In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv C3+ and Lumina CI, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Emotiva and Sonus Faber.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ and Sonus Lumina Center I 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 )
Sonus Lumina Center I Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.15" high definition DAD Tweeter
- 2 x 4.75" paper cone Woofer
- 65-24k Hz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:30-100watts
- Weight:7.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 169.0" x 20.6" x 8.4"( 169.0 x 524.0 x 213.0mm )
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ and Sonus Lumina Center I 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+ |
Sonus Lumina Center I |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Bad |
(* 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 Sonus Lumina Center I 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 C3+ is a 3-way design whereas the Lumina CI 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+ |
Sonus Lumina Center I |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 4.75-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 Lumina CI features a 1.15" high definition DAD Tweeter and 2 x 4.75" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000 Hz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv C3+ has a frequency range of 40 Hz – 28 kHz whereas Lumina CI has a frequency range of 65-24k 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 Lumina CI's min frequency of 65Hz.
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+ and Lumina CI have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Airmotiv C3+ sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Lumina CI's is at 87 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Lumina Center I, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Airmotiv C3+ and the Airmotiv C3+ can provide this impedance level.
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 Lumina CI has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 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 Lumina CI 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
Sonus Lumina Center I's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Airmotiv C3+ has a rear firing port whereas Lumina CI has a front firing ports. Sonus Lumina Center I's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ with its rear-firing port.
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 Sonus Lumina Center I'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 Sonus Lumina Center I has external dimensions of 169.0 x 524.0 x 213.0mm ( 6.6 x 20.6 x 8.4inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 867mm wider, 51mm taller and 99mm deeper than Sonus Lumina Center I.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ and Sonus Lumina Center I in scale.
Comparison image of Emotiva Airmotiv C3+ and Sonus Lumina Center I 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 C3+ is approximately 4339.9cm2 / 672.7inch2 and base area of the Sonus Lumina Center I is approximately 1116.1cm2 / 173.0inch2. The Airmotiv C3+ requires 289% more surface area than the Lumina CI which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.