Beautiful sound paired with impecable style

limited availability

This is my second set of mission 77 series loudspeakers. I use them in a stereo only system, playing back off of a Denon DRA-775rd Receiver and a Denon DCM-560 Alpha Processing Cd Changer.

My original experience with buying mission was some time ago when I purchased a pair of Mission 773 loudspeakers. I was won over by their elegance as well as their performance, considering their diminutive size. The speed of the lower end was shockingly good, a result of their patented Aerogel driver and phase plug set up I expect. I have no complaints about the 773, especially when playing classical and jazz, or when paired with a sub (in which case they are equal to about any task).

I recently saw that a local store was discontinuing this series and had the 774 listed for 50% off. I jumped at the chance and grabbed a pair in cherry. What a beautiful speaker.

Again, the speed of the bass driver and the accuracy of its timing is astounding. No muddy waters here. I had read complaints about the treble being a bit bright, but certainly do not find it so when coupled with my electronics.

The 89db sensitivity means that it is driven easily, and from the quietest to the loudest of listening levels that I have experienced, these loudspeakers are musical, and very detailed. I finally understand what "soundstaging" is. I thought I knew before, but I was not aware of the possibilities that a truly fine speaker could produce. I listen to a bit of acoustic guitar, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, and others--the music comes to life with these speakers. I close my eyes and can hear every chord being set, every string being plucked.

The only speakers I listened to that came close to these were the Paradigm Reference Studio line. I personally prefer the Mission, but the paradigm are worth a listen also. Polk, Boston, Infinity--these are all fine to introduce a new listener to the benefits of leaving a mini-system behind, but are exceptionally bright with over-emphasized bass and a sense of style that can only have come from too much time spent in Las Vegas.

The previous reviews mention a lack of low bass. This surprises me. The Low Frequency Extension on these is in the mid 30 Hz range. With normal frequency response going down to 45 hz. Check out the specs, many low-priced sub-woofers (e.g. Polk, Paradigm, Klipsch, AR) are in this same range. I have been overjoyed by these speakers. They are well worth the money. Bass is accurate and substantive. Mids and highs are seamlessly blended, infinitely musical. These are truly audiophile speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Mission 773, Polk Audio, Infinity, Boston Acoustics, Paradigm Monitor and Studio lines

Sound and looks

Nothing so far

Just bought 2 pairs of 774s for Home Audio application for a steal at $1400 for 2 pairs (4 speakers) on clearance at Bryn Mawr. Currenly wired up to my sh**t box Sharp Audio Center and it already sounds great. Next step is a 77C center which I will get in Europe on my next trip and save $100 on retail compared to USA. Also getting the Arcam DAVE with 10P3 Power Amp for the ultimate home theater setup (blows away a DENON or Marantz setup for the same money - Trust me!). Again, getting this in Europe and saving over $500.
Did alot of research on the speakers and if you want a home theater setup with audiophile capability you can easily spend twice as much for the same sound as the Mission 77 series. You'd probably have to consider DynaAudio or similar for a better sound and you're talking much bigger bucks. Arcam is also heavy into the DVD-Audio format and digital Radio, so is always concerned about ultimate sound quality and thus has kept away from offering a standard DVD player which def compromises in the sound department. Arcam does not conform to market trends but does to sound quality.
For cables I'm going for QED Silvers and Qnect 2 - Sweet!
Finish it off with the Mission AS72 Sub Woofer and you're talking business.
I whole heartily recommend these British kickers for finesse over any US Bass boomers.

Similar Products Used:

MB Quart, B&W but nothing comes close at the price

Transparency, Clarity, Build Qaulity, Soundstage.

Lower Bass, slight dropoff in 3-4 Khz range.

I can't beleive how good these sound for the money I paid! They have a tru audiophile quality sound, transparent, lively, dynamic. I have them mated with a Denon 3300 which seems to be a perfect match as the Denon is powerful, clean, and slightly warm.
When I first hooked up the Missions, I knew I wasn't getting that perfect sound. I couldn't put a finger on what wasn't right. Then I spent an hour slowly adjusting their positioning relative to the surrounding walls. Positioning is vital with these! I went from a good sound, closed in soundstage to what I can classify as the ultimate in clarity, depth, and ultra wide staging. I had these playing some jazz and blues from a digital satellite feed, and it literally sounded like I had the live band in my listening room, my own little club!
Mating this with a sub wouldn't hurt if you plan on playing alot of rock, techno. However for classical, jazz, instrumentals, they are fine on their own. Make sure and get a fast, accurate sub to keep up with the hitting immediacy of the 774's drivers. Not some floppy 18 incher. Yes they go deep, but you have to spend thousands to get one with the accuaracy of a 10 or 12 incher.
I have the spikes set up on mine tilting them slightly back to raise the tweeters level a bit as it seems the tweeter is an inch or two low on the speaker.

By the way the user HiFiGuy111 is selling complete packages of these, 774, 77ds, 77c1, 700as sub, for $1250 on ebay. Considering the package lists for $2600, its a steal. Just look up Mission and you will find them.

Happy Listening!!!!!

Similar Products Used:

Klipsch Legends, NHT, Paradigm, DefTech.

The Mission 774's are very good. The mids and highs are excellent and so is the amount of details. There isn't any other speaker at this price with such terrific detail.
Only the bass is sometimes a bit thin, but that's better than a so called deep base from other speakers (coloration). The bass seems like it's a bit thin, because the amount of coloration is very low with all frequencies, compared with other speakers. So I think it is not the 774's fault, but the equipment that is used can caused some bass problems. I have a Marantz CD 63 KI CD-player, wich sometimes is to warm in the bass, and that's wy some recordings sounds bloomy.

conclusion:
The Mission 774's sound is always pleasant, even with very bad recordings but and detail is excellent.

I heard the mission 774 at a storeconnected to a Yamaha DSP-A1 and a
Paradigm Servo-15.
The sound was amazing!!!
The the mid and high frequency of the
mission 774 is superb (although maybe
a little to bright to some people).
the mid-low frequency is also very
good (very detailed). the very low
bass is not the best, but for that
there is a Servo-15 sub which complete
the mission's sound excellently.
I've also heard the AR-312ho in
comparison, they are a little better
at the lows but really can't compete
with the mid-high portion of the 774.
I've also tested mission 775 in
comparison, to my surprise i very
much preferd the 774, again, the 774
has a mid-high portion which
blasted the 775 away.
in conclusion:
althogh the mission 774 lacs somewhat
in the low-bas category, i think that
it meant to be heard with a good sub
like the Servo-15, when coupled
toghther they produce an EXCELLENT
sound, and when you think of the
price issue, it become a MUST-HAVE!

Quality Construction, Sound Stage, Bass, Style, Adaptable from .

none

I absolutly enjoy these speakers. I have a rotel pre-amp and 100W min/channel amp + cd player for audio + PS2 and Digital Cable box for video and these speakers perform in both applications beautifully. I am now saving up for the 77center.

Similar Products Used:

energy exl-25, paradigm monitor 9.

Amazing sound, crisp, clear, you can hear everything. The soundstage is also immense, I can hear every instrument in the band it feels like.

That i can't listen to them enough, damn work.

I just purchased these speakers. I am super excited. I've listened to them 3-4 times in the store. They are great. We have them paired with a Rotel Amp and Pre-amp, a AMC cd player and it all sounds wonderful. I can't wait to set them up in my condo. I'll post a detailed review a.s.a.p.

Similar Products Used:

First foray into the audio enthusiast realm.

Great soundstage, beautiful design, natural sound.

None.

After testing lots of models, I chose 774 because of its fantastic sound. The bass is neutral, without reverberation. The midrange is articulated and has great presence. The treble has the most pure sound I´ve ever heard, even better than the similar models. I think I´ve made a good buy. I´m totally satisfied. Congratulations, Mission! They deserve 5 golden stars.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 603, Boston 950, Paradigm Monitor 7.

sound staging, bass, treble

none so far

My best so far, cetainly for the price I paid. Initially the bass was a bit dry, but after some (pretty loud) use they became supple and fast. Still I think they are not especiaaly good for rap or heavy metal, but all other music sounds really great on these speakers.

Similar Products Used:

Mission 75, AR 8HO, Kef

I just improved these speakers dramatically. I placed them on 2" high cement slabs that are on felt on my hardwood floors I raised the spikes to 1.5" this raised the tweeters to ear level. Then I toed them in so i cant see the sides of the speakers from my listening position. The speakers are about 4 feet from the back wall and 3 feet from the side walls.

They have completely melted into the room. the soundstage extends beyond the room. and on Bela Fleck and the Flecktones' song called "flight of the cosmic hippo" the bass is literally overwhelming.