In this review, we will be comparing Airmotiv XT3 and Ultra Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Emotiva and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 and SVS Ultra Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 | SVS Ultra Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 25×32 mm" folded ribbon | 1.0" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 5.25" | 2 x 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 8" woven fiber cone | 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 30 Hz – 27 kHz | 28-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | Up to 300 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 41.30kg / 90.9lbs | 34.27kg / 75.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 48.7" x 12.5" x 16.75"
1240.0 x 315.0 x 425.0mm | 45-5/8" x 13-15/16" x 17-1/2"
1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 and SVS Ultra Tower 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 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| 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 Ultra Tower are 3-way speakers.
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3SVS Ultra Tower
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 XT3 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
1.0-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
2 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8.0-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 Ultra Tower features a 1.0" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8.0" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
Airmotiv XT3 has a frequency range of 30 Hz – 27 kHz whereas Ultra Tower has a frequency range of 28-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the Ultra Tower can go slightly deeper then the Airmotiv XT3's min frequency of 30Hz.
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 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Ultra Tower 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 Ultra Tower's is rated at 88 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Tower, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 300 watts RMS, though Airmotiv XT3 is rated Up to 300 watts and Ultra Tower 20-300 watts.
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 Ultra Tower 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
SVS Ultra Tower's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 SVS Ultra Tower'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 SVS Ultra Tower has external dimensions of 1159.0 x 355.0 x 445.0mm (45-5/8 x 13-15/16 x 17-1/2inch).
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 is 40mm narrower and 20mm less deeper than SVS Ultra Tower but it is also 81mm taller.
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 SVS Ultra Tower is approximately 1579.8cm2 / 244.9inch2. The Airmotiv XT3 requires 15% less surface area than the Ultra Tower 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 XT3 weighs 41.30kg / 90.9lbs and the SVS Ultra Tower weighs 34.27kg / 75.4lbs. This makes the Airmotiv XT3 21% heavier than the Ultra Tower.
Here is a comparison of how Airmotiv XT3 and Ultra Tower'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 SVS Ultra Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Ultra Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Cloth grille
- 2 Metal grilles
- Foam port plug
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Base Surface Area |
1338cm2
vs
1579cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2499USD
vs
2600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
28 Hz
vs
30 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
27k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1159mm
vs
1240mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 |
SVS Ultra Tower |
| Brand |
Emotiva |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
Up to 300 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
30 Hz – 27 kHz |
28-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8.0" |
| Woofer Composition |
woven fiber cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
SBR |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
25×32 mm" |
1.0" |
| Tweeter Type |
folded ribbon |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
300 Hz, 3.1 kHz |
160HZ and 2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1240.0mm (48.8") |
1159.0mm (45.6") |
| Width |
315.0mm (12.4") |
355.0mm (14") |
| Depth |
425.0mm (16.7") |
445.0mm (17.5") |
| Weight |
41.30kg (90.9lbs) |
34.27kg (75.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Oak veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black Oak,Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White |
| 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 XT3 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (30Hz vs 28Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | A | Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Ultra Tower is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 300W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Emotiva Airmotiv XT3: bi-amping; SVS Ultra Tower: bi-amping. Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($2,499 vs $2,600 a pair). |
A Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 B SVS Ultra Tower
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. 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. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Emotiva Airmotiv XT3 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.