In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv T1+ and S60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ and Polk S60 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 )
Polk S60 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Dome Tweeter
- 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer
- 26-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:23.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1131.0" x 11-3/4" x 15-3/4"( 1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm )
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ and Polk S60 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+ |
Polk S60 |
| 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 Polk S60 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 T1+ is a 3-way design whereas the S60 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 T1+ |
Polk S60 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
3 x 6.5-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 S60 features a 1" Terylene Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv T1+ has a frequency range of 37 Hz – 28 kHz whereas S60 has a frequency range of 26-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 26Hz, the S60 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
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 T1+ is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the S60 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 T1+ can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv T1+ sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the S60's is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Polk S60 a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv T1+, 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 T1+ can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Airmotiv T1+ has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS , 150 watts less than the S60.
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 S60 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv T1+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk S60's 5-way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Airmotiv T1+ has a rear firing port whereas S60 has a bottom firing ports. Polk S60's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ with its rear-firing port.
Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ Port
Polk S60 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 Polk S60'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 Polk S60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 299.0 x 401.0mm ( 44-1/2 x 11-3/4 x 15-3/4inch) .
Polk S60 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 86mm wider, 127mm taller and 105mm 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 Polk S60 is approximately 1199.0cm2 / 185.8inch2. The Airmotiv T1+ requires 47% less surface area than the S60 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.