08-12-08: Shadorne
You should resist the "itch", IMHO. If you like the MBL 116 then try Mirage or Ohms as suggested but be wary of the extra ambience that comes with these designs - they can really shine but you'll need lots of space...
I took delivery on a pair of Mirage OMD-15s a month ago and couldn't be happier.
The Mirage's soundfield dispersion is not a pure omnidirectional or cylindrical soundfield. It is based on 25 years of research into the dispersion patterns of instruments, the reflection patterns of rooms, and how the human ear perceives sound and music. The OMD series energizes my living room just like the live musicians that played there for my wedding, and the similarity is uncanny, as is the large soundstage. I can sit to the side of both speakers and still hear a centered stereo image between them.
Mirage has not been standing still in any way. The OMD-15 has several Mirage innovations and patents. Their tweeter is wonderfully fast, detailed, and linear without a hint of edginess or ringing. The midrange and woofer on these use their patented ribbed elliptical surround for more sensitivity and greater control and linearity at the excursion extremes. All I can say is that it works. I have never heard such quality and quantity of refined, high-resolution bass from a pair of 5.5" drivers. Furthermore, these 5.5" drivers have phase plugs, so the acuracy of the imaging, plus the slightly forward throw, provide more accurate imaging than you typically get with a full omni.
I heard a pair of Gallo Refs a couple months ago, driven by much better electronics and cabling than I'm using with my OMDs, and the Gallos--in addition to the low image height combined with the big wall-sized panoramic soundstage--sounded rough and unrefined in the midrange and low treble. Could have been a setup issue. The room was pretty large, but maybe it needed to be larger yet.
The thing is, my OMDs sound more refined, are far more resolving, and are more forgiving of setup. They took awhile to break in to completely show their stuff, but I can't *believe* how resolving these are. We're so conditioned to think that omnis throw a nice big seamless soundstage but offer little else. I hear into the music with these speakers as I have only experienced with a few much more expensive speakers. The quality of its tuneful bass rivals defies the driver size and the asking price. I've never owned any speakers that approach the resolution of these.
If you're thinking Gallos, or wish you could afford MBL, listen to the OMD-15s, and if you have the cash, the OMD-28s.
