Speakers

[grahamboyd]

My Hi Fi consists of Marantz CD63Se, Cyrus 3 amp and until recently Mission780SE speakers - all bought 1995.

The sound this produces is described as a 'forward sounded system' and to me still sound awesome.

The problem was the Mission speakers are badly scratched and look dated - I replaced them after researching B & W 686's.

I found the B&W's sound is like putting a damp towel over them compared to the Missions - there is no comparison.

I paid £240 for Missions 1995 and £279 for B & W's 2009 - allowing for inflation perhaps I did not spend enough this time?

I live in the Glasgow area and did want Missions again but found them impossible to get. Are they easily available?

Advice please - I am looking for is what could replicate the sound of my original Missions or a friend suggested get a cabinet maker to build new cabinets for the Missions - is that as daft as it sounds?

Thanks

 

[Messiah]

I would check out ebay. There are always plenty of Mission speakers on there. The 75 and 78 series (both excellent) do crop up quite often.

 

[Anonymous]

Hello

Have you tried Audio Merchants in Howard St ? I was in this store a while back and remember seeing some new Mission speakers they had.

They had a few other speakers from KEF and Epos which i had looked at when i bought my system from them.

Hope this helps.

 

[the record spot]

Hi Graham, I'm not sure what the current equivalent would be to the 780SE, though the latest batch from the company apparently don't fare too well if recent reviews are anything to go by. If you liked that sound, you could try and find a pair (I think the guy who runs Retro Reproduction in Edinburgh might have some still), alternatively, the 75 series was pretty special IMO. I used to have the 751 when it came out and was blown away by it - terrific speaker for the money (£300 at the time).

I now have, as you can see below, the 752 and this was a £550 speaker in its' day, although to me, an £80 auction win off Ebay and I picked them up from the seller. Another fine speaker.

If I was looking to buy new, I'm a big fan of what Q Acoustics do; I hear one of the guys involved in the company used to work for Mission in the heyday and they have a new range out. If you've room for them, the 2050 looks like it could be good if it follows on from the 1050i predecessor or the promise of the standmount 2010 and 2020s. Expect a big old sound from them, plenty of punch, fantastic dynamics and the ability to punch above their weight. Hi Fi World rated them as one of their products of the year last year, so the new range has a lot to live up to.

A good price too - £370 or so. I think Audio Merchants in Glasgow are official dealers for Q Acoustics, so it's worth paying them a visit. Nice guys too.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Graham, i,ve recently bought Spendor A6 speakers and was going to advertise my Mission 773 floorstanders and 771 bookshelves with mission stands, i think they are about 12 years old, not a scratch on them, i also think the cabinets and drivers were manufactured in France not China, have always sounded great.

I live in Glasgow so if you want first dibs on them then thats fine.

Cheers

 

[plastic penguin]

grahamboyd:

My Hi Fi consists of Marantz CD63Se, Cyrus 3 amp and until recently Mission780SE speakers - all bought 1995.

The sound this produces is described as a 'forward sounded system' and to me still sound awesome.

The problem was the Mission speakers are badly scratched and look dated - I replaced them after researching B & W 686's.

I found the B&W's sound is like putting a damp towel over them compared to the Missions - there is no comparison.

I paid £240 for Missions 1995 and £279 for B & W's 2009 - allowing for inflation perhaps I did not spend enough this time?

I live in the Glasgow area and did want Missions again but found them impossible to get. Are they easily available?

Advice please - I am looking for is what could replicate the sound of my original Missions or a friend suggested get a cabinet maker to build new cabinets for the Missions - is that as daft as it sounds?

Thanks

Totally concur with Messiah - theold 78 series was very good in its day, although unsure how often they crop up on auction sites. As an alternative, why not think about Dynaudio 42's or 52's. Likewise, they work brilliantly with Cyrus, and they come up quite often.