WELL THEY CAME TODAY!!!
very excited, crutchfield came thru. ordered monday they came today.

mirage 550's. always wanted towers/mirage speakers. this is after owning cambridge soundworks movieworks for over 9 years. what a change.

the box was pretty messed up, but no issues.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/550s001.jpg

packed very well (although had no idea what end was up?
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/550s002.jpg

these things are huge. was very shocked at there mass.:eek:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/550s003.jpg

wow.! finish was very good. the base looks beautiful.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/550s004.jpg

never seen anything like these before in person. (house in the middle of no where land)
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/550s005.jpg

hooked up the 12g wire.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/550s007.jpg

hard to really explain the size, they are next to my 61" dlp, and come up 1/2 way. the second step in mantown is complete.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/550s009.jpg

now the 100hr break in period....:( i want to crank these so bad. but i now i cant right now.
as far as sound, well i have listened to 4x8 speakers for 9+ years, and all i can say is amazing. they fill the room (16x25 12' cielings) there seems to be no place in the room where it does not sound like they are right in front of me. hard to explain but if i closed my eyes it would be hard for me to find them while playing. just awesome.

anyway thought i would share, now back to some tunes.

next is the center speaker (c150 or one 150).

you can not crank them?

umm why? :)
You actually do WANT to crank them. The only thing that needs loosening up is the surrounding cusion of the speaker. Besides that, the electronic portion does not need a "break in" regardless fo what the manufacture says.

it says 100hrs at moderate levels.?

moderate to me is not cranked.:confused:

Congratulation.

They look great. I hope you get many years of enjoyment out of them. :D

I still do not understand all this break in period stuff. Its not an engine its a speaker. I guess I know too little to understand.

Nice system, all you need now are room treatments! Dunno that I'd worry too much about the 'break in period'.

Those are sweet. You are gonna love 'em.

thanks..
never had speakers i had to break in either. but in caps in the manual it says 100hrs, or damage can occur. best sound will not be achieved until the 100hr point.??????

they were scratch/dent from crutchfield, and other than the boxes that were beat to all heck, they were in mint condition.

fyi they were only $339 for the pair with free shipping.

Cool!!! Ya gotta love getting new toys!

"Break in' is highly debatable. Some swear by it, others dismiss it as snake oil. I could possibly be convinced that new speakers need perhaps an hour of break in at most to loosen brand new driver surrounds, but that's about it IMO. I seriously doubt you could damage your speakers turning them up a bit before the 'break in' period is up. However, it might be prudent to honor the 'break in' period simply to avoid headaches should your speaker require service under warranty.

Congrats and welcome to the "Mirage Club". We'll see how much longer it lasts depending on what Klipsch does with the company.

Great looking speakers and great sound :)

Gotta love speaker pron. Thanks.

Congrats and welcome to the "Mirage Club". We'll see how much longer it lasts depending on what Klipsch does with the company.

Great looking speakers and great sound :)

I hear yah? I have to believe that Energy and Mirage will still exist! I can't believe that Klipsch would just buy API and do away with it? Lets face it with (Klipsch) now running the show for Energy and Mirage they should be able to make inroads towards the larger US market.
Then again I know nothing about economics 101 and am basically speculating:o.
And to the OP nice looking set up:D.

Did you get these from Vanns? I'm looking at getting a pair to replace my Athena AS-F2's but I'm not sure I"ll hear much of a difference.

Also, isn't there a screen that goes on top too?

I really love threads like this with pictures of the shipping boxes and the unpacking sequence. The anticipation, the excitement, will it sound as good as I imagined ? Thanks for posting the pictures and enjoy the music.

Did you get these from Vanns?

Did you read his post or look at the pictures at all?

Did you read his post or look at the pictures at all?

Actually, I was just now rushing to edit my post and then I saw your post. Sorry.

Anyway, I'm looking at images from google and I don't see any screens for the top. I see screen post holes on the top, what's the deal?

I know Athena and Mirage are both Klipsch companies, but I'm considering moving from one to the other. There's very little talk about mirage OMNI (non-sat) speakers online. Any thoughts? (I don't mean to be bumping my original post, but I guess that's what this is coming to).

The anticipation, the excitementalmost like...........well you know:)

Put your pants back on!

Put your pants back on!

Thats Funny:D

Congrats... nothing like getting big, heavy, awesome sounding presents in the mail!!

nothing like getting big
Put your pants back on!
:D:D:D:D

no, but seriously, I've never heard of those Omni 550 floorstanders, very interesting looking (much like B&W looking design)..............have fun!

Just got a set of new Monitor Audio GS-Series very recently myself.........

Did you get these from Vanns? I'm looking at getting a pair to replace my Athena AS-F2's but I'm not sure I"ll hear much of a difference.

Also, isn't there a screen that goes on top too?


crutchfield, and yes there are screens for front, and separate for the top.

and after one day i can say so far the best purchase i have made in a long time. the sound is hard to explain, but it fills my room so well. when they say no sweet spot, they are 100% correct. no matter where i go it sounds great. you deffinatley do not need to be in front of these in anyway.

Did you get these from Vanns? I'm looking at getting a pair to replace my Athena AS-F2's but I'm not sure I"ll hear much of a difference.

Also, isn't there a screen that goes on top too?

I bought the 350s. I am very pleased with the sound of them, can enjoy them in their own right, and would certainly be satisfied with them if they were my only speakers. In spite of this, I still prefer my Athena AS-F1s overall.
I don't think you would find the 550s to be an upgrade from your F2s, or at least not a significant one.

The "break in" issue is easily measurable if you're equipped to test a speakers t/s parameters. The part that's "debatable" is how significant of an impact it has on the sound of the speaker. The suspension on any cone-based driver (midranges and woofers) will become more compliant as it gets used. This will usually cause a change in the resonant frequency of the driver as well as the Vas. Typically this will result in an audible difference in the lowest bass octave that the woofer can play. Results in the midrange would be minimal since the interaction with its enclosure isn't likely to impact the range above the midrange's high-pass filter.

Those are damn nice speakers for the money.

Beautiful!

Incredible price too.

The "break in" issue is easily measurable if you're equipped to test a speakers t/s parameters. The part that's "debatable" is how significant of an impact it has on the sound of the speaker. The suspension on any cone-based driver (midranges and woofers) will become more compliant as it gets used. This will usually cause a change in the resonant frequency of the driver as well as the Vas. Typically this will result in an audible difference in the lowest bass octave that the woofer can play. Results in the midrange would be minimal since the interaction with its enclosure isn't likely to impact the range above the midrange's high-pass filter.
All that may be true, but what I don't understand is what possible "damage" will occur if they are cranked before 100 hours. What magically happens at 100 hours that then allows them to be cranked? Seems like nonsense to me.

Craig

All that may be true, but what I don't understand is what possible "damage" will occur if they are cranked before 100 hours. What magically happens at 100 hours that then allows them to be cranked? Seems like nonsense to me.

CraigI agree. I'm more inclined to think that they tell you that so that you don't crank them and wind up disappointed in the sound due to the slightly leaner bass. After 100 hours the bass should have filled out to whatever extent it's going to, plus by then you're so used to the sound that it's irrelevant. :D

I remember when I got mine, I took off work early to set them up. Hope you had as much fun as me!

I remember when I got mine, I took off work early to set them up. Hope you had as much fun as me!

it was a blast. like Christmas. i even got out the tape measure, and level to make sure all was square and plum. great time. right now i am playing some dark side of the moon, and holly crap. words cant express.:D

Very nice. Im curious what kind of speakers you had before. I recently bought a set of AV123 X-SLS towers and they were also the best upgrade I have done in a long time. They are definitely not the best I have owned or heard, but I had been listening to crappy speakers for 3yrs. when I finally got my new ones it was a glorious day. Actually let me rephrase that. The day I got them, we had just moved into our new apt two days prior. We had hardwood floors, glass french doors (in the room the speakers were going), no curtains up, no pictures up, and an 8' tripple window. My speakers sounded horrible! Then over the course of about 2 weeks, we added all of the normal room treatments, and of couse the speakers now had about 60-100 hrs of break in time. After a few tweeks to my system.....Now they sound AWESOME!

I am currently in the market for a set of Mirage Omni 150's to use as rear surrounds. Im glad you are having a good experience with your new Omni's. I know they are different speakers, but the same technology none the less. It strengthens my urge to buy a set!

cambridge soundworks, for about 10 years. ensemble/movie works.

...........very interesting looking (much like B&W looking design)
The drivers ARE woven of something, but otherwise their MAJOR design difference compared to any standard direct firing monopole is their Omnipolar technology, which ain't on ANY B&W speaker that I know of:

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/550s005.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/550s004.jpg


The main driver fires upward at an angle and the tweeter, that also fires upward, perhaps even directly upward, is mounted in that doohickey above the driver, both of which - the whole doohickey over the driver and the part over the tweeter in the doohickey over the driver - are meant to diffract/diffuse/spread the sound of the driver that's below/within it to provide a bigger soundstage. It works quite well, actually. Some criticize them for having the specific goal of providing a bigger, diffuse sound. I've always like them when I've listened at stores. The Omnipolar technology works really well with their small speakers like the Nanosats in that it provides a much bigger sound than they would appear to be capable.

Ditch:

Congrats on your purchase. It's fun to get new toys. Now I'd hate to sound preachy but you really need room treatments. It's gonna make more difference than $25k worth of hi-end electronics. New house? Throw down a thick area rug with underlay. Make some panels for that side wall. Bookcases, other furniture, plants......etc. You will thank me later.

Ditch:

Congrats on your purchase. It's fun to get new toys. Now I'd hate to sound preachy but you really need room treatments. It's gonna make more difference than $25k worth of hi-end electronics. New house? Throw down a thick area rug with underlay. Make some panels for that side wall. Bookcases, other furniture, plants......etc. You will thank me later.

i agree, just not ready. still under some construction (small details) the seating a is all leather with a 5'x5' ottoman.
fyi i hate rugs. but we will see. as far as panels...ooohh not sure.

interesting design.

The drivers ARE woven of something
yeah, it looks to be some form of fiberglass material. However without knowing there may be some form of laminate, or layer, on the back side as well for added stiffness.

The current Energy C-Series product feature's driver cones consisting of (what they refer to as) "fiberglass". In actuality they are fiberglass cloth laminated to some form of plastic material creating a "composite" cone. The material looks very similiar to the fiberglass used on the Omni drivers.
http://www.energy-speakers.com/v2/products/product-line.php?id=290


otherwise their MAJOR design difference compared to any standard direct firing monopole is their Omnipolar technology, which ain't on ANY B&W speaker that I know of. The main driver fires upward at an angle and the tweeter, that also fires upward, perhaps even directly upward, is mounted in that doohickey above the driveryeah, I can see here. And now that I look harder at the image I'm just realizing that the mechanical assembly on top is an over-hanging tweeter mount. Very bizaar design. So it looks to me that the upper driver configuration consists of the mid-range and tweeter, while the lower driver is the bass. Can't imagine the sound characteristics with upward firing mid-range/tweeter?

I have a pair of Mirage Omnisat v2 floorstanders and the cc in a second system. The Omnipolar design works and sounds great.

one example of the way it sounds. my best friend has polk rti8 towers. they sound great when on the couch. but sound somewhat different/distance when going to the side of the room, or moving around.
these i have not found that to be true. no matter where i am, kitchen, woodstove. moving around, they sound the same. its great.

$339 a pair!!!!!!! Holy schnikeys that's a deal!

I have a huge great room that opens to the dining room, kitchen, hallway(s), etc and I am trying to decide what type speaker will work best in there. I want speakers with a wide soundstage without a single sweet spot for family movie watching. I'm down to Def Tech Bipolars or Mirage Omnipolars. I have been looking longingly at the Mirage OMD-15's, but at $339/pair for those 550's, how can I go wrong?

$339 a pair!!!!!!! Holy schnikeys that's a deal!

I have a huge great room that opens to the dining room, kitchen, hallway(s), etc and I am trying to decide what type speaker will work best in there. I want speakers with a wide soundstage without a single sweet spot for family movie watching. I'm down to Def Tech Bipolars or Mirage Omnipolars. I have been looking longingly at the Mirage OMD-15's, but at $339/pair for those 550's, how can I go wrong?

crutchfield.com they are very fast. just don't do a search by speakers. you have to type in the name mirage 550 or mirage 350 and they will pop up...

good luck

by the way shipping is free.

went with the one grill off, and front on look.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/ht2002.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/ht2006.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/fluffyrunnells/ht2005.jpg

went with the one grill off, and front on look.
nice, clean, set-up.

Now I realize (I forgot) but Mirage is part of the same organization as Energy, they are both under API (which is owned by the Klpisch Group). This is why the driver construction looks so familiar. The Omni series definitely shares the same exact fiberglass-composite driver cone construction. Build quality and performance should be very good.

Im confused ditch, I thought you had The Studio L series...???

yeah, I can see here. And now that I look harder at the image I'm just realizing that the mechanical assembly on top is an over-hanging tweeter mount. Very bizaar design. So it looks to me that the upper driver configuration consists of the mid-range and tweeter, while the lower driver is the bass. Can't imagine the sound characteristics with upward firing mid-range/tweeter?
I'm not sure how the drivers on these towers are crossed but they have many models (the bookshelves in this series, as well as many in their lower series) that only have the one driver with tweeter assembly/diffractor/diffusor/ disperser over it. That's sort of their trademark dealio and has been for a while. I've not really listened to their larger speakers like these in a long time, but I have listened to their smaller Omnisats and Nanosats several times and, as I said, the design IS effective for those smaller speakers.

Here's a close-up of the flying saucer thingie. It's both a tweeter housing as well as a diffracter/diffuser/disperser for the driver that's underneath it. And notice how the tweeter's output is immediately diffracted/diffused/dispersed, as well. It's a controversial design, but they've been selling this design for years now. I can remember when I first heard their towers many years ago and they were, basically, using the same exact design. The owners love them, particularly for 2-channel setups.

http://www.miragespeakers.com/v2/thumbs/m1-550-OMD-15-RW-Close-up.jpg

They also have a series that's higher than these of ditchdiggers that are really nice looking.

http://www.miragespeakers.com/v2/

And ditch-digger, if you're not going to put your pants back on, at least use some protection! :D

Here's a close-up of the flying saucer thingie. It's both a tweeter housing as well as a diffracter/diffuser/disperser for the driver that's underneath it. And notice how the tweeter's output is immediately diffracted/diffused/dispersed, as wellyeah, the "flying-saucer" looking assembly is a combination sealed tweeter with rear-side mid-range defractor. The piece on top of the tweeter is the defractor for the tweeter itself. They use these defractor designs to optimize dispersion.

I notice the nigher-end OM series have the better driver designs (which are the same Energy designed carbon-fibre layered cones with elliptical surrounds and phase-plugs), very nice.

They use these defractor designs to optimize dispersion.
Yep. It's interesting........................ and controversial. :) Definitely unique. I don't know of any other speaker that uses a design that's at all similar.

I notice the nigher-end OM series have the better driver designs (which are the same Energy designed carbon-fibre layered cones with elliptical surrounds and phase-plugs), very nice.
Yeah, the OM series top driver is actually a smaller, more midrange-ish looking driver, too, it seems, and the "flying saucer's" cantilever is different (and I guess, "better"). That bird's-eye maple OM is sweet. The OMs ain't cheap either. Crutchfield sells them.

Im confused ditch, I thought you had The Studio L series...???

had jbl studio l's and sent them back. was not the full sound i was looking for. just not for me.
they looked pretty, but that was it for me.

I reinstated my Mirage 350s last night, partially in response to the pictures here. The difference in SQ between them and my Athenas is too small to have a strong preference for one or the other (they are different, but their individual strengths and weaknesses balance out.) What tipped the scales was looks. The Mirages are absolutely gorgeous. In fact, they are such an attractive focal point that I may redecorate my whole apartment around them.:cool:

Here's a close-up of the flying saucer thingie. It's both a tweeter housing as well as a diffracter/diffuser/disperser for the driver that's underneath it. And notice how the tweeter's output is immediately diffracted/diffused/dispersed, as well. It's a controversial design, but they've been selling this design for years now. I can remember when I first heard their towers many years ago and they were, basically, using the same exact design. The owners love them, particularly for 2-channel setups.


Here is a better shot of the Omniguide used. This is from the original OMNI series that was discontinued a few years ago with only slight differences. The midrange driver is angled to diffuse most of the sound towards the front of the room while the tweeter is more level to give a more spacious sound. I find that the sound from these Mirage's are quite nice.

http://ryanfure.googlepages.com/omni_guideMedium.jpg

Oh, and congrats on your new purchase ditch-digger. You got a great set of speakers at a great price. I hope you get many years of enjoyment out of them.

I find that the sound from these Mirage's are quite niceI think they yield nice sound, mostly, becasue they employ the same driver design as the Energy line (which are excellent).

I reinstated my Mirage 350s last night, partially in response to the pictures here. The difference in SQ between them and my Athenas is too small to have a strong preference for one or the other (they are different, but their individual strengths and weaknesses balance out.) What tipped the scales was looks. The Mirages are absolutely gorgeous. In fact, they are such an attractive focal point that I may redecorate my whole apartment around them.:cool:
Why don't you just hook up all your many "best speakers ever" at the same time? :D

Maybe not. Might soil your britches. :eek:

Why don't you just hook up all your many "best speakers ever" at the same time? :D


For one thing, I don't have most of them anymore. For another, tastes evolve with time and experience so that not all of them would still sound like the "best ever" (except for HT, where Def Tech has always been and always will be #1.)

Maybe not. Might soil your britches. :eek:

heeheeheeheehee..........

For another, tastes evolve with time and experience so that not all of them would still sound like the "best ever"...........
Yeah, I used to hate fish.

also from NH, though not as deep in the woods...

Planning on ordering a set to use as mains in a 2.0 system (for now). We will mostly be using them for music and a replacement for the tv speakers. My room is pretty large (17'x22' with cathedral ceilings peeking at 11'), so not sure whether the 350s will be enough. Looks like you have cathedral ceilings; how large is your room? With two young children in the house, we won't be playing these very loud at all. Is the extra $100 worth it for the 550s??

Is the extra $100 worth it for the 550s??
I have no direct experience with either, but if that is only $100 more per pair, I would have to say yes, it is "worth" it.

For one thing, I don't have most of them anymore. For another, tastes evolve with time and experience so that not all of them would still sound like the "best ever" (except for HT, where Def Tech has always been and always will be #1.)

You seriously did not just say that Def Tech is #1 for home theater..... :eek:

I have no direct experience with either, but if that is only $100 more per pair, I would have to say yes, it is "worth" it.

I have a pair of 550's and main difference between the 350 and 550 will be lower extension. For 2ch the sound of the 550 will be a lot more full range than the 350. If you can accomodate for their size I would say to go for the 550. You won't regret it. These speakers really shine in HT as it spreads the sound across the entire room as one huge sweet spot. I find the highs very detailed in movies.

Very interesting. Never seen speakers like those before. A mid-range driver coming out of the top...

Very nice speakers though, congrats! :)

also from NH, though not as deep in the woods...

Planning on ordering a set to use as mains in a 2.0 system (for now). We will mostly be using them for music and a replacement for the tv speakers. My room is pretty large (17'x22' with cathedral ceilings peeking at 11'), so not sure whether the 350s will be enough. Looks like you have cathedral ceilings; how large is your room? With two young children in the house, we won't be playing these very loud at all. Is the extra $100 worth it for the 550s??

my room is 16x27 with cathedral peaking at 12'. i went thru the same as you 350 or 550. i thought yeah i could save a little with the 350's, but i would always wonder if i should have got the 550's. they fill my huge room up very well.

wonderful speakers. and loud has nothing to do with it. as stated before i can go to friends house with towers, and to really impress me he has to blast them. with the 550's. put on some pink floyd, or genesis at a nice moderate setting, and you will understand.

also if you are using it for tv, you will really enjoy the full sound. i am not lying when i say these sound just as good if not better than my original 5.1 set-up for movies. 2.1 ftw

Thanks all, I am going to go ahead and order the 550s.

Thanks all, I am going to go ahead and order the 550s.

where are you getting them from.??

Would the Mirage 550s be a nice upgrade from Klipsch Synergy F-1s? From the looks of it I'd say the answer is yes but figured I'd ask anyway. Thank you very much,

Chris

I ordered them from Vanns, Crutchfield only had one "scratch and dent" left and I didn't really feel like ordering from two different stores. I am still thinking it is a pretty good purchase for $400. I have been researching this to death and considered buying much more expensive speakers. Finally I realized that anything will be a huge upgrade from my current speakers (Sansuis that my father brought home from Vietnam in 1970). I am pretty excited to get them now.

I was following some posts you (ditch-digger) made in the Mirage owner's post about matching with a center. Let us know what you decide to go with as that will be my next purchase.

(Sansuis that my father brought home from Vietnam in 1970).
With the wooden grills? My Dad had some of those, too.

Yeah, with the wooden grills...

Everytime he comes over he feels the need to tell me "you know, those speakers were top of the line when I got those." Sorry dad, they will soon be retired.

You seriously did not just say that Def Tech is #1 for home theater..... :eek:

Yes. Unquestionably flawless for that purpose. Not as good for 2-channel music, though.

Would the Mirage 550s be a nice upgrade from Klipsch Synergy F-1s? From the looks of it I'd say the answer is yes but figured I'd ask anyway. Thank you very much,

Chris

To me, practically anything would be an upgrade from Klipsch. I find them excessively bright and harsh.

I have a pair of 550's and main difference between the 350 and 550 will be lower extension. For 2ch the sound of the 550 will be a lot more full range than the 350. If you can accomodate for their size I would say to go for the 550. You won't regret it. These speakers really shine in HT as it spreads the sound across the entire room as one huge sweet spot. I find the highs very detailed in movies.

There are two reasons that I went with the 350s instead of 550s. The first is that the sound seems all the more impressive coming from such a small enclosure (an effect mitigated by the considerably larger size of the 550s.) The second is that the 350's tweeters are exactly at seated ear level, while the 550's are noticeable higher.

There are two reasons that I went with the 350s instead of 550s. The first is that the sound seems all the more impressive coming from such a small enclosure (an effect mitigated by the considerably larger size of the 550s.) The second is that the 350's tweeters are exactly at seated ear level, while the 550's are noticeable higher.
Where'd you order your 350s, PULLIAMM?

Do these have a matching center/surrounds (from an online retailer, Vanns has nothing)?

Thanks.

Do these have a matching center/surrounds (from an online retailer, Vanns has nothing)?

Thanks.

surrounds are the 150's
center either a 150 or the c150

a person on this forum has some c150's. tdi. send him a pm.
as for 150's check crutchfield.

Where'd you order your 350s, PULLIAMM?

Vanns.

There are two reasons that I went with the 350s instead of 550s. The first is that the sound seems all the more impressive coming from such a small enclosure (an effect mitigated by the considerably larger size of the 550s.) The second is that the 350's tweeters are exactly at seated ear level, while the 550's are noticeable higher.Where'd you order your 350s, PULLIAMM?Vanns.
So, did you hear the 350s and 550s together?

So, did you hear the 350s and 550s together?

Yes, at Ultimate Electronics. I auditioned them there before buying them from Vanns at half the price. (I wouldn't do that to a locally-owned shop, but UE is an evil megastore, so I have no qualms about it.)
The only difference between the 350s and 550s is bass extension. If I want more bass later (I am fine with it for now), I will add the OM8 sub.