High End Munich 2025 Systems - Voxativ 9.88 SYSTEM rule

Pi times Pi plus 0.01 equals 9.88, and that's where the name comes from - Voxativ took its acclaimed 9.87 modular loudspeaker system and added a new .01 Mid-Module, arriving at a model name that's simultaneously a mathematical joke and an accurate description of an incremental but significant upgrade.Hifiverse's own Munich 2025 verdict, that the system "retains the intelligibility and transparency of the sound" even in complex compositions, reflects what that new module was specifically built to solve.

The system at a glance

One component, a modular three-section German floorstander built around Berlin-based Voxativ's proprietary full-range driver technology, weighing 87kg and rated at a remarkable 110dB sensitivity. This entry captures the 9.88 System itself as the Munich room's centrepiece, the current flagship expression of a single-driver design philosophy the company has refined across successive product generations.

Why these components work together

The 9.88 stacks a passive Pi-Monitor widebander on top of the new .01 Mid-Module, itself sitting above an active Pi-Bass woofer section, with the top driver, Voxativ's new AC-4NP full-range array using a gold-plated magnet system derived from the company's AF-4F Gold driver, crossing over to the midrange module at 350Hz and handing off bass duties at 80Hz. The Pi-Bass module uses a Ripol enclosure design, a German dipole variant used under license from its original designer, driven by its own dedicated 200-watt Class A/B amplifier built directly into the bass unit, meaning the demanding low-frequency section never has to draw current from whatever amplifier is driving the passive upper sections. Crucially, the .01 Mid-Module's crossover includes three user-adjustable filter curves, letting the owner reshape the tonal balance to suit different genres, Voxativ cites heavy, bass-and-treble-heavy material as a case where this adjustability helps rather than leaving the system voiced for one narrow type of recording. Because the passive upper widebander driver needs no conventional crossover network of its own, being fed directly via high-level speaker-cable taps from a complementary amplifier, the 9.88's overall design keeps the number of components sitting in the primary signal path to an unusually small number for a system with this much genuine bass extension.

How it sounds

At 110dB efficiency, the 9.88 can be driven to real-world listening levels by remarkably modest amplifier power, a hallmark of full-range single-driver design that Voxativ's founder, a former Mercedes-Benz engine designer, has pursued with particular dedication, and the .01 Mid-Module's adjustable filter curves are engineered to keep that efficiency and directness intact across a wide range of musical material, exactly the "intelligibility and transparency" Hifiverse's own Munich assessment highlights even in demanding, complex passages.