MISSION owners thread. - Page 7

Nice PioManiac, very nice indeed. How are your eardrums?

I was told by my closest Mission dealer that the Mission M35i will be in the USA, some time around November/December.

So I patiently await their arrival. Gonna' get the M35i in the black finish and try them out in the dining room (pointing out to the kitchen) area. I have a feeling making dinner, loading dishes and hang around the kitchen is going to be a rockin' good time.....from December on out

Got my warranty replacement in Friday...everything sounds great. This is very possibly the best sounding set I've ever owned (which probably isn't saying much) But I may need to re-think my subwoofer situation.

It's a real small room so a big sub isn't required but I'd like to get something that will tune down to or below 20hz. Going from my PB10-NSD in the living room to the back game room system sucks when there is lackluster extension.

That being said I don't look forward to buying a PB10 for back there, would like something about half as big but comparable in freq response. From what I've seen the smaller footprint, the harder it is to get down low without opening up the pocket book so I might be willing to settle for something that's just flat out better than the Radio Shack $100 special I currently have back there. I wonder if I could mod this thing with a better amp? That might be more trouble than it's worth.

This room is rather small...something like 100square foot but I don't know for sure. It's 10x10 thereabouts nonetheless. So I supposed the best 8'' sub for around $200 (meaning the x-sub) is probably the direction I'll need to move in even though the specs don't jive with my line of thinking.

Sorry I get sort of long winded.

Never thought I'd buy speakers without listening to them. Comparison shopping audio on the Net. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? Thanks for all of your time sharing your experiences - and answering the same questions over and over. Bought an Aquos 37" several months ago and have the uncontrollable urge to have real sound from it.

I ran for years with a Yamaha C-4/M-4 pair into JBL L150's; all from the early 80's. Better sound than your average TV and will leave it with the basement TV from the same era. Settling on the new Onkyo 605, and just bought a pair of m31i's on eBay that I'll put on top of the hutch that holds the LCD. Not a lot of room to spread 'em out, unfortunately. I'm piecing this thing together and think that I'd like to go with a center next, but read here about mismatches in sound quality between fronts and center.

I see the m7c1i at TSTO, but not the m7c2. Sterankoman mentioned having a m7c2 for your mains that are larger than the m31's, and that brings up a couple of questions:

1. How does the m7c1i match the m31's?
2. What other center is a better match if not the m7c1i?
3. If the answer is m7c2, where does one find it and how expensive does it tend to be?

I'd rather wait if the m7c2 is some kind of silver bullet that just brings the whole thing together, but I'll rely on you guys and gals who know audio and have actually heard the m31i's with both centers to weigh in.

My use is primarily HT, but the loud music of my childhood will find its way through the system when the kids are out with Mom. Strategy is 2.1 first, then a sub if I need it with the 31's. Rears will be a positioning challenge, but maybe some m70's there. The m70 reviews (remarkable for their size) don't match their TSTO price, so probably those at some point - maybe before the sub at that price... Is the $69.99 a promo price, or their standard? Do they ever sell for list, or are they like cameras and sell at a "street price"?

Rambling. Sorry. Thanks for the insight!

As a former m7c2 owner I am going to chime in. Do not get an m7c1. If the m7c2 is a huge upgrade to the m7c1, the m7c1 must be dismal. Of all the centers I've owned, the m7c2 always reminded me that it was a box. Not very good reproduction of the human voice. Small and boxy is exactly how I would describe it's sound. If you are dead set on Mission, I would take a look at their lines and try to find a center that has 2 6"s. In general I find centers with 5 1/4's sound small, and especially so with the m7c2.

Nikonshooter,

The M-70's use to sell regularly (on sale) for $79.99/pr. but I have noticed that in the last 3 months they have been selling for $69.99. I have never seen any of the older Missions sell for retail. The e series currently listed are the retail price.

Some knowledgable folks here say that an identical center channel to the mains is the best way to maintain audio continuity for a 3.1 system. I just read a review on the Energy RC series and the reviewer pointed out that the matching center channel didn't sound like the mains and it bothered the reviewer a bit. The center speaker was a 3 way with two dome midranges and the mains had one 5" cone midrange.

If you purchased another pair of M-31's which sometimes sell for $139.99/pr. would cost less than a m7c2 which I think sold for $150 each and you would have a mint replacement speaker should any of the three M31's fail.

An alternative to M-70's for the rears would be a pair of m7ds wall mounted speakers. The M-70's require mounting brackets like the ones available for the M-70's also sold by TSTO and the m7ds's do not (plus they are black to match the M-31's).

I find my m7c2 to be fine for dialog, but then I'm not in a large room. I replaced my M-73i's mains with a pair of M-64i's and haven't had the urge to upgrade my center to a 6 series center channel. Everyone hears differently.

I too am a little surprised at the m7c2 comments. I don't find it more than a touch boxy; perfect - no - but certainly not seriously flawed. I would say there is a bit of midrange lift but it still provides a practically seamless L/C/R soundstage in my system. I have a large room (about 13 x 30 x 8ft) and dialogue, singing and instruments are very clear. Certainly the smaller m7c1 (I still have) was not in balance tonally or grunt wise with my relatively large m74's (hence the change) but I tried it as a centre with my m71's when I temporarily ran them as fronts while running them in and it was quite well suited in that company. Also, I found it best to run the system crossover at a 100hz setting with the m7c1 but 80hz is ideal with the m7c2 for both sub and general speaker integration.

I've been listening to a pair of Mission e80 bookshelf loudspeakers for the last couple of weeks and I thought that I might pen a few comments.

Damn these things are watt gobblers. They require a minimum of 100 watts per channel to fill a moderately sized room. I'm pushing 150 watts per channel thru them and on some cd's I set my volume at -10 db just to fill the room. In the future I plan to power them with a high current 165 watt per channel power amp that should prove interesting.

The low sensitivity of these speakers is puzzling because normally these types of low sensitivity speakers are designed to boost the bass relative to the midrange and high end. Not these these e80's because the bass rolls off at 80hz. No pretense of reproducing bass here. These speakers are intended to be used with a subwoofer.

When teamed up with a subwoofer these little speakers throw up a wall of sound that stretches beyond the speakers themselves. They don't seem to have the liquid midrange of the Volare series loudspeakers (on the 2 receivers that I've tried), but the off axis response of the e80's is amazing, I can sit at almost 90 degrees to them and hear a decent high end. They are very detailed in their overall presentation (except bass). They have different attributes from the Volare series which I'm familiar with, but it's hard to say which is more accurate without further listening.

The Industrial quality in which these loudspeakers are built is amazing. The cabinet is made from a composite material called anthracite that has twice the density of the the best wood construction. These little buggers weigh a ton compared to similar sized loudspeakers. They have the now popular teardrop shaped cabinet with a sloped top surface. The grill cloth is supported by a fine steel mesh attached to a high density plastic frame. Frame doesn't quite describe these "bullet proof" grill assemblies. They snap into the cabinet to form a smooth contoured cabinet shape.

The quality of the cabinet is beyond most loudspeaker manufacturers.

I'm still experimenting with them and will try them on different amps that I have around so these first impressions are just that. They make a fine 2.1 system for music, but they don't seem to have the solid center imaging of other loudspeakers have for HT without a center channel. The sound stage created by these little guys is too big to be focused. It's not diffused just large.

More listening is required.

I attached a picture of an e80 (not mine). The photo shows the finish too dark, they are actually more grey with a slight metal flake finish.

What are size of the woofers in the E80 series, and how many woofer elements are in the E80, 1, 2, and 3?

e80 (1) 110mm (4 1/2") woofer in a sealed enclosure

e81 (2) 110mm (4 1/2") woofers in a sealed enclosure

e82 (2) 130mm (5") woofers and (3) 130mm (5") passive radiators

e83 (2) 160mm (6") woofers and (3) 160mm (6") passive radiators

Sterankoman,

Thanks for your rapid and complete response.

Anyone know anything about the M73is? I was looking at some Polk R50s from Frys but they went off sale. These are comparable in price at this point.

What price are they asking? If under $300 a pair, then they are worth listening to.
I own a pair that I was using for my HT fronts for almost 2 years. They are great "beginner" loudspeakers for someone's first HT system or even and upgrade from smaller speakers.

I use the term beginner not as a slam but to explain that they are not the final destination in the loudspeaker holy grail.

They produce nice full bass for a 6 1/2" woofer with slightly recessed mids and clear articulate highs.

You should listen to them using similar priced/quality electronics that you will be using and with music that you are familiar with.

Here is a link to a review.

http://202.186.86.35/audio/review.as...&sec=audiofile

I just brought a set of Mission M66i speakers, very nice speakers much nicer sound than the similar Polks. One thing is they need a fair bit of power, due to a height restiction of my cabinet ive had to use two nad 352s to run them, but the sound is outstanding,. also the physical size and look is very nice not to mention how heavy the cabinets are.

Contrats on your new loudspeakers. Are Missions readily available in NZ? Here in the states they are hard to find.

If you want to hear some awsome image depth, pull them out about a meter from the rear wall and toe them in to your listening position. Turn the lights low and crack a cold beer and enjoy.

Like most great imaging loudspeakers they need a little room behind them to achieve the best 3d imaging possible.

Anyone heard of a company called Mission Express out of Massachusetts?

I noticed on Amazon that they are shipping the e series loudspeakers.

I thought that I would post an update on my pair of Mission e80's for the 3 Mission fans out there. I was using them as my mains in my 5.1 HT set up for a couple of weeks and finally came to the conclusion that they were not suited as front speakers in a 5.1 setup. They are just too laid back to hold my attention. They would make nice rear speakers in a HT system due to their wide dispersion.

However they are suited for a nearfield setup where the speakers are 3-4 feet away. They do an excellent job in a nearfield 2.1 system because they don't have an aggressive tweeter and do possess a sweet midrange. I have rotated several of my bookshelf speakers in my nearfield setup and like the e80's the best.

This seems like a great bargain from TSTO - I read that someone on this thread just ordered it and loves it.

I just had to ask though: For the money (or close to it), what else could I get that would provide similar or better sound? I've never owned Mission speakers before, nor any other quality speakers.

Thoughts?

I believe you can find a pair of Polk R150's for around $80/pr.

I just logged onto JR Music website.
http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=4150459

You might find a pair of R15's for even less.

I'm sorry, my sarcasm meter didn't really register, but are these even comparable speakers? I thought Missions had that 'British' sound, like Wharfedale, Mordaunt-Short, or Tannoys. No, I know, the M70s are none of these, but as far as characteristics of sound of a speaker, I thought that buying Missions would get your foot in the door.

I appreciate the help on the Polks ( I'm not too lazy to research them ) but was just wondering if they were quality speakers.

If you want to own a pair of Missions I would skip the M-70s and buy a pair of M-31's. The M-31's can be enjoyed without a subwoofer where as the M-70's do need a subwoofer IMHO.

Glad to see there is a Mission thread. I love my Missions. Here is my setup:

Theater:
77c Center in front and rear
773 mains
771 surrounds
700AS sub

Office/Computer stereo:
771s driven by an old 70's Pioneer receiver

Now if I could just find a set of 77ds to replace my 771 surrounds.

Good to see another Mission owner out there. My first pair of Missions were my 772's in rosewood that I bought around 2000.

The M7ds rear channel speakers are still available and should match your 77 series set up. They look very similar.

Your 700as has a 10" woofer. Have you had the desire to go with a larger and more powerful sub? I have not heard one myself.

I've had the desire to throw it out the window if that counts

It started to auto shutoff even when it was being fed a live signal and now when I plug it in, it pushes the sub to full excursion and just hums.

I need to switch out the subwoofer with a spare 10" I have to see if it is the amplifier or the sub but I'm pretty sure it's probably the amp which sucks.

Most likely I will build myself a new sub that will have a lot more output.

When working properly, the 700AS actually did a very good job for being a 10" subwoofer. I was very surprised at the output.

Hi!

Mission owner here as well.

I'm going to complete my set-up and am interested in getting rear speakers. My receiver is only 5.1 capable. Right now, I have the M73 as fronts and the M7C1 as center. The models available in my part of the world are as follows: M70 (used), M30 (brand new) and M7DSD (brand new).

I've been reading up on the earlier posts and note that the M30 is just the latest incarnation of the M70. Is there a marked improvement in the M30 or are the specs and performance basically the same? I figure if there isn't, I can get by on just the 2nd hand M70 and it will cost me less.

The M7DS is a little more expensive. I've been told, conflictingly, that I should get it now, and add the M70 when I have a 7.1 set-up, AND, I should get the M70 first then get the M7DS when I want to upgrade to 7.1. I'm confused.

Any inputs?

aprilryan,
Perhaps in an A/B test you might tell a difference but for surround duties, there is unlikely to be any discernable differences between the m70 and m30 in my opinion. The m70 however may match better with the m73’s though.

The m7ds question however is more about whether bipoles or monopoles would suit your room/setup and sound preference better. Personally I started with m7ds as surrounds in a 5.1 setup and added m71i’s as rears when I upgraded my receiver and went to 7.1 but that was simply the correct solution for my rather long room and my tastes. As a broad generalisation, bi/dipoles tend to give a more diffuse surround effect and monopoles less diffuse and more locatable sound so in reality, it depends on what you prefer in your initial 5.1 setup and your options in positioning the speakers. Diffuse simply suited me. Nothing to stop other options either such as m70s all around either. Best to search for other threads with good advice on layouts and setups. Whichever way you go, any of the speakers listed will do a good job.

Hello all,
A couple of years ago, on a whim, I decided to buy a good "stereo". I bought a Denon avr 1603 receiver and a pair of Mission 740i speakers. The speakers sound great for certain types of music like accoustic guitar or jazz but for rock or pop there is something missing. I was thinking of selling the speakers until I came across this thread. Can someone tell me what I could do to bring out the potential of my speakers? Do I need to add speakers? Does my receiver suck? I have a feeling I'm an ignorant fool who's got something great but doesn't know it. All help would be appreciated but keep it simple, I'm a noob...

Perhaps adding a subwoofer to your system will help?

Nobody's a fool who picks Denon and Mission for their first stereo.

Bitpoh is right on about adding a subwoofer to your system. What you are missing with your current setup is the bass slam that is in rock music that can be provided by a good subwoofer.

I have recently added an Outlaw LFM-1 compact to replace an older sub that was in my system and I can easily recommend an Outlaw subwoofer.

There are a few reasonably priced subs that you can add to your system to create an awesome 2.1 system. Slide on over to the subwoofer forum and do some reading for many informed opinions about the current subs available.

Two highly regarded subs that are on backorder is the AV123 X sub and the Acculine Asub, they won't be available for another month or so.