Mirage OM-9 speakers

When the first of Mirage's bipolar speakers, the M-1, arrived, we turned down the chance to do the world's first review, because it was too big for the listening room we then had. We now have a larger room (where the Omega system is located) but the successor of the M-1 (see the report from Las Vegas in this issue) is too big even for that one. So instead we opted for the smallest of the new series, the OM-9.
     The two series had coexisted for a time, with the original M's using odd numbers and the new OM's even numbers. With the "M's" now discontinued, the OM's have gone odd: the OM-9 is actually the replacement for the OM-10.
     Most of the OM's are at least three-way speakers, but the OM-9 is a two-way, though with four drivers. The swelling at the bottom rear makes the speaker look asymmetrical, but in fact it is the same facing both ways, with a 25 mm polypropylene woofer and a titanium dome tweeter looking each way. This is also, then, a bipolar speaker, a configuration long featured in Mirage ads (the company mascot was a penguin, presumably representing the South Pole), though the company's favored term now is omnipolar. A large round reflex port is at the rear. Because the speaker radiates as much energy rear as front, placement is critical. And putting it close to a rear wall is trouble.
     The OM-9 is quite easy to fit into most decors, however, because it is slim at the top -- a mere 15 cm -- and therefore it doesn't look massive. The deep base, however, makes it quite stable even if you screw in the spikes, which we heartily recommend over the terrible little rubber stick-on feet that are also included. The speaker is handsome. Unlike its predecessors, the OM-9's drivers are hidden by three grilles that pop off easily.
     Impedance is rated at 6 ohms, with a dip as low as 4 ohms. This may seem like a maverick rating, but it is simply more honest -- or at least more helpful -- than the usual single digit figure. Sensitivity is given as 90 dB, a fairly high figure we were given no reason to doubt.
     We can give good marks to the two sets of binding posts, which grip even a spade lug firmly, and which are unusually far apart, allowing us to tighten them without barking our knuckles (they aren't even recessed, hooray!). If you're not biwiring, the two sets of posts are joined by one of the nicest and easiest-to-use jumpers we have ever seen. They deserve to become an industry standard.
     Because the speakers were new we gave them about 80 hours of work, and then moved them into our Omega system. We removed the jumpers and connected up our Wireworld Eclipse dual cables. It didn't take much fiddling to determine that the OM-9's would be happy placed exactly the way we have our reference speakers.
     We began with Walton's Façade (Reference Recordings RR-16), which includes a cornucopia of instruments with star solos. The opening sequence...

Model: Mirage OM-9
Price: C$1800/US$1400 (in cherry, slightly higher in high gloss black)
Warranty: 5 years, transferable, with original bill of sale
Dimensions: 111 x 29.5 x 31 cm

(So did we like this new speaker? To read the entire article, just order issue 61 at our secure server. It's just $4.99 in the US and Canada.)

Complete articles from this issue:
The Battle of the Super Discs, Cambridge Isomagic Converter, Soundcare Superspikes, State of the Art

Excerpted articles from this issue:
New Surround Formats, Defeating DVD Zoning, Vegas 2001, Audiomat Tempo & Vecteur D-2, Audio Refinement Pre 5 Preamp, Osborn Mini Tower Speakers, Mirage OM-9 Speakers


		(Reprinted from issue 61 of UHF Magazine. To purchase the issue, click here. Or click here to subscribe to UHF) Mirage OM-9 Mirage's legendary "M" series bipolar speakers enter history, but the new generation has arrived.
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		When the first of Mirage's bipolar speakers, the M-1, arrived, we turned down the chance to do the world's first review, because it was too big for the listening room we then had. We now have a larger room (where the Omega system is located) but the successor of the M-1 (see the report from Las Vegas in this issue) is too big even for that one. So instead we opted for the smallest of the new series, the OM-9. The two series had coexisted for a time, with the original M's using odd numbers and the new OM's even numbers. With the "M's" now discontinued, the OM's have gone odd: the OM-9 is actually the replacement for the OM-10. Most of the OM's are at least three-way speakers, but the OM-9 is a two-way, though with four drivers. The swelling at the bottom rear makes the speaker look asymmetrical, but in fact it is the same facing both ways, with a 25 mm polypropylene woofer and a titanium dome tweeter looking each way. This is also, then, a bipolar speaker, a configuration long featured in Mirage ads (the company mascot was a penguin, presumably representing the South Pole), though the company's favored term now is omnipolar. A large round reflex port is at the rear. Because the speaker radiates as much energy rear as front, placement is critical. And putting it close to a rear wall is trouble. The OM-9 is quite easy to fit into most decors, however, because it is slim at the top -- a mere 15 cm -- and therefore it doesn't look massive. The deep base, however, makes it quite stable even if you screw in the spikes, which we heartily recommend over the terrible little rubber stick-on feet that are also included. The speaker is handsome. Unlike its predecessors, the OM-9's drivers are hidden by three grilles that pop off easily. Impedance is rated at 6 ohms, with a dip as low as 4 ohms. This may seem like a maverick rating, but it is simply more honest -- or at least more helpful -- than the usual single digit figure. Sensitivity is given as 90 dB, a fairly high figure we were given no reason to doubt. We can give good marks to the two sets of binding posts, which grip even a spade lug firmly, and which are unusually far apart, allowing us to tighten them without barking our knuckles (they aren't even recessed, hooray!). If you're not biwiring, the two sets of posts are joined by one of the nicest and easiest-to-use jumpers we have ever seen. They deserve to become an industry standard. Because the speakers were new we gave them about 80 hours of work, and then moved them into our Omega system. We removed the jumpers and connected up our Wireworld Eclipse dual cables. It didn't take much fiddling to determine that the OM-9's would be happy placed exactly the way we have our reference speakers. We began with Walton's Façade (Reference Recordings RR-16), which includes a cornucopia of instruments with star solos. The opening sequence... Model: Mirage OM-9 Price: C$1800/US$1400 (in cherry, slightly higher in high gloss black) Warranty: 5 years, transferable, with original bill of sale Dimensions: 111 x 29.5 x 31 cm (So did we like this new speaker? To read the entire article, just order issue 61 at our secure server. It's just $4.99 in the US and Canada.) Complete articles from this issue: The Battle of the Super Discs, Cambridge Isomagic Converter, Soundcare Superspikes, State of the Art Excerpted articles from this issue: New Surround Formats, Defeating DVD Zoning, Vegas 2001, Audiomat Tempo & Vecteur D-2, Audio Refinement Pre 5 Preamp, Osborn Mini Tower Speakers, Mirage OM-9 Speakers [TABLE OF CONTENTS] [BACK HOME]