In this review, we will be comparing Invisa Signature Point Source SPS and Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers from GoldenEar and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of GoldenEar Invisa SPS and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | GoldenEar Invisa SPS | MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR |
|---|
| Brand | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | Folded Ribbon | 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.25" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 5.25" Polypropylene | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 25-35kHz | 44-25kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 93 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-350 watts | 50-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 6.35kg / 14lbs | — |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 26.5000" x 7.1250" x 3.3125"
674.0 x 181.0 x 85.0mm | 27.0000" x 6.6250" x 3.5625"
686.0 x 169.0 x 91.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the GoldenEar Invisa SPS and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR 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 |
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Bad |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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 Signature Point Source SPS and Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR are 3-way speakers.
GoldenEar Invisa SPSMartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR
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 |
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1.27 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.25-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR features a 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Invisa Signature Point Source SPS has a frequency range of 25-35kHz whereas Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has a frequency range of 44-25kHz. 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 Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR's min frequency of 44Hz.
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
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 Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR 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 Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR's is at 93 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR a more sensitive speaker compared to GoldenEar Invisa SPS, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
In-wall Speakers
Invisa Signature Point Source SPS
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 can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS, whereas Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Invisa Signature Point Source SPS.
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.
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Invisa Signature Point Source SPS features Spring post type posts and Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has a Spring 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 MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR'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 MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has external dimensions of 686.0 x 169.0 x 91.0mm (27.0000-inch x 6.6250-inch x 3.5625-inch).
GoldenEar Invisa SPS is 12mm shorter and 6mm less deeper than MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR but it is also 12mm wider.
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 MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR?
Here are the items that come with the Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR:
- In-wall LCR loudspeaker
- Grille
- T20 torx-bit
- User-feets Manual
- Cutout Template