In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv XT3 and Airmotiv XT2, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Emotiva.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 and Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 | Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 |
|---|
| Brand | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 25×32 mm" folded ribbon | 25×32 mm" folded ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 5.25" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 8" woven fiber cone | 3 x 6" woven fiber cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30 Hz – 27 kHz | 40 Hz – 27 kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | Up to 300 watts | Up to 250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 41.30kg / 90.9lbs | 22.20kg / 48.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 48.7" x 12.5" x 16.75"
1240.0 x 315.0 x 425.0mm | 44.75" x 10.25" x 12.25"
1137.0 x 258.0 x 311.0mm |
|---|
Airmotiv XT3 and Airmotiv XT2 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 XT3 and Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 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 XT3 |
Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Average |
(* 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 XT3 and Airmotiv XT2 are 3-way speakers.
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3Emotiva Airmotiv XT2
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 XT3 |
Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
3 x 6-inch
|
Airmotiv XT3 features a 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 3 x 8" woven fiber cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300 Hz, 3.1 kHz. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv XT3 has a frequency range of 30 Hz – 27 kHz whereas Airmotiv XT2 has a frequency range of 40 Hz – 27 kHz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Airmotiv XT3 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 XT3 and Airmotiv XT2 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Airmotiv XT3 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Airmotiv XT2's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv XT2, 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 XT3 and the Airmotiv XT3 can provide this impedance level.
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 XT3 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Airmotiv XT2 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Airmotiv XT3.
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 XT3 and Airmotiv XT2 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Emotiva Airmotiv XT2's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Airmotiv XT3 and Airmotiv XT2 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 XT3's and Emotiva Airmotiv XT2's external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 has external dimensions of 1240.0 x 315.0 x 425.0mm (48.7” x 10.75” x 16.75”) whereas Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 has external dimensions of 1137.0 x 258.0 x 311.0mm (44.75” x 8.5” x 12.25”).
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 57mm wider, 103mm taller and 114mm deeper than Emotiva Airmotiv XT2.
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 XT3 is approximately 1338.8cm2 / 207.5inch2 and base area of the Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 is approximately 802.4cm2 / 124.4inch2. The Airmotiv XT3 requires 67% more surface area than the Airmotiv XT2 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 XT3 weighs 41.30kg / 90.9lbs and the Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 weighs 22.20kg / 48.8lbs. This makes the Airmotiv XT3 86% heavier than the Airmotiv XT2.
Here is a comparison of how Airmotiv XT3 and Airmotiv XT2's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
40 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1137mm
vs
1240mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
802cm2
vs
1338cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1499USD
vs
2499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 |
Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 |
| Brand |
Emotiva |
Emotiva |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
Up to 300 watts |
Up to 250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30 Hz – 27 kHz |
40 Hz – 27 kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
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 |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
300 Hz, 3.1 kHz |
430 Hz, 3.1 kHz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1240.0mm (48.8") |
1137.0mm (44.8") |
| Width |
315.0mm (12.4") |
258.0mm (10.2") |
| Depth |
425.0mm (16.7") |
311.0mm (12.2") |
| Weight |
41.30kg (90.9lbs) |
22.20kg (48.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass reflex |
Bass reflex |
| 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 |
Siblings in Emotiva's Airmotiv X series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 digs deeper - 30Hz against 40Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 is easier to place; Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Emotiva Airmotiv XT3: bi-amping; Emotiva Airmotiv XT2: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 is cheaper - $1,499 against $2,499, about 40% less; arguably a different class. |
A Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 B Emotiva Airmotiv XT2
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?
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 67% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 40Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Emotiva Airmotiv XT2 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.