In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv XC1 and ES30, two Passive Center Channel speakers from Emotiva and Polk Audio. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 and Polk ES30 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
- 4.5" Midrange
- 2 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer
- 50 Hz – 27 kHz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:Up to 120watts
- Weight:11.30kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 190.0" x 26" x 9.5"( 190 x 660 x 241 mm )
Polk ES30 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" High-res dome Tweeter
- 2 x 5.5" mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance Woofer
- 55-40k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:20-125watts
- Weight:8.64kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 191.0" x 20-1/16" x 10-5/8"( 191.0 x 510.0 x 270.0mm )
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 and Polk ES30 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 XC1 |
Polk ES30 |
| 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 XC1 and Polk ES30 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 XC1 is a 3-way design whereas the ES30 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 XC1 |
Polk ES30 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the ES30 features a 1" Terylene High-res dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" mica-reinforced polypropylene Dynamic Balance Woofer .
Frequency Response
Airmotiv XC1 has a frequency range of 50 Hz – 27 kHz whereas ES30 has a frequency range of 55-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the Airmotiv XC1 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ES30'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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel 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 XC1 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the ES30 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 XC1 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv XC1 sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the ES30's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk ES30 a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv XC1, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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 XC1 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 ES30.
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 XC1 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. ES30 has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv XC1's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk ES30's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv XC1 and ES30 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.
Polk ES30 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 XC1's and Polk ES30's external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 has external dimensions of 190 x 660 x 241 mm ( 7.5” x 26” x 9.5”) whereas Polk ES30 has external dimensions of 191.0 x 510.0 x 270.0mm ( 7-1/2 x 20-1/16 x 10-5/8inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv XC1 is 1mm shorter and 29mm less deeper than Polk ES30 but it is also 150mm wider.
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 XC1 is approximately 1590.6cm2 / 246.5inch2 and base area of the Polk ES30 is approximately 1377.0cm2 / 213.4inch2. The Airmotiv XC1 requires 16% more surface area than the ES30 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of Polk ES30?
Here are the items that come with the ES30:
Center-channel loudspeakerGrille (attached)4 Self-adhesive rubber feetOwners ManualOnline Product Registration
Driver Setup 
Low Frequency Response 
Height 
Max Input Power 
Sensitivity 
Nominal Impedance 
High Frequency Response 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair*