price, midrange, tweeter

low bass, build

not a bad little speaker for the bedroom. needs to be placed just right to maximize bass output. i have had good luck getting decent bass out of these speakers at medium sound levels. these speakers do not like to be played loud at all. they are best with jazz and acoustic music. i would highly rec. using a bi-wire as this improves the bass most of all. also using a good cd player is important. i was using a NAD c520 at first and the sound was flat and boring. then i switched to a cambridge audio 500 and big big diference. also using heavy stands is important. i filled my stands with sand and it made the bass much more detailed and tight. for the price, 300., it makes for a good bedroom speaker or a second room speaker.

system: NAD 317 int. amp
cambridge audio d500 cd player
mission 772
tara labs intercons and speaker cable
lovan stands

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NHT, energy, KEF

Extremmely smooth high, articulate voice, transparent and clarity

need a little more bass even for a bookshelf speaker

this is a very good pair of speakers for the price. The sound is extremmely smooth especially the high, and the mid is awesome. The voice is very articulate, clear and transparent. That's all I can say.

I've owned sony TA-E9000ES(digital processor), TA-N9000ES Amp and Marantz SR-19EX( which isnt a good reciever. I'm going to return it for the Denon AVR-4800.)

Similar Products Used:

BW CDM-1NT

Soundstage, "Slam," Transparency, Bi-Wiring Capability

Not as harmonically correct as some competitors (B&W, KEF) Not widely sold (even for audio stores) in a lot of areas

Short version: these sent me down the perilous road of stereo-fetishism. Definitely worth an audition.

Longer version: I had originally puchased these as "fill-in" speakers until the acquisition of 774's or 775's. However, since having gotten stands (imperative), and a good subwoofer, they will remain as my fronts (to later be complimented by a pair of 77Surrounds). Dedicated Stereo listners should still get a sub with a good crossover and phase switch.

I have also found that the speaker (especially the tweeter) tends to run on the brighter side. . . having upgraded from Boston Acoustics, I found this quite nice, but I know it's not for everyone.

As far as any particular instances (with music), I'll refrain: these puppies have demanded the most of my amp, CD and turntable.

As far as cost: still good for the money, but include the price of stands into your final purchase. . . they are crucial. Later on, get bi-wireable cable as well (you won't regret it).

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If you can find these speakers for much less than B&W602's or NHT 1.5's, then I say, GET THEM. While the B&W's have slightly sweeter tweeters and less bass drop-off, they were going to cost me much more, even if the list price is the same.

I'm still breaking these in, as I've noticed subtle changes for the better at every frequency.

As for critical listening across my musical tastes, here's the break-down.

Bill Evans at the Vanguard - Sounds incredible! Warm double bass, fantastic depth of stage.

Lucious Jackson - Fever In, Fever Out. Ummmm... I think I need a sub to do this one justice.

Prokofiev Symphony #2 - If this is your bag, you've come to the right place.

Jimmy Smith - The Sermon. Pretty good sound overall, nice horn articulation. Some problems really communicating a few of the deep pedal tones of the organ, though.

Everything that this speaker does, it does great. Just realize its limits and if your musical taste makes those limitations very prominent, then you're not going to be very happy.

System:

Cambridge Audio A500 Integrated Amp
Cambridge Audio C500 CD Player

Good price. High quality. Great sound considering to size.

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Helping my sister to pick a new system on a budget went realy well. First out was a nice Yamaha reciever and then we searched for a pair of suitable speakers. After some careful testing the choise was surprisingly easy. These small and beautiful speakers deliver a VERY nice sound. All kinds of music come out with joy and confidence. I am going to sell my homebuild (1500$+) speakers and buy a bigger pair of Mission.

Similar Products Used:

B&W 601 S2, B&W 602 S2, Chario Synthar 100, Dali 2002,