In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv C3+ and HTM6 S2, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Emotiva and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ and BW HTM6 S2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 4 x 6.5" woven fiber cone Woofer
- 40 Hz – 28 kHz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:Up to 200watts
- Weight:26.80kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 220.0" x 54-3/4" x 12-1/4"( 220.0 x 1391.0 x 312.0mm )
BW HTM6 S2 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Decoupled Double Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 5" Continuum Woofer
- 72-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-120watts
- Weight:7.82kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 162.0" x 18-15/16" x 11-1/16"( 162.0 x 482.0 x 281.0mm )
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ and BW HTM6 S2 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 C3+ |
BW HTM6 S2 |
| 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 C3+ and BW HTM6 S2 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 C3+ is a 3-way design whereas the HTM6 S2 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 C3+ |
BW HTM6 S2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
Airmotiv C3+ features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350 Hz and 2800Hz. On the other hand, the HTM6 S2 features a 1" Decoupled Double Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Continuum Woofer .
Frequency Response
Airmotiv C3+ has a frequency range of 40 Hz – 28 kHz whereas HTM6 S2 has a frequency range of 72-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Airmotiv C3+ can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the HTM6 S2's min frequency of 72Hz.
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 C3+ is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the HTM6 S2 which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 C3+ can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv C3+ sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the HTM6 S2's is rated at 87 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ a more sensitive speaker compared to BW HTM6 S2 , 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 C3+ can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas HTM6 S2 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the Airmotiv C3+.
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
Both Airmotiv C3+ and HTM6 S2 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv C3+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
BW HTM6 S2 's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv C3+ and HTM6 S2 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 C3+ double 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 C3+'s and BW HTM6 S2 's external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ has external dimensions of 220.0 x 1391.0 x 312.0mm ( 8-5/8-inch x 54-3/4-inch x 12-1/4-inch) whereas BW HTM6 S2 has external dimensions of 162.0 x 482.0 x 281.0mm ( 6-3/8 x 18-15/16 x 11-1/16inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 909mm wider, 58mm taller and 31mm deeper than BW HTM6 S2 .
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 C3+ is approximately 4339.9cm2 / 672.7inch2 and base area of the BW HTM6 S2 is approximately 1354.4cm2 / 209.9inch2. The Airmotiv C3+ requires 220% more surface area than the HTM6 S2 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.