Полочная акустика — Emotiva Airmotiv XB1

The Airmotiv XB1 is the smallest stand-mount in Emotiva's Airmotiv X loudspeaker series, a compact two-way monitor that can sit on a desk, a shelf, a mixing console or a stand. It shares the folded ribbon tweeter used throughout the Airmotiv X range, which makes it easy to combine with the series' larger towers, centres and subwoofers in a home cinema, and it is intended equally for nearfield desktop listening and small stereo systems.

Key specs that matter

The XB1 pairs a 22 x 32mm Airmotiv folded ribbon tweeter with a neodymium magnet system and a 4-inch woven-fibre woofer/midrange. Frequency response is 65Hz to 27kHz, nominal impedance is 8 ohms and Emotiva recommends amplifiers of 60 to 120W. The crossover uses audiophile-grade film capacitors and air-core inductors. Each speaker measures 26 x 16.5 x 20cm and weighs 3.74kg.

Engineering and use context

The folded ribbon tweeter moves air by squeezing it out of the folds of a pleated diaphragm instead of pushing it with a dome, so a light diaphragm can radiate a large effective area with low distortion. Its waveguide can be rotated so the tweeter sits vertically or horizontally, letting owners adjust the dispersion pattern when the speaker is used upright on a stand or on its side, for example as a surround or on a console. These crossover parts avoid the distortion that electrolytic capacitors and iron-core inductors can introduce. The cabinet is made of HDF, a denser, more inert material than standard MDF, with a satin lacquer front panel and textured vinyl sides and rear. Low-diffraction trim rings around both drivers cover the mounting hardware and smooth the baffle edges, and a magnetic grille with a metal Emotiva badge keeps the front uncluttered. The small woofer deliberately trades very deep bass for a compact cabinet that fits on a desk or shelf.

Pairing

The easy load suits most stereo amplifiers, AV receivers and compact desktop amplifiers, so the XB1 does not require an expensive partner. For fuller low-frequency output, the XB1 is designed to be paired with a subwoofer such as Emotiva's Airmotiv XS12e, and a sub crossover around 80Hz lets the small woofer concentrate on the midrange. In a surround system, the XB1 works as a surround or rear speaker alongside Airmotiv X towers and centre channels, sharing the same tweeter for consistent response across channels.

Alternatives

Emotiva's own Airmotiv XB2 uses a larger 6-inch woofer for deeper bass without a subwoofer.