The Airmotiv T2 (see image) comes with dual 8-inch woven-fiber cone woofers, a 5-1/4 inch woven-fiber cone midrange. It spouts an impressive frequency efficiency of 91 dB.
If you are on the lookout for a pair of tower speakers for your home theater system that gives you transparent, refined sonics and good value for money, the Airmotiv T2 and its smaller sibling Airmotiv T1 are definitely worth taking a look at.
In summary, Emotiva have proven themselves to be one of the folks to watch out for by offering high-quality home-theater products that don’t break your bank. The Airmotiv T2 and T1 are testimony to this company philosophy. Both are three-way floor-standing tower loudspeakers that offer great value for your money. The Airmotiv T2 is larger and pricier. The Airmotiv T1 is more compact.
So let’s have a look at these two to see if they are the right fit for your home.
Design and Build
The overall aesthetic of both speakers is identical. Minimal, futuristic satin-black that fits in as easily into your living room as it does your study.
Angular cuts around the top give it a lean, stately look. The lacquered HDF (high-density fibreboard) upfront and synthetic leather on its sides give it a look that is usually found on pricier gear. The black cloth grille complements the overall look while keeping the technology discreet. The magnetic grille is easily removed. So cleaning is a breeze.
Driver mounts are fitted with T-nuts and machine screws. This makes sure there are no buzzes during playback. The separate midrange-tweeter comes with a special coating that helps with the same. It's tiny details like these that make a big difference.
These speakers don’t just look posh. They offer legit quality. And spread that vibe to their surroundings.
Dimensions:
The Airmotiv T2 weighs in at 56.9 pounds.
It is 42-11/16” high, 12-3/16” wide, and 12-1/4” deep.
The Airmotiv T1 weighs in at 40.1 pounds.
It is 37-5/8” high, 8-3/8” wide, and 11-5/8” deep.
Sound & Features
Both speakers have a 3-way design.
The Airmotiv T2 comes with dual 8-inch woven-fiber cone woofers, a 5-1/4 inch woven-fiber cone midrange. It spouts an impressive frequency efficiency of 91 dB.
In comparison, the smaller Airmotiv T1 uses dual 6-inch woofers but still produces a respectable 88 dB efficiency.
Let’s have a look at the overall sound of each.
Both are three-way floor-standing tower loudspeakers that offer great value for your money. The Airmotiv T2 is larger and pricier. The Airmotiv T1 (see image) is more compact.
Highs:
The Airmotiv tweeter is Emotiva's very own ribbon tweeter that gives you smooth, airy clarity even in the higher frequencies without sounding shrill.
Mids:
The midrange produces a sound way smoother than usual on speakers in this price range. This can probably be attributed to its woven fiber cone mid-woofer driver, which uses aluminum.
Lows:
Again, the best adjective used for the basses is 'smooth.’ That being said, at higher volumes, there is some minor loss of clarity on both speakers. More so, the Airmotiv T1 which generally has lesser power. This is the only area where you might feel a somewhat noticeable difference between the two speakers.
That being said, these are volumes that are not recommended in the first place inside a home. So while it might qualify as a ‘problem’ in theory, it barely counts as one in reality.
Note: Both these speakers will need a dedicated, high-quality power amplifier to perform at their best.
Connectivity
Both the Airmotiv T1 and T2 are somewhat old school in this department. These are passive speakers with no wireless connection. And as aforementioned need an audio amplifier for set-up to your audio source and any additional speakers.
Verdict
Both speakers perform extremely well. The quality is way above what one usually expects in this price range. So which speaker is better?
- Size and weight - Airmotiv T1 wins since it’s more compact.
- Connectivity: Tie
- Frequency range - Airmotiv T2 wins.
- Sound - Winner: Airmotiv T2 wins with more bass clarity.
- Performance in-room - Tie
- Price: Airmotiv T1 wins.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a bigger sound for a bigger room and have the budget for it, go for the Airmotiv T2. If your room is on the smaller side and you just need quality sound, go for the Airmotiv T1 instead.