In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Emotiva. Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Airmotiv XC1 is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 and Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Airmotiv XB2 and Airmotiv XC1 are members of Emotiva's Airmotiv X series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Emotiva Airmotiv X Series History
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 and Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 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 XB2 and Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 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 XB2 is a 2-way design whereas the Airmotiv XC1 is a 3-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 XB2 |
Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Airmotiv XB2 features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 6" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600Hz. On the other hand, the Airmotiv XC1 features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter , a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 620 Hz, 3.1 kHz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv XB2 has a frequency range of 55 Hz – 27 kHz whereas Airmotiv XC1 has a frequency range of 50 Hz – 27 kHz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the Airmotiv XC1 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Airmotiv XB2's min frequency of 55Hz.
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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf 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 XB2 and Airmotiv XC1 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Airmotiv XB2 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the Airmotiv XC1's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv XB2, 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 XB2 and the Airmotiv XB2 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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 XB2 can handle a max power of 125 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Airmotiv XC1 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 5 watts less than the Airmotiv XB2.
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 XB2 and Airmotiv XC1 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv XB2's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Emotiva Airmotiv XC1's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv XB2 and Airmotiv XC1 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 XB2's and Emotiva Airmotiv XC1's external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 has external dimensions of 325 x 216 x 292 mm ( 12.8” x 8.5” x 11.5”) whereas Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 has external dimensions of 190 x 660 x 241 mm ( 7.5” x 26” x 9.5”) .
Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 is 135mm shorter and 51mm less deeper than Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 but it is also 444mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 and Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 in scale.
Comparison image of Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 and Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 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 XB2 is approximately 630.7cm2 / 97.8inch2 and base area of the Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 is approximately 1590.6cm2 / 246.5inch2. The Airmotiv XB2 requires 60% less surface area than the Airmotiv XC1 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.