In this review, we will be comparing Ultra Evolution Pinnacle and Airmotiv T3+, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and Emotiva.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle | Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | Emotiva
United States · founded 2003 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 25×32 mm" folded ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 5.25" | 2 x 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 8" Composite glass-fiber | 3 x 8" woven fiber cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 24-40k Hz | 29 Hz – 28 kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | Up to 250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 43.90kg / 96.6lbs | 38.60kg / 84.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50.2" x 11.8" x 18.1"
1275 x 300 x 460.7mm (D) | 49-1/2" x 12-1/2" x 17"
1258.0 x 318.0 x 432.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 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* |
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle |
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
| 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 Ultra Evolution Pinnacle and Airmotiv T3+ are 3-way speakers.
SVS Ultra Evolution PinnacleEmotiva Airmotiv T3+
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle |
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
25×32 mm-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 5.25-inch |
2 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 8-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
Ultra Evolution Pinnacle features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 4 x 8" Composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 140HZ and 1800Hz. 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
Ultra Evolution Pinnacle has a frequency range of 24-40k Hz whereas Airmotiv T3+ has a frequency range of 29 Hz – 28 kHz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Airmotiv T3+'s min frequency of 29Hz.
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
Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is a 6 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. Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 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 SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle, 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.
Ultra Evolution Pinnacle can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Airmotiv T3+ has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle.
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.
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Ultra Evolution Pinnacle and Airmotiv T3+ features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle's Gold-plated 5-way 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 Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 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
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 SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle's and Emotiva Airmotiv T3+'s external dimensions. SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle has external dimensions of 1275 x 300 x 460.7mm (D) (50.2 x 11.81 x 18.14”) 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 17mm shorter and 29mm less deeper than SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle but it is also 18mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Near-identical footprints. SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is 29mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is 17mm 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 SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is approximately 1383.0cm2 / 214.4inch2 and base area of the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is approximately 1373.8cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Ultra Evolution Pinnacle requires 1% more surface area than the Airmotiv T3+ 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 SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle weighs 43.90kg / 96.6lbs and the Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ weighs 38.60kg / 84.9lbs. This makes the Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 14% heavier than the Airmotiv T3+.
Here is a comparison of how Ultra Evolution Pinnacle and Airmotiv T3+'s weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
3
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
24 Hz
vs
29 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
28k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
1258mm
vs
1275mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1373cm2
vs
1383cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1899USD
vs
4999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle |
Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ |
| Brand |
SVS |
Emotiva |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
Up to 250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
24-40k Hz |
29 Hz – 28 kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite glass-fiber |
woven fiber cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
25×32 mm" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
folded ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
140HZ and 1800Hz |
350 Hz and 2800Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1275.0mm (50.2") |
1258.0mm (49.5") |
| Width |
300.0mm (11.8") |
318.0mm (12.5") |
| Depth |
461.0mm (18.1") |
432.0mm (17") |
| Weight |
43.90kg (96.6lbs) |
38.60kg (84.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
HDF |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White,Black Oak Veneer |
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 |
These sit in different price classes - SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle costs roughly 2.6x what Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle digs deeper - 24Hz against 29Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (300W vs 250W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle: bi-amping; Emotiva Airmotiv T3+: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ is cheaper - $1,899 against $4,999, about 62% less; arguably a different class. |
A SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle B Emotiva Airmotiv T3+
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?
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 2.6x the price. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 29Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Emotiva Airmotiv T3+ much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle 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.