Price Paid:  $350.00 from Canuck Audio Mart

Summary:
I bought my Mirage 260's after a recent move. Formerly I used a pair of Mission M74i's driven by a sweet little Rega Brio amp with a Marantz 6000 OSE LE cd player. I thought it was lovely, though I was at or about the first rung of audiophile learning. Nice bass, and clear and clean as a whistle.

I have to say that I'm really delighted with my purchase. I did my research, got down to a few options (Polk rt100i's, Def Tech BP6's & Mirage Omni 260's), and plumped for the Mirages. I was drawn to the idea of the powered sub the other two options had, but to be honest I didn't want to be swamped in bass for the sake of it. Besides, as I've found out, the Mirages have more than enough in that department.

What really stands out is the detail and imaging - simply wonderful for a speaker that cost around $1000 originally. The clarity is something to behold, it makes you want to listen to all your music again just to find out how it should sound. So many minute details become evident - so much more to enjoy! Placement was an issue, but I just re-arranged a few things and it al fell into place beautifully.

The build quality is a small area of concern as there's a few plasticky bits that may detach over time, but the cabinet itself feels solid enough and the suspended tweeter is very secure.

All-in-all, I'm extremely happy to have found a reasonably priced pair and would recommend them to anybody who wants something a bit different from the normal direct radiating speaker.

Strengths:
Sound detail and clarity, accurate bass.

Weaknesses:
Some plastic trim issues in the offing.

Similar Products Used:
Mission, JBL, Polk.

Price Paid:  $899.00 from SIght & Sound, Canad

Summary:
I purchased these speakers after listening and comparing with Bose 601 and Polk Audio. They were clearly superior for imaging and setting a sound stage. Speakers were paired with a Pioneer SA 8800 high current amp (1979) and a mirage LF100 subwoofer to take care of the bottom end. The omni polar design lives up to the hype and seems to throw the sound into the air.
The overall performance of these speakers is incredible. When the sub is added it adds depth (although not lacking) that rounds out the listening experience. I also have super audio CD player and these speaker handle the full range wonderfully. Specifically, the high ends and mids to the point that it feels like the guitar and bass players are on stage and you can hear there fingers slide across the strings.

Strengths:
Mids and highs, sound stage and imaging.
Paid $899 ( Canadian:))

Weaknesses:
None really althoug bass is the weak point.

Similar Products Used:
Energy, Bose 601, Polk Audio

Price Paid:  $800.00 from Peel Audio Radio

Summary:
It's about time they listed these speakers. Every single audio magazine raves about these Mirage speakers. The sales agent said they would be a great HT speaker but I was more interested in audio. After listening to a variety of music for over an hour I was convinced these were the audio speakers for me. The omni polar technology is truly something to behold. The sound imaging brings you right in the center of all the music. Mids, soft highs and vocals are their strenghts. Bass, which is rated at 35hz needs a good musical sub.

My system consists of the Omni 260 towers, Omni rear channel speakers, the awesome Omni center channel and the Mirage LF150 10" subwoofer. All for only $1800. Plus a Yamaha RXV 1300 receiver and a Denon 1600 DVD player. I beleive I got spectacular sound/value for my money.

Strengths:
Imaging, vocals, special effects, midrange and high frequency sounds and power handling.

Weaknesses:
Bass

Similar Products Used:
Paradigm, Def tech, Energy, B&W, Boston Acoustics

Price Paid:  $1000.00 from Tweeter

Summary:
My first tryst with omni-polar technology. I must say I AM IMPRESSED. After years of listening to direct radiating speakers, I did not believe the imaging from omni speakers would ever be as accurate. Boy, was I wrong. These speakers spread the soundstage while mainting accurate imaging at the same time.

Frequency Response: Fantastic highs and mids, slightly weak on bass though, but for the price, I'm not complaining. Vocals are crisp and clear, sliding fingers on guitar can be heard quite easily.

After I had these for about 2 months, I went out and bought their bookshelf version (Omni 60) to use as surround. They match up really well. For anyone into hometheater, if space is not an issue get the 260's for surround. Mirage's website has some good information on what speakers match up with these for home theater.

Mirage and DefTech are the two strongest contestants in this price range. DefTech bass reproduction is better than Mirage (nothing a good sub can't overcome). But for music, DefTech loses imaging. Mirage outperforms DefTech in this area.

If you spend months auditioning speakers, you *might* be able to find something better than these in this price range. But for those of us who cant spend our lives just auditioning speakers, these are a bargain.

Bottomline: If you want speakers purely for home theater, you could go DefTech or Mirage. If music is a significant part of your listening, go for Mirage.

Strengths:
Imaging, Mids, Highs, Price, Looks

Weaknesses:
"Slightly" lean bass

Similar Products Used:
DefTech, Polk Audio, Tannoy, B&W, Vienna Acoustics