In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv T3+ and ES60, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and Polk Audio. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Polk ES60 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Polk ES60 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 Polk ES60 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 ES60 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+ |
Polk ES60 |
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
- |
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
3 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 ES60 features a 1" Terylene High-Res Soft-Dome Tweeter and 3 x 6.5" Mica-reinforced polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv T3+ has a frequency range of 29 Hz – 28 kHz whereas ES60 has a frequency range of 32-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Airmotiv T3+ can go slightly deeper then the ES60's min frequency of 32Hz.
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+ is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the ES60 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 ES60's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk ES60, 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. 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 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Airmotiv T3+ has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the ES60.
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 ES60 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Airmotiv T3+ has a rear firing port whereas ES60 has a bottom firing ports. Polk ES60's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ with its rear-firing 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 Polk ES60'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 Polk ES60 has external dimensions of 1131.0 x 216.0 x 401.0mm ( 44-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 15-3/4inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 102mm wider, 127mm taller and 31mm deeper than Polk ES60.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Polk ES60 in scale.
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 Polk ES60 is approximately 866.2cm2 / 134.3inch2. The Airmotiv T3+ requires 59% more surface area than the ES60 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 Polk ES60 weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs. This makes the Airmotiv T3+ 64% heavier than the ES60.
Here is a comparison of how Airmotiv T3+ and ES60'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 Polk ES60?
Here are the items that come with the ES60:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Feet (pre-installed)Owners ManualOnline Product Registration
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 |
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
Low Frequency Response |
29 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
Height |
1131mm
vs
1258mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
Base Surface Area |
866cm2 (216x401mm)
vs
1373cm2 (318x432mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
Price per pair* |
1098USD
vs
1899USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
General |
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
Polk Audio Signature Elite ES60 |
Brand |
Emotiva |
Polk Audio |
Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
Power Range |
Up to 250 watts |
50-300 watts |
Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90 dB |
Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
Frequency Response |
29 Hz – 28 kHz |
32-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
Woofer Quantity |
3 |
3 |
Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
Woofer Composition |
woven fiber cone |
Mica-reinforced polypropylene |
Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Butyl rubber |
Tweeter Size |
25×32 mm" |
1" |
Tweeter Type |
folded ribbon |
Soft-Dome |
Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
No |
Crossover Frequency |
350 Hz and 2800Hz |
2500Hz |
Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
Height |
1258.0mm (49.5") |
1131.0mm (44.5") |
Width |
318.0mm (12.5") |
216.0mm (8.5") |
Depth |
432.0mm (17") |
401.0mm (15.8") |
Weight |
38.60kg (84.9lbs) |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
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 |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |