Price Paid:  $900.00 from tweeter

Summary:
After hearing this sub just once, I knew it would be the next one that I would buy. 6 months later I went in to buy it but they were out of stock. So I grabbed the floor model and because I was aware of ocean noise from previous critics, I paid close attention and didn't hear anything. And because it seems to bother some people who own this sub but not others, I figured this sub was in the clear. However, when it was plugged into my system, I heard the noise. I tried different power strips and line conditioners but no luck. Because of it's performance, I ignored the sound and decided to keep it. After just one year, I turned it on one day and...Nothing! So I brought it in to tweeter to see what they could do for me and the bottom line is this. They sent it out to Mirage to be fixed. It is supposedly $150 to fix although I haven't heard back yet-it's been over a month. Hmm. I'm actually hoping it gets lost somewhere along the way and I can get store credit for another sub. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the sub. Awesome for movies and music. But because it has ocean noise and it's already in the shop, there's a bad taste in my mouth. Performance wise(if it actually works)and price considered, 4 stars is a fair rating.But ocean noise and the fact that it is broken after 1 year, takes the rating down to 2 stars. $900/year isn't a very good investment.

Strengths:
good slam, tight, musical. good bang for the buck-plenty for even large home theater rooms

Weaknesses:
ocean noise, quit right after one year-warranty only good for a year-That's fishy

Similar Products Used:
NHT

Price Paid:  $900.00 from stereo/video

Summary:
this is the best sub out there for under $1000. at first i had a bps400; it sounded terrible compared to this sub. truly an excellent product.

Strengths:
output, power, great for music and ht, build quality, size, easy to hook up

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
klipsch ksw12, mirage bps400

Price Paid:  $1100.00 from United Audio/Tweeter

Summary:
I must admit when I first got this sub home and hooked up I was quite unhappy with it. It seemed boomy and unrefined. It was impossible to blend with my main speakers (Martin Logans). However, I kept working with it because it is a true accoustic suspension sub with a very stiff spider and surround, and I knew it would require a lengthy break-in when compared to a bass reflex type. It was well worth the wait! It really did not start to sound good for over a month of fairly heavy use - even leaving it on for hours while I was out. I was constantly fiddling with the volume and cross-over controls. The volume control is a bit touchy primarily because there is so much power available. The cross-over is exremely flexible, with both the cross-over point and the phase being continuously variable. The main reason I bought this sub was because of its construction. Accoustic suspension is the way to go for tight, dynamic bass, but it takes a lot of power. This sub manages to deliver and at a reasonable price to boot. After about five or six weeks, I started to notice the sub less and less. I found myself turning the volume down just a bit. After several months it just disappeared into my listening room. The music (mostly classical with some pop/rock) sounded great. After about six months I started to wonder if the thing was even working. I turned it off and -WOW- huge difference. I think it says a lot that this sub can blend so seemlessly with electrostatics. With 1000 watts of power, it can POUND when called upon, and I never touch the controls to adjust for the kind of music/movie I am playing. This sub has the abilty to come out of nowhere and just blow people away, especially on DVD movies. I like to use the first few scenes of "Top Gun" as a demo when people want to hear my system. Many people do not even realize there is a sub in the room until the first shot of the "MiG" and the accompanying rush of deep bass. The first flyby scene at the Top Gun control tower is another good scene. Most people do not know there is a sudden, loud sonic boom at the exact moment when the control tower officer spills his coffee. I wonder if the "ocean" sound experienced by others is related to the hook-up wire. I use a Monster "M" series cable with no problems. If I ever heard the ocean out of my sub the thing would be history. After looking at many subs, I selected this one over some better known alternatives and after about sixteen months of use, I could not be happier with it.

Strengths:
One of the most musical subs at any price. True 20Hz capability. Very accurate, dynamic and capable of good nuance resolution (after break-in).

Weaknesses:
No real complaints after more than a year of solid use. I have not experienced the "Ocean" sounds mentioned by others.

Similar Products Used:
Velodyne FRS series.

Price Paid:  $700.00 from eBay

Summary:
This sub is incredible! I listen to music almost nonstop whenever I am home and I place a very high importance on bass. When I was shopping for subwoofers, I was attempting to keep to a budget of under $1000 while still achieving room shaking bass. Of all the subs I tested, the Mirage Substrata 1000 was the only sub that had the force and accuracy that I was looking for. I listen to a lot of music with very low synthesized bass, so I was looking for a sub that could handle frequent extensions down to 20Hz. Honestly, with this sub, there are times that I can feel the bass rolling down below the audible 20Hz threshold to the point that all I can do is feel the rumble. This sub also has the ability to cleanly handle very fast bass movements better than the other subs I heard. I consider myself very lucky to have found this sub only 6 months old on eBay for $700. If I had to pay the $1100 store price, though, it would still be worth it, believe me! To answer the question pertaining to the ocean noise, it's there, but it's not a problem. The sub does make an ocean noise when it's turned on, but you have to place your head within a foot of the sub while your home is completely silent in order to hear it. From what I have read about the method by which the sub converts the power source, I assume that the ocean noise is the sound of the conversion process. If you have your stereo playing music at any volume, you will not hear the ocean noise at all. This subwoofer definitely deserves 5 stars.

Strengths:
Extremely accurate, powerful bass that will fill your room and then some!

Weaknesses:
None that I have discovered as of yet.

Similar Products Used:
Tested various Velodyne, Paradigm, and Boston Acoustics subwoofers

Price Paid:  $875.00

Summary:
I own paradigm speakers all the way around and needed a compact subwoofer. I was leary of one of the large subs due to having to satisfy the wife, so I was looking at a more compact unit. I still listened to the Paradigm 2200 and was seriously considering it, even though it is an endtable in size. (The servo 1500 costs too much!) After making all the comparisons, the Mirage sounded more accurate with music and still shakes the house with home theater. It is a great sub for home theatre, as well as music. Since size was my problem, I listened to the PV1000 and there was no comparison. The Mirage blew it away! This sub has all the power and sound anyone could need. My room size is 14.5'X 22'. My entire system sounds much better when I send all of the bass to this sub. Give a listen, you won't be dissappointed. Also, some reviewers mentioned hearing an ocean sound when no bass is sent to the sub. I talked to the dealer about that and we listened to the one in the store and heard no sound. I have also checked the one I bought and have not heard any ocean sound, so do not worry about this problem....

Strengths:
Superb room shaking bass out of a small compact cabinet

Weaknesses:
none discovered as of yet

Similar Products Used:
Compared to Boston acoustics PV1000, paradigm 2200