In this review, we will be comparing Studio 6 Theater and Invisa Signature Point Source SPS, two Passive In-wall speakers from JBL and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Studio 6 Theater and GoldenEar Invisa SPS first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Studio 6 Theater | GoldenEar Invisa SPS |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Horn-Loaded | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 5.25" PolyPlas | 4 x 5.25" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 65-20kHz | 25-35kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 96 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 10-150 watts | 20-350 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 6.35kg / 14lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 25.3125" x 6.2500" x 3.7500"
643.0 x 159.0 x 96.0mm | 26.5000" x 7.1250" x 3.3125"
674.0 x 181.0 x 85.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL Studio 6 Theater and GoldenEar Invisa SPS 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* |
JBL Studio 6 Theater |
GoldenEar Invisa SPS |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Bad |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Studio 6 Theater is a 2-way design whereas the Invisa Signature Point Source SPS is a 3-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.
JBL Studio 6 TheaterGoldenEar Invisa SPS
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 |
JBL Studio 6 Theater |
GoldenEar Invisa SPS |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 5.25-inch
|
4 x 5.25-inch
|
Studio 6 Theater features a 1" Horn-Loaded Tweeter and 4 x 5.25" PolyPlas Woofer. On the other hand, the Invisa Signature Point Source SPS features a " Folded Ribbon Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 4 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.
Frequency Response
Studio 6 Theater has a frequency range of 65-20kHz whereas Invisa Signature Point Source SPS has a frequency range of 25-35kHz. 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 Studio 6 Theater's min frequency of 65Hz.
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
Studio 6 Theater is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Invisa Signature Point Source SPS which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Studio 6 Theater sensitivity is rated at 96 dB and the Invisa Signature Point Source SPS's is rated at 92 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the JBL Studio 6 Theater 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 Studio 6 Theater 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Studio 6 Theater features Spring post type posts and Invisa Signature Point Source SPS 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 JBL Studio 6 Theater's and GoldenEar Invisa SPS's external dimensions. JBL Studio 6 Theater has external dimensions of 643.0 x 159.0 x 96.0mm (25.3125-inch x 6.2500-inch x 3.7500-inch) whereas 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).
JBL Studio 6 Theater is 22mm narrower and 31mm shorter than GoldenEar Invisa SPS but it is also 11mm deeper.
What's in the Box of JBL Studio 6 Theater?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Studio 6 Theater:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- Cut-Out Template
- Quick Start Guide
What's in the Box of GoldenEar Invisa SPS?
Here are the items that come with the Invisa Signature Point Source SPS:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- Owners Manual
- Cut-Out Template
- Cardboard Paint Shield