In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv T3+ and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and KLH Concord first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ | KLH Concord |
|---|
| Brand | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 25×32 mm" folded ribbon | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 8" woven fiber cone | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 29 Hz – 28 kHz | 28-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | Up to 250 watts | up to 225 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 38.60kg / 84.9lbs | 20.45kg / 45lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 49-1/2" x 12-1/2" x 17"
1258.0 x 318.0 x 432.0mm | 40-3/8" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
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 T3+ is a 3-way design whereas the Concord 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 T3+KLH Concord
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 T3+ |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv T3+ has a frequency range of 29 Hz – 28 kHz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go slightly deeper then the Airmotiv T3+'s min frequency of 29Hz.
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 T3+ is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Concord 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 T3+ can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv T3+ sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Concord's is rated at 94 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv T3+, 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.
Airmotiv T3+ can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Concord has a max power handling value of 225 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the Airmotiv T3+.
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
Airmotiv T3+ features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Concord has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
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 T3+'s and KLH Concord'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 KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 106mm wider, 232mm taller and 52mm deeper than KLH Concord.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and KLH Concord in scale.
Comparison image of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and KLH Concord 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 KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The Airmotiv T3+ requires 71% more surface area than the Concord 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 KLH Concord weighs 20.45kg / 45lbs. This makes the Airmotiv T3+ 89% heavier than the Concord.
Here is a comparison of how Airmotiv T3+ and Concord'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 KLH Concord?
Here are the items that come with the Concord:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet (w/ locking nut attached)
- 4 Protective discs
- 4 Rubber feet
- Port plug
- Manual
- ATTENTION! note
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
225 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
29 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1026mm
vs
1258mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
805cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1000USD
vs
1899USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
KLH Concord |
| Brand |
Emotiva |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
Up to 250 watts |
up to 225 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
29 Hz – 28 kHz |
28-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
woven fiber cone |
Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
25×32 mm" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
folded ribbon |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
350 Hz and 2800Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1258.0mm (49.5") |
1026.0mm (40.4") |
| Width |
318.0mm (12.5") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
432.0mm (17") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
38.60kg (84.9lbs) |
20.45kg (45lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
HDF |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ costs roughly 1.9x what KLH Concord does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (29Hz vs 28Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | KLH Concord is more sensitive (94dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | KLH Concord 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 (250W vs 225W). |
| Size | depends | KLH Concord is easier to place; Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | Emotiva Airmotiv T3+: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | KLH Concord is cheaper - $1,000 against $1,899, about 47% less; arguably a different class. |
A Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ B KLH Concord
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?
KLH Concord has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. In a large or open-plan room, Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, KLH Concord is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, KLH Concord 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.