In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv T3+ and Prime Pinnacle, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and SVS Prime Pinnacle 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 )
SVS Prime Pinnacle Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" dome Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 3 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer
- 5.25" Midrange
- 29-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:25.95kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1042.0" x 8" x 13-15/16"( 1042.0 x 204.0 x 355.0mm )
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and SVS Prime Pinnacle 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+ |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
Large Room |
Good |
Good |
Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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 SVS Prime Pinnacle 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 Prime Pinnacle are 3-way speakers.
Driver |
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
SVS Prime Pinnacle |
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
1 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 Prime Pinnacle features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv T3+ has a frequency range of 29 Hz – 28 kHz whereas Prime Pinnacle has a frequency range of 29-25k Hz.
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 Prime Pinnacle 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 Prime Pinnacle's is rated at 88 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Pinnacle, 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 Prime Pinnacle.
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
Airmotiv T3+ features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Prime Pinnacle 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
SVS Prime Pinnacle's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv T3+ and Prime Pinnacle 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 SVS Prime Pinnacle'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 SVS Prime Pinnacle has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 204.0 x 355.0mm ( 41 x 8 x 13-15/16inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 114mm wider, 216mm taller and 77mm deeper than SVS Prime Pinnacle.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and SVS Prime Pinnacle in scale.
Comparison image of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and SVS Prime Pinnacle 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 SVS Prime Pinnacle is approximately 724.2cm2 / 112.3inch2. The Airmotiv T3+ requires 90% more surface area than the Prime Pinnacle which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.