Emotiva has
Airmotiv XT2 Floorstanding Tower Loudspeakers (Pair, Black) on sale for
$999.
Shipping is free.
Thanks to Community Member
Zorbat1446 for sharing this deal.
Details:
- Configuration: Three-way floor standing tower loudspeaker pair. Painted HDF baffle, PVC laminated HDF enclosure. 31mm baffle, double window braced, extensively damped, with asymmetric midrange sub-enclosure
- Cabinet tuning: Rear ported
- High frequency driver: 1 ea.- 25mm x 32mm Airmotiv folded ribbon tweeter with Neo magnet system
- Midrange driver: 1 ea. - 5.25" woven cone diaphragm, aluminum voice coil, milled aluminum phase plug, copper shorting ring, and NBR surround
- Low frequency driver: 3 ea. – 6" woven cone diaphragm, aluminum voice coil, long throw motor, progressive rate spider, copper shorting ring, and NBR surround
- Specs:
- Efficiency: 90 dB (2.83V/1m).
- Power handling: 250W continuous/500W peak
- Recommended amplifier power: 100W or greater
- Nominal impedance: 4-ohms nominal, safe with amplifiers rated for 8-ohm loads
- Frequency response: 40 Hz - 27 kHz (+3/-3 dB)
- Crossover Freq: midrange/tweeter - 3.1 kHz
- Crossover Freq: woofer/midrange - 430 Hz
- Dual 5-way speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring
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As he pointed out even E recommends "100w or greater" & pretty sure that's 2 channel not surround setup.
You might get away with the RZ70 type unit with 5 channels, anything above that good luck.
These are more for XPA power which doesn't make a lot of sense imo unless these are end game.
When asked, "I want to see if something like a Denon x1800 can safely power the XT2 to normal 70-75db SPLs when crossed over at 80Hz to a powered sub" Gemini said
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The Denon AVR-X1800H can "safely" power the Emotiva XT2 to 70–75 dB, but there is a specific technical trap you need to avoid during setup to ensure it actually sounds good.
Here is the breakdown of how this pairing will work at your target volumes:
1. The "Nanny Switch" Trap (Crucial)
When you set up the Denon, you will see an option in the menu to set the speaker impedance to 8Ω, 6Ω, or 4Ω.
- Do NOT set it to 4Ω. * The Reason: Counter-intuitively, the 4Ω setting on a budget receiver is essentially a "limiter." It physically chokes the voltage coming out of the power supply so the receiver won't get hot enough to fail government safety tests. It protects the receiver at the expense of your sound quality, making the speakers sound flat and lifeless.
- The Recommendation: Leave the Denon on the 8Ω (default) setting. At 70–75 dB, the Denon will not overheat, and the XT2s will receive the full current they need for those dynamic peaks.
2. Why the 80Hz Crossover is your "Safety Net"At 75 dB, your speakers are only drawing a few watts of continuous power. However, impedance dips usually happen in the mid-bass.
- The XT2 is a 3-way speaker with a woofer-to-midrange crossover at 430Hz.
- By setting your AVR crossover at 80Hz, you are removing the massive energy requirements of the 40Hz–80Hz range from the Denon.
- The "difficult" load for the Denon now shifts to the 100Hz–400Hz range. While the XT2 is still a 4-ohm speaker there, the X1800H is much more comfortable delivering current at those higher frequencies than it is trying to produce deep, vibrating bass.
3. The Math: Will it Clip?- XT2 Sensitivity: 90 dB (1 watt at 1 meter).
- Your Target: 75 dB (Average) with peaks around 85–90 dB.
- Distance: Assuming you sit about 10 feet (3 meters) away, you lose roughly 9–10 dB of volume due to distance.
- Calculation: To hit a 90 dB peak at your seat, you would need roughly 20–30 watts.
- Denon X1800H Capacity: It is rated for 80 watts (2-channels driven).
The Verdict: You have plenty of "headroom." The X1800H will be operating well within its limits at 75 dB, meaning it won't be struggling or distorting.Summary Checklist for this Combo:
- Airflow: The X1800H is a smaller unit. Ensure it has at least 3-4 inches of clear space above it, as 4-ohm speakers will still make it run warmer than 8-ohm speakers.
- Impedance Setting: Keep it at 8 ohms in the Denon menu.
- Audyssey: Run the Audyssey Room Correction. It will help balance the XT2's ribbon tweeter with your room's acoustics, ensuring the receiver isn't overworking itself trying to "boost" frequencies.
In short: You are in the clear. For your specific listening habits (75 dB with a sub), the X1800H is a perfectly safe and capable partner for the XT2s.===
When asked, "If I am using the X1800 to power 5 speakers and a subwoofer at the time, will it be ok? I've heard that the "rated power" of an AVR can be illusory when powering multiple channels simultaneously, but most HT content is actually carried by the center speaker not the front L/R speakers." Gemini said
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The short answer is: Yes, you will be perfectly fine. Your intuition about the "illusion" of AVR power is correct. Even with 5 speakers running, the Denon X1800H is not actually trying to provide 80 watts to all of them at once during a movie.
Here is why your 5.1 setup with the Emotiva XT2s will work safely:
1. The "All Channels Driven" Reality
The Denon X1800H is rated at 80W (2 channels driven). If you were to play a constant "test tone" through all 5 speakers at once, the power would likely drop to around 35–45W per channel because they all share one power supply.
However, movies don't work that way. * The Center Channel (~70% of the load): You are right—most dialogue and on-screen action come from the center.
- The Surrounds (~5–10% of the load): These usually only handle ambient noises (rain, wind, distant echoes) or quick directional "zips." They rarely draw more than 5 watts.
- The Front L/R (XT2s): Since your center is handling the dialogue, your "power-hungry" XT2s are mostly handling the musical score and wide soundstage effects.
2. The Power Supply "Pool"Think of your AVR's power supply like a water tank.
- If only the Center speaker is "thirsty," it can drink almost the entire tank's worth of current.
- Because your surrounds are barely "sipping," there is a massive reserve of current available for when the XT2s need to hit a big musical crescendo.
- By using an 80Hz high-pass filter, you've removed the "heaviest drinkers" (the deep bass notes) from the tank entirely and moved them to the subwoofer's own power supply.
3. Real-World Math at 75 dBEven with 5 speakers, at a 75 dB listening level, your total power draw across all channels will likely hover around 10–15 watts total most of the time. The Denon X1800H has a 430W power supply—it is barely breaking a sweat at those levels.
Final Verdict for the X1800H + XT2 (5.1 Setup)
At 70-75 dB, this is a safe and high-quality pairing. You are not even close to the "danger zone" where the receiver would clip or shut down, especially with the 80Hz crossover in place.
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