In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Emotiva. Emotiva Airmotiv XC3 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Airmotiv XA2 is a Surround speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv XC3 and Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Emotiva Airmotiv XC3 | Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 |
|---|
| Brand | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 25×32 mm" folded ribbon | 25×32 mm" folded ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 5.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 6" woven fiber cone | 5.25" woven fiber cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45 Hz – 27 kHz | 75 Hz – 27 kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | Up to 250 watts | Up to 80 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 29.00kg / 63.8lbs | 10.00kg / 22lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 9.25" x 51.25" x 12"
235 x 1302 x 305 mm | 12.5" x 7.15" x 8.5"
317 x 182 x 216 mm |
|---|
Airmotiv XC3 and Airmotiv XA2 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 XC3 and Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 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 XC3 |
Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Good |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
No way |
(* 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Airmotiv XC3 is a 3-way design whereas the Airmotiv XA2 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.
Emotiva Airmotiv XC3Emotiva Airmotiv XA2
MidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Emotiva Airmotiv XC3 |
Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
Airmotiv XC3 features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 4 x 6" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 370 Hz, 2.8 kHz. On the other hand, the Airmotiv XA2 features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3200Hz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv XC3 has a frequency range of 45 Hz – 27 kHz whereas Airmotiv XA2 has a frequency range of 75 Hz – 27 kHz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the Airmotiv XC3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Airmotiv XA2's min frequency of 79Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Airmotiv XC3 and Airmotiv XA2 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Airmotiv XC3 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Airmotiv XA2's is at 86 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv XC3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv XA2, 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 XC3 and the Airmotiv XC3 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Airmotiv XC3 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Airmotiv XA2 has a max power handling value of 80 watts RMS, 170 watts less than the Airmotiv XC3.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Airmotiv XC3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Airmotiv XA2 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv XC3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Emotiva Airmotiv XA2's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv XC3 and Airmotiv XA2 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
The size of a speaker can sometimes be 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 XC3's and Emotiva Airmotiv XA2's external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv XC3 has external dimensions of 235 x 1302 x 305 mm (9.25″ x 51.25″ x 12″) whereas Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 has external dimensions of 317 x 182 x 216 mm (12.5” x 7.15” x 8.5”).
Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 is 1120mm narrower and 89mm less deeper than Emotiva Airmotiv XC3 but it is also 82mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv XC3 and Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 in scale.
Comparison image of Emotiva Airmotiv XC3 and Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 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 XC3 is approximately 3971.1cm2 / 615.5inch2 and base area of the Emotiva Airmotiv XA2 is approximately 393.1cm2 / 60.9inch2. The Airmotiv XC3 requires 910% more surface area than the Airmotiv XA2 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.