In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv T3+ and Lumina III, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and Sonus Faber.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Sonus Lumina III 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 )
Sonus Lumina III Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.15" high definition DAD Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 2 x 6" paper cone Woofer
- 6" Midrange
- 40-24k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:50-250watts
- Weight:15.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 989.0" x 9" x 10.9"( 989.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm )
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Sonus Lumina III 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+ |
Sonus Lumina III |
| 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 Sonus Lumina III 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 Lumina III are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
Sonus Lumina III |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1.15-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6-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 Lumina III features a 1.15" high definition DAD Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6" paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350 and 3500 Hz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv T3+ has a frequency range of 29 Hz – 28 kHz whereas Lumina III has a frequency range of 40-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Airmotiv T3+ can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Lumina III's min frequency of 40Hz.
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 Lumina III 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 Lumina III's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ a more sensitive speaker compared to Sonus Lumina III, 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.
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 Lumina III 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
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Airmotiv T3+ has a rear firing port whereas Lumina III has a bottom firing ports. Sonus Lumina III'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 Sonus Lumina III'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 Sonus Lumina III has external dimensions of 989.0 x 228.0 x 278.0mm ( 38.9 x 9 x 10.9inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 90mm wider, 269mm taller and 154mm deeper than Sonus Lumina III.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Sonus Lumina III in scale.
Comparison image of Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ and Sonus Lumina III 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 Sonus Lumina III is approximately 633.8cm2 / 98.2inch2. The Airmotiv T3+ requires 117% more surface area than the Lumina III which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.