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Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ vs Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Comparison

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Emotiva Airmotiv T1+

Passive Floor-standing | 37 Hz – 28 kHz

Emotiva Airmotiv T1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv T3+

Passive Floor-standing | 29 Hz – 28 kHz

Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
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Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ Emotiva Airmotiv T1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
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Emotiva Airmotiv T1+
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Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
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Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ vs Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv T1+ and Airmotiv T3+, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Emotiva

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
  • 5.25" Midrange
  • 2 x 6" woven fiber cone Woofer
  • 37 Hz – 28 kHz Frequency Response
  • 88 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:Up to 150watts
  • Weight:18.20kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1004.0" x 8-3/8" x 11-5/8"( 1004.0 x 213.0 x 296.0mm )

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 T1+ 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 T1+ 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 T1+ Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
Near-field Bad Bad
Small Room Poor Poor
Mid-size Room Good Average
Large Room Good Good
Very Large Room Poor 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 T1+ 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

Both Airmotiv T1+ and Airmotiv T3+ are 3-way speakers.

Driver Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
Driver Setup 3-way 3-way
Tweeter 25×32 mm-inch 25×32 mm-inch
Midrange 1 x 5.25-inch 2 x 5.25-inch
Woofer 2 x 6-inch 3 x 8-inch

Airmotiv T1+ features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 275 Hz and 2700Hz. 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 T1+ has a frequency range of 37 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 T1+'s min frequency of 37Hz.

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

Airmotiv T1+
Airmotiv T3+
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

Emotiva Airmotiv T1+
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 T1+ and Airmotiv T3+ have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Airmotiv T1+ sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Airmotiv T3+'s is at 91 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv T1+, 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 T1+ and the Airmotiv T1+ can provide this impedance level.

Sensitivity

Floor-standing Speakers

Airmotiv T1+
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 T1+ can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Airmotiv T1+ has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 100 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.

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Both Airmotiv T1+ and Airmotiv T3+ features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ Terminals
Emotiva Airmotiv T1+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Terminals
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Airmotiv T1+ 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 T1+  Port
Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ 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 T1+'s and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+'s external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ has external dimensions of 1004.0 x 213.0 x 296.0mm ( 39-1/2 x 8-3/8 x 11-5/8inch) 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 105mm wider, 254mm taller and 136mm deeper than Emotiva Airmotiv T1+.

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 T1+ is approximately 630.5cm2 / 97.7inch2 and base area of the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is approximately 1373.8cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Airmotiv T1+ requires 54% less surface area than the Airmotiv T3+ which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

Weight Comparison

The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ weighs 18.20kg / 40lbs and the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ weighs 38.60kg / 84.9lbs. This makes the Airmotiv T3+ 112% heavier than the Airmotiv T1+.

Here is a comparison of how Airmotiv T1+ and Airmotiv T3+'s weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Emotiva Airmotiv T1+
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
Min
Average
Max

Reasons to choose Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ over Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
Height 1004mm vs 1258mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area 630cm2 vs 1373cm2 Takes less floor space
Price per pair* 799USD vs 1899USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ over Emotiva Airmotiv T1+

Max Input Power 250 watts vs 150 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity 91 dB vs 88 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size 8 inches vs 6 inches Larger woofer
Number of Woofers 3 vs 2 More woofers
Low Frequency Response 29 Hz vs 37 Hz Generates deeper bass
Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ vs Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
Brand Emotiva Emotiva
Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Floor-standing speaker
Power Range Up to 150 watts Up to 250 watts
Sensitivity 88 dB 91 dB
Impedance 4 ohms 4 ohms
Frequency Response 37 Hz – 28 kHz 29 Hz – 28 kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity 2 3
Woofer Size 6" 8"
Woofer Composition woven fiber cone woven fiber cone
Tweeter Size 25×32 mm" 25×32 mm"
Tweeter Type folded ribbon folded ribbon
Aimable Tweeter No No
Midrange Driver 5.25" 5.25"
Crossover Frequency 275 Hz and 2700Hz 350 Hz and 2800Hz
Firing Direction rear rear
Physical Specs
Height 1004.0mm (39.5") 1258.0mm (49.5")
Width 213.0mm (8.4") 318.0mm (12.5")
Depth 296.0mm (11.7") 432.0mm (17")
Weight 18.20kg (40lbs) 38.60kg (84.9lbs)
Enclosure Bass reflex Bass reflex
Finish HDF HDF
Available Colors Black Black
Grille Yes Yes
Moisture Resistancy No No
Connections
Biamp Inputs Yes Yes
Other
Parts Warranty 5 Years 5 Years
Labor Warranty 5 Years 5 Years

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