A tall order
You're planning your new home theater system and you know exactly what you want. For example, in a floorstanding speaker, you want both a compact design and expansive, dynamic, full-range audio reproduction. Some might say that this is a pretty tall order to fill. The MIrage OS3-FS, however, begs to differ. Not only does this 2.5-way floorstander sport a slim and stylish 6.2"-deep black cabinet, but it also serves up a versatile array of drivers. A single 1" tweeter, one 4.5" midrange driver, two 4.5" woofer drivers and five 4.5" passive radiators combine with Mirage's patented Omnipolar and Ribbed Elliptical Surround technologies to a bring clear, full, 360° soundstage to your home theater system. Finally, magnetic shielding of the OS3-FS's drivers makes it perfectly safe to place one or more of these floorstanders near other A/V components without the risk of interference or damage.
Better sound, from every component
Sure, in the end, a speaker's driver cone produces the audio you listen to, but in order to produce stunning, full, clear audio, a cone has to have a fine-tuned support system. Take for example the surround, or the component that helps keep the cone centered, allowing for freedom of motion. Thanks to Mirage's patented Ribbed Elliptical Surround technology, the OS3-FS is capable of reproducing midrange and low-frequency audio characterized by increased excursion, reduced distortion, and improved efficiency. The Elliptical Surround encompasses the cone, allowing it to move identically in both directions, resulting in near zero distortion. And while conventional designs are often plagued with surround dimpling, which causes them to radiate in and out of phase and distort at all listening levels, Mirage's design isn't influenced by dimpling at all. Further, Ribbed Elliptical Surrounds allow for a larger cone surface, resulting in greater efficiency. This design also lets the cone achieve greater peak-to-peak movement, thus allowing it to travel more than double the distance of other cones. These attributes enable Mirage woofers and subwoofers to move incredible amounts of air, ultimately allowing them to play lower frequencies with greater bass extension and fidelity. Mirage's OS3-FS offers better sound, from every component.
Omnipolar® technology offers lifelike sound
The advanced sound-reproduction technology featured on Mirage's OS3-FS floorstander can be summed up in one word — Omnipolar. Research shows that in live musical environments, about 30% of what a person hears is direct sound, while the remaining 70% consists of reflected sound. The brain uses direct sound for identification and localization, and uses reflected sound to determine musicality and spaciousness. Unfortunately, the front-firing driver design used in most loudspeakers produces the opposite ratio: 70% direct sound to 30% reflected sound. Omnipolar technology, on the other hand, restores the balance. The OS3-FS's patented Omniguide module employs two deflectors to create a 360° soundscape. While the first deflector is placed above the tweeter, the second deflector houses the tweeter and is placed above the midrange driver. This specific arrangement of drivers and reflectors makes it possible for any Mirage speaker featuring Omnipolar technology to permeate your listening area with enveloping, high-fidelity sound.
Passive-aggressive audio
An active speaker driver produces most of the audio you enjoy. At the same time that the active driver is producing sound by moving air at the front of the driver, however, it is also moving air at its rear. If not properly compensated for, this residual movement of air can cause resonance within a loudspeaker's enclosure, ultimately reducing the quality of the audio you hear. Using five passive radiators, the OS3-FS takes advantage of this movement of air to improve the overall midrange and bass-audio effect. While the three main 4.5" active drivers are powering the audio experience, the OS3-FS's five 4.5" passive radiators are being driven by the residual air movement behind the active driver, ultimately improving midrange and bass extension and efficiency and allowing for a more compact loudspeaker enclosure.
OS3 FS (August 29, 2011)
| Ease of Use |
|
(5/5.0) |
|---|---|---|
| Value |
|
(4/5.0) |
| Performance |
|
(4/5.0) |
| Overall Rating |
|
(4/5.0) |
Reviewed By: Chozy - Fairfax, VA
Appearance
Small footprint, well built, glossy back color matched perfectly with any black lcd tv. My living room has wall at one side and the other side with open space… hallway, dining room, kitchen so I need a speaker that’s able to reflect sound beyond my sitting area. After several floor placement attempts I was able to make this speaker produced a wider sound field that my bookshelf BW M1B couldn’t do.
Sound quality
Overall the speaker sounds good and has excellent audio range for movie and music, a subwoofer is needed for serious listener. At lowmid volume level mode, voice vocal and musical instruments sound crisp, smooth, detailed, and this would satisfy me because this is the setting that I prefer to use most of the time. At higher volume level the low frequency audio becomes somewhat loud but muddy and the high frequency audio remains fine. Although there’s no distortion at high volume levels but I prefer my BW M1B since it produces clear and stronger musical notes.
In general you can’t go wrong with this speaker.
OS3FS Great Sound! (May 01, 2011)
| Ease of Use |
|
(5/5.0) |
|---|---|---|
| Value |
|
(5/5.0) |
| Performance |
|
(5/5.0) |
| Overall Rating |
|
(5/5.0) |
Reviewed By: Stanley D. - Norman, OK
I have a pair of these for my front channel speakers. I use nanosats for the a total of 8. I bought the OMDC1 for the center the center and omnisats from Vanns by the way!!. These speakers do the disappearing act that audiophiles love. They are extremely transparent and never sound harsh or strained. I run them with plenty of amp power Emotiva 5 channels at 200 watts with and Onkyo receiver driving the rest. I bought these on closeout and got them for 12 price! They are well worth the full price!!
Comparison Specifications
- Power rating: 10W - 175W recommended amplifier power
- Nominal impedance: 8 ohms (4-ohm minimum)
- Tweeter: 1" pure titanium hybrid tweeter
- Midrange: 4.5" poly titanium deposit hybrid driver with phase plug and single 4.5" passive radiator in sealed sub-enclosure
- Woofer: Two 4.5" poly titanium deposit hybrid drivers with phase plug and four 4.5" poly titanium hybrid passive radiators
- Crossover: 900Hz, 2.5kHz
- Cabinet design: Extruded aluminum cabinet reinforced with Medium Density Fiberboard
- Magnetic shielding: Yes
- Mounting options: Designed for floor placement / Elegant glass base
Additional Specifications
- Patented Ribbed Elliptical Surround technology on all drivers
- Onmipolar® technology with Omniguide module
- Frequency response: 52Hz - 20kHz ±3dB
- Room efficiency: 93dB
- Inputs: High-quality 5-way binding posts
Dimensional Specifications
- Dimensions: 5.5" W x 41.9" H x 6.2" D
- Weight: 22.5 lbs
Mirage OS3FS Warranty Details
Limited 5-year parts and labor warranty
