February 2005 Reviewed by Roger Kanno	Mirage Omni S12 Subwoofer

Description Model: Omni S12 Price: $800 USD Dimensions: 19.2"H x 15.7"W x 19.4"D Weight: 51 pounds Warranty: Five years speaker section, one year amplifier section	Features 300W RMS (1200W peak) digital amplifier 12" Polypropylene Titanium Deposit Hybrid (PTDH) woofer Patented ribbed Elliptical Surround Front-mounted controls Unique spring-loaded binding posts Three-way power switch (On/Off/Auto) Adjustable crossover (40-120Hz) Crossover filter bypass switch Adjustable phase switch (0/180 degrees)

Mirage Loudspeakers has a history of producing large, impressive, bipolar subwoofers, such as the discontinued BPSS-210 and BPS-400, many of which, I’m sure, are still in use today in high-end home-theater and music installations. I reviewed one of their Omnipolar subs, the OM-200, and was most impressed with it. (Omnipolar is Mirage’s trademarked name for speakers that create a spherical soundfield.)

So when Mirage sent me an S12, the largest in their new line of Omni subwoofers, I was surprised to learn that it’s relatively compact and has only a single forward-firing driver. The Omni subwoofers replace Mirage's LF series; judging by the Omnis’ names and prices -- from $800 USD for the S12 to $350 for the S8 -- the line is designed to complement Mirage’s excellent Omni line of loudspeakers.

Thinking inside the box

The Omni S12’s fairly conventional configuration is actually something of a departure for Mirage. While many of their less expensive subs have been single-driver, ported designs, their top-of-the-line models have always been bipolar or Omnipolar. The Omni S12 differs from some of those earlier designs in its advanced new driver and its use of two downward-firing ports.

The 12" cone on the front of the Omni S12 looks like one of Mirage’s Polypropylene Titanium Deposit Hybrid (PTDH) drivers, but features the new, patented ribbed Elliptical Surround I first saw on the bass driver of Mirage’s $25,000/pair statement loudspeaker, the OM-1. (The new surround has even trickled down to Mirage’s least expensive sub, the $299 Nano.) The Elliptical Surround is said to more consistently maintain the shape of the radiating surface as the cone moves back and forth and stretches the surround. According to Andrew Welker, chief designer at Mirage, the new surround also provides 20-50% more excursion than a conventional circular surround, which must be wider to produce the same excursion but thereby reduces the driver’s effective radiating or pistonic area, and thus its efficiency. The woofer also has a large, 62-ounce magnet and is driven by a 300W RMS (FTC) power amplifier capable of 1200W peaks.

Downward-firing ports are nothing new, but the Omni S12 uses two of them. Welker says they effectively halve the speed of the airflow and greatly reduce turbulence-induced noise. The ports also use the floor for boundary reinforcement. Downward-firing ports were used because forward-firing ports gain little if any loading from room boundaries, and their "chuffing" is much more audible because they’re pointed toward the listener. Rear ports minimize port noise, but there can be too much boundary reinforcement if the subwoofer is pushed up against a wall.

Like other Mirage subs, the S12 has a bank of controls on the front to control the level and crossover frequency, switches to toggle the phase between 0 and 180 degrees and to bypass the crossover, as well as a power indicator light. On the rear are high-level inputs on unique gold-plated speaker connections: instead of cylindrical screw-on binding posts, an easy-to-use spring-loaded opening accepts bare wires or pins and provides a sufficiently tight connection. These connectors will also accept banana plugs, but not spade lugs. However, that is probably of little concern -- most people will connect the LFE output of their receiver or surround processor to its single mono low-level input anyway. Also on the rear is the power switch, which can be set to Off, Auto, or On; the power cord is nonremovable.

The Omni S12’s fit and finish and heavy-duty construction are surprisingly good for its price. The cabinet is fairly small, taller and deeper than it is wide (19.2"H x 15.7"W x 19.4"D), and its rounded edges and modern-looking driver give it a tasteful yet stylish appearance. The S12 is finished in attractive, wood-grained black vinyl nicely accented by the gray control panel on the front and the large, rubber-tipped plastic feet down below, which provide the necessary clearance for the ports. The front controls are hidden behind the grille, which must be removed to access them.

Listening outside the box

When I hooked up the Omni S12 and listened to the punchy beat of "Holding Out for a Hero," from Shrek 2, I wanted to get up and dance. The music didn’t sound at all boomy, as it can with many budget subwoofers I’ve heard. Not only was the bass from the Omni S12 tight and musical, it was extremely deep and powerful, as evinced by the rumbling footsteps and room-shaking destruction caused by the giant gingerbread man, Mongo, in the same scene.

As promised, the Omni S12 produced virtually no port noise. My bass torture test is still chapter 10 of The Haunting in DTS, which can not only cause chuffing noises but can often tear mechanical noises from the drivers of lesser subs. The incredibly extended bass in this scene completely filled my room, with only a hint of distortion even at very high levels.

Another of my subwoofer torture tests is the "Heartbeat" tracks from Dr. Chesky’s 5.1 Surround Show [DVD-Audio, Chesky CHDVD272], which extend down to 20Hz in the LFE channel. The Omni S12 reproduced all of the heartbeats with good differentiation between the two different tones of each beat. Even the 20Hz heartbeats were reproduced at subjectively the same loudness as those higher in frequency, and with surprisingly little distortion.

Connected via its speaker-level inputs and playing two-channel music, the Omni S12 blended extremely well with a pair of Axiom M3ti bookshelf speakers. The upper-bass region transitioned nearly seamlessly to and from the Axioms during Holly Cole’s Don’t Smoke In Bed [CD, Alert Z2 81020], providing a solid foundation that helped to create a huge soundstage. David Piltch’s bass sounded incredibly articulate; I was able to easily differentiate individual notes, and the plucking of the strings from the resonance of the instrument’s body. The blending of the bass was so smooth and solid that it was difficult to believe that the sound was coming from a modestly priced subwoofer and a relatively small pair of bookshelf speakers. When I played the bass-loaded "Zooromancer" remix of U2’s "Salome," from their Best of 1990-2000 & B-Sides [CD, Island 4400634380], the entire range of low frequencies was always at the correct level -- it was never obvious that the lowest bass was coming from the Mirage, while the remaining frequencies, from the upper bass on up, were being reproduced by the Axioms.

Comparing boxes

The Omni S12’s performance easily surpassed that of Mirage’s less expensive, but discontinued, LF-150 ($500), and came close to that of the more expensive OM-200 ($1000) -- and even, in some respects, surpassed it. The OM-200’s strength is its incredibly tight, articulate sound and rugged and attractive construction. The Omni S12 may not be as fast or as tight or have quite the same level of build quality, but it seemed able to go lower, play louder, and fill my room with the kind of deep, powerful bass that just felt more authoritative.

The Hsu Research VTF-3 Mk II, which I consider to be a reference product at a budget price, is available factory-direct for $699 plus $50 S&H to anywhere in the continental US. By selling direct to consumers, companies such as Hsu and their main competitor, SVS, can offer high-performance subwoofers at prices that provide incredible value for the money, although they lack dealers where you can audition their products before you buy. Like the Mirage, the Hsu VTF-3 Mk II has a 12" driver and a 300W digital amplifier, but its much larger enclosure and greater internal volume give it a distinct advantage over the Omni S12 in performance. However, the VTF-3's considerable bulk makes placement more difficult. The smaller, more attractive Omni S12 is definitely much more décor friendly.

Although the Mirage was very agile, the Hsu is even tighter and more controlled. The heartbeats from Dr. Chesky’s 5.1 Surround Show sounded cleaner through the Hsu, though there didn’t seem to be much of a difference in output levels (except with the 20Hz tone, where the Hsu seemed slightly louder). At reference levels, which most people find far too loud, the Hsu was clearly able to play louder with less distortion than the Mirage; at normal listening levels, the differences were almost indistinguishable. In fact, in my day-to-day listening (which some would still consider to be very loud), the Omni S12 consistently surprised me by keeping pace with the Hsu VTF-3 Mk II. If you don’t want a big, unwieldy subwoofer in your living room, the Omni S12 will provide as much bass performance as most people will ever need.

Reality check

Most people do not require a massive subwoofer that can energize a large room with bass down to subsonic frequencies at insanely high levels. However, an attractive, reasonably priced, relatively compact model that can deliver genuine subwoofer performance and play loud down to around 20Hz with little distortion will greatly enhance the home-theater and music-listening experiences. Mirage delivers just such a product in the Omni S12.

Manufacturer contact information:

Mirage Loudspeakers
3641 McNicoll Avenue
Scarborough, Ontario M1X 1G5
Canada
Phone: (416) 321-1800
Fax: (416) 321-1500

Website: www.miragespeakers.com

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