Mission MX-5 Floor standing speakers
Mission has a long-held reputation for producing keenly priced entry-level loudspeakers and its own brand new MX collection pitches in to this hody contested area. The six-powerful range includes three standmount and three floorstanding versions, of which the MX5 is the largest and costliest.
And 'substantial' is a word that can surely cross the mind of anyone unboxing a set of MXSs. Standing several centimetres over a metre tall (when fitted with spikes), this is one of the greatest sub-£1,000 loudspeakers we have found in quite a while. So much so, that we might encourage any buyer before taking them, to see a pair in the flesh.
These drivers are fitted with covers that include built-in wave guides, something which Mission claims enables the speaker to perform at its best with the covers on. Although it was partly because of the fact that the covers looked as if they wanted substantial force to remove we analyzed them in this way.
Detailing like the large spiked plinth fitted to the base of the terminal blocks as well as each and every loudspeaker - all feels sturdy and well-planned. The black ash finish joins or is good without visible seams and also the entire impression is of a well-assembled product.
There's certainly a sense that you're getting a lot of speaker for the cash. The large, black, multiple driver design, for instance, does have a faintly aggressive atmosphere to it, implying that it's going to be at its best when most ballistic.
The MX5 is much more refined in relation to the menacing outside might suggest. Thanks to a promised sensitivity of 90dB, the MX5 shouldn't prove an issue to most amps it's not unlikely to be paired with. Given an output of 60 watts or more, the MX5 will create greater than listening amounts that are adequate immaterial of size, for most rooms.
The construction of the MX5 implies a prodigious low end and, in practice, the MX5 has bass weight that is commendable. What is more of a surprise is agility and the speed of the low end and the way well it integrates with the upper and midrange frequencies.
Complex and rapid bass lines will be followed by the MX5 with accuracy and vigour, in the exact same time avoiding the sense of subtle info being overwhelmed by it.
Tonality is not generally bad: voices and instruments sound commendably real and believable. Thanks, in part, to the bass response that is powerful, there is also soundstage and an appreciable scale to most records.
Absolute detail retrieval is good rather than excellent; there's a feeling that the MX5 is giving the bigger picture, instead of presenting every last facet of the functionality.
Incidental details, for example audience response in live records or the aside of one musician to a different, can be lost (when more exacting speakers will locate them), but the general awareness of the recording is well shot.
This does help make the MX5 forgiving of inferior recordings, however it'll make even quite horrible generations seem relatively together and satisfying. This seems to play nicely across many musical styles and the MX5 seldom fails to be an enjoyable listen with virtually all genres of music.
The sheer size of the MXS is, maybe, the largest limitation to an unconditional recommendation.
It may simply be too large to work correctly in smaller rooms, where two channel equipment could discover itself. However, if you can accommodate a speaker of this size, the MX5 has much to recommend it
This is a well-planned and cohesive-sounding loudspeaker, with dynamics and impressive scale. In addition, it presents a sufficiently easy load that will ensure it is compatible with most amplifiers.
The MX5 is a very likeable speaker and places Mission securely back in the sub-£l,000 speaker challenge.
