GoldenEar makes a line of very high performance in-wall/in-ceiling speakers that have been designed and manufactured to the same engineering and build standards as the rest of our speakers. Unlike the many "throw away" low end flush mount speakers on the market, ours are designed to bring you the same audiophile sound quality and enjoyment as our enclosure models. We thought a few tips and recommendations might be helpful if you're considering adding in-ceiling/in-wall speakers to your Music and/or Home Theater system, or getting a distributed audio system for "whole house" audio.

 

Some thoughts on placement

Always consult with your GoldenEar dealer concerning in-wall and in-ceiling speaker placement and installation. The following are some suggested guidelines but like all suggestions, your circumstances may require other options.

 

The GoldenEar Invisa Models

Distributed audio speaker placement

If you're installing speakers primarily for background listening it may be beneficial to locate them out of direct line of sight (hearing wise), off axis from the area where people most often congregate in the room. For example, although it may seem most logical to put ceiling speaker directly over the dining room table, located there they can be distracting to diners and interfere with conversation during the meal. Better to place them off to the side(s) of the table or put in-wall speakers above or below seated ear height where they'll provide background music without calling attention to themselves.

 

Multiple speakers in a room, playing at low volume will give you better coverage than one or two speakers turned up louder. Of course, budget always comes in to play so there may have to be a compromise between excellent, smooth coverage and dollars spent. (Also see "Single-point Stereo" paragraph below.)

 

If there are rooms where in-wall/in-ceiling speakers will be a primary source of music enjoyment as opposed to background, placing them as you would a high quality pair of speakers, can help a lot. Try to put them at seated ear height between 8 and 10 feet apart without obstructions in front of them. If possible and if higher volumes are demanded, adding a subwoofer can also be of major benefit.

 

The new Invisa SP 652 Single-Point-Stereo speaker

Single-point-stereo

In many distributed audio situations it's unlikely that anyone will be sitting or standing in the "sweet spot" for stereo reproduction. Single-point-stereo models (like the exciting new Invisa SP 652 can be an excellent choice in these situations. The 652 is also a perfect choice for smaller rooms and areas like bathrooms or hallways. Like every GoldenEar in-wall/in-ceiling speaker, there are round and square grilles available to make ceiling or wall mounting look best.

 

Mono can be your friend

Although the stereo SP-652 would be the preferred solution, we also recommend that you consider monaural as opposed to stereo if there are going to be multiple speakers located in the space, especially if there will be several people in the room and/or they will be moving about. That way everyone hears all the music all the time, not just one channel or the other. There are commercial stereo to mono adapters available if your system doesn't have a "mono" button.

 

Surround systems using in-ceiling and/or in-wall speakers

Although you can use any ceiling speaker for a surround sound system, the fact that most face straight down means they aren't ideal for the LCR front channels. Even the models that let you aim the tweeter are less than ideal because a significant portion of the midrange comes from the cone driver. On the other hand, the GoldenEar Invisa HTR 7000 is a perfect choice for such installations. Both the woofer/midrange and HVFR tweeter are mounted at a carefully calculated angle to deliver exceptional acoustic performance aimed right at the listening position. That means sounds will seem to come from well below the ceiling, at screen height, instead of from way above your head. Click Here for one of many terrific HTR 7000 reviews.

 

Utilizing a driver compliment similar to the Aon 3, the Invisa HTR 7000 blends seamlessly with other GoldenEar speakers in a multi-channel setup to enable an immersive and enveloping surround experience for music and movies. The HTR 7000 is also an excellent choice for surround channels and even Dolby Atmos / DTS X height channels in many home theater situations. Click Here to learn more about these latest surround systems.

 

The HTR 7000

The Invisa 525 and 650 used in-wall are excellent choices for primary (side) and secondary (rear) surround locations and also when used in-ceiling for Atmos and DTS X height placement. They bring you the option of sonically matched speakers that make for a more affordable surround sound installation with almost invisible speakers.

 

The GoldenEar Invisa MPX is a high-power rectangular in-wall/ in-ceiling speaker designed to radiate a wide dispersion sound field making it a perfect choice for in-wall front mains, primary and secondary surround speakers, or even to height speakers. It too shares the same basic components of other GoldenEar models for superb sonic consistency across a full surround sound system. And like the HTR 7000 it also employs our Non-Periodic Diffraction Control and Wave-Launch technology to enhance clarity and reduce localization of the source.

 

GoldenEar Invisa speakers offer several benefits:

• Our High Velocity Folded Ribbon tweeter provides exceptional dispersion (spread of sound) meaning fewer speakers can cover a wider area. It also means that people significantly off axis can still hear the higher frequencies and thus more of the music. This can be of particular value if the room has 8 foot or lower ceilings as it will enhance sound coverage dramatically over typical in ceiling speakers that tend to beam the mid and higher frequencies directly below the speakers. So with Invisa models you can use fewer total speakers to cover a room and get better sound overall.

• Certain models feature our Non-Periodic Diffraction Control and Wave Launch technology. It's those smooth wave patterns molded into the baffle of the HTR 7000 and MPX. They make a dramatic improvement in the spread of sound as it leaves the speaker to enhance clarity and imaging.

• Invisa speakers can be fitted with either square or round Micro-Perf grilles to reduce their visibility.

• Invisa speakers have a high frequency level control that helps match them to your room for optimum sound quality.

• The Invisa grilles have minimal bezels which makes them far less obtrusive when mounted in the ceiling or wall.

• Invisa speakers have been engineered and built to the same high performance standards as every GoldenEar speaker. They make for a perfect match to Aon, SuperSat, 3D Array, SuperCenter and Triton models in any multi-channel system.

As we mentioned at the beginning, be sure to consult with your GoldenEar dealer for system design and installation services.