Mirage OMD-5 Review

[KEW]

I opened one up today.
Here is the underside of the tweeter assembly:

Here is the tweeter housing still attached to the speaker (by two wood screws):

Here is the mid woofer. It weighs about 3.2 pounds (not real accurate - average of three weighings on bathroom scale). The density feels pretty solid, but I like to be able to see the magnet when trying to get a sense of how robust a driver is.

Here is the crossover:

There was a piece of 7" square by 2" thick fiberglass stuffed in the cabinet.
The curved cabinet was solid mdf rather than slotted and bent!

The wall thickness measures ~3/8" which seems to work pretty well for the short dimensions and curved shaped of these walls:

For $150 each, shipped, I'm liking these speakers.

 

[dkane360]

What was the key to getting the woofer out? did you have to take the tweeter out first?

 

[KEW]

The phase plug of the woofer and the reflector "pod" will interfere before you can actually lift out the woofer.
The woofer is a tight fit - I believe it is the round ridge just below the top flange that holds it snug in the circular cut-out. I found a sheet metal screw that was large enough to engage the clearance hole in the top flange (not the recess for the bolt head, but the pass-through for the bolt) and got it to bite into the top flange (I'd guess it only took a quarter of a turn) so I could lift the driver out. I forgot to look for the "new threads" when I reassembled it, but nothing caught my eye and anything would be hidden under the bolt head after reassembly.

 

[audit13]

In my current ht room, I can't wall mount rear surround speakers so I thought about using the OMD-5s on 30 inch stands and placing them behind my listening room couch. I currently have a pair of Energy RC-30s as my rear surrounds but the sound from the RC-30s was too direct. It didn't matter how I positioned the RC-30s on the floor, the surround sound effect was never as good as placing my RC-30s on wooden boxes that were 12" high.

Would the OMD-5s on 30" stands produce an effect that is similar to high wall-mount surrounds?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[KEW]

In my current ht room, I can't wall mount rear surround speakers so I thought about using the OMD-5s on 30 inch stands and placing them behind my listening room couch. I currently have a pair of Energy RC-30s as my rear surrounds but the sound from the RC-30s was too direct. It didn't matter how I positioned the RC-30s on the floor, the surround sound effect was never as good as placing my RC-30s on wooden boxes that were 12" high.

Would the OMD-5s on 30" stands produce an effect that is similar to high wall-mount surrounds?

Any information would be appreciated.

Thanks

I'm not sure I can begin to answer that question - I don't have any experience with surrounds. But it is important to note that these speakers sound better if they have a wall behind them, and they do need some distance between them and your ear to allow the direct and the reflections to interact in a reasonable way.

I am thinking of using these as surrounds in an HT setup

 

[audit13]

I'm not sure I can begin to answer that question - I don't have any experience with surrounds. But it is important to note that these speakers sound better if they have a wall behind them, and they do need some distance between them and your ear to allow the direct and the reflections to interact in a reasonable way.

I am thinking of using these as surrounds in an HT setup

Thanks for the reply. I guess I'm going to find out how well the OMD-5s perform as surrrounds on 30" stands because I just ordered them.

 

[dkane360]

Thanks for the reply. I guess I'm going to find out how well the OMD-5s perform as surrrounds on 30" stands because I just ordered them.

You couldn't have just bought em from me? lol

 

[audit13]

You couldn't have just bought em from me? lol

I had no idea you were selling

 

[Hedge Guy]

My first post.
I purchased a pair of Mirage OMD-5 a few months ago because I miss my Shahanian Obelisks and thought that these could give me a small glimmer of the sort of reflected sound that I miss. I am using a pair of Magnapan MMG that I purchased many years ago. I sold all my previous tube amps etc about ten years ago when we moved to an apartment in South Florida from our home in New York.
I use a focal cub2 subwoofer which is necessary for the Maggies.
I have to admit, that set up properly, these OMD-5s in my new music room in my new home fits the bill perfectly. I was thinking of getting a new pair of small loudspeakers like the Quad s2, but these are PERFECT. Great soundstage and incredible imaging. Much is better than the maggies.