In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Emotiva. Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Airmotiv B2+ is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Emotiva Airmotiv B2+ first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Airmotiv T3+ and Airmotiv B2+ are members of Emotiva's Airmotiv series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Emotiva Airmotiv Series History
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Emotiva Airmotiv B2+ 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Emotiva Airmotiv B2+ 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 T3+ is a 3-way design whereas the Airmotiv B2+ 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 T3+ |
Emotiva Airmotiv B2+ |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
1 x 6.25-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the Airmotiv B2+ features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 6.25" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv T3+ has a frequency range of 29 Hz – 28 kHz whereas Airmotiv B2+ has a frequency range of 40-28k Hz. 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 B2+'s min frequency of 40Hz.
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 T3+ and Airmotiv B2+ have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Airmotiv T3+ sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Airmotiv B2+'s is at 86 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv B2+, 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 T3+ and the Airmotiv T3+ can provide this impedance level.
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 T3+ can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Airmotiv B2+ has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 125 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 T3+ and Airmotiv B2+ features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Emotiva Airmotiv B2+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv T3+ and Airmotiv B2+ 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 B2+ 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 T3+'s and Emotiva Airmotiv B2+'s external dimensions. 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) whereas Emotiva Airmotiv B2+ has external dimensions of 324.0 x 216.0 x 293.0mm ( 12-3/4-inch x 8-1/2-inch x 11-1/2-inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 102mm wider, 934mm taller and 139mm deeper than Emotiva Airmotiv B2+.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Emotiva Airmotiv B2+ in scale.
Comparison image of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Emotiva Airmotiv B2+ Size and External Dimensions
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 T3+ is approximately 1373.8cm2 / 212.9inch2 and base area of the Emotiva Airmotiv B2+ is approximately 632.9cm2 / 98.1inch2. The Airmotiv T3+ requires 117% more surface area than the Airmotiv B2+ which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.