In this review, we will be comparing Vestia No2 and Airmotiv T3+, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Focal and Emotiva.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Vestia No2 and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Focal Vestia No2 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" inverted dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer
- 47-30k Hz Frequency Response
- 91.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:40-250watts
- Weight:22.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1013.0" x 10-1/8" x 14-5/8"( 1013.0 x 258.0 x 372.0mm )
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 25×32 mm" folded ribbon Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 3 x 8" woven fiber cone Woofer
- 5.25" Midrange
- 29 Hz – 28 kHz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:Up to 250watts
- Weight:38.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1258.0" x 12-1/2" x 17"( 1258.0 x 318.0 x 432.0mm )
What size room are the Focal Vestia No2 and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ 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* |
Focal Vestia No2 |
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Focal Vestia No2 and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ 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
Both Vestia No2 and Airmotiv T3+ are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Focal Vestia No2 |
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
2 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
Vestia No2 features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Slatefiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280Hz and 2800Hz. On the other hand, the Airmotiv T3+ 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 350 Hz and 2800Hz.
Frequency Response
Vestia No2 has a frequency range of 47-30k Hz whereas Airmotiv T3+ has a frequency range of 29 Hz – 28 kHz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Airmotiv T3+ can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Vestia No2's min frequency of 47Hz.
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
Vestia No2 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Airmotiv T3+ which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 T3+ can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Vestia No2 sensitivity is rated at 91.5 dB and the Airmotiv T3+'s is rated at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Vestia No2 a more sensitive speaker compared to Emotiva Airmotiv T3+, 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.
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.
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Vestia No2 has a front firing port whereas Airmotiv T3+ has a rear firing ports. Focal Vestia No2's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ with its rear-firing port.
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 Focal Vestia No2's and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+'s external dimensions. Focal Vestia No2 has external dimensions of 1013.0 x 258.0 x 372.0mm ( 39-7/8-inch x 10-1/8-inch x 14-5/8-inch) whereas Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ has external dimensions of 1258.0 x 318.0 x 432.0mm ( 49-1/2-inch x 12-1/2-inch x 17-inch) .
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 60mm wider, 245mm taller and 60mm deeper than Focal Vestia No2.
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 Focal Vestia No2 is approximately 959.8cm2 / 148.8inch2 and base area of the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is approximately 1373.8cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Vestia No2 requires 30% less surface area than the Airmotiv T3+ which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.