The Best $500 You Can Spend on Speakers? Emotiva The XB2 Might AMAZE You! REVIEW

In this review, I take a deep dive into the Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 bookshelf speakers — part of Emotiva’s redesigned Airmotiv X Series. XB2 features a folded ribbon tweeter, 6” woven fiber woofer, and a striking build. These powerful and dynamic $495 Emotiva speakers (ON SALE at time of taping) promise serious performance on a budget. But how do the XB2 bookshelves actually sound? I cover design, specs, sound quality, upgrade potential, and how they stack up against the competition. I also throw my best rock, jazz, and vocal vinyl against them to see if they could handle the PRESSURE! Are the XB2 Airmotiv from Emotiva the best value in audiophile speakers right now? Let’s find out together! FOR MORE XB2 INFORMATION: https://emotiva.com https://emotiva.com/products/airmotiv-xb2-bookshelf-loudspeakers Thanks for watching! If you dig what I'm doing please SUBSCRIBE and PUNCH THAT NOTIFICATION BELL! Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 00:27 - Hi, I'm Bob! 00:48 - Where you are from? 01:10 - Introducing the Emotiva Airmotiv XB2 Speakers 01:27 - Why I love Emotiva as a company 01:55 - Emotiva design aesthetics 03:12 - The gear I used for evaluation of the XB2 04:15 - Mark your calendar! 04:45 - I use SolidSteel stands 04:55 - The vinyl I used for speaker evaluation 06:30 - Details and specs of the XB2 08:20 - Keep the grilles in the box! 08:56 - The woofer and tweeter 10:45 - The bass - do they need a subwoofer? 11: 26 - Listening tests and sound signature 15:25 - Are they harsh or just bright in a good way? 15:40 - The competition 16:20 - Wrapping up! From Emotiva: The Airmotiv XB2: A Versatile Two-Way Bookshelf Speaker, perfect for placement on bookshelves or stands. It's equipped with a 25mm x 32mm Airmotiv folded ribbon tweeter and a 6” woven fiber woofer, making the XB2 an excellent choice for high-quality two-channel systems. This speaker offers an extensive low-frequency range, ensuring rich sound in smaller rooms without needing a subwoofer. Flexible in setup, it can be positioned vertically or horizontally thanks to its rotating tweeter and waveguide. The Airmotiv XB2 is an outstanding option for bed-layer surround sound in advanced, enveloping home theater setups. Listed Specifications: Configuration: Two-way bookshelf loudspeaker. Painted HDF baffle, PVC laminated HDF enclosure. 25mm baffle, window braced, and extensively damped Cabinet tuning: Rear ported Driver Compliment High frequency driver: 1ea. - 25mm x 32mm Airmotiv folded ribbon tweeter with Neo magnet system Low frequency driver: 1 ea. 6” woven cone diaphragm, aluminum voice coil, long throw motor, progressive spider, copper shorting ring, and NBR surround Electrical Specifications Efficiency: 86 dB (2.83V/1m). Power handling: 125W continuous / 200W peak Recommended amplifier power: 50W or more Nominal impedance: 4-ohms nominal, safe with amplifiers rated for 8-ohm loads Frequency response: 48 Hz - 27 kHz (+3/-3 dB) Crossover Freq: woofer/tweeter - 2.6 kHz Dual 5-way speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring Mechanical Dimensions (per speaker): 12.8” high x 8.5” wide x 11.5” deep (unboxed) (Add 0.25” for grill) 24" x 18" x 16" (boxed pair) Weight (per speaker): 18 pounds (unboxed) 39 pounds (boxed pair) Mounting: Shelf or stand mounted Grille: Black cloth over a rigid frame; attaches securely with powerful magnets for easy removal MORE COOL STUFF!!! Record Doctor RECORD CLAMP Here: https://amzn.to/3BCxT5A AMAZING WAXWING Phono Preamp: https://amzn.to/4eU2Twf Fluance ISOLATION BASE HERE: https://amzn.to/3U1pn6h Great A-T VM95E Phono Cartridge: https://amzn.to/3zQLTIi Adjustable isolation FEET HERE: https://amzn.to/4gYF9c3 Fosi Audio TUBE Phono Preamp HERE: https://amzn.to/4exDSr1 A-T LP70xBT (Blk/Bronze with Bluetooth): https://amzn.to/3MSwWs3 A-T LP70xBT (Blk/Silver with Bluetooth): https://amzn.to/47DbctJ A-T LP70x (without Bluetooth): https://amzn.to/4e9TL6M A-T VM95c Cartridge: https://amzn.to/47wBs9n VM95 Elliptical stylus cartridge for this turntable: https://amzn.to/3XAYh77 Audio-Technica Bluetooth headphones SR50BT: https://amzn.to/4ebkD6b Record Doctors record clamp: https://amzn.to/3TCTosV WiiM ULTRA here: https://amzn.to/4glOKJz WiiM AMP here: https://amzn.to/3AWQkBA WiiM PRO here: https://amzn.to/3XEuBY7 WiiM PRP PLUS here: https://amzn.to/3zed8MA WiiM Mini here: https://amzn.to/4ek3wic Topping B200 Class A/B Monoblock Amplifier here: https://amzn.to/3XFO3DT SMSL H400 Headphone Amp/Preamp here: https://amzn.to/4cVoVgE MY AUDIOPHILE EDC... The Flashlight: https://amzn.to/3T7Iuvk CRKT CEO Knife: https://amzn.to/4dMqoY4 GERBER box cutter: https://amzn.to/4dDt0ao Record Doctor Record Clamp: https://amzn.to/4e4pdTd KOBALT Wire Stripper: https://amzn.to/4dZuhZc PROSTER Stylus Force Tracing Gauge: https://amzn.to/474Aml0 HUDSON HI-FI STORE: https://amzn.to/4cOIJCe CHEERS! -The Bobfather