Monitor 3's or Omni 260's (1 Viewer)

[ReneS]

I have Monitor 3's and love them, but I could get some Mirage Omni 260's for pretty cheap. I pretty much only listen to movies.

I'm curious what you all think of either speaker and whether anyone things getting the Omni's is a good idea. I have not listened to Omni's in a while but I do remember liking them when I listened to them a year or so ago. If I get the Omni's I'll probably get the Omni center channel also a little later. My CC-370 will work for now.

Thanks.

 

[John Garcia]

Monitor 3s are the worst of the Monitor line, IMO (though I haven't heard the v4s). I'd get Minis or 5s if going with Monitors.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

I have Mirage speakers. OM's up front, and Omnis in the back. I really like the omnipolar sound. But I would suggest you go listen for yourself in a well setup system. They are definitely not to everyone's liking. Some people say that imaging suffers some. Personally, I find that the imaging is still there if the speakers are set up correctly, but you get the added bonus of more spatiousness to the soundfield. And a larger sweet spot in the room for good sound quality. If you go listen with an open mind, you might find something you like a little bit more than what you have.

 

[Gralen]

I havent heard monitors But as a Mirage Om user I like them. Took some time getting use to the imaging. Every day I am amazed by the sound. Not for the liking of everyone. When I get the new house may move them to bedroom an get some B and W

 

[AlanZ]

I disagree with John...I prefer the Atoms over the Titans....oh wait, wrong discussion

Actually, I have to agree with John about the 3's. If you really like them, that is what's most important. But I think the 5's and the 11s (though I can only really justify the expense of the 11s if you have a larger room...in a smaller room the money is better spent on the studios) are the class of the Monitor line. It's been a long time since I've heard the Mirage line, but they are another one of those Candaian manufacturers that offer really good bang for the buck.

I really don't think you can go wrong either way, especially since you're using your system primarily for HT. But I have to admit, it's always fun to get new gear

 

[John Garcia]

 

[ReneS]

Thanks for you feedback. I was not able to listen to the Omni's in a good environment. It was a clearance sale and the company is not concerned with what people think of the sound, just that it was Mirage. The speakers were half the price then normal, but in the end I figured the best thing for me would be to upgrade my fronts. I love the Monitors, but I'm just a little bored with them. Maybe I just need different Monitors up front.

Thanks again.

 

[Kevin C Brown]

Change can sometimes be a good thing. I had Def Techs for a very long time. Bipolar sound that's very similar to what Mirage does. I had read lots on Vandersteen and their pinpoint imaging, time aligned and phase coherent drivers, etc. (Direct radiators.) So I swapped the entire Def Tech setup I had for a Vandersteen setup. For 2 channel music, the sound quality was killer. For multichannel music quality, the sound quality was killer. Truely excellent imaging. But one thing I noticed, was that if I moved my head a few inches in any direction, the sound quality changed. Not better or worse, just different. Really small sweet spot. And for home theater and movies, the imaging was too good. I kept hearing the speakers, and not the soundfield. And the center speaker sounded like a box. In other words, that speaker never receded into the background to let the soundtrack come through (and it was the more expensive VCC Signature too). So I looked around some more and settled on Mirage. It really hurt to get rid of the Vandersteens. They were so good for 2 channel music! But after having lived with the Mirages for a few years now, I can say that for me and my room, the flaws of the Mirage setup are much easier to accept than the flaws of the Vandersteen setup. So even though it took some time and some money trying different things, in the end I have a system that will work for me for a long time.

 

[John Garcia]

I upgraded from Monitors as well. I began upgrading equipment and when I got my SACD player, I found that it was the speakers that were limiting me. I listen to more music than movies. IMO, the Monitor's low point is their musical capability (for my taste). They were fine for movies, but they just didn't give me what I wanted with music. After auditioning Studio 20s and 40s in my setup, I also decided they weren't for me either. If you are finding that they are lacking, I'd seriously start auditioning as many speakers as you can. It took me almost a year to find the speakers I wanted, but I am extremely happy with what I ended up with. I have 5 of these guys: GR Research A/V-2.

 

[AlanZ]

John: Do you happen to have any of those upward firing surrounds that GR Research makes? I was reading about them recently and thought they looked very intriguing....any experience with em?

 

[John Garcia]

Nope. I have a very high vaulted ceiling currently (around 16'?), so those guys won't work for me. They do look cool though. Still just doing 5.1 because I don't have a spot for the rear center(s).

 

[AlanZ]

I'm not sure if they would blend with my Maggies, but I think reflected sound in the back would have a better chance than direct radiating non-Maggies. I have a goofy room where I can fit a couple wall-mounted Maggies in back, and honestly this has worked out surprisingly well, but I really want to go to 7.1. Those GR Research rears look like a helluva bargain at six bills a pair....I wonder if four of those in back would blend with my MMGs up front. Stupid room....lol