Soundstaging, Realistic impressions, Sensual, Spiritual MUSIC!

M5si too small for me, Want greater dynamics, more Impact. Lack of super-accuracy in reproduction.

This is a review of the M5si. I came here looking for thoughts on the M3si and M1si''s. I''m looking at those speakers because I want to upgrade, but the M5si that I own are the best speakers I have ever heard. There are speakers that are more analytically correct than the bipolar mirages. I''ve heard them. They don''t impress me. I prefer music to be involving, soothing and amazing even if innacurate. I chased precision for a while and I was always dissapointed. I now know, for sure, that music is purely subjective. I think cold precision sucks as much as bloated tube warmth. They''re both cheap, and they sound that way. Your tastes may be different from mine. Still, we share something. The impact of a bass drum felt in your chest, the pure crystaline crispness of the ring of a cymbal, and the incredible beauty of a well sung note...lingering in the air. Fantasy? No, not really. All you need now is the "hallucination" that the musicians are right in front of you. In your living room. Welcome to MIRAGE. Placement and power are critical. Forget these in a small or reflective environment. Get some carpeting, paintings, some comfy fat furniture. Break out a tape measure for placement and Kill those reflections. These bipolars are sending signals from both ends. You''ll hate them, for sure, if your room is live. Given the room they need, given the power they need, given the placement they need, you will be AMAZED. Did I say that loud enough? These are AWESOME. I have heard Magnepans, Thiels, ADS, Spica, B&W and some fancy 25k speakers that sucked at everything but vocals(they were incredible there!) Nothing is over-all as good as the Mirage M5si, to me. I read interesting things about apogee, but never listened to them. Today I run the M5si''s through MIT Biwire from a Classe'' CA300. The amp is fed by an Audio Research LS3BR with digital sourcing by a Mark Levinson #36 and a Sonic Frontiers SFT1. The tuner and analog setups are unremarkable since I use them infrequently. The interconnects are mixed copper/silver but work well with the combination. The speakers, IMHO, make the sound. I will continue to change my room and ancillary equipment, but the M5si''s will likely stay for a long time, unless I can find M1si''s! Next, build the house around the room!

Similar Products Used:

Nothing compares.............

Soundstaging, Realistic impressions, Sensual, Spiritual MUSIC!

M5si too small for me, Want greater dynamics, more Impact. Lack of super-accuracy in reproduction.

This is a review of the M5si. I came here looking for thoughts on the M3si and M1si''s. I''m looking at those speakers because I want to upgrade, but the M5si that I own are the best speakers I have ever heard. There are speakers that are more analytically correct than the bipolar mirages. I''ve heard them. They don''t impress me. I prefer music to be involving, soothing and amazing even if innacurate. I chased precision for a while and I was always dissapointed. I now know, for sure, that music is purely subjective. I think cold precision sucks as much as bloated tube warmth. They''re both cheap, and they sound that way. Your tastes may be different from mine. Still, we share something. The impact of a bass drum felt in your chest, the pure crystaline crispness of the ring of a cymbal, and the incredible beauty of a well sung note...lingering in the air. Fantasy? No, not really. All you need now is the "hallucination" that the musicians are right in front of you. In your living room. Welcome to MIRAGE. Placement and power are critical. Forget these in a small or reflective environment. Get some carpeting, paintings, some comfy fat furniture. Break out a tape measure for placement and Kill those reflections. These bipolars are sending signals from both ends. You''ll hate them, for sure, if your room is live. Given the room they need, given the power they need, given the placement they need, you will be AMAZED. Did I say that loud enough? These are AWESOME. I have heard Magnepans, Thiels, ADS, Spica, B&W and some fancy 25k speakers that sucked at everything but vocals(they were incredible there!) Nothing is over-all as good as the Mirage M5si, to me. I read interesting things about apogee, but never listened to them. Today I run the M5si''s through MIT Biwire from a Classe'' CA300. The amp is fed by an Audio Research LS3BR with digital sourcing by a Mark Levinson #36 and a Sonic Frontiers SFT1. The tuner and analog setups are unremarkable since I use them infrequently. The interconnects are mixed copper/silver but work well with the combination. The speakers, IMHO, make the sound. I will continue to change my room and ancillary equipment, but the M5si''s will likely stay for a long time, unless I can find M1si''s! Next, build the house around the room!

Similar Products Used:

Nothing compares.............

This is in response to Keith and Joey comments about the M3-is. According to Keith, this speaker demands space, it's TRUE!!! But, given that one little, simply requirement and they will sound like no other speaker you have ever heard. As far as Definitives...Please. It's also true as Joey has stated, they are not cheap. Every reveiw I have read gave the M3-is a High recommendation.(Stereophlie, HomeTheater and Audio Video Interiors) In fact, when compared as a full hometheater setup to Thiel, Ariel and Martin Logan, the Mirage hometheater setup (center speakers, bipolar surounds, bipolar subs and the left and right M1) received a rating of A : hometheater performance, A-: for stereo performance. (AVI 9/96) And finally,when powered by a "real clean" system, such as Proceeds PAV,AMP2, AMP3, CDD, DAP and Pioneer 704 LD it's time to give up alcohol. The best pair of speakers I ever had the pleasure to own. (period)

I own a pair of M5si speakers. Theese speakers are very, very good.They are crisp and clear, wide and deep, deep and controlled, BUT ensure that your room is big enough for placing them like they should ( a lot of room around them ) or they will sound very unsatisfying. If your livingroom is of such a size, make sure your amplifier is no less than 2*200 watt @ 8ohm.
The lower frequencies will not be emitted from these speakers unless your amplifier is of a certain size.
If they weren`t such demanding creatures I`d give them 5 stars.
pk

Yes it is true !!! Room placement and lot's of space are critical to getting the best sound from the 3 si's. I recently moved to another apartment. My former apartment offered the need space to get the best sound from the 3 si's.The sound was full, liquid and 3 demensional....the sound was GREATwith my VTL's (extremly seductive also). In my present apartment were the space is limited the sound is flat with very restriceted dynamics. Im presently considering purchasing a pair of Cabasse speakers and using my Mirage's for home theater.Overall these are great speakers in the right enviroment.

PS make you purchase AMPS with alot of power...these speakers are extremly power hungry.

SoundStage, Clarity, Depth

Addictive

Coming up to nearly 10 years with these speakers. The honeymoon is not over. I still enjoy them everytime I listen to them. Added a BPS-400 sub for the home theatre and the bass is now punishing. I could blab on for paragraphs but that has already been done here..

Here is the real test of a good speaker: I STILL get compliments on how great these speakers sound today. Friend after friend - after an audition of some fine Stevie Ray Vaughn, Simply Red, Dire Straits, and a little Floyd to finish them off.. speechless.

A classic in every sense of the word.

Thanks Mirage.

Similar Products Used:

BMW, DCM, Paradym, Vanderstein

SoundStage, Clarity, Depth

Addictive

Coming up to nearly 10 years with these speakers. The honeymoon is not over. I still enjoy them everytime I listen to them. Added a BPS-400 sub for the home theatre and the bass is now punishing. I could blab on for paragraphs but that has already been done here..

Here is the real test of a good speaker: I STILL get compliments on how great these speakers sound today. Friend after friend - after an audition of some fine Stevie Ray Vaughn, Simply Red, Dire Straits, and a little Floyd to finish them off.. speechless.

A classic in every sense of the word.

Thanks Mirage.

Similar Products Used:

BMW, DCM, Paradym, Vanderstein

Bass,imaging,Just plain fun to listen to.

none

I bought these used about 10 months ago after owning the Mirage M5's years ago.
I love these speakers. They look good, they sound good, they image well, they have plenty of mid bass slam,would probably cost 6000 or more today if they were still being made. They can also be driven quite well with a 90 watt per channel AVA amp-
If you find a pair used, run to buy them. For around 1500 , I would bet the farm that you cannott find a better speaker on the planet.

Similar Products Used:

NHT 2.5i,Energy C-6,Innersound,others..

I recenly got the Mirage 290 bookshelf speakers.. I would like to say that the speakers are simply amazing. The clarity and accuray is unsurpassable for the price..
GO MIRAGES ! !

The M3SI are the best I've ever heard in their price class. I'm up to a McIntosh C38 preamp and a McCormack DNA-1 amp and a Meridian 508/20 and I know these babies can deliver still more fidelity. Comparisons to Definitive are a joke. Those speakers are way to flabby in the bass. Vandersteen? I owned them. Great speaker. But the Vandersteen 3A is like the Mirage with a towel thrown over it. The OM6's I wasn't impressed with. These are the 3si's replacement. It may be though, that this speaker wasn't broken in as the pair I heard was brand new. It sounded bright and thin by comparison. And, this is a common symptom of speakers that aren't broken in. Of course, it's also a classic symptom of a manufacturer cheapening the line. I just don't know for sure.