Unlike oxygen, food, or water, surround sound isn’t necessary for survival. But if you recently upgraded to a slim, big-screen HDTV, you’re probably feeling a need to update the audio part of your system with something equally tasty. Home theater used to mean huge tower speakers or chunky satellites paired with subwoofers that took up as many cubic feet as an SUV’s gas tank. But a new trend in speaker design has yielded a flock of systems that match the trim new video displays.
We pulled together a group of three sleek, stylish packages priced between $2,000 and $2,500: the Infinity Total Solutions TSS-4000 ($2,394), Mirage’s Omnisat V2 series ($2,400), and Polk Audio’s RM30 ($2,080). In addition to stylin’ looks, these systems can be installed in a number of configurations. And each comes with hardware for wall-mounting the satellite speakers or placing them on bookshelves or stands. So let’s fire up the plasma and get down to business.
Click here for the lab report on these three systemsInfinity TSS-4000
One technique speaker makers are using to slim down their offerings is to switch to rigid aluminum cabinets that can be shaped into trim profiles. With its gleaming all-metal satellites and subwoofer, Infinity’s Total Solutions TSS-4000 rig would fit right into a futuristic, robot-assisted home theater. The system I tested consists of three matched TSS-SAT4000 satellites for the front left/right and center channels, a pair of smaller TSS-SAT1100 sats for the surrounds, and the TSS-SUB750 subwoofer. Each satellite comes with a base for shelf or stand mounting plus a sturdy metal wall bracket that swivels the speaker up to 30° off-center. Infinity also offers sturdy aluminum stands that make a sweet match for both the 4000s and the 1100s ($279 each and $179 a pair, respectively).
Setup I placed the left/right TSS-4000s alongside my plasma TV stand about 3 feet out from the front wall and the center speaker on a shelf directly beneath the TV. The sub went into the front corner of my room. I particularly appreciated the TSS-1100’s tall stands, which positioned the speakers a foot or two above my seated ear level — a good elevation for surround speakers. Slim speakers tend to have limited bass, so I set my processor for a fairly high, 120-Hz low-pass setting to filter the low frequencies out of the main channels and pass them to the subwoofer.
Music Performance Turning first to trusted CDs to get a grip on the Infinity system’s stereo performance, I spun the jazzy “Outlaws” from Bill Frisell, Dave Holland, and Elvin Jones. I was quickly impressed by the SUB750’s performance. Dave Holland’s walking acoustic-bass lines came across as full and authoritative, hitting all the low notes without sounding boomy. The upper bass notes were slightly thin, but I got a good sense overall of the instrument’s heft and body. Listening next to The Shins’ “Pink Bullets,” I found the vocals clear and sibilants neither harsh nor overemphasized. And when the harmonica solo kicked in, it had a balanced tone, at once brassy and sweet.
I hadn’t heard much music from Rammstein — a German band that can best be described as Metallica meets the Third Reich in the Matrix — but when a friend told me that the singer sets himself on fire during concerts, I had to check out their new DVD, Live aus Berlin. Playing the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix of the anthemic “Rammstein,” the Infinity rig delivered an excellent sense of arena-crowd ambience. I felt as if I was right there in Berlin and could follow the path of the fans’ whistles and howls behind me. The singer’s guttural growling sounded full and clear through the center speaker. And the system didn’t flinch at loud volumes. Cranked up, the dynamic impact of the drums was nothing short of thunderous, with snare hits sounding slamming and crisp, and the kick drum low and tight. Oh, yeah — the guy did sing with his jacket on fire.
Movie Performance Turning to a scene in I, Robot where Detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) is chased through an underground tunnel by a fleet of nasty robots, I had another opportunity to hear the Infinity system shine in surround. As the escaping detective ran his vehicle up against the sides of the tunnel, spattering glass and robot parts along the way, the sats conveyed a vivid sonic image of ricocheting debris. It was actually one of the most impressive surround sound performances I’ve heard in my room. And when the bass kicked in, I felt it in my bones. Dialogue coming from the center speaker, meanwhile, was consistently clear and natural, even at off-center seats on my couch.
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Fast Facts
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| •TSS-SAT4000/CENTER4000 front speakers .75-in tweeter, two 3.5-in midranges, four 3.5-in woofers; SAT4000, 23 in high, CENTER4000, 23 in wide •TSS-SAT1100 surround.75-in tweeter, two 3.5-in midranges; 9.25 in high •TSS-SUB750 subwoofer 10-in driver; 150-watt amp; crossover bypass; 10.75 x 16.75 x 15.75 in, 33 lbs •Aluminum cabinets and finish •$2,394 •infinitysystems.com, 516-674-4463 |
Bottom Line With its clean, all-metal looks, slim profile, and slamming performance, Infinity’s TSS-4000 system is an excellent option for any home theater. But its versatile wall-mounting options make it an especially ideal solution for rooms where floor space is at a premium. Even after I took them down, the Infinity speakers’ great looks and sound left a lasting impression.
Omnisat V2 series
With their thin aluminum cabinets and sculptured look, the speakers in Mirage’s V2 series appear to come from the same universe as the Infinity system. But take a closer peek and you’ll see a difference. The speakers in the Mirage package are Omnipolar models featuring a top-mounted midrange/tweeter array. An additional component called the Omniguide, a saucer-shaped deflector that hovers directly above the driver, directs the sound in a spherical 360° pattern. The idea is to maximize the level of reflected sound coming from the speaker to create a wider, deeper, more lifelike presentation.
The system’s anchor is the Omnisat V2 FS tower, each of which comes with a tempered-glass base that provides both metal spikes and rubber feet for carpet or bare-floor installations. Rounding out the system are the V2 CC center speaker, V2 surrounds, and S10 subwoofer, a handsome wood-veneered model.
Setup
My setup followed pretty much the same lines as for the Infinity system. Both the V2 CC and V2 surround satellites come with hardware for wall and ceiling mounts, and Mirage also offers stands ($149 a pair) for the surrounds, though I ended up using my own stands.
Music Performance Listening first in stereo with the V2 tower/S10 sub combination, I played my trusty Bill Frisell CD. Mirage’s claims for spacious, involving sound were quickly verified: the ride cymbal had a crisp, open sound that conveyed complex overtones and texture, and the processed electric-guitar sounds were cast with a width and depth that belied the slim towers’ appearance. In Frisell’s version of “Moon River,” the acoustic-guitar leads had a smooth, natural tone. Unaided by the subwoofer, the V2 towers produced passable bass. With the sub in the mix, the sound was strikingly full, with Dave Holland’s acoustic-bass lines coming through cleanly from the top to the bottom of the scale.
When I fired up Rammstein, the Omnipolar sats did a great job of conveying concert ambience, with discrete handclaps cutting through the general roar. A synthesized propeller sound was consistently solid as it arced across the front and then the rear channels, and the singer’s monstrous voice sounded full and clear coming from the V2 center speaker. Dynamics overall were excellent — just what you want for heavy metal. I was also impressed at how cleanly the sub rendered both the bass guitar and kick drum.
Movie Performance When I returned to Will Smith and his character’s plight in I, Robot, the Mirage system did a formidable job of conveying the sense of threat — signaled here by a terrifying swell of bass — as massive robot carriers surround his car in the tunnel. During the ensuing chase, surround effects like robot carcasses smashing against concrete walls sounded clear, with a pinpoint sense of placement in space. All in all, the Mirages did a powerful job of evoking the tunnel’s subterranean atmosphere. I was also impressed with the performance of the V2 center speaker. For example, in a subsequent scene where a doctor examines a robot, dialogue stayed just as clear when I shifted my position to an off-center seat.
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Fast Facts
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| •Omnipolar design for 360° sound •V2 FS tower1-in tweeter, 4.5-in midrange, two 4.5-in woofers, four 4.5-in passive radiators; 45 in high •V2 CC center .75-in tweeter, 3-in midrange, two 4.5-in woofers; 17.125 in wide •V2 surround 1-in tweeter, 4.5-in woofer; 8 in high •S10 subwoofer 10-in driver; 200-watt amp; crossover bypass; 14.75 x 17 x 18.5 in, 41 lbs •Aluminum satellite cabinets •Brushed black or silver finish on towers and center; platinum/black, black, silver, or white on surrounds; black or platinum on subwoofer •$2,400 •miragespeakers.com, 416-321-1800 |
Bottom Line If spacious sound in a sleek package is what you’re after, Mirage’s V2 FS tower-based system will be a no-brainer. Of the three systems here, I found its sound to be the most refined and involving with music, and its dynamics on action movies left little to be desired. Oh, yeah — if I didn’t make this clear enough before: the dark-toned system looks totally badass. It was a perfect visual match for my black-framed plasma. Mirage obviously set out to do something special in designing this system, and it shows. A fantastic value overall.
Polk Audio RM30 System
The third aluminum entry in our lean speaker spotlight, Polk Audio’s RM30 system features satellites likewise designed to accommodate a variety of setups, including wall mounting. At 6.5 inches deep and about 6 inches wide, Polk’s sats are a good deal chunkier than those in the Infinity and many other wall-friendly systems. But Polk gives you another installation choice: both the RM30 satellites used for the front left/right channels and the RM302 center speaker come with plastic bases for table or stand mounting. The other components of the system I tested were the RM101 satellites, a tiny two-way speaker that worked well for the surround channels, and the compact PSW404 subwoofer. The RM101 sats come with hardware that lets you mount them to a wall or attach them to Polk’s SA-2 stands ($89 a pair).
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Fast Facts
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| •RM30 left/right front 1-in tweeter, two 4.5-in woofers; 24 in high •RM302 center 1-in tweeter, two 4.5-in woofers; 24 in wide •RM101 surround .75-in tweeter, 3.5-in midrange; 7 in high •PSW404 subwoofer 10-in driver; 200-watt amp; crossover bypass; 13.625 x 14.375 x 16.5 in, 46 lbs lbs •Aluminum satellite cabinets •Pewter finish satellites, black finish subwoofer •$2,080 •polkaudio.com, 800-377-7655 |
Setup I installed the RM30 system following the same template as for the previous two. The main difference was that I used a pair of my own stands to support the RM30 left/right front sats. Doing so required using the plastic base supports that Polk includes with the speakers. These provided adequate support, but build quality was kind of flimsy — I worried about bumping into the speakers. Those concerns extended to the subwoofer, which, though solidly constructed, sits on four tiny plastic feet loosely attached by nails. There are no threaded holes for inserting carpet spikes or other, more substantial forms of support.
Music Performance An initial stereo listen to Frisell’s “Outlaws” on the RM30 system indicated wide imaging, full-range sound, and smooth integration between the PSW404 sub and the sats. The system handled loud volumes well: when I cranked things up during a passage where the guitarist lets loose with distortion and the drums and bass get all frenetic, the sound remained clear and well-defined. Compared with the previous two systems, though, cymbals sounded overly crisp. The system’s bright voicing was readily apparent in The Shins’ “Pink Bullets”: vocals had an edgy, sibilant quality, and the normally smooth keyboards sounded somewhat grainy.
Moving on to Rammstein’s cyber-metal in 5.1-channel surround, I found much less to be fussy about. Actually, I was impressed: the kick drum and bass were low-reaching and solid, the snare-drum slam sounded decent, and the singer’s voice was clear as it emanated from the center speaker. The surround speakers conveyed a palpable sense of concert ambience, and the circular pans from the keyboard sounded smooth as they arced around.
Movie Performance The RM30 system’s admirable handling of concert DVDs carried over to movies. The tunnel chase in I, Robot turned out to be a thrilling ride, with directional sound effects coming across with pinpoint accuracy. In a scene where the crushed remains of a large vehicle are unexpectedly hurtled toward Detective Spooner, the sonic trajectory as it launched from the front of my room and landed behind me was startlingly realistic. The subwoofer also cleanly and tightly rendered the thunderous bass accompanying the mayhem. Finally, the subsequent chat between the errant robot and Dr. Susan Calvin in her lab sounded clear, even from off-center seats.
Bottom Line Polk Audio’s RM30 system has what it takes to deliver surround sound excitement with movies and concert DVDs. Overall, I found its sound too bright for my tastes during stereo listening with jazz and folk-influenced acoustic music, but I liked its deep, clean bass and wide imaging. While its build quality and style paled a bit compared with the other systems, it’s more than $300 cheaper, and Polk’s versatile installation options also help even the score.
Bench Test: "The Sound of Style"
By Tom Nousaine
| Infinity Total Solutions TSS-4000 | Mirage Omnisat V2 series | Polk Audio RM30 | |
| FREQUENCY RESPONSE (at 2 meters) | |||
| front left/right | 124 Hz to 15.4 kHz ±2.9 dB | 63 Hz to 13.8 kHz ±9.5 dB | 92 Hz to 14.4 kHz ±4.1 dB |
| center | 115 Hz to 15.1 kHz ±3.1 dB | 89 Hz to 11.8 kHz ±6.3 dB | 92 Hz to 15.1 kHz ±3.6 dB |
| surround | 143 Hz to 15.2 kHz ±3.3 dB | 90 Hz to 16.3 kHz ±7.9 dB | 127 Hz to 12.2 kHz ±3.5 dB |
| subwoofer | 43 to 134 Hz ±2.1 dB | 31 to 101 Hz ±2.0 dB | 36 to 113 Hz ±2.1 dB |
| SENSITIVITY (SPL at 1 meter with 2.83 volts of pink-noise input) | |||
| front left/right | 87 dB | 88 dB | 91 dB |
| center | 87 dB | 83 dB | 91 dB |
| surround | 87 dB | 82 dB | 87 dB |
| IMPEDANCE (minimum/nominal) | |||
| front left/right | 3.8/5 ohms | 4.0/6 ohms | 3.0/5 ohms |
| center | 3.8/5 ohms | 3.2/5 ohms | 3.0/5 ohms |
| surround | 4.0/6 ohms | 4.4/6 ohms | 3.5/6 ohms |
| BASS LIMITS (lowest frequency and maximum SPL with limit of 10% distortion at 2 meters in a large room) | |||
| front left/right | 80 Hz at 73 dB | 80 Hz at 89 dB | 80 Hz at 90 dB |
| center | 80 Hz at 73 dB | 80 Hz at 88 dB | 80 Hz at 90 dB |
| surround | 80 Hz at 67 dB | 80 Hz at 71 dB | 100 Hz at 76 dB |
| subwoofer | 25 Hz at 87 dB | 20 Hz at 82 dB | 25 Hz at 82 dB |
| average SPL from 25 to 62 Hz | 98 dB | 104 dB | 100 dB |
| maximum SPL | 107 dB at 62 Hz | 109 dB at 62 Hz | 107 dB at 62 Hz |
| bandwidth uniformity | 91% | 95% | 94% |
All of the curves in the frequency-response graphs are weighted to reflect how sound arrives at a listener’s ears with normal speaker placement. The curve for the left/right front channels reflects response averaged over a ±30° window, with double weight at 30° (the most typical listening angle). The center-channel curve reflects response averaged over ±45°, with double weight directly on-axis of the primary listener. The surround-channel curve shows response averaged over ±60°, with double weight at 60° because most sound from these speakers will reach the listener after reflection from room walls. Each subwoofer’s bass limits were measured with it set to maximum bandwidth and placed in the optimal corner of a 7,500-cubic-foot room. In a smaller room users can expect 2 to 3 Hz deeper extension and up to 3 dB higher sound-pressure level (SPL).
Because they share a common driver topology, the curves for the V2 FS left/right front, V2 CC center, and V2 surround speakers in the Mirage Omnisat V2 system have a similar characteristic, marked by a raised low-frequency band and roughened highs that are shelved downward above approximately 1 kHz. Directivity was quite uniform at all listening angles. The speakers also had unusually low sensitivity. The S10 subwoofer had above-average dynamic capability and virtually no level/crossover control interaction. The actual acoustical turnover frequencies varied only between 60 and 101 Hz although the dial was marked from 40 to 120 Hz.
Polk Audio’s RM30 left/right front satellite had well-controlled directivity, with a curious 3-dB hump between 1 and 2 kHz and roughness at higher frequencies. The RM302 center speaker began lobing at 15° off-axis, and this became progressively more severe at wider listening angles. The RM101 surround also had well-controlled directivity, but the roughness between 1.5 and 8 kHz and shelved response above 8 kHz showed in every trace I ran, at every angle. The PSW404 subwoofer had moderate overall dynamic capability but delivered 105 dB SPL between 40 and 62 Hz. Although the crossover control is specified as 60 to 125 Hz, the true acoustical range varies from 66 to 113 Hz, and there was a moderate (–3.5-dB) interaction with the level control.