GoldenEar Invisa MPX User Manual

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Invisa MPX

Invisa MultiPolar™ In-Wall/In-Ceiling Loudspeaker

Owner’s Manual

Invisa® MPX Owner’s Manual

Congratulations!

Congratulations and thank you for purchasing GoldenEar Technology’s® Invisa® MPX 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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MPX speakers-based music and home theater system.

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

®

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® MPX in-ceiling speakers are designed to fi t beautifully in a wide variety of applications. Their
low-profi le 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 amplifi er can overdrive your

speakers and damage them. And if the amplifi er 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 amplifi er, lowering the volume at which damage could occur.

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

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Amplifi er Distortion — #1 Threat to your New Speakers!

Amplifi er distortion is the principal cause of speaker damage. When listening at loud levels your amplifi er 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 amplifi ers are actually safer — For example: A 40 Watt/channel amplifi er

will have substantial distortion above 40 Watts. If driven to 50 Watts, this amplifi er will deliver speaker-damaging
distorted power! But a 100 Watt/channel amplifi er will have very low distortion below 100 Watts. Therefore, when
the speaker requires 50 Watts, this more powerful amplifi er will deliver clean power and speaker damage is less

likely to occur. (See your GoldenEar Technology dealer for amplifi er recommendations.)

Volume Setting

Do not be fooled by the Volume setting of your receiver/preamplifi er. It only adjusts listening level — it is not
a “power-output” dial. The amount of amplifi er 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 amplifi er power than a loud section). With typical material, the rated output power of many receivers/
amplifi ers 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 amplifi ers 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 amplifi er(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 amplifi er.

There is Actually a Limit!

Even with these safer, more powerful amplifi ers, 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 specifi cations as a guide to indicate the approximate minimum and

maximum power input of your GoldenEar Invisa

speaker’s 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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MPX speakers. Amplifi ers that meet or even exceed the

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Invisa® MPX Owner’s Manual

Speaker Placement

GoldenEar Technology Invisa® MPX speakers are designed to allow fl exible 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. Remember,

whatever sounds best to you is correct.

Room Acoustics

GoldenEar Technology Invisa® MPX 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. To help control for these differences, your new Invisa MPX speakers have a high
frequency EQ switch to increase or decrease the HF level to accommodate different room acoustics
and placements;

• Concrete fl oors and walls tend to aggravate low-frequency standing wave problems;

• Rooms where height, width and length are similar can exhibit signifi cant 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, for in-wall music installations, speakers’ high­frequency 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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FOR BEST IMAGING: For in-wall installations of L/R mains, measure the distance from your main listening area to

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

Positioning Invisa® MPXs as Left/Right/Center Fronts

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

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). If the
speakers are placed along the rear wall as surrounds, it is suggested that they be positioned fairly wide apart
if possible, in-ceilings in the corners is also a good location. 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). Rear speakers
in a 7.1 system should be placed fairly close together (4-6 feet) as shown (C). Surround and rear speakers should
always be positioned as high as possible in the room.

5.1 System Rear Speaker Location Options

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