In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv T2+ and Bronze 500, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
|---|
| Brand | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 25×32 mm" folded ribbon | 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" woven fiber cone | 2 x 8" C-CAM |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35 Hz – 28 kHz | 32-30k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | Up to 200 watts | 60-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 25.90kg / 57lbs | 18.05kg / 39.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42-11/16" x 12-3/16" x 17-1/4"
1085.0 x 310.0 x 439.0mm | 38-7/16" x 11-9/16" x 14-3/8"
977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ and Monitor Audio Bronze 500 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 T2+ |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
| 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Airmotiv T2+ is a 3-way design whereas the Bronze 500 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.
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+Monitor Audio Bronze 500
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Airmotiv T2+ features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 8" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350 Hz and 3200Hz. On the other hand, the Bronze 500 features a 1" gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide Tweeter and 2 x 8" C-CAM Woofer.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv T2+ has a frequency range of 35 Hz – 28 kHz whereas Bronze 500 has a frequency range of 32-30k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the Bronze 500 can go slightly deeper then the Airmotiv T2+'s min frequency of 35Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Airmotiv T2+ is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Bronze 500 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 T2+ can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv T2+ sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Bronze 500's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio Bronze 500, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Both handle the same maximum of 200 watts RMS, though Airmotiv T2+ is rated Up to 200 watts and Bronze 500 60-200 watts.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Airmotiv T2+ and Bronze 500 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be 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 T2+'s and Monitor Audio Bronze 500's external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ has external dimensions of 1085.0 x 310.0 x 439.0mm (42-11/16 x 12-3/16 x 17-1/4inch) whereas Monitor Audio Bronze 500 has external dimensions of 977.0 x 294.0 x 366.0mm (38-7/16 x 11-9/16 x 14-3/8inch).
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 16mm wider, 108mm taller and 73mm deeper than Monitor Audio Bronze 500.
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 T2+ is approximately 1360.9cm2 / 210.9inch2 and base area of the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is approximately 1076.0cm2 / 166.8inch2. The Airmotiv T2+ requires 26% more surface area than the Bronze 500 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 T2+ weighs 25.90kg / 57lbs and the Monitor Audio Bronze 500 weighs 18.05kg / 39.7lbs. This makes the Airmotiv T2+ 43% heavier than the Bronze 500.
Here is a comparison of how Airmotiv T2+ and Bronze 500's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio Bronze 500?
Here are the items that come with the Bronze 500:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet (w/ 4 adjustment dials and locking-nuts)
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Large course-thread screws
- 4 Small machine screws
- 2 Terminal-jumpers (pre-installed)
- 2 Foam port plugs
- Hex-key
- Quick Start Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Price per pair* |
1099USD
vs
1496USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Optional
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
977mm
vs
1085mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1076cm2
vs
1360cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ |
Monitor Audio Bronze 500 |
| Brand |
Emotiva |
Monitor Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
Up to 200 watts |
60-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35 Hz – 28 kHz |
32-30k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
woven fiber cone |
C-CAM |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
25×32 mm" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
folded ribbon |
gold dome C-CAM with uniform dispersion (UD) waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
350 Hz and 3200Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1085.0mm (42.7") |
977.0mm (38.5") |
| Width |
310.0mm (12.2") |
294.0mm (11.6") |
| Depth |
439.0mm (17.3") |
366.0mm (14.4") |
| Weight |
25.90kg (57lbs) |
18.05kg (39.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
HDF |
MDF/Vinyl |
| 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 |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 digs deeper - 32Hz against 35Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is easier to place; Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | Emotiva Airmotiv T2+: bi-amping; Monitor Audio Bronze 500: bi-amping and Atmos drivers. |
| Price | A | Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ is cheaper - $1,099 against $1,496, about 27% less. |
A Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ B Monitor Audio Bronze 500
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Monitor Audio Bronze 500 measures better, Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ costs about about 36% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. In a large or open-plan room, Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Monitor Audio Bronze 500 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.