direct radiators to some high quality
dipoles. Mirage classes the OMNI FX as an
OMNI polar speaker and do not suggest it
belongs in either camp. Instead they
claim ,and I quote, "Fewer speaker
placement headaches arise with the use of
the OMNI FX surround speaker, as the
resulting sound is spacious and not easily
localized, perfect for creating sound
effects like a helicopter flying in the
background or rainfall falling around you."
I will talk about my experiences and
opinions on this a little later in the article.
The OMNI FX speakers are constructed
from 5/8” MDF and can be finished in
black or white to match your décor. A
single grille covers the OMNIGUIDE in a
single encompassing arc. The OMNI FX
speakers are sold as single units for
around $200 to allow for easy setup of 5.1
to 7.1 systems. Mounting is accomplished
by connecting OMNI FX to an included
bracket with the aid of a very heavy metal bolt connected to the top of the binding post
cup. The speaker is stabilized by two thick rubber feet which should be attached to the
back of the speaker. I would have known this had I read the instructions, but due to my
dislike for instruction manuals, I stuck the rubber feet to the wall, oops . . . .
Mirage quotes the frequency response of the FX to be 80 Hz to 20 kHz at ± 3 dB. This
response will work well with THX or other SSPs that use 80Hz as their crossover point. I
do not have the tools necessary to measure these so I cannot verify the response. I can
say I did not notice any issues during numerous listening sessions.
OM-200
The OM-200 subwoofer is what started the
quest for this review. At CES, a group of
us spoke with Mirage to see what the deal
was with all the cool looking speakers (the
new OMNI series you are reading about
here). They, of course, explained all the
benefits of the 360 degree dispersion
pattern at lower costs and even
introduced us to one of the designers. As
part of the discussion, they showed us a
new matching sub, the OM-200. Their
claims at the show were quite interesting,
and included comments like more power;
6 dB more output than its predecessor
Page 5 of 10
Product Review
5/5/2003
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_10_2/mirage-omni-speakers-5-2003.html
