This is the Mission 700, a re-imagining of a 1980 classic speaker that was itself a smaller, more mainstream version of the technically impressive Mission 770 from 1978. Mission recently re-engineered the 770 (earning five stars in our review), so it makes sense that the 700 is next in its portfolio to get the 'back from the dead' treatment.
But Mission hasn't just slapped a modern design on the new model. It's reworked it from the ground up, and claims to have improved on every element while retaining some of the original design flourishes – including the white front baffle and the Mission 700 logo. The new model is now twice the weight of the original – something that speaks to its sturdier construction.
The inverted driver arrangement is also back. Mission was a pioneer in this area, as the original 700 was one of the first to place the treble unit below the mid/bass driver. Mission still uses this configuration in its modern speakers.
The mid/bass cone uses polypropylene that's been stiffened by minerals, and promises fast, tight bass. The mid/bass drive unit has been redesigned too, to take into account modern power handling and dynamics.
And the treble? That's handled by a lightweight, damped, 28mm microfibre dome and backed by a damped rear chamber. The aim is to create evenness throughout the frequency range, whereas the original 700 focussed more on the midrange.
The cabinet is made of wood and veneered, with a twin-wall sandwich of high-density MDF and particle board bonded by a layer of high-damping adhesive to eliminate colouration. The front baffle is strengthened by internal bracing, while a layer of acoustic foam and damping fibre absorb reflections inside the cabinet.
There's more damping in the optional stands that Mission has created to go with the 700. These stands come in either black or walnut real-wood veneer, and cost £299 per pair ($344, AU$500), while the speakers cost £1299 per pair ($2000, approx. AU$2750) without the stands. You can buy the speakers and stands together in the UK for £1499. They go on sale from mid-September.
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