In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv XT3 and Concord, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 and KLH Concord first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 3 x 8" woven fiber cone Woofer
- 30 Hz – 27 kHz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:Up to 300watts
- Weight:41.30kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1240.0" x 12.5" x 16.75"( 1240 x 273 x 425 mm )
KLH Concord Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer
- 28-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 94 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 225watts
- Weight:20.45kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1026.0" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"( 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 and KLH Concord 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 XT3 is a 3-way design whereas the Concord 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 XT3 |
KLH Concord |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 Concord features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer .
Frequency Response
Airmotiv XT3 has a frequency range of 30 Hz – 27 kHz whereas Concord has a frequency range of 28-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Concord can go slightly deeper then the Airmotiv XT3's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing 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 XT3 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Concord 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 XT3 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Airmotiv XT3 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Concord's is rated at 94 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the KLH Concord a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv XT3, 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. 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 XT3 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Concord has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 300 watts less than the Airmotiv XT3.
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 XT3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Concord has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KLH Concord's 5-Way post terminals
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 XT3's and KLH Concord's external dimensions. Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 has external dimensions of 1240 x 273 x 425 mm ( 48.7” x 10.75” x 16.75”) whereas KLH Concord has external dimensions of 1026.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm ( 40-3/8 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 103mm wider, 214mm taller and 45mm deeper than KLH Concord.
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 1160.3cm2 / 179.8inch2 and base area of the KLH Concord is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The Airmotiv XT3 requires 44% more surface area than the Concord which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.