In this review, we will be comparing Invisa MPX and Stage 280W, two Passive In-wall speakers from GoldenEar and JBL. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar Invisa MPX and JBL Stage 280W first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the GoldenEar Invisa MPX and JBL Stage 280W speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size and max power parameters:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the GoldenEar Invisa MPX and JBL Stage 280W compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Invisa MPX is a 1-way design whereas the Stage 280W is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
GoldenEar Invisa MPX |
JBL Stage 280W |
|
Driver Setup
|
1-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
----inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 4.5-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
Invisa MPX features a ---" Folded Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 4.5" Polypropylene Woofer . On the other hand, the Stage 280W features a 1" Horn-Loaded Tweeter and 1 x 8" Polycellulose Woofer .
Frequency Response
Invisa MPX has a frequency range of 25-35kHz whereas Stage 280W has a frequency range of 42-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Invisa MPX can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Stage 280W's min frequency of 42Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall Speakers
High Frequency
In-wall Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Invisa MPX and Stage 280W have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
Sensitivity
In-wall Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Invisa MPX can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Stage 280W has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 130 watts less than the Invisa MPX.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Invisa MPX features Spring clip type posts and Stage 280W has a Spring clip type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare GoldenEar Invisa MPX's and JBL Stage 280W's external dimensions. GoldenEar Invisa MPX has external dimensions of 324.0 x 159.0 x 96.0mm ( 12.7500-inch x 6.2500-inch x 3.7500-inch) whereas JBL Stage 280W has external dimensions of 374.0 x 239.0 x 99.0mm ( 14.6875-inch x 9.3750-inch x 3.8750-inch) .
JBL Stage 280W is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 80mm wider, 50mm taller and 3mm deeper than GoldenEar Invisa MPX.
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Invisa MPX?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Invisa MPX:
In-wall loudspeakerGrilleOwners ManualCut-Out TemplateCardboard Paint Shield
What's in the Box of JBL Stage 280W?
Here are the items that come with the Stage 280W:
In-wall loudspeakerGrilleCut-Out TemplateQuick Start Guide