Short answer: the Emotiva Airmotiv 6s, because the HR5’s spinorama does not support its marketing. The HR5’s bass is clean and strong with plenty of power handling, and the reviewer confirmed the amplifier drives it to high volume without distress, but its CEA2034 spinorama shows roughly 10dB of unevenness between 8-13kHz and a trough near 200Hz, contradicting the manufacturer’s claims of +/-1dB accuracy, with beamwidth narrowing to well under 50 degrees above 4kHz. The Emotiva has lots of bass energy below 300Hz and plays louder than a JBL 305P MKII, with a suckout between 300-600Hz on the listening window followed by a peak from 600Hz up.
Buy the Ocean Way Audio HR5, since the Emotiva Airmotiv 6s is discontinued and only worth hunting down used.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Ocean Way Audio HR5 | Emotiva Airmotiv 6s | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5,598 per pair | $800 per pair Discontinued |
| Ranked | #68 of 68 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers | #49 of 68 in Large Size Powered Bookshelf Speakers |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52.7Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) | 49.1Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 42Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) | 37.6Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) |
| Drivers | 7” low-frequency driver, 1” high-frequency driver (horn/waveguide) | 6.5” AirMotiv low-frequency transducer, 60x32mm AirMotiv tweeter |
| Dimensions | 12H x 17.5W x 14.5D in | 13.5” x 8.5” x 12.8” (343 x 216 x 324 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Weight | 37.9 lbs (17.2 kg) each | 24.9 lbs (11.3 kg) each |
| Frequency Response | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 42Hz - 25kHz (+0/-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| Amplifier Power | 215W total (125W LF, 90W HF) | 210W total (100W tweeter, 110W woofer) |
| App | No | No |
| EQ | No | Yes (built-in presets) |
| DSP | No | No |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 1.78 | - |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 3.86 | - |
| Inputs | XLR (analog), XLR AES3 (digital) | XLR, RCA |
| XLR Input | Yes | Yes |
| RCA Input | No | Yes |
| TRS Input | No | No |
| Optical Input | No | No |
| Coaxial Input | No | No |
| USB Input | No | No |
| HDMI Input | No | No |
| AES Input | Yes | No |
| Aux Input | No | No |
| Bluetooth | No | No |
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The Two Speakers In Full
Ocean Way Audio HR5: $5,598 per pair Sweetwater eBay
Pros: The active format and substantial drivers can supply useful scale in a studio system. Measured -3dB extension is 52.7Hz, so separate bass support would be appropriate for full-range work. Measured bass extension of 52.7Hz (-3dB).
Cons: Scores of 1.78 standalone and 3.86 with an ideal subwoofer reflect substantial response unevenness, including severe upper-treble irregularities. Narrowing high-frequency coverage further changes the balance across listening positions. Bass support cannot repair those midrange and treble problems, making this difficult to recommend for neutral monitoring.
Full Ocean Way Audio HR5 review and specifications →
| AES Input | Yes |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 215W total (125W LF, 90W HF) |
| App | No |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 42Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 52.7Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| DSP | No |
| Dimensions | 12H x 17.5W x 14.5D in |
| Drivers | 7” low-frequency driver, 1” high-frequency driver (horn/waveguide) |
| EQ | No |
| Frequency Response | 45Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| Inputs | XLR (analog), XLR AES3 (digital) |
| Optical Input | No |
| RCA Input | No |
| Spinorama Preference Score | 1.78 |
| Spinorama Preference Score with Perfect Sub | 3.86 |
| TRS Input | No |
| USB Input | No |
| Weight | 37.9 lbs (17.2 kg) each |
| XLR Input | Yes |
- Links
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Emotiva Airmotiv 6s: $800 per pair Discontinued eBay
Pros: ASR measured 49.1Hz -3dB bass extension and a 5.75 ideal-subwoofer score. The review found useful output capability, making it a credible option for ordinary nearfield playback with additional bass support when needed. Measured bass extension of 49.1Hz (-3dB).
Cons: The 3.0dB response span from 300Hz to 5kHz includes lower-midrange unevenness that can change vocal weight. Treble peaks also prevent a fully neutral balance. Equalization may help, but the substantially higher EQ-optimized score is not its native performance. A suckout between 300 and 600Hz in the listening window is followed by a peak from 600Hz up. Discontinued.
Full Emotiva Airmotiv 6s review and specifications →
| AES Input | No |
|---|---|
| Amplifier Power | 210W total (100W tweeter, 110W woofer) |
| App | No |
| Aux Input | No |
| Bass Extension (-10dB) | 37.6Hz (derived, log-interpolated between spinorama.org -9dB/-12dB points) |
| Bass Extension (-3dB) | 49.1Hz (measured, Audio Science Review) |
| Bluetooth | No |
| Coaxial Input | No |
| DSP | No |
| Dimensions | 13.5” x 8.5” x 12.8” (343 x 216 x 324 mm) (H x W x D) |
| Drivers | 6.5” AirMotiv low-frequency transducer, 60x32mm AirMotiv tweeter |
| EQ | Yes (built-in presets) |
| Frequency Response | 42Hz - 25kHz (+0/-3dB) (Manufacturer specified) |
| HDMI Input | No |
| Inputs | XLR, RCA |
| Optical Input | No |
| RCA Input | Yes |
| TRS Input | No |
| USB Input | No |
| Weight | 24.9 lbs (11.3 kg) each |
| XLR Input | Yes |
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