In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv T3+ and Airmotiv T2+, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Emotiva Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ 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 T2+ Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 2 x 8" woven fiber cone Woofer
- 5.25" Midrange
- 35 Hz – 28 kHz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:Up to 200watts
- Weight:25.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1085.0" x 12-3/16" x 17-1/4"( 1085.0 x 310.0 x 439.0mm )
Airmotiv T3+ and Airmotiv T2+ 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 T2+ 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 T2+ |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 T3+ and Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ 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
Both Airmotiv T3+ and Airmotiv T2+ are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-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 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.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv T3+ has a frequency range of 29 Hz – 28 kHz whereas Airmotiv T2+ has a frequency range of 35 Hz – 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 T2+'s min frequency of 35Hz.
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 T2+ have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 91 dB.
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 T2+ has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 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 T2+ 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 T2+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv T3+ and Airmotiv T2+ 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 T2+'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 T2+ has external dimensions of 1085.0 x 310.0 x 439.0mm ( 42-11/16 x 12-3/16 x 17-1/4inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ is 8mm narrower and 173mm shorter than Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ but it is also 7mm 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 T3+ is approximately 1373.8cm2 / 212.9inch2 and base area of the Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ is approximately 1360.9cm2 / 210.9inch2. The Airmotiv T3+ requires 1% more surface area than the Airmotiv T2+ 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 T3+ weighs 38.60kg / 84.9lbs and the Emotiva Airmotiv T2+ weighs 25.90kg / 57lbs. This makes the Airmotiv T3+ 49% heavier than the Airmotiv T2+.
Here is a comparison of how Airmotiv T3+ and Airmotiv T2+'s weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers