In this review, we will be comparing Kendall 2F and Airmotiv T3+, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from KLH and Emotiva.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of KLH Kendall 2F and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
KLH Kendall 2F Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 36-20k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:250watts
- Weight:26.82kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1042.0" x 12-3/4" x 19"( 1042.0 x 324.0 x 483.0mm )
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 KLH Kendall 2F 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* |
KLH Kendall 2F |
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 KLH Kendall 2F 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.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Kendall 2F and Airmotiv T3+ are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
KLH Kendall 2F |
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
2 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
Kendall 2F features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter , a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 800-2500 HZ. 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
Kendall 2F has a frequency range of 36-20k 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 Kendall 2F's min frequency of 36Hz.
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
Kendall 2F 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. Kendall 2F sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Airmotiv T3+'s is rated at 91 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ a more sensitive speaker compared to KLH Kendall 2F, 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Kendall 2F and Airmotiv T3+ features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
KLH Kendall 2F's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+'s Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Kendall 2F and Airmotiv T3+ 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
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 KLH Kendall 2F's and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+'s external dimensions. KLH Kendall 2F has external dimensions of 1042.0 x 324.0 x 483.0mm ( 41inch x 12-3/4inch x 19inch ) 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 6mm narrower and 51mm less deeper than KLH Kendall 2F but it is also 216mm 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 KLH Kendall 2F is approximately 1564.9cm2 / 242.6inch2 and base area of the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is approximately 1373.8cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Kendall 2F requires 14% more surface area than the Airmotiv T3+ which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.