SpeakerDecision
  • SPEAKERS by TYPE
    • Passive Bookshelf Speakers
    • Passive Floor-standing Speakers
    • Passive Center Channel Speakers
    • Passive In-wall Speakers
    • All Passive Speakers
    • Powered Subwoofers
    • Powered Stereo Speakers
  • AMPLIFIERS
  • SMART FIND

Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 vs Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 Comparison

x
Speaker to replace
Change

Emotiva Airmotiv XB2

Passive Bookshelf | 55 Hz – 27 kHz

Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
CHECK PRICE
Change
    
Emotiva Airmotiv XC2

Passive Floor-standing | 40 Hz – 27 kHz

Emotiva Airmotiv XC2
CHECK PRICE
Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
See at AMAZON
Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 Emotiva Airmotiv XC2
See at AMAZON
Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
See at AMAZON
Emotiva Airmotiv XC2
See at AMAZON
Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 vs Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by Emotiva. Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Airmotiv XC2 is a Center Channel speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 and Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
  • 6" woven fiber cone Woofer
  • 55 Hz – 27 kHz Frequency Response
  • 86 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:Up to 125watts
  • Weight:8.16kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 325.0" x 8.5" x 11.5"( 325 x 216 x 292 mm )

Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
  • 5.25" Midrange
  • 2 x 6" woven fiber cone Woofer
  • 5.25" Midrange
  • 40 Hz – 27 kHz Frequency Response
  • 89 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:Up to 150watts
  • Weight:16.80kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 216.0" x 31.5" x 10.25"( 216 x 800 x 260 mm )

Airmotiv XB2 and Airmotiv XC2 are members of Emotiva's Airmotiv X series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Emotiva Airmotiv X Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
Bookshelf 55 Hz – 27 kHz 86 dB4Ω 1 x 6"
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3
  
Floor-standing 30 Hz – 27 kHz 91 dB4Ω 3 x 8"
Emotiva Airmotiv XT1
  
Floor-standing 45 Hz – 27 kHz 89 dB4Ω 3 x 5.25"
Emotiva Airmotiv XT2
  
Floor-standing 40 Hz – 27 kHz 90 dB4Ω 3 x 6"
Emotiva Airmotiv XC3
  
Center Channel 45 Hz – 27 kHz 90 dB4Ω 4 x 6"
Emotiva Airmotiv XC2
Center Channel 40 Hz – 27 kHz 89 dB4Ω 2 x 6"
Emotiva Airmotiv XC1
  
Center Channel 50 Hz – 27 kHz 88 dB4Ω 2 x 5.25"
Emotiva Airmotiv XA2
  
Surround 75 Hz – 27 kHz 86 dB4Ω 1 x 5.25"

What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 and Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 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 XB2 Emotiva Airmotiv XC2
Near-field Poor Poor
Small Room Average Average
Mid-size Room Good Good
Large Room Average Average
Very Large Room Poor Poor

(* 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 XB2 and Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Airmotiv XB2 is a 2-way design whereas the Airmotiv XC2 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 XC2
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Tweeter 25×32 mm-inch 25×32 mm-inch
Midrange - 1 x 5.25-inch
Woofer 1 x 6-inch 2 x 6-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 XC2 features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 600 Hz, 3.1 kHz.

Frequency Response

Airmotiv XB2 has a frequency range of 55 Hz – 27 kHz whereas Airmotiv XC2 has a frequency range of 40 Hz – 27 kHz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Airmotiv XC2 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

Airmotiv XB2
Airmotiv XC2
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Emotiva Airmotiv XB2
Emotiva Airmotiv XC2
Min
Average
Max

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 XC2 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 XC2's is at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 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

Airmotiv XB2
Airmotiv XC2
Min
Average
Max

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 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Airmotiv XB2 has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS , 25 watts less than the Airmotiv XC2.

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 XC2 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 Terminals
Emotiva Airmotiv XB2's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Emotiva Airmotiv XC2Binding post Terminals
Emotiva Airmotiv XC2's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Airmotiv XB2 and Airmotiv XC2 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 XC2'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 XC2 has external dimensions of 216 x 800 x 260 mm ( 8.5” x 31.5” x 10.25”) .

Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 is 109mm shorter and 32mm less deeper than Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 but it is also 584mm wider.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 and Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 in scale.

Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 vs Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 and Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 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 XC2 is approximately 2080.0cm2 / 322.4inch2. The Airmotiv XB2 requires 70% less surface area than the Airmotiv XC2 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.


Reasons to choose Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 over Emotiva Airmotiv XC2
Base Surface Area 630cm2 vs 2080cm2 Takes less floor space
Price per pair* 499USD vs 599USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 over Emotiva Airmotiv XB2

Max Input Power 150 watts vs 125 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity 89 dB vs 86 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Number of Woofers 2 vs 1 More woofers
Low Frequency Response 40 Hz vs 55 Hz Generates deeper bass
Height 216mm vs 325mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 vs Emotiva Airmotiv XC2 Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 Emotiva Airmotiv XC2
Brand Emotiva Emotiva
Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Center channel speaker
Power Range Up to 125 watts Up to 150 watts
Sensitivity 86 dB 89 dB
Impedance 4 ohms 4 ohms
Frequency Response 55 Hz – 27 kHz 40 Hz – 27 kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity 1 2
Woofer Size 6" 6"
Woofer Composition woven fiber cone woven fiber cone
Woofer Surround Material SBR SBR
Tweeter Size 25×32 mm" 25×32 mm"
Tweeter Type folded ribbon folded ribbon
Aimable Tweeter No No
Midrange Driver No 5.25"
Crossover Frequency 2600Hz 600 Hz, 3.1 kHz
Firing Direction rear rear
Physical Specs
Height 325.0mm (12.8") 216.0mm (8.5")
Width 216.0mm (8.5") 800.0mm (31.5")
Depth 292.0mm (11.5") 260.0mm (10.2")
Weight 8.16kg (18lbs) 16.80kg (37lbs)
Enclosure Bass reflex Bass reflex
Available Colors Black Black
Mounting Bracket
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

Most Popular Speakers
Klipsch Reference R-51M
Klipsch R-51M
2-way | 93 dB | 8 ohms
Wharfedale Elysian 2
Wharfedale Elysian 2
3-way | 89 dB | 4 ohms
ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
2-way | 87 dB | 6 ohms
Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition
B&W 606 S2
2-way | 88 dB | 8 ohms
KEF Q150
KEF Q150
2-way | 86 dB | 8 ohms
Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-500M
Klipsch RP-500M
2-way | 93 dB | 8 ohms
Wharfedale EVO4.1
Wharfedale EVO4.1
2-way | 87 dB | 8 ohms
Bowers & Wilkins 606
B&W 606
2-way | 88 dB | 8 ohms
Copyright © 2025 by SpeakerDecision
About Privacy Contact US Camera Decision

Report a Correction