Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater Mirage better than Axiom????!

Hi everyone. I have a friend who I’m trying to get to buy Axiom but he’s hell bent on Mirage. Personally, I haven’t heard them, but he says he likes them better than what I have. He says they are more “open” and are more directional. I don’t know exactly which series or model he’s referring to but I do know they are towers, in cherry and he says the surrounds are small, not bi/di-poles.
I couldn’t believe felt the Axioms weren’t clean enough for him. Has anyone here actually heard these Mirage’s in action? Being so thrilled with my M80, V150, 4 QS8’s plus a front side pair of M2’s and a EP600 I just don’t get it. (Though he did admit the EP600 was incredible)

Just let your friend get what he wants. Speakers are so much of a personal preference and in the end they will be grinding on you if they dont like what you suggested.

Here are the Mirage that I listened to in a local dealer and as a 5.1 system it was great, but really didnt impress me much for 2ch for the price.

Mirage Omnisat

I have a friend that was hell bent on a Sharp LCD because it was the most expensive panel they could find and "plasmas burn in". I later found out that the video processor in it doesnt fully resolve a 1080P test pattern and it processes standard def much worse than my JVC HDILA.

I'm happy and he still tells himself he is despite the pic quality difference. Some people dont want to hear advice.

You can view my post on this.

I owned some older Mirage towers briefly, but passed them on to someone else when I decided my Polk bookshelves were more to my liking. I bought the Mirages used just to try out the omnidirectional dispersion. I wasn't impressed with the clarity and low end. I would hope newer models would be better, but anyway, that's my experience with Mirage.

I own Mirage Omnisats and inwalls.

I originally had the Omnisats in the kitchen before realizing how horrifically ugly they really are. Upon this revelation, I moved them to my office. I was not impressed with them in the relatively large space of the kitchen, but for nearfield listening at my desk, I think they are superb.

The inwalls that replaced them in the kitchen are - I think - a very good value. They are better in that application than either the Rocket OD100's or the Omnisats were.

I think it's dangerous to compare a single example from a given manufacturer and extrapolate the impressions to other models.

I'd buy Mirage products again if the application and value proposition was right.

I do own the Spherex Xbox 5.1 Surround Sound System, which I use with my computer, and it uses the same type of omnidirectional dispersion, only it's a paper cone. It's not Mirage, but it is. Spherex is a subdivision of API, which Mirage is also a part of. They used Mirage's technology and licensed several other technologies to make it. I do like this system a bit better than those towers. I would try Mirage's products again, but not at the moment. I don't see enough value with their current offerings, but maybe down the line.

What type of environment did he listen to the Mirages in. Unless he was to set up both the Mirages and the Axioms in the same room, there is really no way to give them a good comparison. He may get them home and realize that they sound different than what he expected.
If he does get them and he is willing to bring them to your place to do a side by side I would love to hear the results.

I also go with the 'whatever makes you happy' approach to giving advice on purchases. I will explain my opinion and why I think that way but won't press the matter unless I know of a serious flaw that will mean the product is bound to failure and disappointment in a short time. This comes from years of my wife asking what I think then going with her first choice anyways.

What I can share is that I heard the Omnisat FS system up against the Paradigm Studio system in a sound and video shop. It wasn't a double blind listening test or anything but the differences were not subtle in the low end so I think it's fair to say that I heard more clarity in the low end in the Paradigms. I think the Mirage's actually did go lower in bass but it just didn't sound right. Distracting almost.

However, that could have been because the Paradigms were so clear on what they could do that any extra bass would have been distracting and thus unfairly interpreted.

In any case, I throw it out there as a totally subjective opinion since you asked. It doesn't compare it to Axioms but may be helpful.

In the end, if he likes it after listening to both, let him buy it. Another option might be to see if the store would let him take the speakers to your place so he could listen to both in the same room. Again, not scientific enough for some but better than comparing from two separate rooms.

Did he do a SIDE by SIDE comparison of both speaker brands in the same room, after calibrating and using proper placement?

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Just let your friend get what he wants. Speakers are so much of a personal preference and in the end they will be grinding on you if they dont like what you suggested.

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Yep.

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Even a side-by-side comparison won't work as one speaker's output will diffract and reflect off the other causing colorations. You just can't win in this game

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Though such suggestions eventually approach the insignificant category such that interactions of speakers (similar in size) are miniscule enough to ignore or go unnoticed.
Anyone trying a blind test with 2 speakers side by side sitting 12-15 feet back would be hard pressed to tell the difference when one speaker is there or gone or for that matter, even which speaker is playing in regards to position (left or right)...when in mono mode.

What I was trying to say is comparing speaker brands in the same room, is much better than two different rooms with different dimensions, furniture, etc. If this guy is going from one house for the Mirage, and then a different house to listen to Axioms, the opinion doesn't really hold any water.

I've attended many shows in hotel/motel conference rooms where hundreds of seakers and amps (DIY and Brandnames) are fired up one by one from the same location so the listeners can check them out.

I've also held many auditions in my home where potential Axiom owners bring another brand of speaker they are auditioning to compare to my Axioms.

Most people get the idea and don't notice some minor reflection or diffraction.

I want to thank everyone who posted a reply to my question. I was very curious after posting and contacted my friend and asked where he sampled the Mirage speakers – he was reluctant to say at fist and was side-stepping with an answer. Finally he blurted out Best Buy, win their Magnolia dept. He didn’t say why he wouldn’t first tell me but I believe he felt I would think less since mine were “special order”. Brushing that aside I told him I would like go and hear them for myself but also tried to tell him that what you hear in the store will be different from how they will sound in your home. “I knew you’d say that.”, he replied. In any case I agreed to go down with him for a demo, but like so many of you stated I too have done what the Romans did – wash my hands of the whole thing.
I was just very curious about this system since I had not heard them for myself and was taken back once he told me the price. Truthfully he hates the natural wood look of my Oak ValSSallo’s and gets more into to a more “modern” or industrial look – which after visiting the Mirage site (thanks for the link ctown) I think he’s really attracted look and unique design of the Mirage. In looking at the site at least he’s leaning towards the towers rather than a total satellite/sub system.
It’s that Omni tweeter on top he keep talking about. In other words his hearing with his eyes through “they’re cool” eyes – oh well. In any case I’m sure the listen will be interesting.
Thanks guys.