In this review, we will be comparing Axis and Invisa Signature Point Source SPS, two Passive In-wall speakers from MartinLogan and GoldenEar.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Axis and GoldenEar Invisa SPS first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Axis | GoldenEar Invisa SPS |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | GoldenEar
United States · founded 2010 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.25x2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon | Folded Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Aluminum | 4 x 5.25" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-25kHz | 25-35kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-250 watts | 20-350 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.90kg / 13lbs | 6.35kg / 14lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14.4375" x 7.1250" x 3.7500"
367.0 x 181.0 x 96.0mm | 26.5000" x 7.1250" x 3.3125"
674.0 x 181.0 x 85.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Axis 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* |
MartinLogan Axis |
GoldenEar Invisa SPS |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Bad |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 Axis 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.
MartinLogan AxisGoldenEar Invisa SPS
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 |
MartinLogan Axis |
GoldenEar Invisa SPS |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.25x2.4-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
4 x 5.25-inch
|
Axis features a 1.25x2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Aluminum 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
Axis has a frequency range of 45-25kHz 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 Axis's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
Axis is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Invisa Signature Point Source SPS which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Axis can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Axis sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the Invisa Signature Point Source SPS's is rated at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Axis 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 Axis has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 100 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
Axis 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 MartinLogan Axis's and GoldenEar Invisa SPS's external dimensions. MartinLogan Axis has external dimensions of 367.0 x 181.0 x 96.0mm (14.4375-inch x 7.1250-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).
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The MartinLogan Axis weighs 5.90kg / 13lbs and the GoldenEar Invisa SPS weighs 6.35kg / 14lbs. This makes the Invisa Signature Point Source SPS 8% heavier than the Axis.
Here is a comparison of how Axis and Invisa Signature Point Source SPS's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive In-wall class.
Weight
All In-wall Speakers
What's in the Box of MartinLogan Axis?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Axis:
- In-wall speaker
- Grille
- Paint shield
- User-feets Manual
- Install Template
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
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Height |
367mm
vs
674mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2600USD
vs
2990USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
350 watts
vs
250 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
25 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
35k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
153cm2
vs
173cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
MartinLogan Axis |
GoldenEar Invisa Signature Point Source (SPS) |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
GoldenEar |
| Speaker Type |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
| Power Range |
20-250 watts |
20-350 watts |
| Sensitivity |
94 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-25kHz |
25-35kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
4 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.25x2.4" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion Ribbon |
Folded Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
Yes |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
367.0mm (14.4") |
674.0mm (26.5") |
| Width |
181.0mm (7.1") |
181.0mm (7.1") |
| Depth |
96.0mm (3.8") |
85.0mm (3.3") |
| Weight |
5.90kg (13lbs) |
6.35kg (14lbs) |
| Enclosure |
In-wall |
In-wall |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years w/registration |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years w.registration |
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | GoldenEar Invisa SPS digs deeper - 25Hz against 45Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | MartinLogan Axis is more sensitive (94dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | GoldenEar Invisa SPS is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | GoldenEar Invisa SPS takes more power (350W vs 250W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan Axis is easier to place; GoldenEar Invisa SPS is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | A | MartinLogan Axis is cheaper - $2,600 against $2,990, about 13% less. |
A MartinLogan Axis B GoldenEar Invisa SPS
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 SPS measures better, MartinLogan Axis costs about about 15% 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 45Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan Axis much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan Axis the better fit for a mid-size room, and GoldenEar Invisa SPS for a very large 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.