In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv XT1 and Alpha T20, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 and PSB Alpha T20 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 | PSB Alpha T20 |
|---|
| Brand | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 25×32 mm" folded ribbon | 0.75" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 5.25" woven fiber cone | 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45 Hz – 27 kHz | 36-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | Up to 200 watts | 15-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.90kg / 35lbs | 11.89kg / 26.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41.75" x 8.75" x 10"
1060.0 x 222.0 x 254.0mm | 34-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 9-13/16"
869.0 x 212.0 x 250.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 and PSB Alpha T20 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 XT1 |
PSB Alpha T20 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
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 XT1 is a 3-way design whereas the Alpha T20 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 XT1PSB Alpha T20
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 XT1 |
PSB Alpha T20 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
0.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Airmotiv XT1 features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 3 x 5.25" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 410 Hz, 3.1 kHz. On the other hand, the Alpha T20 features a 0.75" anodized aluminum with front waveguide Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2500Hz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv XT1 has a frequency range of 45 Hz – 27 kHz whereas Alpha T20 has a frequency range of 36-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Alpha T20 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Airmotiv XT1's min frequency of 45Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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 XT1 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Alpha T20 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 XT1 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv XT1 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Alpha T20's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the PSB Alpha T20 a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv XT1, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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 XT1 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Alpha T20 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the Airmotiv XT1.
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
Both Airmotiv XT1 and Alpha T20 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv XT1's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
PSB Alpha T20's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv XT1 and Alpha T20 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 XT1's and PSB Alpha T20's external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 has external dimensions of 1060.0 x 222.0 x 254.0mm (41.75” x 7” x 10”) whereas PSB Alpha T20 has external dimensions of 869.0 x 212.0 x 250.0mm (34-3/16 x 8-5/16 x 9-13/16inch).
Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 10mm wider, 191mm taller and 4mm deeper than PSB Alpha T20.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 and PSB Alpha T20 in scale.
Comparison image of Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 and PSB Alpha T20 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 XT1 is approximately 563.9cm2 / 87.4inch2 and base area of the PSB Alpha T20 is approximately 530.0cm2 / 82.2inch2. The Airmotiv XT1 requires 6% more surface area than the Alpha T20 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 weighs 15.90kg / 35lbs and the PSB Alpha T20 weighs 11.89kg / 26.2lbs. This makes the Airmotiv XT1 34% heavier than the Alpha T20.
Here is a comparison of how Airmotiv XT1 and Alpha T20's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of PSB Alpha T20?
Here are the items that come with the Alpha T20:
- 2 Floorstanding loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- 8 Rubber feet
- 8 Spike feet
- 8 Hex-nuts
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
27k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
869mm
vs
1060mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
530cm2
vs
563cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
799USD
vs
999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 |
PSB Alpha T20 |
| Brand |
Emotiva |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
Up to 200 watts |
15-120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45 Hz – 27 kHz |
36-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
woven fiber cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
SBR |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
25×32 mm" |
0.75" |
| Tweeter Type |
folded ribbon |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
410 Hz, 3.1 kHz |
2500Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1060.0mm (41.7") |
869.0mm (34.2") |
| Width |
222.0mm (8.7") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
254.0mm (10") |
250.0mm (9.8") |
| Weight |
15.90kg (35lbs) |
11.89kg (26.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF, Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| 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 |
A generation apart: Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 is the newer design, against a 2019 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | PSB Alpha T20 digs deeper - 36Hz against 45Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | PSB Alpha T20 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | PSB Alpha T20 is easier to place; Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Emotiva Airmotiv XT1: bi-amping; PSB Alpha T20: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | PSB Alpha T20 is cheaper - $799 against $999, about 20% less. |
A Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 B PSB Alpha T20
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
PSB Alpha T20 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 45Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Emotiva Airmotiv XT1 the better fit for a very large room, and PSB Alpha T20 for a mid-size room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.