates minimal heat in an enclosed cabinet environment, and can be designed with high damping factors that control woofer motion precisely. The crossover between the 8-inch woofer and the Tractrix horn tweeter is set at 1,500 Hz, consistent with the rest of the lineup, which keeps both drivers operating in their respective regions of maximum performance and coherence.
Connectivity: A Complete Source Hub in Two Speakers
The Nines II includes HDMI ARC, optical digital input, analog RCA stereo input, a 3.5mm aux input, USB-C audio, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX, and a built-in moving-magnet phono preamplifier. At the flagship level of a $2,399.99 powered speaker, this input suite is not a convenience feature bolted on as an afterthought — it is the feature that defines the product category and justifies the purchase for buyers who would otherwise need a separate integrated amplifier, phono stage, and DAC to achieve equivalent functionality.
The built-in phono preamp handles any moving-magnet cartridge directly — Audio-Technica, Ortofon, Nagaoka, Sumiko, and the full range of MM cartridges that ship with or are commonly paired with decks from Pro-Ject, Rega, U-Turn, and Audio-Technica. The phono stage implementation in The Nines II is appropriate for the speaker's performance level and satisfies serious vinyl listeners at this price point. Buyers who eventually upgrade to a precision low-output moving-coil cartridge will want a dedicated outboard phono stage, but for the MM listener, the built-in stage is a complete and competent solution that removes one more component from the signal chain.
HDMI ARC connects The Nines II to a modern television with a single cable and integrates volume control with the TV remote. The implementation is standard ARC — stereo PCM — rather than eARC, which is appropriate for a two-channel speaker system not designed for surround passthrough. For music, streaming, and television audio in a stereo context, it works exactly as intended. Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX delivers strong wireless performance from Android and laptop sources. Apple devices connect via AAC rather than aptX, which The Nines II handles without issue. USB-C audio handles direct laptop connection without an adapter. The RCA subwoofer output is included for buyers who want to add a powered sub in the very largest rooms, though at 32 Hz extension The Nines II rarely requires one.
How The Nines II Compares to The Sevens II and The Fives II
Klipsch's powered speaker lineup ascends from The Fives II at $1,399.99 through The Sevens II at $1,999.99 to The Nines II at $2,399.99, with each step delivering more woofer area, more cabinet volume, deeper bass extension, and higher maximum output. The Nines II sits at the top of that progression and is the right choice when the room or the listener demands more than The Sevens II can deliver.
The Fives II at $1,399.99 uses a 5.25-inch woofer and is the recommendation for desktops, bedrooms, and living rooms up to roughly 175 to 200 square feet. It is the easiest of the three to place and the most forgiving of imperfect room conditions. The Sevens II at $1,999.99 uses a 6.5-inch woofer in a larger cabinet and is the recommendation for living rooms of 200 to 300 square feet where more bass output and dynamic headroom are needed to fill the space properly. The Nines II at $2,399.99 uses an 8-inch woofer in the largest cabinet in the lineup and is rated to 32 Hz — three Hz lower than The Sevens II and twenty-two Hz lower than The Fives II. That extension is audible as a qualitative change in bass foundation on music that uses the bottom two octaves seriously: acoustic bass, pipe organ, electronic music, orchestral works, and any recording where low-frequency weight is a musical priority rather than a production effect.
The $400 step from The Sevens II to The Nines II is the most considered decision in this lineup. In a room below 250 square feet at moderate volume, the two speakers are closer than their price difference suggests. In a room above 300 square feet, or for a listener who plays music at high volume and wants the system to remain composed and uncompressed under pressure, The Nines II is the correct investment. At All Elite Audio, we have heard all three and are glad to help you land on the right one for your room, your music, and your expectations.
Placement and Setup
The Nines II is a large speaker with an 8-inch woofer, and it needs a room to work in. These are not desktop speakers and should not be treated as such — the 8-inch woofer requires space and boundary clearance to perform as designed. Allow at least six to eight inches of clearance from the back wall, and more wherever the room permits. In a smaller room, the bass output of an 8-inch woofer can overload the room's boundaries regardless of EQ or placement adjustments, producing a heavy, undifferentiated low end that works against rather than with the music. In the right room — 200 square feet and above, ideally 300 or more — The Nines II opens up completely and delivers the bass foundation, dynamic scale, and imaging precision it was designed for.
Toe the speakers in toward your listening position so the Tractrix horn tweeters aim directly at your ears. The horn's defined dispersion pattern rewards accurate aiming with a stable, focused stereo image — instruments and voices lock into precise positions in the soundstage and remain there across the frequency range. Tweeter height at ear level when seated is the target. Speaker stands are the ideal mounting solution and allow you to set tweeter height precisely while decoupling the cabinet from the floor and tightening bass definition. On a media console or credenza, front-edge placement with maximum rear clearance is the practical alternative. The right speaker houses the amplifier and all inputs; the left speaker connects via the included cable. Setup from unboxing to music takes less than fifteen minutes.
Key Specifications
Type: Powered stereo speakers (sold as pair) Tweeter: 1" aluminum dome, Tractrix horn-loaded Woofer: 8" copper-spun IMG cone Crossover Frequency: 1,500 Hz Sensitivity: 96 dB (1W/1m) Frequency Response: 32 Hz – 21 kHz (±3 dB) Amplifier: Class D (built-in) Inputs: HDMI ARC Inputs: Optical digital (Toslink) Inputs: Analog RCA stereo Inputs: 3.5mm aux Inputs: USB-C audio Inputs: Bluetooth 5.0 (aptX) Phono Preamp: Built-in, moving-magnet (MM) compatible Subwoofer Output: Yes, RCA line-level Remote Control: Yes, included Dimensions (each): 9.96" W × 16.07" H × 13.27" D Weight: ~26 lbs (right/amp channel); ~21 lbs (left channel) Finish Options: Matte Black, Walnut Warranty: 2-year limited Price: $2,399.99/pair
Why Buy From All Elite Audio
All Elite Audio is an authorized Klipsch dealer, which means every speaker we sell is covered by the full manufacturer's warranty and supported by Klipsch's service network. We are not a gray-market retailer or a third-party marketplace seller. When you buy The Nines II from us, you are buying a product Klipsch will stand behind — and you are buying it from a working dealership staffed by people who have listened to these speakers and can speak to the real differences between them, the right room size for each, and how to get the most out of whichever one you choose.
Call 443-402-5055 / Text 443-402-5064 / Visit 1921 York Rd, Timonium, MD 21093. Authorized Klipsch dealer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes The Nines II the flagship of the Klipsch powered lineup, and is the price premium over The Sevens II justified?
The Nines II uses an 8-inch woofer compared to the 6.5-inch driver in The Sevens II, which produces meaningfully deeper bass extension — rated to 32 Hz versus 35 Hz — and greater low-frequency output at any given volume level. The larger woofer moves substantially more air, which is audible as greater bass authority and dynamic scale in rooms large enough to take advantage of it. The cabinet is also larger and more carefully tuned to work with the 8-inch driver. At $2,399.99 versus $1,999.99 for The Sevens II, the $400 difference is a genuine performance investment for buyers with rooms above 250 to 300 square feet or for listeners who want the absolute ceiling of what a powered Klipsch speaker can deliver. In smaller rooms at moderate volumes, the two speakers are closer than the price difference suggests, and The Sevens II is the smarter buy.
Does The Nines II include a cartridge or turntable?
No. The Nines II are loudspeakers only. They include a built-in moving-magnet phono preamplifier that allows direct connection from a turntable with a standard MM cartridge, but the turntable is sold separately. All Elite Audio carries a full selection of compatible turntables, from entry-level Audio-Technica and U-Turn models to the higher-performing Pro-Ject and Rega decks that are well-matched to the performance level of a $2,399.99 flagship powered speaker system. We can put together a complete pairing recommendation based on your budget and musical priorities.
Do I need an external phono preamp to use The Nines II with a turntable?
No, not for a standard moving-magnet turntable. The Nines II includes a built-in MM phono stage on the RCA inputs that is appropriate for serious vinyl listening at this price point. If your turntable has its own internal phono stage, engage bypass mode on the turntable before connecting — otherwise you are stacking two phono stages and the result will be distorted and tonally wrong. If your turntable has no internal stage, connect it directly to the phono input on The Nines II. Moving-coil cartridges require a dedicated MC phono stage, which The Nines II does not provide internally, and buyers who upgrade to a low-output MC will want a quality outboard stage at that point.
What does the HDMI ARC input do, and does it support eARC or Dolby Atmos?
HDMI ARC allows your television to route its audio output back through the HDMI cable to The Nines II, letting you use the TV remote for volume control without a receiver in the chain. The Nines II supports standard ARC, which carries stereo PCM audio. It does not support eARC or Dolby Atmos passthrough — those formats require a home theater processor and are outside the scope of a two-channel speaker system. For stereo music, streaming service audio, and television content in a two-channel context, standard HDMI ARC is clean, convenient, and entirely adequate.
How do The Nines II compare to The Sevens II?
The Sevens II at $1,999.99 is an exceptional speaker for rooms up to approximately 250 to 300 square feet and for listeners who play music at moderate to moderately loud levels. The Nines II at $2,399.99 extends bass response deeper — to 32 Hz versus 35 Hz — and uses an 8-inch woofer that moves more air and maintains composure at higher volume levels than the 6.5-inch driver in The Sevens II. In a medium-sized room at moderate volume, the two speakers are closer than their $400 price difference suggests. In a large room at high volume, The Nines II pulls clearly ahead. If you are genuinely unsure which is right for your space, come into All Elite Audio — we have heard both and can walk you through the decision.
Do I need a subwoofer with The Nines II?
In most rooms and for most music, no. The Nines II extends to 32 Hz, which covers the full bass range of virtually every musical instrument and nearly all recorded music. A subwoofer would only add meaningful extension below that threshold, which is relevant for pipe organ, certain electronic music, and home theater content that uses the LFE channel extensively. For music listening in a typical room, The Nines II is a full-range system that does not require a subwoofer to sound complete. The subwoofer output is there if you want to experiment, and the system integrates well with a quality powered sub in very large rooms where even deeper output is desired.
What Bluetooth codecs does The Nines II support?
The Nines II uses Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX support in addition to standard SBC. AptX delivers higher bitrate and lower latency wireless audio compared to SBC, which is meaningful for streaming from Spotify, Tidal, Amazon Music HD, or Apple Music on Android and aptX-capable laptop sources. Apple iPhones and iPads negotiate to AAC over Bluetooth rather than aptX, which The Nines II handles cleanly. For the vast majority of wireless listening, whether from Android, Apple, or laptop, The Nines II's Bluetooth implementation is stable and audibly strong.
Is the volume control analog or digital?
The volume control is digital, managed through the amplifier's DSP section, and the included remote controls volume through the same digital path. This is standard for powered speakers in this category and carries no practical audible penalty at normal to loud listening levels. Some listeners who use analog attenuators in separates systems notice a slight difference in behavior at the very lowest volume steps, where digital volume reduction can compress dynamic range fractionally, but this is not a concern at the listening levels where The Nines II spends most of its time.
How large a room does The Nines II require?
The Nines II performs best in rooms of 200 square feet and above, with its performance scaling upward as room size increases. In a room below 175 to 200 square feet, the 8-inch woofer may produce more bass than the room can absorb cleanly, leading to a heavy or boomy low end regardless of placement. In rooms of 250 to 400 square feet and beyond, The Nines II fills the space with authority and ease that neither The Fives II nor The Sevens II can match. If you are uncertain whether your room is the right size for The Nines II versus The Sevens II at $1,999.99, give us a call or come in — room matching is one of the most important and most overlooked parts of a speaker purchase, and we take it seriously.
Where can I buy Klipsch The Nines II and get expert advice?
All Elite Audio in Timonium, Maryland is an authorized Klipsch dealer with The Nines II in stock at $2,399.99 per pair. We are a working hi-fi dealership, not an online-only retailer — you can visit us, hear these speakers in person, and make a fully informed decision before you buy. We also handle remote orders and are available by phone and text for pre-purchase consultations and post-purchase setup support. Call 443-402-5055, text 443-402-5064, or visit us at 1921 York Rd, Timonium, MD 21093.
