In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv XT2 and C 97 II, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and Jamo.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 and Jamo C 97 II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 | Jamo C 97 II |
|---|
| Brand | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 | Jamo
Denmark · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 25×32 mm" folded ribbon | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6" woven fiber cone | 3 x 6" Composite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40 Hz – 27 kHz | 32-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | Up to 250 watts | 50-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.20kg / 48.8lbs | 24.55kg / 54lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44.75" x 10.25" x 12.25"
1137.0 x 258.0 x 311.0mm | 42-1/8" x 9-3/4" x 15-13/16"
1070.0 x 248.0 x 402.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 and Jamo C 97 II 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 XT2 |
Jamo C 97 II |
| 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
Both Airmotiv XT2 and C 97 II are 3-way speakers.
Emotiva Airmotiv XT2Jamo C 97 II
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 XT2 |
Jamo C 97 II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6-inch
|
3 x 6-inch
|
Airmotiv XT2 features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 6" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 430 Hz, 3.1 kHz. On the other hand, the C 97 II features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6" Composite Woofer.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv XT2 has a frequency range of 40 Hz – 27 kHz whereas C 97 II has a frequency range of 32-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the C 97 II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Airmotiv XT2's min frequency of 40Hz.
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 XT2 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the C 97 II which has a nominal impedance of 6 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 XT2 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv XT2 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the C 97 II's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 a more sensitive speaker compared to Jamo C 97 II, 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 XT2 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas C 97 II has a max power handling value of 180 watts RMS, 70 watts less than the Airmotiv XT2.
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 XT2 and C 97 II features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv XT2's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Jamo C 97 II's Posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv XT2 and C 97 II 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 XT2's and Jamo C 97 II's external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 has external dimensions of 1137.0 x 258.0 x 311.0mm (44.75” x 8.5” x 12.25”) whereas Jamo C 97 II has external dimensions of 1070.0 x 248.0 x 402.0mm (42-1/8 x 9-3/4 x 15-13/16inch).
Jamo C 97 II is 10mm narrower and 67mm shorter than Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 but it is also 91mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 and Jamo C 97 II in scale.
Comparison image of Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 and Jamo C 97 II 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 XT2 is approximately 802.4cm2 / 124.4inch2 and base area of the Jamo C 97 II is approximately 997.0cm2 / 154.5inch2. The Airmotiv XT2 requires 20% less surface area than the C 97 II which gives it a small advantage 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 XT2 weighs 22.20kg / 48.8lbs and the Jamo C 97 II weighs 24.55kg / 54lbs. This makes the C 97 II 11% heavier than the Airmotiv XT2.
Here is a comparison of how Airmotiv XT2 and C 97 II'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 Jamo C 97 II?
Here are the items that come with the C 97 II:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 8 Machine screws
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Hex-key
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
180 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 High Frequency Response |
27k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
802cm2
vs
997cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1070mm
vs
1137mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1378USD
vs
1499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 |
Jamo Concert 9 Series C 97 II |
| Brand |
Emotiva |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
Up to 250 watts |
50-180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40 Hz – 27 kHz |
32-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
woven fiber cone |
Composite |
| Woofer Surround Material |
SBR |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
25×32 mm" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
folded ribbon |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
430 Hz, 3.1 kHz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1137.0mm (44.8") |
1070.0mm (42.1") |
| Width |
258.0mm (10.2") |
248.0mm (9.8") |
| Depth |
311.0mm (12.2") |
402.0mm (15.8") |
| Weight |
22.20kg (48.8lbs) |
24.55kg (54lbs) |
| 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 XT2 is the newer design, against a 2016 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 | Jamo C 97 II digs deeper - 32Hz against 40Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Jamo C 97 II is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 takes more power (250W vs 180W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Emotiva Airmotiv XT2: bi-amping; Jamo C 97 II: bi-amping. Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,499 vs $1,378 a pair). |
A Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 B Jamo C 97 II
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?
Jamo C 97 II 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 40Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 the better fit for a very large room, and Jamo C 97 II 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.