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Speakers that disappear

Here is a description of a speaker found in TAS, the recommended components issue:
"... simply don't sound like other speakers. The Xes are tonally neutral and nearly sonically invisible; voices and instruments don't seem to be coming from drivers in frames or boxes. Instead they hang in space, free-standing objects that are so three-dimensionally "there" that listening to *them* is like going to a play, where listening to other speakers is like going to the movies."
What affordable(under $15k) speakers fit this description?
pedrillo
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Mirage OMD-28. And the OMD-15, for that matter.

There's no sense of "2 speakers," just a soundstage that scales with the size of the ensemble on the recording.
liguy
228 posts
 
I would try Dynaudio Confidence C1's. They really dissapear.
sbank's avatar
sbank
3,379 posts
 
Merlins do.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
In the Abso!ute Sound review of the Mirage OMD-28 (link to pdf review here), reviewer Chris Martens said, in part,
Moreover, the Mirages distinguish themselves through their ability to vanish into the soundstage. Many speakers claim to offer "disappearing act" imaging, but I think the OMD-28s take this to a much higher level--one bettered, in my experience, only by speakers such as the reference-class Mbl 101E (an omnidirectional speaker against which all others can be judged).
I have their little brother, the OMD-15 as the anchor of my LP-driven 2-channel system, so my recommendation for this type of speaker is not just based on reviews. The Mirage Omniguide approach to soundstage energizes a room more like real instruments and voices than any other speaker I've heard.
ryder
1,690 posts
 
Just a side note, if you want the speakers to disappear, pay more attention to the room acoustics as this would help. Also, turn off the lights when listening and the disappearing effect would be larger. At least the speakers would disappear from sight with the lights switched off.
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