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Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ vs Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ Comparison

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Emotiva Airmotiv B1+

Passive Bookshelf | 48 Hz – 28 kHz

Emotiva Airmotiv B1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv C1+

Passive Center Channel | 50 Hz – 28 kHz

Emotiva Airmotiv C1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ Emotiva Airmotiv B1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ Emotiva Airmotiv C1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv B1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv C1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ vs Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Emotiva. Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Airmotiv C1+ is a Center Channel speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ and Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
  • 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer
  • 48 Hz – 28 kHz Frequency Response
  • 86 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 8ohms
  • Power Range:Up to 70watts
  • Weight:4.00kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 274.0" x 7-1/8" x 8-1/4"( 274.0 x 181.0 x 210.0mm )

Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
  • 3" Midrange
  • 2 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer
  • 3" Midrange
  • 50 Hz – 28 kHz Frequency Response
  • 89 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:Up to 120watts
  • Weight:8.45kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 197.0" x 20-1/2" x 8-1/4"( 197.0 x 521.0 x 210.0mm )

Airmotiv B1+ and Airmotiv C1+ are members of Emotiva's Airmotiv series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Emotiva Airmotiv Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Emotiva Airmotiv B1+
Bookshelf 48 Hz – 28 kHz 86 dB8Ω 1 x 5.25"
Emotiva Airmotiv B2+
  
Bookshelf 40-28k Hz 86 dB4Ω 1 x 6.25"
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
  
Floor-standing 29 Hz – 28 kHz 91 dB4Ω 3 x 8"
Emotiva Airmotiv C3+
  
Center Channel 40 Hz – 28 kHz 92 dB4Ω 4 x 6.5"
Emotiva Airmotiv C1+
Center Channel 50 Hz – 28 kHz 89 dB4Ω 2 x 5.25"
Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+
  
Floor-standing 48-28 kHz 87 dB4Ω 2 x 5.25"
Emotiva Airmotiv C2+
  
Center Channel 45 Hz – 28 kHz 92 dB4Ω 2 x 6.5"
Emotiva Airmotiv T1+
  
Floor-standing 37 Hz – 28 kHz 88 dB4Ω 2 x 6"
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+
  
Floor-standing 35 Hz – 28 kHz 91 dB4Ω 2 x 8"

What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ and Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ speakers good for?

The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size and max power parameters:

Listening Environment* Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ Emotiva Airmotiv C1+
Near-field Good Poor
Small Room Good Average
Mid-size Room Average Good
Large Room Poor Average
Very Large Room No way Poor

(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2, Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: > 400 sq. ft / 36 m2. Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening position, speaker locations, etc.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ and Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Airmotiv B1+ is a 2-way design whereas the Airmotiv C1+ is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.

Driver Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ Emotiva Airmotiv C1+
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Tweeter 25×32 mm-inch 25×32 mm-inch
Midrange - 1 x 3-inch
Woofer 1 x 5.25-inch 2 x 5.25-inch

Airmotiv B1+ features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz. On the other hand, the Airmotiv C1+ features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter , a 3" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 550 Hz and 2600Hz.

Frequency Response

Airmotiv B1+ has a frequency range of 48 Hz – 28 kHz whereas Airmotiv C1+ has a frequency range of 50 Hz – 28 kHz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the Airmotiv B1+ can go slightly deeper then the Airmotiv C1+'s min frequency of 50Hz.

Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Airmotiv B1+
Airmotiv C1+
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Emotiva Airmotiv B1+
Emotiva Airmotiv C1+
Min
Average
Max

None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.

Impedance and Sensitivity

Airmotiv B1+ is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Airmotiv C1+ which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Airmotiv C1+ can provide this impedance level.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv B1+ sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Airmotiv C1+'s is rated at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv B1+, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Airmotiv B1+
Airmotiv C1+
Min
Average
Max

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.

Airmotiv B1+ can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Airmotiv B1+ has a max power handling value of 70 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the Airmotiv C1+.

Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Airmotiv B1+ and Airmotiv C1+ have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.

If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.

Emotiva Airmotiv B1+  Port
Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ Port

Physical Specs

Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Emotiva Airmotiv B1+'s and Emotiva Airmotiv C1+'s external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ has external dimensions of 274.0 x 181.0 x 210.0mm ( 10-3/4 x 7-1/8 x 8-1/4inch) whereas Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ has external dimensions of 197.0 x 521.0 x 210.0mm ( 7-3/4 x 20-1/2 x 8-1/4inch) .

Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited. The base surface area of the Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ is approximately 380.1cm2 / 58.9inch2 and base area of the Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ is approximately 1094.1cm2 / 169.6inch2. The Airmotiv B1+ requires 65% less surface area than the Airmotiv C1+ which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.


Reasons to choose Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ over Emotiva Airmotiv C1+
Nominal Impedance 8 ohms vs 4 ohms Less selective with amplifiers
Low Frequency Response 48 Hz vs 50 Hz Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area 380cm2 vs 1094cm2 Takes less floor space

Reasons to choose Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ over Emotiva Airmotiv B1+

Max Input Power 120 watts vs 70 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity 89 dB vs 86 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Number of Woofers 2 vs 1 More woofers
Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ vs Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ Emotiva Airmotiv C1+
Brand Emotiva Emotiva
Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Center channel speaker
Power Range Up to 70 watts Up to 120 watts
Sensitivity 86 dB 89 dB
Impedance 8 ohms 4 ohms
Frequency Response 48 Hz – 28 kHz 50 Hz – 28 kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity 1 2
Woofer Size 5.25" 5.25"
Woofer Composition woven fiber cone woven fiber cone
Woofer Surround Material SBR n/a
Tweeter Size 25×32 mm" 25×32 mm"
Tweeter Type folded ribbon folded ribbon
Aimable Tweeter No No
Midrange Driver No 3"
Crossover Frequency 2000Hz 550 Hz and 2600Hz
Firing Direction rear rear
Physical Specs
Height 197.0mm (7.8") 197.0mm (7.8")
Width 181.0mm (7.1") 521.0mm (20.5")
Depth 210.0mm (8.3") 210.0mm (8.3")
Weight 4.00kg (8.8lbs) 8.45kg (18.6lbs)
Enclosure Bass reflex Bass reflex
Finish HDF HDF
Available Colors Black Black
Mounting Bracket
Grille Yes Yes
Moisture Resistancy No No
Connections
Biamp Inputs n/a Yes
Other
Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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