GoldenEar Invisa MPX vs JBL Stage 280W Comparison

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GoldenEar Invisa MPX

Passive In-wall | 25-35kHz

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JBL Stage 280W

Passive In-wall | 42-25kHz

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GoldenEar Invisa MPX

Check price atAmazon›

JBL Stage 280W

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GoldenEar Invisa MPX

See at AMAZON

JBL Stage 280W

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GoldenEar Invisa MPX vs JBL Stage 280W Speaker Comparison

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.

Key Specs	GoldenEar Invisa MPX	JBL Stage 280W
Brand	GoldenEar United States · founded 2010	JBL United States · founded 1946
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	Folded Ribbon	1" Horn-Loaded
Woofer	2 x 4.5" Polypropylene	8" Polycellulose
Frequency response	25-35kHz	42-25kHz
Sensitivity	90 dB	90 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	10-250 watts	20-120 watts
Weight	2.72kg / 6lbs	—
Dimensions (H x W x D)	12.7500" x 6.2500" x 3.7500" 324.0 x 159.0 x 96.0mm	14.6875" x 9.3750" x 3.8750" 374.0 x 239.0 x 99.0mm

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:

Listening Environment*	GoldenEar Invisa MPX	JBL Stage 280W
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Poor	Average
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Good	Average
Very Large Room	Average	Poor

(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m², Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m², Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m², Very Large: > 400 sq. ft / 36 m². Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening position, speaker locations, etc.)

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

Drivers

Both Invisa MPX and Stage 280W are 2-way speakers.

GoldenEar Invisa MPX

JBL Stage 280W

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	GoldenEar Invisa MPX	JBL Stage 280W
Driver Setup	2-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.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.

Low Frequency

In-wall Speakers

Invisa MPX

Stage 280W

Min

Average

Median

Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. 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

Invisa MPX

Stage 280W

Min

Average

Median

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.

Invisa MPX can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Stage 280W has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 130 watts less than the Invisa MPX.

Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays on a real amplifier.

Which plays louder on your amplifier?

Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are considering, and watch both numbers move.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

GoldenEar Invisa MPX

JBL Stage 280W

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

The size of a speaker can sometimes be 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 loudspeaker
Grille
Owners Manual
Cut-Out Template
Cardboard Paint Shield

What's in the Box of JBL Stage 280W?

Here are the items that come with the Stage 280W:

In-wall loudspeaker
Grille
Cut-Out Template
Quick Start Guide

Reasons to choose GoldenEar Invisa MPX over JBL Stage 280W

Max Input Power	250 watts vs 120 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	25 Hz vs 42 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	35k Hz vs 25k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	324mm vs 374mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	152cm² vs 236cm²	Takes less floor space

Reasons to choose JBL Stage 280W over GoldenEar Invisa MPX

Woofer Size	8 inches vs 4.5 inches	Larger woofer
Price per pair*	450USD vs 695USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

GoldenEar Invisa MPX vs JBL Stage 280W Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	GoldenEar Invisa MPX	JBL Stage 280W
Brand	GoldenEar	JBL
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	10-250 watts	20-120 watts
Sensitivity	90 dB	90 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	25-35kHz	42-25kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	1
Woofer Size	4.5"	8"
Woofer Composition	Polypropylene	Polycellulose
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	-	1"
Tweeter Type	Folded Ribbon	Horn-Loaded
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	324.0mm (12.8")	374.0mm (14.7")
Width	159.0mm (6.3")	239.0mm (9.4")
Depth	96.0mm (3.8")	99.0mm (3.9")
Weight	2.72kg (6lbs)	n/a
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

A generation apart: JBL Stage 280W is the newer design, against a 2016 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	GoldenEar Invisa MPX digs deeper - 25Hz against 42Hz.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	A	GoldenEar Invisa MPX takes more power (250W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	GoldenEar Invisa MPX is easier to place; JBL Stage 280W is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Expandability	depends	Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. JBL Stage 280W sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	B	JBL Stage 280W is cheaper - $450 against $695, about 35% less.

A GoldenEar Invisa MPX B JBL Stage 280W
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.

Which should you choose?

The usual trade-off: GoldenEar Invisa MPX measures better, JBL Stage 280W costs about about 54% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper JBL Stage 280W much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate GoldenEar Invisa MPX the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and JBL Stage 280W for a small room.

And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.