We already toldabout the work of the junior floor model of the Airmotiv T1 acoustic systems of the American company Emotiva paired with the Pioneer A-70DA integrated amplifier. Now it's time to get to know these interesting columns in more detail. Models of the Airmotiv series are united by the use of a branded ribbon tweeter with the same name, and the composition of the line clearly hints at the orientation of acoustics to work as part of a home theater system. But...let's not rush things...

Emotiva Airmotiv T1 vs klipsch 

Emotiva Airmotiv T1 Speaker Test

The variety of types of acoustic systems included in the Airmotiv series is explained not by some features of the speakers, but by the fact that Emotiva is an American company, and overseas it is customary to offer the buyer a full range of acoustics to form a home theater surround sound system, since the home theater itself is much more more popular than ours. Otherwise, Airmotiv speakers are quite versatile and expressively interpret not only hurricane movie soundtracks, but also various musical material. The company's CEO Dan Laufman focuses on the design and manufacture of his products to achieve the best quality-price ratio, which is not often seen in our time. And he succeeds!

Emotiva's Airmotiv series includes two floorstanding three-way speakers, indexed T1 and T2, the B1 bookshelf two-way monitors we've already told in detail, two three-way C1 and C2 center channel speakers, and two wall-mountable E1 and E2 rear effects speakers. The integrity of the series is completed by three models of active subwoofers S15, S12 and S10 with passive radiators and drivers with a diameter of 15, 12 and 10 inches, respectively, which are served by 650W, 500W and 350W amplifiers. All speakers in the series, except for the subwoofers, use Airmotiv's signature 25 x 32mm ribbon tweeters, which gave the Emotiva speaker series its name. We should especially note that it is almost impossible to find an AMT tweeter in this price segment of acoustic systems - this is an attribute of much more expensive models. This fact alone makes us pay close attention to all the speakers in this series.

All speakers in the series, except for the subwoofers, use Airmotiv's signature 25 x 32mm ribbon tweeters, which gave the Emotiva speaker series its name. We should especially note that it is almost impossible to find an AMT tweeter in this price segment of acoustic systems - this is an attribute of much more expensive models. This fact alone makes us pay close attention to all the speakers in this series.

Let's recall the features of the AMT-tweeter (Air Motion Transformer) - a ribbon radiator or, as it is also called, a Hale radiator, named after its developer Oscar Hale. Unlike a classic dynamic head, sound waves in such a tweeter are emitted by the thinnest membrane made of a special Teflon or Mylar film, on which conductive tracks are deposited by sputtering. If an electrical signal is applied to these tracks, and the membrane itself is placed in a constant magnetic field, then a mechanical force proportional to the magnitude of the signal will be applied to it. This force will move the membrane in space, and it will begin to emit sound waves. To increase the area of ​​the radiating surface, the membrane is folded like an accordion, which makes it possible to achieve compact dimensions of the device and obtain a wide radiation pattern, which is especially important when working in the high-frequency spectrum. Another feature is related to the fact that the weight of such a membrane is significantly less than the weight of the moving system of the dynamic head. Less weight - less mechanical inertia - less distortion at high frequencies. The disadvantages of such a radiator include, first of all, the complexity of manufacturing and, as a result, a rather high price. That is why it is a great success to meet a Hale radiator in budget acoustic models.

Emotiva Airmotiv T1 loudspeakers are the youngest of two floor standing loudspeakers in the Airmotiv series. Moreover, the lower step in the hierarchy does not mean any compromises in the design, as is often the case. In fact, this is a large-scale analogue of the older model. Here, as in the T2 model, there are three stripes. The high-frequency spectrum is served by the same Airmotiv ribbon tweeter. A 133.35 mm dynamic driver with a cone made of synthetic fiber resembling Kevlar in structure is responsible for the mid frequencies, which also serves the mid-frequency range in the older T2 floorstanders and the mid/bass spectrum in the B1 bookshelf speakers. The differences from the older model are in the size of the two bass drivers and the volume of the cabinets - in the Emotiva Airmotiv T1, a pair of speakers with a diameter of 152.4 mm provides the sound foundation, and in the older model - 203.2 mm. Wherein, structurally, the dynamic drivers are similar - the cones are made of a Kevlar-like synthetic fiber with a soft rubber surround, providing a fairly long stroke for a clean reproduction of the low-frequency spectrum. The special design of the voice coil and ventilation holes in the magnetic system of the speaker contribute to the increase in resistance to overload to improve heat dissipation. The crossover divides the operating range of acoustics at frequencies of 275 Hz and 2.7 kHz with filters with a slope of 12 dB / octave. Its design uses audiophile-grade resistors, film capacitors, and air-core inductors. 

The speaker cabinets are made of acoustically inert high-density fibreboard. For the front wall, a panel with a thickness of 25 mm is used, and for the rest - with a thickness of 15 mm. The branded multi-faceted shape of the acoustic facade is inherited from the company's studio professional models and helps to reduce the diffraction of sound waves. The bonus of this decision was the original appearance of the speakers, emphasized by a multilayer varnish coating with a special treatment that protects the varnish from minor scuffs and fingerprints. If necessary, the dynamic heads can be covered with protective grills made of acoustically transparent fabric on a rigid frame. Powerful magnets are used to mount the grills, which allows you to maintain the integrity of the design when using speakers without grills.

Two pairs of gold-plated screw acoustic terminals are provided for connection to the amplifier on the rear wall of the speakers, which allows you to experiment with two-cable connection - bi-wiring and bi-amping. Here, a little lower, there is a large phase inverter port. The location of this port on the rear wall of the case must be taken into account when installing speakers - to ensure decent feedback in the low-frequency region, it is better to leave enough space behind the speakers.

When testing, the Emotiva Airmotiv T1 speakers worked as part of a music system, which, in addition to them, included Magnat electronic components – MCD 750 CD player and MR 780 stereo hybrid receiver. In addition, the speakers worked in a home theater system as a front pair with other Airmotiv series speakers and electronics Emotive BasX.

The first thing you immediately pay attention to is the ability of these rather compact floorstanding speakers to form a very large-scale sound canvas. Moreover, this is facilitated by the high overload capacity of the speakers, which prevents the growth of distortion even at high volume levels. The contribution of a ribbon tweeter is recognizable from the first bars - only a ribbon can bring so much air and detail to the sound. One can hear not only disappearing overtones, but also surrounding noises – the breathing of the hall, the creak of a clamped string. Musical works of various genres are served very airy and comfortable, without losing a distinct rhythm and drive.

The contribution of a ribbon tweeter is recognizable from the first bars - only a ribbon can bring so much air and detail to the sound. One can hear not only disappearing overtones, but also surrounding noises – the breathing of the hall, the creak of a clamped string. Musical works of various genres are served very airy and comfortable, without losing a distinct rhythm and drive. The low-frequency foundation is embossed and elastic.

The low-frequency foundation is embossed and elastic. Saturated symphonic canvases performed by BSO are reproduced with good legibility and detail. All this together creates an amazing feeling of presence during the performance. This sense of belonging to what is happening comes in very handy when watching a movie. The speakers form an almost seamless and very homogeneous surround sound field with a clear positioning of virtual sound sources in space. The remarkable dynamic abilities of Emotiva Airmotiv T1 also make their contribution - it is not for nothing that the manufacturer included this particular model as a front pair in ready-made home theater kits. Emotiva Airmotiv 7 Bundle and Emotiva Airmotiv 5 Bundle.

Passport data:

Type - floor acoustic systems | Name -Emotiva Airmotiv T1| price, rub. – 74 990 | Frequency response, Hz - 37 - 28,000 (+/- 3 dB) | Number of bands - 3 (HF - ribbon tweeter Airmotiv, 25 × 32 mm, MF - synthetic fiber cone 133.35 mm, LF - synthetic fiber cone 152.4 mm, crossover frequencies - 275 Hz, 2.7 kHz, filter slope - 12 dB/octave) | Acoustic design - bass reflex on the rear wall of the case | Rated resistance, Ohm - 4 | Sensitivity, dB - 88 (2.83V @ 1 meter) | Input power, W - 150 (continuous), 300 (peak) | Finishing - black lacquered front, matte black film on the rest of the body, grilles made of acoustically transparent fabric on a frame with magnetic fastenings | Dimensions of one column, cm - 95.57 x 21.27 x 29.53 | Mass of one column, kg - 18.19

Klipsch R610F Speaker Test

 the mouthpiece of everything head!

The modern Hi-Fi acoustics market can hardly be called uniform or conservative - there are almost a dozen types of emitters and acoustic design options alone. But diversity is more of a supply issue, but what about demand? Problems arise at the moment when stereotypes begin to interfere in the process of choosing acoustics: a metal diffuser is sonorous, a horn is noisy, a phase inverter floor speaker is booming. Etc.

Most often, this approach is used when choosing inexpensive models, because any non-standard solution is difficult, which means it should be expensive. If it suddenly turns out to be not expensive, it means that it was done poorly, only for show, and even listening to this does not make sense.

And if such logic is not alien to you, it's time to change the approach. To begin with, to discard unnecessary conclusions and just listen to something unusual that fits into the existing budget. For example, not so long ago I got to a thoughtful study of inexpensive Klipsch R610F floorstanding speakers and, even knowing what this brand is capable of, I was quite surprised by the result.

This is a provocation!

In terms of design, the Klipsch R610F look very provocative. Judge for yourself: a suspiciously inexpensive outdoor speaker with a sophisticated high-tech horn. Well, for sure it was done purely for beauty - it will not give out anything other than coloring!

A bunch of tweeter + woofer, which is the place in the shelf speaker, is inserted into a floor-standing case with a large phase inverter - they will definitely buzz and thump, neither even mids nor normal bass will work! And the metal cone of the tweeter, hidden in the depths of the horn, definitely guarantees the suffering of sensitive audiophile ears!

In a word, almost everything that can scare a paranoid audiophile is gathered together. The only thing missing is a cheap glossy varnish that would be scratched by a breath of wind! Practical finishing is perhaps the only factor that, when choosing from a photograph, definitely plays a plus. The rest are red flags and nothing more.

A fresh look

But on the other hand, for a person who is not immersed in the topic and not trained in the “art” to determine the cost of the speaker and the technologies embedded in it by eye, Klipsch R610F looks completely different. Aggressive and brutal design with shiny screws, a copper woofer and a symmetrical horn, packed in a harsh "wooden" case with sharp legs - this is pure rock and roll, and in some places even hard and heavy.

In some interiors, such speakers will fit like family. You can make the design more modest with the help of grills - in this case, you will get neutral black rectangles (other colors are not provided). In a word, the appearance, although it obliges a lot, nevertheless turned out to be very attractive.

If you dig deeper and read what kind of guy Paul Klipsch was and how many generations of engineers, starting with himself, worked hard to improve horns, the degree of trust in the brand begins to grow rapidly.

Let's think logically. From the moment the legendary Klipschorn appeared to the present day, a whole life has passed. And if the Klipsch horns weren't so good, would the company have been able to keep this technology on the market for more than 70 years? I highly doubt it. Empty design projects, not supported by truly high-quality sound and their own philosophy, in the world of Hi-Fi rarely live longer than a year or two.

So these guys clearly know a lot about mouthpieces - and they know how to cook them correctly. And if you understand the essence of the technology and have modern production facilities at your disposal, it is not so difficult to produce inexpensive horn design. This is not for you to bend plywood back in 1949!

All through the mouthpiece

Looking closely, you can see that absolutely everything related to the emission of sound from the Klipsch R610F is framed in a horn. Let's start with the most obvious: a 90° square Tractrix horn frames a compression tweeter with an aluminum cone mounted on a Kapton surround.

Such a tweeter is characterized by a high degree of linearity - in the process of movement, its diffuser is not deformed, which means that it has a low level of distortion. The horn provides, on the one hand, focusing its efforts at the listening point, and on the other hand, it distributes the radiation energy evenly by 90 ° vertically and horizontally.

The mid-bass driver, which has a proprietary "copper" color, is actually made of a composite polymer by injection molding. One of the components of the composite structure is graphite, which gives the diffuser cone the necessary combination of lightness and strength.

Making the midrange/woofer work in piston mode is a more difficult task than in the case of a tweeter. To solve it, in addition to a durable composite, a sufficiently large in diameter and almost flat dust cap was used, which together with the cone of the diffuser forms a rigid spatial structure. Add to this a soft rubber suspension, which gives a large working stroke, and the goal is achieved.

And where is the horn? Its form and function has a mid-bass flange. Unlike a HF horn, it has much less effect on the radiation pattern, but allows you to minimize the distortion that is formed when the speaker is installed flush with the surface of the cabinet.

The third horn, like the first one, is easily detected by the naked eye, but it is located behind the acoustics, right above the connection terminals, and frames the phase inverter. Despite the elongated shape, I would not call the port slotted, since it has a very indirect relation to the original idea and implementation of the slotted port.

Rather, this is a competent development of the theme of the classic phase inverter-tube, which was given an elongated profile. The presence of horns-bells at both ends of the phase inverter helped to avoid turbulence and overtones, which means it reduced distortion and made the low-frequency response faster and more accurate.

Horns in practice

When listening to acoustics, it is enough to walk around the room a little to make it obvious that the Tractrix horn forms a sound field that is quite consistent with the declared scattering angle - 90 °. It is in this range - both horizontally and vertically - that there is no feeling of loss of high frequencies, and deviation from the radiation axis within the declared angle has minimal effect on the nature of the sound. At the same time, outside the effective angle, the return of high frequencies drops sharply.

What gives us this entertaining geometry? Firstly, it is not difficult to conclude that when installing the speakers in the classical way, by forming an equilateral triangle with the listening point, we will get a fairly wide stereo image formation zone.

Moreover, practice has shown that at a distance of about 2–2.5 meters, the comfort zone already accommodates 2–3 people, and the landing height is of no fundamental importance. Against the backdrop of traditional speakers, often forcing the listener to be in the only correct listening point, this is a definite plus.

The second conclusion is less obvious at first glance, but, in my opinion, much more important. As in the case of the midrange/woofer waveguide, the Tractrix horn prevents the effect of diffraction - the refraction of sound waves on the edges of the front panel of the cabinet. A relatively narrow directivity also minimizes the number of first reflections in the room. Thus, two factors that have a significant negative impact on the sound are excluded at once.

From a purely domestic point of view, this is convenient because you do not need to hang the listening room with acoustic panels that dampen the first reflections. And by ear, the upper frequencies at the listening point really turn out to be surprisingly clear and transparent, which is not often found in the price segment to which the Klipsch Reference line belongs.

But the most impressive thing is another moment. The absence of the first reflections and the presence of later reflections that occur on the sides and behind the listening point create an exceptionally voluminous, literally three-dimensional picture. There is no binding of sound to acoustics at all.

For example, when listening to the album "Amused To Death" by Roger Waters, sound effects surround from all sides, as if a multi-channel audio system is working. An absolutely amazing effect of volume is manifested when listening to two-mic recordings and high-quality Live releases with a small number of instruments.

Elvis' famous version of "Fever (Take 1)", featuring studio conversations, plays deadly realistically - the last time I experienced this feeling while listening to binaural recordings in headphones. Fans of counting guitars and tracking their position in space on the live recording of Hotel California will also be pleased.

Well, in order not to create a false impression that a square horn is a panacea, I will outline the specifics of using acoustics that this approach creates. Firstly, Klipsha needs to be directed exactly to the listening point - do not be too lazy to do it once, and the result will not be long in coming. It is in this situation that the perfect focus of the scene will turn out.

In order for the space on the sides and behind the listener to form as perfectly as possible, it is highly desirable to achieve symmetry in the placement of the system in the room. All this, of course, applies to any other speakers, but with Clips, the correct installation gives literally magical effect.

The second specific point: with a horn having an opening of 90 °, it is quite difficult to evenly sound the entire room at once. As you move relative to the acoustics, the character of the sound and the feel of the stage will change noticeably.

What about in general?

Saw off the lower part from the Klipsch R-610F - and you get a pair of bookshelves. Thought not kind, but accurately describing the visual image. In terms of sound, these speakers also reminded me of shelf speakers, but different. Not the small hi-fi speakers with 6" woofers that could be achieved by downsizing the cabinet, but rather the kind of large 8" studio monitors that can be used without a subwoofer. The 610s are similarly moderately bassy and prefer not to replace bass quality with quantity.

But the boominess, blurring of the bass and other artifacts, which are almost an integral part of outdoor speakers of this price and size, are not in principle in Klipsch R-610F. There is also no feeling of a critical lack of bass that interferes with the perception of individual musical compositions. When listening, it is quite clear that a certain number of lower notes can still be added, but even without this, any musical material sounds very thorough and complete.

For small and medium-sized rooms, such speakers will suit well, and if you want more, you can either add a good subwoofer with a large driver in a closed case, or look towards older floorstanding speakers from the same Reference series.

In general, the bass range performed by the Klipsch R-610F is reproduced very collected, accurate and accurate, the middle is extremely transparent and well focused, the upper ones sound free - with a lot of air and small details. Dynamics and rhythm do not cause any complaints, there is no hint of slowness, impressiveness or desynchronization of the sound in terms of frequencies.

It would not be out of place to mention the amplifier, which also made a significant contribution to the sound. This is an integrated Emotiva TA-100 model. It was with her that Klipshi was reminded by nature of good professional monitors or not cheap and well-assembled top-class Hi-Fi. And the price tag for such a set was very modest.

With your own character

And since the monitor sound has been mentioned more than once, it's time to say that the character of the Klipsch R-610F is still its own, special and recognizable, as any self-respecting Hi-Fi product with a rich history should be. From a professional approach to sound reproduction, they have the accuracy and composure of bass, rhythm, transparent and detailed highs - in fact, the necessary minimum to sound not only jazz and classical, but also metal and electronic dance music with high quality and authenticity.

As for the nature of the presentation, Klipsha's is very energetic, dense, but at the same time light, open and unexpectedly comfortable. Shifting attention to the region of high frequencies, acoustics does not add a single gram of rigidity to the sound. On the contrary, the sound is pleasant, easily perceived at high volume, you want to listen to music again and again.

There is no haze and understatement in the sound, which is found in systems of comparable cost, but instead a certain frank directness and simplicity is manifested. A bunch of Klipsch R-610F and Emotiva TA-100 relies on the transfer of energy, dynamics and scale, does not bother to filigree outlining the smallest timbres and overtones. The resolution at the same time is sufficient to distinguish MP3 from CD, and CD from vinyl literally from the first seconds.

Demonstrating openness and honesty in sounding, acoustics wins you over and looks favorably against competitors. How else? There is a corporate character, and it is well audible. At the same time - whether you listen to metal, experimental jazz or dance electronics - all the notes will remain in their places, the rhythmic patterns will not go astray or get mixed up, nothing will hurt your ears.

I recommend listening to one single test track: "Shy Boy" - Katie Melua. It perfectly demonstrates how cleanly the system works with bass, how detailed, rhythmic, expressive and absolutely comfortable a recording can sound, which buzzes and cuts the ear with sibilants on the most harmless-looking classic budget speakers.

Conclusion

A good option for those who are tired of booming and smeared bass, are looking for a clean, bright and clear sound, and love well-recorded, dynamic modern music. The Klipsch R-610F sounds impressive, especially when you compare it to the price tag. And delivering users from the seemingly inevitable struggle with the first reflections is an invaluable gift.

The Emotiva TA-100 amplifier also played an important role in the results. Of course, this is not the only one, but it is definitely a successful combination - the clean, dense sound of Emotiva perfectly emphasizes the specifics of the sound of acoustics and reveals its dynamic potential well. And in terms of quality / price, the bundle turned out to be attractive.

Advantages: collected clear bass, open clear highs, excellent rhythm and dynamics, three-dimensional stage, they sound good indoors without special acoustic preparation.

Disadvantages: sometimes the sound can seem too simple and straightforward, no possibility of biamping / biwiring, very binding design without a choice of color.

Klipsch R610F Specifications

Number of Ways: 2

Tweeters: 25mm aluminum dome in Tractrix compression horn Mid/Woofer

: 165mm graphite-filled composite cone

Frequency response: 45-21,000Hz (±3dB)

Sensitivity: 94dB

Power: 85W (constant) / 340 W (peak)

Impedance: 8 ohm

Crossover frequency: 1,800 Hz

Acoustic design: bass reflex

Dimensions: 240x940x384 mm

Weight: 16.3 kg

Finish: vinyl, ebony