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  #11  
Old 09-16-2013, 04:26 PM
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Charles.......We'll chat about it again late next year.
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  #12  
Old 09-16-2013, 04:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jdandy View Post
Charles.......We'll chat about it again late next year.
I did e-mail Bryston asking for the nearest dealer. If they're not too far away, maybe . . .

I note the Model T's footprint is very similar to the M-3si, just oriented differently.
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  #13  
Old 09-16-2013, 05:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by prepress View Post
The Focus SE is just under 10K before tax and delivery. I don't think going further is warranted. The Signature SE is more my price range, but the image might not be high enough. MY TV sits on a 32" stand, so the image needs to be high enough to be convincing. My shortlist speakers are all around 51" or so.
Image height can be altered with a little backwards tilting of the speaker if the speaker is a little short.
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  #14  
Old 09-16-2013, 05:38 PM
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Charles...if you are happy with the sonic signature/attributes of your Mirages, I would stick with them. Especially if they have rewarded you with improving sonics as you have upgraded the front-end as that means they are punching above their weight.

If you are missing something (dynamics, low end authority or articulation, imaging/sound staging, etc...whatever your sonic priorities are) then that is a different story, however, since you have kept them for 20+ years, I doubt that is the case.

The only thing I would be worried about are the caps in the crossovers and the driver surrounds starting to crack/dry out after so many years. So maybe a call into Mirage is in order to ask them about these issues and if they can point to a local tech who can check those out along with any other issues they suggest. After their check up, your speakers may be given the thumbs up for the next 20 years.

Enjoy them in good health and for as long as you can.

My 2c.
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  #15  
Old 09-16-2013, 05:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cmalak View Post
Charles...if you are happy with the sonic signature/attributes of your Mirages, I would stick with them. Especially if they have rewarded you with improving sonics as you have upgraded the front-end as that means they are punching above their weight.

If you are missing something (dynamics, low end authority or articulation, imaging/sound staging, etc...whatever your sonic priorities are) then that is a different story, however, since you have kept them for 20+ years, I doubt that is the case.

The only thing I would be worried about are the caps in the crossovers and the driver surrounds starting to crack/dry out after so many years. So maybe a call into Mirage is in order to ask them about these issues and if they can point to a local tech who can check those out along with any other issues they suggest. After their check up, your speakers may be given the thumbs up for the next 20 years.

Enjoy them in good health and for as long as you can.

My 2c.
Cyril : Great Post. I fully agree.
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  #16  
Old 09-17-2013, 05:27 AM
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I read that the M-3si was discontinued in only 2007, so parts and such may be available. That's a good idea. I'll check with Mirage on that. I also saw kits online for the cones, I can't remember where and don't know if they're still available. But this type of thing is another part of exploring the preemptive replacement question. There are practical as well as philosophical points to consider.

As an aside, Mirage does make the omnipolar OMD-28. The nearest Bryston speaker dealer is in Wisconsin, so there won't be any personal auditions any time soon. But, that dealer has sold in NY.
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  #17  
Old 09-17-2013, 05:40 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cmalak View Post
Charles...if you are happy with the sonic signature/attributes of your Mirages, I would stick with them. Especially if they have rewarded you with improving sonics as you have upgraded the front-end as that means they are punching above their weight.

If you are missing something (dynamics, low end authority or articulation, imaging/sound staging, etc...whatever your sonic priorities are) then that is a different story, however, since you have kept them for 20+ years, I doubt that is the case.

The only thing I would be worried about are the caps in the crossovers and the driver surrounds starting to crack/dry out after so many years. So maybe a call into Mirage is in order to ask them about these issues and if they can point to a local tech who can check those out along with any other issues they suggest. After their check up, your speakers may be given the thumbs up for the next 20 years.

Enjoy them in good health and for as long as you can.

My 2c.
A good two cents.

The dynamics issue is due to the preamp change from my ARC LS3 to the Mac C2300. I've compensated with the 2300's tone controls, and things improved, definitely, but are not quite where they were though I'm not sure the difference is that bad. Before this speaker thing started I was considering simply changing out speaker cable to see if that would tweak things, to either Kimber 12TC or Transparent MusicWave Plus. I have 2 pairs of AQ King Cobra inerconnect, and I could try those in place of my Kimber Hero for a bit. Meantime, more listening is in order.

Psychologically, there's also the influence of the forums and reading about other people's experiences with their speakers, especially ones within or near my price range. The course of my preamp thread was altered by that very same thing.
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  #18  
Old 09-21-2013, 01:43 PM
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Prompted by cmalak's suggestion, I e-mailed Mirage on Tuesday regarding service centers or techs in my area who could take a look at my M-3sis; I haven't heard back yet. There are several dealers in the area however, so if I don't hear from Mirage anytime soon maybe I'll contact one of them.

Meantime, I continue considering my options and whether there's sufficient logical/practical merit in replacing the Mirages; it has nothing to do with dissatisfaction. The one option I haven't dwelt on much is the McIntosh XR200, the only speaker I'd replace the M-3sis with outright, not as a preemptive measure. This is where things get dicey.

At $22K retail I can't afford the XR200, meaning I can't buy them without going into debt or raiding my emergency fund (the 3-6 mos. of cash we should all have on hand minimum). If I were obsessive enough I could buy them, though. It would mean making an advance payment on a credit card, effectively increasing its limit temporarily, buying the speakers on that card, then either taking the next two years to pay off the remainder or going into my emergency fund for, say, half the remainder, thereby reducing the debt time from two years to about one and a half, maybe less. The only positives in these scenarios are that I'd have the XR200s and I'd save on the interest (quite a bit in the second scenario); the downside is I would be more vulnerable to any unexpected financial emergency.

Obviously, neither scenario is ideal or wise. The fact I can even concoct the scheme is scary. But I'm going to start saving in case I do replace the M-3sis, regardless of why, with anything beyond the Def Techs.
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  #19  
Old 09-21-2013, 07:20 PM
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As I mentioned in another thread where you posted about your Mirages, I owned the original Mirage M-1's since 1989, only selling them recently. They were wonderful and I loved the full room of sound, but I later came to realize they lacked in other ways. Having retired 10 years ago, I too decided to look for better speakers before I got too old, that would also satisfy my love of the 'planar' sound. SoundLabs, very large electrostatic panels, do that in spades. Single driver, full range to 26hz, totally naturally, unlimited top end. Blows the Mirages away. But, probably beyond your budget, particularly when you consider the likely need to replace your amp with something pricy as well. Oh well, part time work after retirement?
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  #20  
Old 09-22-2013, 03:12 PM
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For those unfamiliar with the M-3si speakers, here is the original Stereophile review:

Mirage M-3si loudspeaker | Stereophile.com

My room is nothing like the one in the review, and the only placement option I have isn't like it either. Mine are 9ft. apart (inside cabinet to inside cabinet), 3.5' from side walls and 4.5' from the rear wall. There are no bare walls. There are also three equipment racks and a 50" plasma between the speakers. I still get good sound, though I'm sure not what the Mirages are capable of fully. I attached a recent photo of the setup (sorry, I hadn't dusted in a while).

I'm still not sure of the propriety of replacing them in order to avoid a possible problem later. I'm still in the place I started with on that, pretty much. But then there are the "what ifs," a disease I must be careful with. In the "what ifs" lie worry and unnecessary distraction. This cannot be a purely emotional decision; I trust I'll get to the right answer, be it stand pat or replace. Onward!
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