Mission 750 review

The new Mission 750 standmounter is something of an odd one out in Mission’s trio of retro-styled 700 series speakers. While the range-topping 770 and mid-priced 700 were both inspired by classic models from the company’s past, the 750 doesn’t have that kind of direct heritage to lean on. It is an all-new design that isn’t based on anything that has gone before. Does that matter? Not to us. If it shares the excellent engineering DNA of its pricier siblings and delivers the performance to match, then it could be something of a bargain.

Things start off well in that regard. The 750 was initially launched at £899 in the UK, but that was quickly adjusted down to £699 once the speakers hit the market. A large part of that decision was to make the 750 a more price-compatible partner for Mission's lovely little 778X integrated amplifier (£489 / $749 / AU$989). In the UK that price drop also moves the 750 further away from exceptional rivals such as KEF’s LS50 Meta (£999 / $1450 / AU$2500) and directly up against Award-winners like the Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3 (£669 / $818 / AU$1349).

Design & build

This Mission 750 are beautifully made speakers for the money. At 9kg, they feel solid and substantial. Fit and finish are superb and make the similarly priced Bowers & Wilkins feel a little low rent, particularly as the 750’s finish is a real wood veneer rather than vinyl.

The cabinet isn’t just an ordinary MDF box either, as Mission uses a twin-wall construction where each panel is made up of MDF and particleboard layers bonded by high-damping glue. The result is claimed to be a quiet structure with high levels of rigidity and good damping. The enclosure is then braced to improve rigidity further. There are two finish options for the veneer: the black of our review sample and walnut. In each case, the front baffle remains white.

The 750’s drive units are inverted so that the tweeter sits below the mid/bass unit. This is a configuration that Mission pioneered back in 1980 with its original 700 model, and it is claimed to equalise the distance between the two drivers’ acoustic centres (the place the sound appears to be coming from) and the listener’s ears. The sonic benefits are said to be improved sonic coherence and stereo imaging.

The 750’s 28mm dome tweeter uses a lightweight microfibre diaphragm with a damped rear chamber to absorb unwanted rearward sound. Such a design also pushes the unit’s fundamental resonance below the crossover point of 2.4kHz. A 13.5cm mid/bass unit takes over below this point. This newly designed drive unit has a polypropylene cone that is mineral-loaded to improve stiffness and a diecast chassis for rigidity. It is tuned by a rear-firing port. The construction of the mid/bass is claimed to be of the same standard as those used in its bigger and pricier siblings. The Mission’s two drivers are linked with a carefully designed crossover network that was originally designed by software before being fine-tuned by ear.

Compatibility

The 750’s claimed sensitivity is fairly typical for the sector at 86dB/W/m. While some people may be concerned that the nominal impedance is rated at 6 ohms rather than 8 ohms, they don’t need to be. Any price-compatible competently designed amplifier will drive the 750 without issue. During our test sessions, we try these Missions with a range of amplification options from the budget Rotel A8 and Mission’s own 778X to pricier alternatives such as Naim’s Nait XS3, and don’t come across any issues. Our source components are Naim’s ND555/555 PS DR and the Audiolab 9000N music streamers in the main, as well as an Arcam CD5 CD player.

These Missions don’t prove particularly fussy about positioning. Like most small speaker designs we come across, they don’t work at their best up against a back wall or stuffed into a bookshelf. Like each and every one of its competition, the Mission 750 sounds best on solid, rigid stands at least 50cm from the rear wall, and ideally well away from the sides. There are benefits in angling them slightly towards the main listening position as it helps to solidify the stereo imaging and improve focus. The exact amount of angle depends on your room layout, system and taste.

Sound

Put a bit of effort into getting these speakers optimised and you will be rewarded. At their best, these Missions produce a balanced sound of impressive authority for something that stands just over 35cm high. No, they won’t get your house’s foundations shaking but the bass they produce certainly has more weight, punch and solidity than we would expect given their size.

They tackle tough bass tests such as Massive Attack’s Angel and Hans Zimmer’s The Dark Knight OST with admirable conviction and composure. This low-frequency competence sets a solid foundation for the rest of the frequency range to work from. These speakers sound nicely balanced when it comes to tonality, delivering a pretty clear midrange and refined highs.

The 750 dig up a good amount of detail, though don’t quite match either the Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3, or particularly the KEF LS50 Meta, when it comes to outright resolution or low-level dynamic expression. So, while they remain a good listen across a musical range that extends from Eminem’s original Marshall Mathers LP to Olafur Arnald’s Broadchurch OST, they never quite manage to stir our soul as much as the best of their rivals. The 750 needs to be a bit more articulate and insightful to do that.

These boxes can play loudly though, and maintain an impressive degree of composure and refinement while doing so. They are also capable of delivering the sound with an appealing boldness. Given a demanding classical piece such as Mahler’s 10th Symphony, these standmounters can generate an impressive sense of power for something so compact, and we’re sure that will win them friends. Equally, they are refined enough not to make a meal of poor recordings. We play Stay Gold by First Aid Kit and are pleased with the way these Missions cope with this slightly thin and edgy recording. The 750’s tweeter has bite but is well-behaved with it.

Verdict

Overall, the Mission 750 are good speakers. They are well built, relatively unfussy about partnering equipment but still capable of producing musically enjoyable results when fed with an appropriate quality of signal. Are they the most musically talented boxes we’ve heard at the money? No, but they do have a broad range of strengths that make them worth considering.

First reviewed: December 2024

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Bowers & Wilkins 606 S3

Also consider the KEF LS50 Meta

Read our Focal Vestia No.1 review

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