In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv T1+ and Diamond 12.3, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and Wharfedale.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ and Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 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 )
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 5" Mica-infused polypropylene Woofer
- 45-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-150watts
- Weight:19.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 985.0" x 7-1/8" x 14-1/4"( 985.0 x 180.0 x 362.0mm )
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ and Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 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+ |
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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 T1+ and Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 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 T1+ is a 3-way design whereas the Diamond 12.3 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+ |
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 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 Diamond 12.3 features a 1" Textile Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Mica-infused polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv T1+ has a frequency range of 37 Hz – 28 kHz whereas Diamond 12.3 has a frequency range of 45-20k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 37Hz, the Airmotiv T1+ can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Diamond 12.3's min frequency of 45Hz.
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 Diamond 12.3 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.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 88 dBdB.
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.
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 Diamond 12.3 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
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv T1+ and Diamond 12.3 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
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 Wharfedale Diamond 12.3'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 Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 180.0 x 362.0mm ( 38-3/4 x 7-1/8 x 14-1/4inch) .
Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 is 33mm narrower and 19mm shorter than Emotiva Airmotiv T1+ but it is also 66mm deeper.
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 Wharfedale Diamond 12.3 is approximately 651.6cm2 / 101.0inch2. The Airmotiv T1+ requires 3% less surface area than the Diamond 12.3 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.