In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv T-Zero+ and XT60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ and Polk XT60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
- 2 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer
- 48-28 kHz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:Up to 100watts
- Weight:13.20kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 969.0" x 38-1/8" x 10-1/2"( 969.0 x 969.0 x 267.0mm )
Polk XT60 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer
- 38-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 86 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:9.09kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 929.0" x 9-1/16" x 9-15/16"( 929.0 x 231.0 x 253.0mm )
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ and Polk XT60 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 T-Zero+ |
Polk XT60 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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 T-Zero+ and Polk XT60 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
Both Airmotiv T-Zero+ and XT60 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ |
Polk XT60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Airmotiv T-Zero+ features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz. On the other hand, the XT60 features a 1" Terylene dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Bi-laminate paper Woofer .
Frequency Response
Airmotiv T-Zero+ has a frequency range of 48-28 kHz whereas XT60 has a frequency range of 38-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the XT60 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Airmotiv T-Zero+'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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing 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 T-Zero+ is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the XT60 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 T-Zero+ can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv T-Zero+ sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the XT60's is rated at 86 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk XT60, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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 T-Zero+ can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Airmotiv T-Zero+ has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the XT60.
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.
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 T-Zero+'s and Polk XT60's external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ has external dimensions of 969.0 x 969.0 x 267.0mm ( 38-1/8 x 38-1/8 x 10-1/2inch) whereas Polk XT60 has external dimensions of 929.0 x 231.0 x 253.0mm ( 36-9/16 x 9-1/16 x 9-15/16inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 738mm wider, 40mm taller and 14mm deeper than Polk XT60.
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 T-Zero+ is approximately 2587.2cm2 / 401.0inch2 and base area of the Polk XT60 is approximately 584.4cm2 / 90.6inch2. The Airmotiv T-Zero+ requires 343% more surface area than the XT60 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.