AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Speakers › Mirage Speakers
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Mirage Speakers - Page 4

post #91 of 6500
1/20/07 at 4:25pm
Hey Mick, we are located in downtown bend oregon. bout a 6 hour drive from seattle. We have also done some messing around with the speakers (both the 15's and 28's). We have changed amp's numerous times. Along with speaker wire and interconnects. As of right now this is what we have hooked up to them:

Arcam CD192
Arcam C31 pre-amp
2 Arcam P1 mono block amps
Synergistic Research speaker wire and interconnect's (all with active shielding)
Monster HTS 3500 line conditioner.

It's always amazing to see the difference little stuff can make. It is pretty easy to tell the difference in quality when the speaker wire and interconnects are not "turned on" (12 volt current going throught the shielding). before we had the Arcam mono block amps we were using an NAD amp (can't remember the model). The higher end audio equipment made all the difference in the world.
Reply
Reply

Gear mentioned in this thread:

post #92 of 6500
1/20/07 at 7:09pm
Thanks Bradley! I've got next friday off so I just might make a trip down there with a couple of my test cd's. But I still need the name of your store so if you want to email me with that info then I can plan a trip down south. Man I need a break from the family anyway and what better way to go eh??
Thanks again!
Gerry
Reply
Reply
post #93 of 6500
1/23/07 at 1:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TDI Driver View Post

Well it is official. Just got a new shipment of Omni-S10 subs in the other day and the "Made in Canada" label had been stickered over with "China." The last of the made in Canada product is gone. Which begs the question, what does API now do in that 162,000 square foot facility in Canada?

On the other hand, the new Omni Series sounds great. Have the 550, 150 and C150 on display and they've been getting favorable listener response. The 550's in my opionion are definitely better than the original Omni-260 towers in terms of dynamics. At $200 less a pair, the 550's are a great value.


what? this is great news.
Ive only found one online dealer online and when I called him a few weeks ago, He was just barely setting them up and unsure how they would turn out, so he told me to call back in a few weeks after then get some break in.

I definately hope the 550s sound better than my bookshelf 60s, however I was scared it might be a downgrade, as all the new stuff Ive been hearing from mirage lately in stores after the old omni series have been sliding downhill for the worse.

$800 is a lot of money for something for me to blind buy. yes, as mentioned prior in this post, the downgraded tweeter and the extremely light weight of the 550 has be scared.

considering other speakers like ascend 340 bookshelves clock in at 25 pounds and full sized floorstanding mirage 550 clocks in at only 34? this had me worried.


btw, I have a question about the new omni drivers, are they phase plugs? are are those cones glued on the driver? mirage website doesnt seem to show this, they only show it from an angle so it looks like a phase plug?
Reply
Reply
post #94 of 6500
1/23/07 at 6:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RnB180 View Post


. . . as all the new stuff Ive been hearing from mirage lately in stores after the old omni series have been sliding downhill for the worse.

$800 is a lot of money for something for me to blind buy. yes, as mentioned prior in this post, the downgraded tweeter and the extremely light weight of the 550 has be scared.

btw, I have a question about the new omni drivers, are they phase plugs? are are those cones glued on the driver? mirage website doesnt seem to show this, they only show it from an angle so it looks like a phase plug?


As long time dealers, we were pretty concerned with the direction Mirage was heading when the original Omni series was discontinued leaving only the OmniSat V2-FS as the only reasonably priced Mirage floorstanding speaker.

Then when the new Omni series was announced and the drivers had changed and the cabinet weight went down, we had more cause for concern like most consumers.

But when the speakers arrived and the build quality was still what we expected and the sound quality was there, we were able to breathe easy. I think we'll have some nice success with this line. The new tweeter is clean, clear and not fatiguing (even right out of the box). Bass output is very plentiful that in some 2-channel auditions I have to double check that the sub is not on. The bass drivers should tighten up even more once broken in. Hopefully Mirage won't abandon this line and choose to upgrade it as time goes by.

In response to your question on the drivers, it is not a phase plug, but a glued in dust cap shaped similar to a phase plug.

Hope this info helps and have fun auditioning!
Reply
Reply
post #95 of 6500
1/23/07 at 12:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TDI Driver View Post

As long time dealers, we were pretty concerned with the direction Mirage was heading when the original Omni series was discontinued leaving only the OmniSat V2-FS as the only reasonably priced Mirage floorstanding speaker.

Then when the new Omni series was announced and the drivers had changed and the cabinet weight went down, we had more cause for concern like most consumers.

But when the speakers arrived and the build quality was still what we expected and the sound quality was there, we were able to breathe easy. I think we'll have some nice success with this line. The new tweeter is clean, clear and not fatiguing (even right out of the box). Bass output is very plentiful that in some 2-channel auditions I have to double check that the sub is not on. The bass drivers should tighten up even more once broken in. Hopefully Mirage won't abandon this line and choose to upgrade it as time goes by.

In response to your question on the drivers, it is not a phase plug, but a glued in dust cap shaped similar to a phase plug.

Hope this info helps and have fun auditioning!

thanks for the info,
how would you compare it to the omni 60's? would they be a major step up? and if you could post ppics that would be great, as the only pics online are the ones from mirage. Im sure that if there are any owners of the 550 in america the numbers would probably be in the single digits.

Ive been looking for speakers to upgrade from my current omni and this looks promising.

also, how does the new omni center and the old omni center speakers compare?
the new one is direct radiating and lacking one midbass driver as opposed to the older version.

Im wondering if I should keep my old omni center and replace the fron omni 60s with the 550s. but truthfully, Im not too happy with my curent omni cc, because, there seems to be some intelligibility problems with this one. Im sure the new omni center would fix it with direct raditing, but not sure about the sound quality?
Reply
Reply
post #96 of 6500
1/23/07 at 8:57pm
Has anyone found speaker stands that work for the older OM-RM2's? I moved to a house that would work best using speaker stands and I can't bring myself to part with the enveloping sound or the RM2 rear speakers.

Cheers, Dan
Reply
Reply
post #97 of 6500
1/24/07 at 4:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RnB180 View Post

thanks for the info,
how would you compare it to the omni 60's? would they be a major step up? and if you could post ppics that would be great, as the only pics online are the ones from mirage. Im sure that if there are any owners of the 550 in america the numbers would probably be in the single digits.

Ive been looking for speakers to upgrade from my current omni and this looks promising.

also, how does the new omni center and the old omni center speakers compare?
the new one is direct radiating and lacking one midbass driver as opposed to the older version.

Im wondering if I should keep my old omni center and replace the fron omni 60s with the 550s. but truthfully, Im not too happy with my curent omni cc, because, there seems to be some intelligibility problems with this one. Im sure the new omni center would fix it with direct raditing, but not sure about the sound quality?

The 550's are a definite step up from the original 60 bookshelves. There are certainly similarities with regard to midrange and top end reproduction since they are in the Mirage family, but you will be making a major leap forward in terms of overall dynamic range reproduction. The 550's simply have a huge soundstage - they fill our largest demo room easily without strain (approx. 15' x 30 with 14' ceilings). The new center speaker, being direct radiating, is very nice and I don't find it lacking even though it isn't a 3-way design like the original Omni-CC. Dialog reproduction is natural and intelligible and it keeps up with the 550's during dynamic action sequences at high volume.

I would post some pics, but I'm currently sold out of the 550's (I sold the demos yesterday) - we're a small independent retailer and don't stock up like the big boys. When we get some back in stock, I'll put them up.
Reply
Reply
post #98 of 6500
1/24/07 at 2:27pm
I'm hoping a fellow Mirage owner might be able to help out with guidance on possibly repairing one of my M5si's. I'm the original owner of these and still really like them. It appears that I now have a driver that's not properly functioning on one of them (loss of low and midrange). I've submitted several questions into the owner's forum over at miragespeakers.com as well as a question to service but it appears to be somewhat of a bit bucket - no replies.

How does one get access to the "behind the fabric" components of the speaker? I've puzzled over this a while and - given the shape and appearance of these speakers - I end up feeling a bit like one of the apes confronting the monolith in "2001: A Space Odyssey" - poking and prodding it without much actual knowledge.

I'm guessing that I need to pull off the top end cap and then I can either slide the fabric sock up and off or just scootch it down a bit to expose the drivers? I *gently* moved the end cap about but didn't want to force it as I wasn't sure if it was really supposed to be removable.

I've really resisted doing anything until I have some informed guidance as I don't want to screw it up. Any assistance/advice is most appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Reply
Reply
post #99 of 6500
1/24/07 at 4:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TDI Driver View Post

The 550's are a definite step up from the original 60 bookshelves. There are certainly similarities with regard to midrange and top end reproduction since they are in the Mirage family, but you will be making a major leap forward in terms of overall dynamic range reproduction. The 550's simply have a huge soundstage - they fill our largest demo room easily without strain (approx. 15' x 30 with 14' ceilings). The new center speaker, being direct radiating, is very nice and I don't find it lacking even though it isn't a 3-way design like the original Omni-CC. Dialog reproduction is natural and intelligible and it keeps up with the 550's during dynamic action sequences at high volume.

I would post some pics, but I'm currently sold out of the 550's (I sold the demos yesterday) - we're a small independent retailer and don't stock up like the big boys. When we get some back in stock, I'll put them up.


how do you think the new omni center stacks up against the old omni center? would it be a down grade or an upgrade? what I seem to desire from the omni speakers I use is more top end detail, rather than bass response, as I use two pb10s already.

right now, Im using omni 60s for the fronts, 50s for the rear, and omni sat micros for the surround back.

I was thinking of upgrading the 60s to the 550s, and possibly just using 550s for front and rears, while keeping the omni cc for the center. however if the new omni center is a considerable upgrade then Ill go with that. Intelligibilty is an issue with the omni cc along with some mid bass reporduction. Ive been trying to look around for discontinued OM center, thinking that may help.
Reply
Reply
post #100 of 6500
1/25/07 at 5:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by RnB180 View Post

how do you think the new omni center stacks up against the old omni center? would it be a down grade or an upgrade? what I seem to desire from the omni speakers I use is more top end detail, rather than bass response, as I use two pb10s already.

right now, Im using omni 60s for the fronts, 50s for the rear, and omni sat micros for the surround back.

I was thinking of upgrading the 60s to the 550s, and possibly just using 550s for front and rears, while keeping the omni cc for the center. however if the new omni center is a considerable upgrade then Ill go with that. Intelligibilty is an issue with the omni cc along with some mid bass reporduction. Ive been trying to look around for discontinued OM center, thinking that may help.

I think the new Omni center speaker will be an improvement in the area of intelligibility that you desire since it is a direct radiating speaker as opposed to the original Omni-CC which, as you know, uses the reflective omniguide on the tweeter and midrange (this design, while providing exceptional off-axis response from a center speaker, did hamper the overall clarity in the upper and mid-band frequencies).

Hope this helps, and hopefully you'll get to listen to these soon!
Reply
Reply
post #101 of 6500
2/7/07 at 12:48pm
I am very interested in the Mirage UNI-theater now that Crutchfield has dropped the price to $599. I currently have M&K S-85 L/C/R and am looking to clean up the setup once a new 47" LCD gets mounted to the wall.

Any response is greatly appreciated.
Reply
Reply
post #102 of 6500
2/14/07 at 11:11am
Hi Karl,

I don't know if you ever got an answer to your question about getting the cloth covers off of your M5 speakers.

My info may not be completely useful since my speakers are the original M1 (not si) models, but on mine the top plate lifts right off. It's held with plastic pins similar to those used on many speakers to hold the front grille on.

On the M1, there are also finished wood sides, which tilt out easily after the top piece is removed. The M1 has front and back grille cloth which is held in place with long slender dowel rods in a channel behind those side pieces. You may have an easier time if yours is a single "sock".

Sorry this isn't more precisely applicable, but perhaps at least the M5's top will be similar to its "big brother".
Reply
Reply
post #103 of 6500
2/15/07 at 6:31am
Thanks to JustMike for the advice on accessing the "behind the cloth" parts on my M5's. I'll update this thread after I attempt to fix the damaged unit, maybe even with pic's if I remember to have my camera on hand, in case it might provide value to others in the future faced with how-to repair questions for these older Mirage speakers.
Reply
Reply
post #104 of 6500
2/15/07 at 6:59am
Apologies for leeching onto this thread, but if there are a bunch of Mirage folks around, I'd like to ask a question please. I recently picked up a pair of OM10s for $100. They sound superb, much nicer than the Polk RTi10s I replaced them with (and more laid back, yes).

But I have no idea how old these things might be, and am curious. I can't find any ref to production dates on the Mirage website.

Tell ya what though, they definitely make me want to buy more Mirage products. Thanks in advance.
Reply
Reply
post #105 of 6500
2/16/07 at 2:24pm
they are from 1998 i believe
Reply
Reply
post #106 of 6500
2/16/07 at 2:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sbernstein View Post

I am very interested in the Mirage UNI-theater now that Crutchfield has dropped the price to $599. I currently have M&K S-85 L/C/R and am looking to clean up the setup once a new 47" LCD gets mounted to the wall.

Any response is greatly appreciated.

I currently have been using the UNI for about 3mos. It is wall mounted about 6" above my 50" Pioneer 1140HD. I have a surround system with Mirage HDT-CM1 ceiling mounts for my L&R surrounds and Back surrounds. Mirage 12" omni sub. My room is 22' x 17' x 11' high. My walls are plastered and I have lots of window. I watch the TV from 9-11' back through the long axis of the room.

That being said I am not happy with my UNI.
REASONS:

I have hard walls and I get a very "bright sound" especially with the UNI wall mounted and set for boundary compensation which manages the bass. So I lose there.

My room is too big for this unit (woofer are only 3").

My surrounds outperform the front UNI.

I think the UNI Theater is a good unit. Especially its design with the tweeters for the Left and Right channels set to the outside of the cabinet really gives a wide stage and sound image. I have to admit it is a compromise from separate LCR speakers.

If you have a smaller room than I, and your viewing distance is 6-9', as well as some sound dampening in the room (carpets, wall hangings) then it is a fine speaker system.

I have decided to upgrade and get some KEF IQ9's for L & R and a center from the same IQ series.

That sounds great for the price. I paid 950 only 4 mos. ago.
Reply
Reply
post #107 of 6500
2/16/07 at 3:28pm
I received the omni 550s just recently, and I am very happy with these speakers. the only draw back is that it looks like one of the grills was damaged in somehow, as the posts on one of the grill detached. A little super glue fixed this however.

Anyhow, Im so happy with these speakers Im considering getting two more for the surround duties. they sound fantastic with stereo music listening and definately a step up from the omni 60s I was using before. the sound is so lush and the sound stage is absolutely massive. they arent too expensive either, they cost about as much as you would pay for a quality bookshelf speakers.

its obvious, that mirage took short cuts in build quality with these speakers, i.e. plastic grill posts similar to ball and socket rather than metal or magnetic grill attachments, and lighter speakers, Im guess the magnets in the drivers are a lot lighter than previous models, however sonic performance on these things surpass there $800 pair price point. Just dont expect expensive speaker quality on a $800 pair of speakers and you wont set yourself up for disapointment.



in terms of sonic performance IMO they easily surpass their price point. these are great sound speakers for the price IMO, at this price its an incredible value.
Reply
Reply
post #108 of 6500
2/16/07 at 3:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RnB180 View Post

I received the omni 550s just recently, and I am very happy with these speakers. the only draw back is that it looks like one of the grills was damaged in somehow, as the posts on one of the grill detached. A little super glue fixed this however.

Anyhow, Im so happy with these speakers Im considering getting two more for the surround duties. they sound fantastic with stereo music listening and definately a step up from the omni 6-s I was using before. the sound is so lush and the sound stage is absolutely massive. they are too expensive either, they cost about as much as you would pay for a quality bookshelf speakers.

its obvious, that mirage took short cuts in build quality with these speakers, i.e. plastic grill posts similar to ball and socket rather than metal or magenetic grill attachments, and lighter speakers, Im guess the magnets in the drivers are a lot lighter than previous models, however sonic performance on these things surpass there $800 pair price point. Just dont expect expensive speaker quality on a $800 pair of speakers and you wont set yourself up for dissapointment.



in terms of sonic performance IMO they easily surpass their price point. these are great sound speakers for the price IMO, at this price its an incredible value.

Glad you are enjoying them! These have been really popular with listeners in our store that I haven't been able to keep them around. Believe me we were all a little concerned with the reduction in overall product weight but if the sound is there, who cares how thery're (Mirage) doing it. I will also agree that with 2-channel material they really outshine nearly anything I've heard or sold in the price range (I won't mention any names for fear of angering anyone but over 14 years there have been quite a few quality brands). Definitely in my opinion the 550's are certainly a step up above the original Omni-260's in terms of dynamics and soundstage. Unfortunately too few people are auditioning in 2-channel anymore.
Reply
Reply
post #109 of 6500
2/17/07 at 2:25pm
took a snapshot of the driver
LL
Reply
Reply
post #110 of 6500
2/17/07 at 2:48pm
[quote=TDI Driver] These have been really popular with listeners in our store that I haven't been able to keep them around. QUOTE]

TDI,
Does your store carry either the OMD 28 or 15 and the accompanying center speakers with those? I haven't had the opportunity to hear these, but I need to add LCR's to my surround system. Now have 4 HDT-CM1 ceiling mounts for side and rear surrounds, and the omni-12" sub. As an alternative to OMD 15, or 28 I have considered the KEF IQ9 or XQ5 series as well as Canton 809 or 807 DC's? Any thoughts or experiences with the above. Thanks, Eric
Reply
Reply
post #111 of 6500
2/17/07 at 2:59pm
[quote=NOCAL]
Quote:
Originally Posted by TDI Driver View Post

These have been really popular with listeners in our store that I haven't been able to keep them around. QUOTE]

TDI,
Does your store carry either the OMD 28 or 15 and the accompanying center speakers with those? I haven't had the opportunity to hear these, but I need to add LCR's to my surround system. Now have 4 HDT-CM1 ceiling mounts for side and rear surrounds, and the omni-12" sub. As an alternative to OMD 15, or 28 I have considered the KEF IQ9 or XQ5 series as well as Canton 809 or 807 DC's? Any thoughts or experiences with the above. Thanks, Eric

Unfortunately, we did not bring in the OMD Series. The market we are in would not support those kind of price points regardless of how good the speakers may be. 9 out of 10 people in our area who have the cash to afford the OMD series would still ask the question: "How does that compare to Bose?"

Believe me, I hear it all too often.

Haven't had any experience with any KEF product since 1999 and while we auditioned Canton a few years ago to perhaps become dealers, all that I heard was one of their smallest systems (pretty impressive though).
Reply
Reply
post #112 of 6500
2/17/07 at 6:57pm
I had the pleasure to hear the OMD-28's driven by some Mark Levinson gear. The sound was excellent. Big soundstage and tight deep bass. And since I am in the market for new speakers, they are on my list. Did I mention that the finish was exquisite.
Reply
Reply
post #113 of 6500
2/17/07 at 10:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rinkledorf View Post

I had the pleasure to hear the OMD-28's driven by some Mark Levinson gear. The sound was excellent. Big soundstage and tight deep bass. And since I am in the market for new speakers, they are on my list. Did I mention that the finish was exquisite.

I am also seriously shopping. I am ignorant to what "Mark Levinson" gear is. I would expect serious base considering the frequency response is quoted at 25hz. How about the highs. Could you hear the "wind rustling through the leaves of a tree" or " the someone's "fingernails tapping on the wooden desktop"?

I am just asking because it is a steep fare for a pair of speakers, other than the beauty. There are comparable goodlooking wood/veneer speakers out there for less such as by Snell, Kef, Canton, etc...that make curved backs and with the same "stats" so to speak.

One last question. Were you able to listen to the center channel speaker-the OMD C-2?

Well, thanks for any additional insight you can.

E.
Reply
Reply
post #114 of 6500
2/18/07 at 8:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by NOCAL View Post

I am also seriously shopping. I am ignorant to what "Mark Levinson" gear is. I would expect serious base considering the frequency response is quoted at 25hz. How about the highs. Could you hear the "wind rustling through the leaves of a tree" or " the someone's "fingernails tapping on the wooden desktop"?

I am just asking because it is a steep fare for a pair of speakers, other than the beauty. There are comparable goodlooking wood/veneer speakers out there for less such as by Snell, Kef, Canton, etc...that make curved backs and with the same "stats" so to speak.

One last question. Were you able to listen to the center channel speaker-the OMD C-2?

Well, thanks for any additional insight you can.

E.


At this price point there's alot to choose from. More than what I expected. As far as ML gear. Top notched stuff, up there with Krell and Classé. My listening of the 28's was setup for just 2 channel that day. If a speaker can do 2 channel good Then I believe it will also do HT good. So I didn't get a chance to hear the wind throught the trees type of stuff. But what I did hear was music placed in front of me exactly where I thought I should be. And how I thought it should sound. Even at high volume I never had to "GRIT" my teeth from harsh sound. Possibly due to the omnipolar design. Some speakers I've heard made me want to grit a little. They did have the big center channel at the store, but it wasn't setup in the room with the 28's. But it still had the same beautiful finish and look.
There's alot of speaker makers with the curved back look, but It's the finish that made these beauties stand out. The pics just don't do them justice. I had my wife with me when I demoed these. She mentioned that these would look good even in the living room. That's my girl. Very good WAF. If you get a chance to listen to these it should well be worth the drive.
Reply
Reply
post #115 of 6500
2/18/07 at 8:27am
Rinkledorf, Where at in OH did you hear them? If all this snow ever melts, it would be worth a drive. Could make me change my mind about bringing them in. Thanks.
Reply
Reply
post #116 of 6500
2/18/07 at 9:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by TDI Driver View Post

Rinkledorf, Where at in OH did you hear them? If all this snow ever melts, it would be worth a drive. Could make me change my mind about bringing them in. Thanks.

It's in Columbus. A place called Genesis Audio. It's off Morse Rd.
Reply
Reply
post #117 of 6500
2/18/07 at 10:06am
Thanks - I know the place by name but haven't been there (about a three hour drive). Will try to check them out next time I'm in C-bus.
Reply
Reply
post #118 of 6500
2/18/07 at 10:25am
Probably should call first to make sure they still carry them.
Reply
Reply
post #119 of 6500
2/18/07 at 10:29am
Definitely
Reply
Reply
post #120 of 6500
2/19/07 at 8:36am
I bought a pair of Omnisat V2 FS speakers just over one month ago. The first issue was the grills did not fit. After many excuses from my local dealer, I was finally told they had the replacements, but they were the wrong color. I'm waiting now for the correct silver replacements.

The bigger issue is yesterday when looking under the top removable cap of the speaker, I noticed the round bubble of the tweeter had collapsed. I use these speakers for movie watching only. Is this a common problem, and what may have caused it? I plan to take it back to the dealer, but I'm wondering if I've made a big wrong decision when choosing Mirage.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Speakers

Gear mentioned in this thread:

AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › Speakers › Mirage Speakers