Mirage Loudspeakers 90 is User Manual

90is Series

o wners manual

PRINTED IN CANADA
7AIM90is

90is
190is
290is
390is
490is

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Room Acoustics & Speaker Placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Selection of Proper Wire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Amplifier Requirements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Amplifier to Loundspeaker Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Conventional hook-up
Bi-Wire hook-up

Combination Bi-Amp/Bi-Wire hook-up

Care of Finish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Distortion Causes Speaker Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

WELCOME TO THE WORLD
OF MIRAGE LOUDSPEAKERS.

The following advice is offered to facilitate proper installation of your Mirage speakers to
provice peak performance.

Extensive research along with great care at every design stage has enabled Mirage to
produce loudspeakers with extraordinary performance characteristics: a performance level
that is equal, or superior to other speakers costing many times their price.

The finest components and materials, made with sophisticated manufacturing and quality
control ensure that you will enjoy this exceptional performance for many years.

IMPORTANT: Please retain the carton and packing material for this Mirage product
to protect it in the event it ever has to be shipped to a service center for repair.
Product received damaged by a service center that has been shipped by the end user in
other than the original packaging, will be repaired, refurbished and properly packaged
for return shipment at the end user’s expense.

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FEATURES AND BENEFITS

Your new Mirage 90is Bipolar Series speakers feature state-of-the-art technologies
derived from development of the flagship of the line...the world acclaimed
Mirage M-1si.

Elegant Styling:

Representing an exciting new look, the advanced design of these slim and elegant models
suggests they conceal an entire stage full of musicians.

The 90is Series speakers employ exclusive Mirage engineered drivers, crossovers and
enclosures to deliver exception al depth, breadth and emotional involvement to your
music and home theater entertainment.

ROOM ACOUSTICS AND SPEAKER PLACEMENT

Mirage loudspeakers have been designed to provide high performance in a wide variety of
domestic settings. It is important to note however, that building structure, dimensions
and furnishings all play a part in the quality of sound you will ultimately achieve.Where
possible the following should be taken into consideration when placing Mirage speakers in
your listening room:

1. Low frequency performance (below 100 Hz) can be affected by the structure of the

room. A solid floor is preferred to avoid exaggeration of low frequencies.

2. Rooms with different height, width and length are preferable for best low frequency

performance.

3. Mid and high frequencies are affected by the mix of soft and hard furnishings in the

room. An excess of soft items such as curtains, carpets, sofas and wall coverings can
produce a dull, lifeless reproduction.The same room without any soft furnishings will
produce a brighter, harder sound, so a balance of soft and hard furniture, floor and
wall coverings should be your goal for optimum sonic performance.

4. Most of the sound heard
from a loudspeaker has been
reflected from one or more
walls of the room. Usually, less
than half the sound is heard
directly from the loudspeaker.
The remaining information you
hear has been reflected from
the surfaces of your room.

Reflective surfaces have
individual sound absorption
characteristics, and it is
important for good stereo
perception that frequency

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response be the same from both left and right channels. It is therefore important that
consideration be paid to the left and right reflecting walls. First, they should be
symmetrical, equally spaced from the speakers and the listeners. Secondly, they should
have the same, or very similar reflective properties. Example:A curtain on one wall
and a painted surface on the opposite wall will result in unbalanced reflections, which
in turn affect the stereo image. Experiment with toe-in/toe-out positioning of your
speakers until best results are achieved.

5. Spiked feet are recommended for stability on carpeted floors.

6. The loudspeakers should be placed 2 to 3 meters (6” to 10”) apart and

approximately 1/2 meter from the wall behind the speaker.The distance from
loudspeakers to listener should be about 1 to 1.5 times the distance separating the
speakers (see figure 1).

Selection of Proper Wire

We recommend the use of high quality speaker cable.The speaker cable you select
will ideally be fitted with high quality connectors with either 5/16” spade lugs or dual
banana plugs.

In most installations, ordinary lamp cord (16-18 gauge) has enough resistance to degrade
the signal between amplifier and speakers, particularly in lengths over 3 meters (10’). If
possible the speaker cables should be the same length for both channels and the shorter
they are, the better the sonic performance will be.

* When connecting your speakers to your sound system, turn off your

amplifier to avoid damage which could result from shorting of the
speaker leads.

Amplifier Requirements

Mirage loudspeakers have been designed to be driven to high listening levels with
moderate power, while at the same time being capable of handling the power output
of large amplifiers.

NOTE: Mirage 90is Series speakers are 8 ohms nominal and will function well
with quality amplifiers.

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Amplifier to Loudspeaker Connection

1) Conventional Hook-up

Connect speaker wire from the positive (Red +) terminal on your amplifier to
positive (Red +) terminal on your Mirage speaker. Connect negative (Black –)
terminal on your amplifier to negative (Black –) terminal on your Mirage speaker. (see
figure 2)

2) Bi-Wire Hook-up

Remove shorting straps. Use two dual conductor cables; one cable for low
frequencies and one cable for high frequencies. Separate connections are made
between the power amplifier to the low frequencies binding posts on the speaker
and from the power amplifier to the high frequency binding posts.This allows you
to choose separate wires that are best suited for the low or high frequencies.
(see figure 3)

3) Combination Bi-Amp/Bi-Wire Hook up

This method uses separate amplifiers for the low frequency section and high
frequency section of the speaker. This dramatically improves musicality.The amplifier’s
gains and the phase relationship of the amplifier’s input to output
must be identical. (see figure 4)

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COMBINATION

BI-AMP / BI-WIRE HOOK-UP

(FIGURE 4)

(MODELS 290is, 390is, 490is)

(THIS METHOD USES TWO IDENTICAL,TWO CHANNEL AMPLIFIERS FOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE)

LEFT SPEAKER

RIGHT SPEAKER

TWO CHANNEL

AMPLFIER (2)

TWO CHANNEL

AMPLFIER (1)

CONNECT TO THE LEFT CHANNEL

OUTPUT OF YOUR PRE-AMPLIFIER

CONNECT TO THE LEFT CHANNEL

OUTPUT OF YOUR PRE-AMPLIFIER

IMPORTANT:

REMOVE GOLD SHORTING

BARS,WHICH HAVE BEEN

FACTORY INSTALLED

BETWEEN BOTH RED

INPUT TERMINALS AND

BOTH BLACK INPUT

TERMINALS.

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Care of Finish

Your Mirage speakers are attractively finished and should be gently wiped clean, from time
to time, with a damp cloth to remove any dust or stains.

Distortion Causes Speaker Damage

When an amplifier is “overdriven” it produces distorted output power several times
greater than its rated power. All amplifiers produce high levels of distortion when they are
driven beyond their rated power output and this distortion can damage any speaker.
Overdriven amplifier distortion is called “Clipping”.

Clipping can be identified by a fuzzy or distorted sound. If this is heard, lower the volume
immediately to avoid damage to your system.

If louder volumes are desired, the only practical solution is to obtain an amplifier capable
of more clean (undistorted) output power.

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SPECIFICATIONS

90is 190is 290is

SYSTEM TYPE High performance High performance book High performance book

Front radiating 2 way shelf speaker. Front shelf speaker. Front
design. Rear port. Radiating 2 way design. Radiating 2 way design.

Front vented. Front vented.

TWEETER 1/2” (13mm) titanium 1” - 1” (25.4mm) 1” - 1” (25.4mm)

coated dome. Ferro-fluid cooled vapour Ferro-fluid cooled vapour

deposited titanium deposited titanium

BASS/MID DRIVERS 1 x 5-1/4” (13.5cm) 1 x 5-1/2” (14cm) injection 1 x 6-1/2” (16.5cm)

injection molded molded polypropylene molded polypropylene
diaphragm cones.Termination via cones.Termination via

Butyl surrounds. Butyl surrounds.

FREQUENCY
RESPONSE

On-Axis: ± 3 dB 58Hz - 20KHz 47Hz - 22KHz 43Hz - 22KHz

USABLE BASS
CUTOFF (@ -10dB) 50Hz 41Hz 37Hz

SENSITIVITY 84dB 89.5dB 87dB 89dB

(Anechoic) 86.5dB 88dB 2.83 V / 1M 86dB 2.83 V / 1M

CROSSOVER POINTS 3.0KHz 1.8KHz 1.8KHz

NOMINAL IMPEDANCE: 8 Ohms 8 Ohms 8 Ohms

REC.AMP POWER 15-80 watts RMS 15-110 watts RMS 15-125 watts RMS

MAX POWER
HANDLING: 80 watts RMS 125 watts RMS 125 watts RMS

DIMENSIONS:

H x W x D (po) 10-

1/2 x 6-1/2 x 8-1/4 14-5/8 x 7-1/4 x 10-1/4 16 x 8-1/2 x 10-1/2

(cm) 26.7 x 16.5 x 21 84.2 x 18.4 x 26 40.6 x 21.6 x 26.7

WEIGHT 8 lbs. (3.15kg) 16 lbs. (6.3kg) 18 lbs. ea. (7.1kg)

FNISH Black Ash / White Black Ash Vinyl Veneer Black Ash Vinyl Veneer

Rosewood Rosewood

GRILLE COLOUR Black/White Black Black

DESCRIPTIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

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SPECIFICATIONS

390is 4990is

SYSTEM TYPE Floor standing, front radiating Floor standing, front radiating

2 way loudspeaker. Front vented 2 way loudspeaker. Front vented
through tuned port. through tuned port.

TWEETER 1” (25.4mm) Ferro-fluid cooled 1” (25.4mm) magnetically shielded

vapour deposited Titanium dome. Ferro-fluid cooled vapour deposited

titanium dome.

BASS/MID DRIVERS 1 x 6-1/2” (16.5cm) injection 2 x 5-1/2” (14cm) magnetically

molded polypropylene cone shielded injection molded
Termination via Butyl surrounds.. polypropylene cone Termination via

Butyl surrounds..

FREQUENCY
RESPONSE

On-Axis: ± 3 dB 42Hz - 22KHz 42Hz - 22KHz

USABLE BASS
CUTOFF (@ -10dB) 35Hz 351Hz

SENSITIVITY 89dB 89dB

(Anechoic) 86dB @ 2.83 V /1M 86dB @ 2.83 V /1M

CROSSOVER POINTS 1.8KHz 1.8KHz

NOMINAL
IMPEDANCE 8 Ohms 8 Ohms

REC.AMP POWER 15-125 watts RMS 15-125 watts RMS

MAX POWER
HANDLING 125 watts RMS 125 watts RMS

DIMENSIONS

H x W x D (po) 33-7/8 x 8-1/2 x 10-1/2

35-3/4 x 7-5/8 x 9-3/8

(cm) 85.4 x 21.6 x 26.7 90.8 x 19.4 x 23.8

WEIGHT 30 lbs. (11.85kg) 35 lbs. ea. (13.78kg)

FNISH Black Ash Vinyl Veneer Black High Gloss

Rosewood

GRILLE COLOUR Black Black

DESCRIPTIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

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LIMITED WARRANTY POLICY

Warranty in the United States and Canada

Mirage warrants this product to the retail purchaser against any failure resulting from
original manufacturing defects in workmanship or materials.The warranty is in effect for a
period of five (5) years from date of purchase from an authorized Mirage dealer and is
valid only if the original dated bill of sale is presented when service is required.

The warranty does not cover damage caused during shipment, by accident, misuse,
abuse, neglect, unauthorized product modification, failure to follow the instructions
outlined in the owner’s manual, failure to perform routine maintenance, damage resulting
from unauthorized repairs or claims based upon misrepresentations of the warranty
by the seller.

Warranty Service:

If you require service for your Mirage loudspeaker(s) at any time during the five (5)
year warranty period, please contact: 1) the dealer from whom you purchased the
product(s), 2) Mirage National Service, 203 Eggert Road, Buffalo, N.Y. 14215
Tel: [phone]or 3) Mirage Loudspeakers,a division of Audio Products International
Corp., 3641 McNicoll Avenue, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, M1X 1G5,
Tel: [phone].You will be responsible for transporting the speakers in adequate
packaging to protect them from damage in transit and for the shipping costs to an
authorized Mirage service center or to Mirage Loudspeakers. If the product is returned
for repair to Mirage Loudspeakers in Scarborough or Buffalo, the costs of the return
shipment to you will be paid by Mirage, provided the repairs concerned fall within the
Limited Warranty. Mirage Warranty is limited to repair or replacement of Mirage products.
It does not cover any incidental or consequential damage of any kind. If the provisions
in any advertisement, packing cartons or literature differ from those specified in this
warranty, the terms of the Limited Warranty prevail.

Warranty Outside of The United States and CANADA:

Product warranties may be legislated differently from one country to another. Ask your
local dealer for details of the LIMITED WARRANTY applicable in your country.

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WARNING

IMPORTANT TECHNICAL NOTE

PLEASE READ BEFORE OPERATING SPEAKERS

THE WARRANTY ON SPEAKERS IS VOID IF THE VOICE COILS ARE BURNED OR
DAMAGED AS A RESULT OF OVERPOWERING OR CLIPPING.

OVERPOWERING: The volume control of most amplifiers and receivers is a
logarithmic type, which means that full power may be reached with volume control at
as little as the halfway point. In addition,operating the loudness feature or boosting the
treble or bass controls increases power output well beyond rated levels.

AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE FACTORS,A 30 WATT AMPLIFIER CAN PRODUCE
OUTPUT LEVELS OF OVER 100 WATTS AND MAY DAMAGE YOUR LOUDSPEAKER.

CLIPPING: Clipping refers to the power level at which an amplifier begins to distort
a waveform by flattening its top and bottom into a square wave-shape.When fed to
tweeters and/or midrange speakers, this may result in exceeding their maximum power
handling capacity, causing damage to the speaker voice coil.

CLIPPING CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY A FUZZY OR DISTORTED SOUND. IF THIS IS
HEARD, LOWER THE VOLUME IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID DAMAGE TO YOUR SYSTEM.

CONTINUOUS CLIPPING WILL DAMAGE OR BURN OUT THE SPEAKERS.

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