Mirage Speakers - Page 204

The Integra is better period. For music and HT, dialing in 2 subs with the XT32 is amazing tight hard hitting bass. But you have to remember it costs much much more than the Yamaha.

I had an Integra also.. damn good.. I have an Onkyo now.. Just because its basically the same and was the 1st receiver on the market to do Dolby digital true hd and dts master audio..

look out..
single OMD-15 on bidding...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mirage-Omnip...item5892ddee54

Had a spring break party last night and was playing movies and concerts in my theater. I got a TON of compliments from friends on the sights and sounds! The best compliment was from a friend of mine that runs Def Techs right after the 3 HOUR Rush concert had ended..he was like... "Where do you buy these speakers again???..i can't find them anywhere!" and "How much is that Center channel it sounds like f%&*ing dynamite!"

I had the sound cranked up and he walked over to the center channel and looked at the drivers and noticed they were barely moving! I told him that the lower frequencies were going to my sub..thats why Alex's guitar and Neils drums sounded just like a real concert and had PERFECT pitch and DETAIL...while hitting you hard right between the eyes!

Again thanks to all for the help and great advice! Oh yea, my former Def Tec friend might show up here for advice too in the near future! ha ha ha

Hey! Take it easy on him...we all make mistakes!

Nice !!!!

So what configuration are you using? The C1 in the center and 5's for the mains and surrounds? I think you said you shipped the C2 back, right? I decided to keep mine. The C1 and C2 are both excellent, in my opinion. That's a great story about your friend - what model Def Techs does he have?

I have been looking at a Mirage MX 5.1 Channel Miniature High-Performance Speaker System setup with Marantz SR7005

What do you guys think?

http://www.amazon.com/Marantz-SR7005...2112244&sr=8-1

Thinking to buy these 3 items

This item: Marantz SR7005 Audio Video Receiver (Black) by Marantz $1,699.00
Mirage MX 5.1-Channel Miniature Home Theater Speaker System (Set of Six, Black) by Mirage $449.00
Mediabridge Ultra Series - High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet - (6 Feet) - Category 2 Certified - Supports 3D & Audio Return Channel [Latest HDMI Version Available] $9.99

I would not purchase a $1700 receiver for $450 speakers. In my opinion, you have it backwards. You should spend $1700 on speakers and $450 on the receiver. The speakers and room make the biggest difference not the electronics.

I forgot to post this the other night.




Now I just have to send the OMD5s back. Vanns claimed they couldn't modify my order because it had shipped the day I placed the order (I called the next morning). They said I would have to place a separate order for the extra OMDRs and ship the OMD5s back. Somehow they arrived all together in one shipment, I'm guessing they're banking on me keeping the OMD5s and thought they would have a bigger sale. I'm debating on if the 6 OMDRs are going to be overkill in my small room, lol. At best my dimensions will be 14'x18' but likely more around 14'x16', the OMDRs are to be wides, sides, rears. Have I gone mad?

-Sean

I can't agree more. You are picking out a awesome receiver, I would go for nothing less than the OMD series. For 5.1 (2) OMD-15, (1) OMD-C1, and (2) OMD-5, then pick out a nice HSU, SVS, or Epik sub. Killer setup. But I understand you probably have a budget.

I use the mx speakers (5 of them) for my P.C. set-up,along with a Yamaha RX-V467 and a Yamaha YST-SW030 sub.
they have an excellent sound.
I totally love them on music,that make me wonder how the floor standing OMD series would sound....
on movies they are superb but I would prefer them up-side down at 8 feet high, as I have my OS-1 Platinum ones in the same room....
I believe that the philosophy of the omniguide makes them ideal for that kind of placement....

even more the small size of the mx series, not bigger than a can of coke, makes them invisible and all my guests wonder where this amazing sound comes from....
when I tell them they are stunned...

Mirage MX 5: 400 dollars imported from Chicago,U.S. ......
Yamaha RX-V467: 325 dollars imported from U.K. ....
Yamaha YST-SW030 :125 dollars from Greece....

850 dollars for amazing sound and endless hours of pleasure....

In addition to getting the right balance of spend on the receiver and the speakers - The size of speakers determines the ability to produce sound. Unless you absolutely have to have tiny speakers, go for something larger, especially in the front. Even the Nanosat is a big compromise as a front speaker (and the Omnisat/OS3 is a modest compromise).

Tiny speakers are popular, so a lot of people are willing to make the tradeoff. And they are definitely much better than TV speakers. But the tone is unnatural, with no mid bass.

Ignoring the issue of relative price between receiver and speakers, I'd recommend the Denon AVR-4311 over the Marantz SR7005. That Marantz model is essentially a clone (with different cosmetics) of the Denon AVR-3311. (Denon and Marantz are owned by the same parent company.)

The AVR-4311, which can be had at authorized resellers for less than the price of SR7005, has a big advantage over those models: Audyssey MultEQ XT32, rather just MultEQ XT. (The 4311 also has 9 amp channels and slightly more amp power per channel, but I don't consider that significant unless you need the extra channels.)

The Denon has some advantages over the Marantz in specs. The Denon is also about 10 pounds heavier and made in Japan (Marantz is made in China). The extra wattage might be necessary for the OMD-28's but not other Mirage speakers. I have done A/B comparisons and I prefer the Marantz sound. The difference is not as subtle as some people state (the Marantz is warmer with more delicate highs, the Denon is a more neutral and extended in frequency response... this is only my personal observation and preference - everyone differs) just go to your local Magnolia dealer and compare for yourself. Also, the Marantz is approaching two years old... the company replaced the SR-6005 and SR-5005 last summer but they didn't touch the SR-7005. I expect a new Marantz flagship in a few months and the SR-7005 will likely be available on clearance for about a grand. I am actually waiting for that day. The only other receiver I am considering is the Anthem line (MRX 300, 500, and 700), but haven't found a local store with both brands for direct comparison.

Also, I would not put to much focus on Audyssey MultEQ XT32 vs. MultEQ XT. The review below of the Denon AVR-4311ci states they preferred the receiver with Audyssey turned off. Again, however, your situation and experience may differ as your listening environment is certainly different than the revewer's.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/receive...4311ci-review/

For people who have a lot of experience with both the OMD-28 and OMD-15, I have a question (perhaps for people who upgraded).

Not considering the better bass of the larger speaker (i.e. if you crossed both at 60 or 80 hz), how much better is the OMD-28? How well does the 15 compete with the 28? I know the 28 is better, but would I need to do a/b comparisons to find small details or is the difference immediately apparent?

I am looking for a realistic answer, not someone justifying the extra money they paid... There is definitely a law of diminishing returns with audio equipment.

Thanks for your help. An opinion about the two OMD centers would be helpful as well.

I'm also considering the 28's, if they should come down in price. I can give you my two cents regarding the C1 versus C2 centers, though, as I recently purchased the C2.

At the price Vann's is listing right now, it is worth getting the C2. The caveats are (1) it needs a LOT of power - I would recommend a separate amp, rather than an AVR and certainly not any HTIB-type AVR; and (2) it's pretty big so you need to make sure you have room for it and adequate support since it weighs 32 lbs.

The mids and upper ranges are similar but I find the C2 to be the smoother of the two - it handles sibilance better, and also can handle loud, dynamic passages better than the C1. The C2 also is quite powerful in the bass region and would make a decent full range speaker if you ask me. The larger woofers give it a fuller or richer sound but it is still very clear and crisp.

The difference is apparent right away with the C2. I had to get used to a much stronger bass output.

It seems that the digitaltrends reviewer didn't know how to properly perform Audyssey calibration. Audyssey relies on averaging the response from multiple mic positions. For XT32, the recommended number of positions is eight. Despite doing the calibration seven different times, the reviewer only used two microphone positions for most of those calibrations. It's also possible that his unit had a bad mic.

Regarding Audyssey MultEQ XT32 vs. XT, the only review that would be relevant is one which directly compares similarly equipped receivers that only differ by their Audyssey version.

wwstereo [good vendor, sells a lot of Mirage stuff] has the Nanosat Prestige for $90 if you're looking to pick up one or two [for a full set you're better off price wise to wait for the non-glossy 5.0 or 5.1 sets to go on sale - like this]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JFNA4Y/

Question or two.

Main question is, how would I know if I'm going to like the mirage "signature" sound? I've read the few professional reviews and the user reviews. Both seem to really like them.

Then there are the non owners that have listened to them and pretty much hate them.

I can't demo them (I live in Hawaii- no free shipping).

They seem ideally suited for my soon to be finished media room in which the majority of use will be TV, movies and gaming, but I still want to be able to listen to and enjoy music. Jazz, blues, soft rock, hard rock to metal. Big Clutch fan.

The Vanns' price seems almost to good. Real wood veneer towers for $400 each.

Next question, would I be able to use 5 of the OMD-5s? Or would it be worth the extra for the towers and purpose built center?

I would be using a sub or two. Most likely a HSU of some sort.

Room is 13x14x9 with 2 doors both of which can be shut.

Thanks for the help and info.

For years I had only the smallest Mirage setup - five NanoSats and a NanoSub and they sounded pretty darned good. Now I have the Rosewood 15 towers, C1 center and still running four NanoSats as surrounds and front wides. The sound is superb. The wood finish is amazing ... absolutely beautiful workmanship. People either love 'em or don't but I'm in the Love 'Em camp. Will eventually replace the NanoSats with 5s. Yes, I think you could use all 5s running a high quality sub and be very happy but, for the price, passing on the 15s and C1 seems, well, almost foolish.

Best Buy has the os3 line usually on display if you have a magnolia best buy.

They would sound similar as far as the open non-directional sound, but the OD series will sound fuller and go deeper.

Thanks. As for the 15s it ups the shipping by about $$250 or so. Still a good deal, just don't know if it's worth it when using a high quality sub.

As for the C1 why is it better than the OMD5? The OMD5 actually has slightly better rate response?

Thanks.

And for the poster below this post, no BB on my island.

Hi, I know the difference in bass is significant between the 28s and 15. How much better is the soundstage, transparency, tonality and detail?

By the way, Vanns has sold out of the 28s in Rosewood... not sure if anymore are on the way.

Thanks.

Oops, sorry, I made a mistake in the post you quoted. I meant to say the C2 has much stronger bass than the C1 and I had to get used to it. I wrote "28's" instead. I guess I was just dreaming ahead on that one!

About Vann's being sold out - is that what they told you at Vanns? Because their site still shows they are available. The listing on the Amazon page shows sold out but the other day I asked a Vann's rep if the quantities shown on Amazon are what's allotted to them or is that what Vann's actually has in stock. I was told that Vann's has more than what Amazon shows. So they still may be available, but directly from Vann's.

C1 is far better in voice reproduction, range a and fullness IMO. I had three omd 5s and my fronts and center, now using two 15s and a c1.
The 5s as rears.

I had the c1 and used its with 5s as L and R at first. The C1 noticeably overpowered the 5s, but that can be toned down.

Youll be happy with any, but remember once you get the small ones you'll be eyeballing the c1 and 15s

I would at least get the c1 and a REALLY good sub. Can use 5s for L and R with a solid sub that u can test locally.

Yes- well, they have one in stock (try to put two in your cart and no luck). I called Vanns and confirmed. They also do not have an order pending with Mirage. I even e-mailed a Mirage rep who wasn't sure if anymore existed in Rosewood. They do have black. The 15s were even more discounted than the 28s. I think I may just go with them. The 15s are 1/3 of the price compared to the 28s, but perhaps 80% of the performance (speculation here on performance gap... hence my questioning).

Yup, I tried putting 2 in the cart and it kept reverting to 1.

As for the gap between the 15 and 28 - I doubt that the 28's are worth 3x the price of the 15's (actually it is 3.5x) and for the current price of $2,800/pr there are a lot of alternatives out there with comparable or even lower prices such as the Salk Songtowers, Ascend Sierra towers or Philharmonic Audio 2's, all of which I have been drooling over lately. But I'd like to get the 28's and keep it all in the family, especially since I just bought the C2 the other day and to get the center channel speakers of any of those other towers I mentioned would be even more money going out the door. The alternative might be to get a pair of those towers as mains and keep the OMD C2 center but then they probably wouldn't match very well.

I like my 15's. If the difference between them and the 28's is like the difference between the C1 and C2, it would be better low end response and better ability to handle dynamics and sibilance. Is it worth the difference? I don't know.. I keep telling myself if I got the 28's it would be the last pair of speakers I need (want) but haha, how many times have we said that over and over with each new purchase?

Monkubro.. I doubt it would be worth it. I was disappointed with the 15's after I heard the 8060st's.. I honestly think the 15's are a $400 speaker. I never heard that deep sound stage people were talking about,I really wanted to hear it. I placed them everywhere I could,ran audyssey and they just didn't wow me.

Well I've never heard the DefTechs so I have nothing to compare them to but I do like my 15's. I never get the impression of listening to sound from a box like I do with other speakers, and I like the sound signature of the OMD line.

You're right about them being $400 speakers - in general, speakers are "worth" whatever you pay for them because so much of the price often has nothing to do with actual costs. And pretty much every pro review will state that the speaker under review compares favorably to speakers that are several times more expensive - which leads me to wonder, if every speaker compares that way, then what speakers are really priced at the right level? I've never read a review that said the speakers were overpriced or even priced fairly. The 28's are probably worth what Vann's is asking for them based on build quality, sound, etc. but no way are they worth $7,500. If they were, that's what Vann's would sell them for.

Anyway, I guess to each his/her own - It's good that you found the DefTechs. Rather than being a placement issue (since you've moved the 15's all over the place), it sounds like the OMD sound just doesn't appeal to you.