Bookshelf Speaker Reviews

If my TV was on a low-slung stand instead of a 32-inch-high cabinet, I would've opted for the classic set-top center-speaker position, where (based on a trial run) the center Omnisat sounds more like its stand-mounted siblings. I wound up putting the center speaker on a 24-inch Target stand under and in front of my TV, where it was a tad warmer and less open than the other Omnisats. I also experimented with the surround Omnisats' placement, but I settled on leaving them on stands off to the sides, just behind my sweet spot. Here's a new twist: If you need to mount these 7-pound critters on the ceiling, invert them, and they'll project down toward the listening position. The bottom of the Omnisat cabinet accepts a clip that fits into the Omnisat stand. You can also wall-mount the Omnisat via the keyhole or threaded insert.

Wilco's mind-bending Yankee Hotel Foxtrot CD unfurled such a massive soundfield, I thought I'd accidentally engaged my Pioneer Elite VSX-27TX receiver's Dolby Pro Logic surround processing, but I was listening au naturel, in stereo. The Omnipolar dispersion deal is for real. The Omnisats can absolutely disappear and pump out a super-wide soundstage, wider and deeper than even the better sub/sat systems can produce. It's very cool. The omni effect also uncorks a remarkable sense of height. Warning: Once you're fully acclimated to Omnipolar dispersion, box speakers may sound downright claustrophobic.

Concerned that the Omnisats might be creating overt image bloom, I popped in a Miles Davis mono recording from the mid '50s, and the band's sonic image rightly collapsed into a fairly narrow point between the front speakers. Yes, you can credit some portion of the Omnisats' spaciousness to their freewheeling disposition, but they don't throw sound willy-nilly around the room. With further placement and toe-in adjustments, the Omnisats had an even tighter focus, but they continued to highlight whatever spatiality existed in a recording. Tonal balance is fairly neutral, and transparency and detail resolution on Tom Waits' Alice CD were remarkably vivid.

I kicked off my home theater demo with the Black Hawk Down DVD, which wasted no time demonstrating the Mirage ensemble's allure. I throttled up the volume so that the choppers' blades sounded as if they were about to shear the top of my skull, and the thumpin' score rattled my fillings. The bulbous little sats mustered the air-moving capacity of a set of modestly sized bookshelf speakers, and their affinity for fairly wide dynamic swings caught me off guard a number of times. Damn, I literally felt a breeze from the sub's front-mounted ports whenever one of the choppers was downed. The Fight Club DVD's densely populated surround mix revealed new sounds, and the center Omnisat's intelligible dialogue never got lost in the action.

Talking Heads' concert DVD Stop Making Sense positively lit up the Omnisats. Crowd noises and ambience were especially convincing, and the band's ferocious grooves were impossible to resist. The LF-150's exemplary, taut precision and weighty presence added to the fun. Once again, I had a tough time reconciling the enormous soundfield with the Omnisats' wee size. During the loudest excursions of heavy-duty action DVDs, I sensed that the LF-150 was losing control and low-bass definition; but hey, it's right up there for a modestly priced 10-inch subwoofer.

I agree with Mirage's claims that Omnipolar technology can create a unique sense of realism, although I'm not sure that omnidirectional sound will appeal to everyone. It sounds very different than conventional speakers, and its wide dispersion will excite/exacerbate nasty room acoustics more than some monopole speakers. That said, I'm sure a quintet of Omnisats will live up to their name in most rooms. If I've managed to pique your interest, please go ahead and ring up your local Mirage dealer and check this speaker out for yourself. Bring along a handful of familiar CDs and DVDs. If the Omnisats are halfway decently set up, you'll be flat-out amazed. I was.

Highlights

• Love that Omnipolar sound
• Ultra-smooth sub/sat blend
• Radical bug-eyed styling