Retro Mission 780iSE and replacements

[kittymac]

Evening all

I had to write this again as I couldnt delete or answer my own post because im a spammer apparently ??

I was using a pair of B&W DM601 S3. And despite their clarity I found them very bright at higher volumes. I tend to enjoy warm sound with strong punchy bass. I agree not easy in a bookshelf speaker. Anyway I sold the B&W and didnt want to be without a speaker as I researched their replacements. Now back in the early 90s I had a pair of Mission 760iSE and loved them. So when I spotted a very cheap pair of 780iSE I jumped on them. Going forward they arrived in really good condition. And they sound better than any speaker of this age has any right to. They are definitely not as bright and seem like they have more bass than the B&W.

So I am in a bit of a quandary. Because I would like to keep the missions as a backup and get a newer pair. But they are going to have to be a lot better. And with a budget of 300 to 500 quid I fear its not going to be easy.

Would be very interested to read comments & thoughts.

Thankyou in advance.

 

[nopiano]

Welcome to the forum.

I’ve still got some 760i from the mid-1990s and they’re a fun listen. It’s too far back for me to remember but if you do a bit of homework you might find another pair of used Missions that you’d like - without breaking the bank. Then you can swap between them occasionally, if that’s you’re thing.

Or new ones are still sold, though I’ve not heard them myself. A couple of regulars here like them.

For example:- https://www.richersounds.com/mission-lx-3-mkii-walnut/

 

[kittymac]

I should have pointed out my setup. My amp is a Rega Brio (just been discontinued}. With an old Arcam 7 CD player & lastly an Audio Technica LP5X turntable.

@nopiano Yes the 760 was/is a great little speaker. I like your idea about swapping about. I bid on two pairs of Mission 751. As I read these were well regarded. But I was surprised as they went for between £130 to £150. My 780s came in at under £100.

Im not totally familiar with other 'late vintage' brands. But willing to look into them. Maybe Wharfedale which has a rep for warmth.

 

[Jasonovich]

I should have pointed out my setup. My amp is a Rega Brio (just been discontinued}. With an old Arcam 7 CD player & lastly an Audio Technica LP5X turntable.

@nopiano Yes the 760 was/is a great little speaker. I like your idea about swapping about. I bid on two pairs of Mission 751. As I read these were well regarded. But I was surprised as they went for between £130 to £150. My 780s came in at under £100.

Im not totally familiar with other 'late vintage' brands. But willing to look into them. Maybe Wharfedale which has a rep for warmth.

Never actually owned a pair of Missions but as a kid, I always wanted to own one but ended up with KEF Coda 🙂

If you're near Richer Sounds Store or HiFi dealership, do pop over and listen to the various brands including the Missions.

A few weeks ago on eBay I saw an absolute bargain SVS Ultra Bookshelf Speaker for £600(ish), I was tempted but decided against it, as I'm more than happy with my Dali Oberon 3's, really great bookshelf speakers.

I decided in the end, I wanted to focus more on photography so I got a new camera. I think I was telling myself, there's no need to spend anymore on HiFi if you're happy with what you already have but if you got the itch........ I think we've all been there 🙂

 

[Rodolfo]

I should have pointed out my setup. My amp is a Rega Brio (just been discontinued}. With an old Arcam 7 CD player & lastly an Audio Technica LP5X turntable.

@nopiano Yes the 760 was/is a great little speaker. I like your idea about swapping about. I bid on two pairs of Mission 751. As I read these were well regarded. But I was surprised as they went for between £130 to £150. My 780s came in at under £100.

Im not totally familiar with other 'late vintage' brands. But willing to look into them. Maybe Wharfedale which has a rep for warmth.

Another welcome from another Mission fan here: I purchased a pair of 700s in 1985 -perhaps the model referenced here more recently: https://www.whathifi.com/news/mission-700-speakers-are-a-blast-from-the-past

I did/had still run them in a secondary setup for ~10 years, UNTIL a few months ago when I re-promoted or returned them to partner with my beautiful Martin Logan LX16s which have the best tweeters I know, in my primary setup. The 700s still reproduce, in particular, terrific imaging as ever, to my still-quite-good-thankfully ears. BTW, the 700s replaced a set of still-liked (and now corporate sibling) Wharfedale Diamond 225s that are now in the secondary role.

I am happily satisfied with these speaker sets and setups, along with a little-less-vintage but also-remarkable Nakamichi SoundSpace 8 "mini", but for fun and curiosity (and readiness to pounce) I do regularly monitor ads for Mission candidates/offers. 😉😍

 

[kittymac]

Never actually owned a pair of Missions but as a kid, I always wanted to own one but ended up with KEF Coda 🙂

If you're near Richer Sounds Store or HiFi dealership, do pop over and listen to the various brands including the Missions.

A few weeks ago on eBay I saw an absolute bargain SVS Ultra Bookshelf Speaker for £600(ish), I was tempted but decided against it, as I'm more than happy with my Dali Oberon 3's, really great bookshelf speakers.

I decided in the end, I wanted to focus more on photography so I got a new camera. I think I was telling myself, there's no need to spend anymore on HiFi if you're happy with what you already have but if you got the itch........ I think we've all been there 🙂

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Thanks for the reply and I agree there is no real reason to spend anymore. I did all of that back in the 90s.