GoldenEar Invisa 650 User Manual

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Invisa Series

Invisa 525 and 650 In-Wall & In-Ceiling Loudspeakers

Owner’s Manual

Invisa® Series Owner’s Manual

Congratulations!

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing GoldenEar Technology’s® Invisa® speakers! You are about to hear
the spectacular difference these very special In-Wall/In-Ceiling speakers will make in your music and/or home
theater system!

Our engineers’ many years of experience in developing loudspeakers has led to these extraordinary products.
In order to ensure that you experience maximum performance, please take a moment to fully read this owner’s
manual and familiarize yourself with the unique installation, assembly and set-up procedures for your
Invisa

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speakers.

Please visit our website at www.GoldenEar.com for more information on the technology behind your new speaker

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system. If you have additional questions, contact your Authorized GoldenEar Technology

Dealer or visit the

Q&A page in the Tech Support section of our website.

Your New GoldenEar Speakers

GoldenEar Invisa® 525 and Invisa® 650 in-ceiling/in-wall speakers are designed to fit beautifully in a wide variety
of applications. Their low-profile grille and nearly invisible design allows for perfect integration in a wide variety
of locations within your home. To get the best performance possible and for a product that lasts a lifetime, we
strongly recommend that you follow the placement and setup guidelines provided in this manual.

Cleaning

Do not use a strong or abrasive cleaner on your new speakers’ grilles. Clean them only with a damp cloth, but do
not get them wet.

Preventing Speaker Damage

USE AN APPROPRIATE AMPLIFIER. At high volumes a very powerful amplifier can overdrive your

speakers and damage them. And if the amplifier is not powerful enough, it can produce distortion
that can easily damage your speaker. (Consult your dealer for assistance.)

DON’T BE FOOLED BY YOUR RECEIVER’S VOLUME CONTROL. It only adjusts how loud, it is not an

indication of power output. If your speakers begin to sound harsh or grating or if you hear other forms
of distortion, turn down the volume immediately!

Avoid use of tone controls and loudness controls as they will demand even more power from

an amplifier, lowering the volume at which damage could occur.

GoldenEar Technology Invisa® speakers are efficient and can be driven to loud listening levels with moderate
amplifier power. They are also able to handle the output of very powerful amplifiers. To prevent damage to your
speakers, please read all of the following guidelines before hooking them up.

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Amplifier Distortion — #1 Threat to your New Speakers!

Amplifier distortion is the principal cause of speaker damage. When listening at loud levels your amplifier may run
out of clean power. It will then begin to produce speaker-damaging distorted power. This will damage any brand of

speaker very quickly! More powerful amplifiers are actually safer — For example: A 40 Watt/channel amplifier
will have substantial distortion above 40 Watts. If driven to 50 Watts, this amplifier will deliver speaker-damaging

distorted power! But a 100 Watt/channel amplifier will have very low distortion below 100 Watts. Therefore, when the

speaker requires 50 Watts, this more powerful amplifier will deliver clean power and speaker damage is less likely to

occur. (See your GoldenEar Technology dealer for amplifier recommendations.)

Volume Setting

Do not be fooled by the Volume setting of your receiver/preamplifier. It only adjusts listening level — it is not
a “power-output” dial. The amount of amplifier power actually used at a given Volume setting depends solely
on the nature of the source material you are listening to (at a given Volume setting a quiet section of music will

use less amplifier power than a loud section). With typical material, the rated output power of many receivers/
amplifiers is often reached when the Volume is set to around -10dB, or between the “11” and “1 o’clock”

settings with an analog control (with bass/ treble and loudness controls not used — otherwise rated power may be

reached at even lower Volume settings). Remember, all amplifiers produce distortion when operated beyond their

rated output power. The resulting distortion will damage all speakers! If you listen at loud levels, be careful to listen

for the point of audible distortion — if the speakers begin to sound distressed, turn the Volume down or your speak­ers and/or amplifier(s) will be damaged! This type of damage constitutes abuse and is not covered by the warranty.

If louder volumes are desired, consider a more powerful amplifier.

There is Actually a Limit!

Even with these safer, more powerful amplifiers, there is a point at which you could have more power than the

speaker can handle. At that point you will overpower the speaker and damage it. At loud levels do not increase

bass/treble controls from zero and ensure that all loudness/contour/bass EQ buttons are off (otherwise rated
output power will be reached at even lower volume control settings).

The Right Amount of Power

A power-range rating is given in the specifications as a guide to indicate the approximate minimum and

maximum power input of your GoldenEar Invisa

power-range rating are recommended as their greater power reserves provide better sound. But always use the

speakers within their power-range rating to prevent damage — that is, keep listening levels below the point of
obvious audible distortion.

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speakers. Amplifiers that meet or even exceed the speaker’s

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Invisa® Series Owner’s Manual

Speaker Placement

GoldenEar Technology Invisa® speakers are designed to allow flexible placement while providing a very large
window of sound throughout your listening room. Please remember that although the following recommendations
are usually valid, all rooms and listening sets-ups are somewhat unique, so do not be afraid to experiment with the
speakers. Remember, whatever sounds best to you is correct.

Room Acoustics

GoldenEar Technology Invisa® speakers are designed to provide exceptional sound in a wide variety of
domestic settings. It is important to note however that listening room construction, dimensions and furnishings
all play a part in the quality of sound you will ultimately achieve from your new speakers. The listening room will
impose its own character on the performance capabilities of the speaker system. Regarding the room, please
note that:

• Mid and high frequencies are affected by the amount of soft furnishings in your room — curtains, carpets,
sofas, wall coverings, etc. An excess of such items can result in a somewhat dull sound. The same room
without any soft furnishings can produce an overall bright sound. The typical quantity of soft furnishings
found in most living environments provides the right acoustic characteristics to allow the speakers to
sound balanced;

• Concrete floors and walls tend to aggravate low-frequency standing wave problems and are
less preferred;

• Rooms where height, width and length are similar should be avoided as they can exhibit significant
low-frequency standing wave problems. This may result in reduced clarity. In such rooms avoid corner
placement to minimize acoustic problems.

The extra care you take in correctly positioning the speakers will result in greater listening enjoyment. So, keep
the following guidelines in mind when deciding on the best speaker placement.

To ensure the best performance possible, observe the following placement guidelines:

LOCATION: When preparing to install your speakers pick a location that has the required clearance between
wall studs or ceiling joists. Make sure to check for wiring, conduit, water pipes, HVAC ducts and other obstructions
before cutting the installation hole.

ACCURATE TIMBRE: For the most accurate and natural timbre, in-wall speakers’ high-frequency drivers should be
at approximately ear level. Stereo pairs should be placed approximately equal distance apart. Select locations
that allow the sound to reach the listening area unobstructed by furnishings.

BALANCED BASS: Placing speakers in corners will over-emphasize bass and reduce overall clarity. If possible,
position speakers away from either side wall. This will ensure better bass performance and optimal midrange clarity.

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BEST IMAGING: For In-Wall installations, measure the distance from your main listening area to the left front speak-

er (we’ll call this distance “X”). For optimal imaging and largest soundstage, place speakers “X” distance apart
from each other (and no less than
with L/C/R in-walls, place the center speaker above or below your TV, whichever position is closer to ear level, as
shown in the figure below:

Positioning Invisa® In-Wall as Left/Right/Center Fronts

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/4 of that distance — 3/4 of “X” up to “X”). For Home Theater installations

Positioning Invisa® as Surrounds/Rears

When used as surround speakers in a 5.1 system, Invisa® speakers may be located on the side, above, or behind
the listeners. When used on the sides, take care never to locate the speakers forward of the listeners (A, below).
If the speakers are installed in the rear wall as surrounds, it is suggested that they be positioned fairly wide apart if
possible. For instance, if there is a couch in the center of the rear wall on which the listeners will sit, try to position
the speakers wider apart than the couch (B, below). In-Ceiling installations in the rear corners is also a good
surround speakers location. Rear speakers in a 7.1 system should be placed fairly close together (4-6 feet) as
shown (C, pg. 6). Surround and rear In-Wall speakers should always be positioned as high as possible in the room.

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