Texts and Contexts

For all their positive characteristics, I would concede that omnidirectional speakers such as the OMD-28s are not for everyone, and for two reasons in particular. First, though OMD-28s can and do offer plenty of sonic details and image specificity, they never quite achieve the intensely focused sound nor the electron-scanning-microscope-like levels of detail that can be achieved by the best direct radiators. If you favor ultra-high focus and detail, the OMD-28s might not fully satisfy you. Second, the perceived tonal balance of the OMD- 28s is—more than is the case with many direct radiators—dependent upon the acoustics of the listening room. For example, the OMD-28s exhibited an audible though not particularly obtrusive touch of bass forwardness in my room that could be mitigated but not eliminated by positioning adjustments. You may have to spend a fair amount of time tweaking room acoustics and/or speaker positioning to get optimal results with the OMD-28s. But if my experiences are any indication, every minute you invest upfront in getting the fine-tuning right will pay big dividends in musical satisfaction down the road.

Conclusion

In the end, your response to the OMD- 28s may have much to do with how you react to their spatial characteristics. If, like me, you favor a speaker that gets out of the way and simply lets the music flow and breathe upon soundstages of realistic size and scale, then Mirage’s OMD-28s could be your entry ticket to levels of musical realism rarely—and I mean very rarely—heard from speakers in the sub- $8000/pair price range. TAS