In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv T3+ and Airmotiv T-Zero+, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Emotiva
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 3 x 8" woven fiber cone Woofer
- 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 )
Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
- 2 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer
- 48-28 kHz Frequency Response
- 87 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:Up to 100watts
- Weight:13.20kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 969.0" x 38-1/8" x 10-1/2"( 969.0 x 969.0 x 267.0mm )
Airmotiv T3+ and Airmotiv T-Zero+ 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 T-Zero+ 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 T3+ |
Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Bad |
(* 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 T3+ and Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ 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 T3+ is a 3-way design whereas the Airmotiv T-Zero+ 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 T-Zero+ |
|
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
|
2 x 5.25-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 T-Zero+ features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv T3+ has a frequency range of 29 Hz – 28 kHz whereas Airmotiv T-Zero+ has a frequency range of 48-28 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 T-Zero+'s min frequency of 48Hz.
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 T-Zero+ 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 T-Zero+'s is at 87 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+, 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 T-Zero+ has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 150 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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv T3+ and Airmotiv T-Zero+ 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.
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 T-Zero+'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 T-Zero+ has external dimensions of 969.0 x 969.0 x 267.0mm ( 38-1/8 x 38-1/8 x 10-1/2inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv T-Zero+ is 289mm shorter and 165mm less deeper than Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ but it is also 651mm wider.
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 T-Zero+ is approximately 2587.2cm2 / 401.0inch2. The Airmotiv T3+ requires 47% less surface area than the Airmotiv T-Zero+ which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.