In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv C1+ and SS-CS8, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Emotiva and Sony.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ and Sony SS-CS8 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
- 3" Midrange
- 2 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer
- 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 )
Sony SS-CS8 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 4" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) Woofer
- 55-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:up to 145watts
- Weight:5.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 146.0" x 16.93" x 8.66"( 146.0 x 430.0 x 220.0mm )
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ and Sony SS-CS8 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 C1+ |
Sony SS-CS8 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 C1+ and Sony SS-CS8 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Airmotiv C1+ is a 3-way design whereas the SS-CS8 is a 2-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 C1+ |
Sony SS-CS8 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 4-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the SS-CS8 features a 1" polyester fiber Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 4" Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) Woofer .
Frequency Response
Airmotiv C1+ has a frequency range of 50 Hz – 28 kHz whereas SS-CS8 has a frequency range of 55-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the Airmotiv C1+ can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SS-CS8's min frequency of 55Hz.
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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
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 C1+ is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the SS-CS8 which has a nominal impedance of 6 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 C1+ sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the SS-CS8's is rated at 86 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ a more sensitive speaker compared to Sony SS-CS8, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
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 C1+ can handle a max power of 145 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Airmotiv C1+ has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS , 25 watts less than the SS-CS8.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Airmotiv C1+ features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. SS-CS8 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv C1+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Sony SS-CS8's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv C1+ and SS-CS8 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.
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 C1+'s and Sony SS-CS8's external dimensions. 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) whereas Sony SS-CS8 has external dimensions of 146.0 x 430.0 x 220.0mm ( 5.75 x 16.93 x 8.66inch) .
Sony SS-CS8 is 91mm narrower and 51mm shorter than Emotiva Airmotiv C1+ but it is also 10mm deeper.
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 C1+ is approximately 1094.1cm2 / 169.6inch2 and base area of the Sony SS-CS8 is approximately 946.0cm2 / 146.6inch2. The Airmotiv C1+ requires 16% more surface area than the SS-CS8 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.