GoldenEar Invisa SPS vs GoldenEar SC Ref Comparison

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GoldenEar Invisa SPS

Passive In-wall | 25-35kHz

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GoldenEar SC Ref

Passive Center Channel | 33-35k Hz

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GoldenEar Invisa SPS

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GoldenEar SC Ref

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GoldenEar Invisa SPS

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GoldenEar SC Ref

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GoldenEar Invisa SPS vs GoldenEar SC Ref Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by GoldenEar. GoldenEar Invisa Signature Point Source (SPS) is a In-wall speaker whereas the SuperCenter Reference is a Center Channel speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of GoldenEar Invisa SPS and GoldenEar SC Ref first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	GoldenEar Invisa SPS	GoldenEar SC Ref
Brand	GoldenEar United States · founded 2010	GoldenEar United States · founded 2010
Design	3-way	3-way
Tweeter	Folded Ribbon	—
Midrange	5.25"	—
Woofer	4 x 5.25" Polypropylene	4 x 5.25"
Frequency response	25-35kHz	33-35k Hz
Sensitivity	92 dB	91 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	20-350 watts	20-350 watts
Weight	6.35kg / 14lbs	14.09kg / 31lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	26.5000" x 7.1250" x 3.3125" 674.0 x 181.0 x 85.0mm	5-7/8" x 35" x 11-1/16" 150.0 x 889.0 x 281.0mm

What size room are the GoldenEar Invisa SPS and GoldenEar SC Ref 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 SPS	GoldenEar SC Ref
Near-field	Are you nuts?	Are you nuts?
Small Room	Bad	Bad
Mid-size Room	Poor	Poor
Large Room	Good	Good
Very Large Room	Good	Good

(* 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 Signature Point Source SPS and SuperCenter Reference are 3-way speakers.

GoldenEar Invisa SPS

GoldenEar SC Ref

MidrangeWoofer

Drivers drawn to scale and directly comparable. Cabinet outlines are indicative: full dimensions are not published for both. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	GoldenEar Invisa SPS	GoldenEar SC Ref
Driver Setup	3-way	3-way
Tweeter	-inch	-inch
Midrange	1 x 5.25-inch	-
Woofer	4 x 5.25-inch	4 x 5.25-inch

Invisa Signature Point Source SPS features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 4 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the SuperCenter Reference features a " Tweeter and 4 x 5.25" Woofer.

Frequency Response

Invisa Signature Point Source SPS has a frequency range of 25-35kHz whereas SuperCenter Reference has a frequency range of 33-35k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Invisa Signature Point Source SPS can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SuperCenter Reference's min frequency of 33Hz.

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 Signature Point Source SPS

SuperCenter Reference

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 Signature Point Source SPS and SuperCenter Reference have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Invisa Signature Point Source SPS sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the SuperCenter Reference's is at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the GoldenEar Invisa SPS a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar SC Ref, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

Invisa Signature Point Source SPS

SuperCenter Reference

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 Signature Point Source SPS and SuperCenter Reference have the same power range of 20-350 watts.

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 SPS

GoldenEar SC Ref

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Invisa Signature Point Source SPS features 5-Way post type posts and SuperCenter Reference has a 5-Way post 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 SPS's and GoldenEar SC Ref's external dimensions. GoldenEar Invisa SPS has external dimensions of 674.0 x 181.0 x 85.0mm (26.5000-inch x 7.1250-inch x 3.3125-inch) whereas GoldenEar SC Ref has external dimensions of 150.0 x 889.0 x 281.0mm (5-7/8 x 35 x 11-1/16inch).

GoldenEar Invisa SPS is 708mm narrower and 196mm less deeper than GoldenEar SC Ref but it is also 524mm taller.

Size, drawn to scale

Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.

One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.

GoldenEar SC Ref needs about 1524% more floor or shelf area. GoldenEar SC Ref is 196mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. GoldenEar Invisa SPS is 524mm taller.

What's in the Box of GoldenEar Invisa SPS?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Invisa Signature Point Source SPS:

In-wall loudspeaker
Grille
Owners Manual
Cut-Out Template
Cardboard Paint Shield

What's in the Box of GoldenEar SC Ref?

Here are the items that come with the SuperCenter Reference:

Center-channel loudspeaker
4 Leveling feet
4 Threaded-inserts
Owners Manual

Reasons to choose GoldenEar Invisa Signature Point Source (SPS) over GoldenEar SuperCenter Reference

Sensitivity	92 dB vs 91 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Low Frequency Response	25 Hz vs 33 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area	153cm² vs 2498cm²	Takes less floor space

Reasons to choose GoldenEar SuperCenter Reference over GoldenEar Invisa Signature Point Source (SPS)

Passive Radiator	two 6-3/4-inch x 8-inch + one 7-inchx 10-inch vs None	Increases the bass performance
Height	150mm vs 674mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	1899USD vs 2990USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

GoldenEar Invisa SPS vs GoldenEar SC Ref Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	GoldenEar Invisa Signature Point Source (SPS)	GoldenEar SuperCenter Reference
Brand	GoldenEar	GoldenEar
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Center channel speaker
Power Range	20-350 watts	20-350 watts
Sensitivity	92 dB	91 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	25-35kHz	33-35k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	4	4
Woofer Size	5.25"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	n/a
Tweeter Size	-	-
Tweeter Type	Folded Ribbon	n/a
Aimable Tweeter	Yes	No
Midrange Driver	5.25"	No
Physical Specs
Height	674.0mm (26.5")	150.0mm (5.9")
Width	181.0mm (7.1")	889.0mm (35")
Depth	85.0mm (3.3")	281.0mm (11.1")
Weight	6.35kg (14lbs)	14.09kg (31lbs)
Enclosure	In-wall	Passive Radiator
Available Colors	n/a	Black
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	n/a
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

An in-wall against a center channel. They are built for different places in a room, so start with where these have to go rather than which looks better on paper.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	GoldenEar Invisa SPS digs deeper - 25Hz against 33Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (92dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (350W vs 350W).
Size	depends	GoldenEar Invisa SPS is easier to place; GoldenEar SC Ref is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive In-wall against a Passive Center Channel - a different job rather than a better one.
Cabinet	depends	In-wall vs Passive Radiator.
Price	B	GoldenEar SC Ref is cheaper - $1,899 against $2,990, about 36% less.

A GoldenEar Invisa SPS B GoldenEar SC Ref
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?

GoldenEar Invisa SPS is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 57% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - GoldenEar SC Ref looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the GoldenEar Invisa SPS appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 33Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper GoldenEar SC Ref much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, GoldenEar SC Ref has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, GoldenEar Invisa SPS is the easier speaker to get right.

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.