To Doug Schneider,
I have Paradigm Monitor 7s and I want to change them for the upper-level Paradigm Reference Signature speakers, but a few days ago I was on the Vanns website and I saw the Mirage OMD-28 for $1300 each in the black finish, brand new. My question is: Should I get these Mirage speakers now that they are on sale? I hear they are magnificent. Or I could wait and go for Signatures, or perhaps speakers from Definitive Technology. I would appreciate your kind advice.
Regards and thank you!
Miguel Angel Casellas Argáez
I get this question a lot because I originally reviewed the Mirage OM Design OMD-28 speakers when they sold for $8000 per pair (the review appeared on our SoundStage! A/V site that is no longer actively updated, but is still available to see), and I get asked even more often now because you can buy the speakers for a fraction of their original price. What I truly hope is that the speaker that’s being offered now for so much less money is identical to the speaker I reviewed. I hope that they are using the same high-quality parts and the quality of workmanship hasn't sufferered. I mention this because when I answer this question I’m assuming that they are the same speaker because the current asking price seems almost too good to be true.
That said, there’s no doubt that Paradigm’s Signature models are outstanding -- fellow writer Roger Kanno uses a full Signature-based system as his reference for music and home theater. Definite Technology makes good speakers too, but I like the Signatures as well as the OMD-28s better.
I obviously think very highly of the OMD-28s, and that ultra-low price makes them even more appealing. If they're the exact same speaker, that's an incredibly good deal. The only caveats I have with the OMD-28s are that they need a very powerful amplifier to sound their best -- they’re not so much inefficient as they are difficult to drive, particularly in the bass -- and you need to set them up in a pretty big room. If you have those things, they can sound amazing and will better speakers many times their price.
But that is about all I can say on the matter. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with any of the speakers you’ve chosen, but you’ll have to make the final call on which ones you want and how much you're willing to pay. Good luck and write back to let us know your decision. . . . Doug Schneider
