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Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ vs Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Comparison

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Emotiva Airmotiv B1+

Passive Bookshelf | 48 Hz – 28 kHz

Emotiva Airmotiv B1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv T3+

Passive Floor-standing | 29 Hz – 28 kHz

Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
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Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ Emotiva Airmotiv B1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
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Emotiva Airmotiv B1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
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Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ vs Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ 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 T3+ is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ 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 T3+ Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
  • 5.25" Midrange
  • 3 x 8" woven fiber cone Woofer
  • 5.25" Midrange
  • 29 Hz – 28 kHz Frequency Response
  • 91 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:Up to 250watts
  • Weight:38.60kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1258.0" x 12-1/2" x 17"( 1258.0 x 318.0 x 432.0mm )

Airmotiv B1+ and Airmotiv T3+ 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 T3+ 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 T3+
Near-field Good Bad
Small Room Good Poor
Mid-size Room Average Average
Large Room Poor Good
Very Large Room No way Average

(* 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 T3+ 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 T3+ 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 T3+
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Tweeter 25×32 mm-inch 25×32 mm-inch
Midrange - 2 x 5.25-inch
Woofer 1 x 5.25-inch 3 x 8-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 T3+ features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350 Hz and 2800Hz.

Frequency Response

Airmotiv B1+ has a frequency range of 48 Hz – 28 kHz whereas Airmotiv T3+ has a frequency range of 29 Hz – 28 kHz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Airmotiv T3+ can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Airmotiv B1+'s min frequency of 48Hz.

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 T3+
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Emotiva Airmotiv B1+
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
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 T3+ 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 T3+ can provide this impedance level.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv B1+ sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Airmotiv T3+'s is rated at 91 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ 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 T3+
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 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Airmotiv B1+ has a max power handling value of 70 watts RMS , 180 watts less than the Airmotiv T3+.

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 T3+ 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 T3+'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 T3+ has external dimensions of 1258.0 x 318.0 x 432.0mm ( 49-1/2-inch x 12-1/2-inch x 17-inch) .

Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 137mm wider, 984mm taller and 222mm deeper than Emotiva Airmotiv B1+.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ in scale.

Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ vs Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Size and External Dimensions

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 T3+ is approximately 1373.8cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Airmotiv B1+ requires 72% less surface area than the Airmotiv T3+ which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.


Reasons to choose Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ over Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
Nominal Impedance 8 ohms vs 4 ohms Less selective with amplifiers
Height 274mm vs 1258mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area 380cm2 vs 1373cm2 Takes less floor space
Price per pair* 299USD vs 1899USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ over Emotiva Airmotiv B1+

Max Input Power 250 watts vs 70 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity 91 dB vs 86 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size 8 inches vs 5.25 inches Larger woofer
Number of Woofers 3 vs 1 More woofers
Low Frequency Response 29 Hz vs 48 Hz Generates deeper bass
Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ vs Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Emotiva Airmotiv B1+ Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
Brand Emotiva Emotiva
Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Floor-standing speaker
Power Range Up to 70 watts Up to 250 watts
Sensitivity 86 dB 91 dB
Impedance 8 ohms 4 ohms
Frequency Response 48 Hz – 28 kHz 29 Hz – 28 kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity 1 3
Woofer Size 5.25" 8"
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 5.25"
Crossover Frequency 2000Hz 350 Hz and 2800Hz
Firing Direction rear rear
Physical Specs
Height 274.0mm (10.8") 1258.0mm (49.5")
Width 181.0mm (7.1") 318.0mm (12.5")
Depth 210.0mm (8.3") 432.0mm (17")
Weight 4.00kg (8.8lbs) 38.60kg (84.9lbs)
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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