Very detailed sound, accurate and full bass, aesthetics, and build quality.

None to date.

These speakers have plenty of bass unlike some reviews have claimed. The bass is fast, deep, and very accurate. A subwoofer is not needed. I have my 774's set up with a pair of 77ds surrounds, and a 77c1 center. The sound transition between the speakers are seemless in THX theater mode, and 5.1 stereo. In stereo(front left/right only) mode these speakers can handle all the power my Onkyo TXDS-777 receiver can pump out; 105 watts/channel. No distortion at all. Every little detail, and instrument can be differentiated from each other from the lowest volume to the highest.
I highly recommend these speakers to anyone even at the MSRP of $1200.00.

Similar Products Used:

Jamo, Klipsch, NHT

Wonderfull imaging

don't know of any

I have a pair of Misson 774's driven by Acurus electronics using monster cable phase corrected hookup cables and Wowee! After many years of buying and selling equipment I think this is it. You can really hear each instrument. The sound comes right out of the air. I don't listen to loud rock so I do not know how that would fair, but I listen to Jazz, Classical, folk, new age ... and it is all good. In fact the real problem is I now can really hear problems with the recordings and performances. BTW I have the Acurus phono preamp and NAD turntable. When I play "records" the young folks say ... "WHAT WAS THAT???" They really do sound better than CD's. So I haunt library fairs and buy old records for 25 cents ... anyone want to hear the original cast production of the Sound of Music??

I would have to agree with all other reviews, that when it comes down to bass extension, the Mission 774's lack. But they perform with such authority in every other regard that the lack of low end does not matter. I use them in conjunction with an NHT SW3P, but often I find myself reaching for the power switch to defeat the sub. Build quality is very good, with real wood veneers and beautifully sculpted cabinets. The tweeter position could be raised just a tad as in the 775's. When considering both the 774's and the 775's, this was the biggest issue.

Best sounding speakers for the money !!!

For the price NONE! without price BASS!

For the price there is just no competition.
Sounds amazing.
Must be auditioned before any speaker
purchase around 1000$.
Subwoofer is a MUST have though.....

Similar Products Used:

AR 312, Mission 775.

Detail, looks and HT versatility

None for me!

Well I have had these pieces of art as part of an ever growing HT setup since the New Year. But this review is mainly based on it's musical performance. Let me just briefly describe my setup. Arcam 10 amp fitted with DAVE module and Toshiba 2109 DVD, used as CD transport running to digital coax input of DAVE module. I have customized my own speaker cables from CAT 5 LAN cable which are solid copper conductors 24AWG with teflon FEP insulation and platted them to reduce inductance (superb cable that is very affordable from radio shack, approx 30 cents/foot! - just takes a few hours labor to reconfigor this cable that easily competes with cable costing 10+ to 50 times more).
Also custom made the digital coax link using precision video cable that is just incredible from again RS - Ultra fast and ultra low capacitance, true 100% shielded 1506A cable at $90Cents/foot!- You must try it for all your digital and video leads - unbeatable performance and price. And trust me I'm normally one of those that make jokes about RS stuff generally.
Sorry, well back to the speakers. Like the other reviewer below I don't think these speakers should be compared to others at the few $100 price point and run with middle of the road amps or recievers. This will not do these beauties justice at all. At the very minimum you'll need a separate amp of 50W p/c min from the likes of denon or marantz, AT THE VERY MINIMUM. Look for separates at roughly the same price point of the speakers ie $500 to $1000 to really show it's talents. The Arcam 10 is such an amp which will reveal every naunce in the digital source. Initial running with the freshly made cables clearly revealed a bright sound which even my girlfriend remarked on (honestly, I know reviewers always pull that old chestnut, but she really did say they sounded very trebly). But that was at first, and after a few days running in, the cables settled in towards more neutral ground. As for the bass, no problems here. Again a decent amp and cable setup using biwire should eliminate any restrictions here that others have run into - and you'll need a decent amp as already mentioned.
The speakers will show up any bad recordings and show off with good recordings - Try George Michael's Older or Michael Jackson's Dangerous and you will become lost in your surroundings. Playing Simply Red's Stars made me feel that I was playing a completely different version of the recording
and I immediateley heard sounds that were never noticed before. I don't want to get into the lingo audiophile talk but these speakers communicate in a way that seems to reveal enough detail that strikes a perfect balance between warmth and clinical detail that I have yet to hear in any speaker costing up to twice as much.
Also the matching timbre of the Mission's 77c center speaker for HT setup is extrodinary excellent value. The matching dipole surround sound speakers also have rave reviews but I am actually running a second set of 774's for the rear which I can only recommend for Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS and not in any analogue surround sound mode which needs the dispersion charcteristics of the dipoles.
The odd reviewer that are trashing these speakers below are not being honest with the speakers potential - Feed quality with quality and the rewards are there.

Similar Products Used:

B&W, MB Quart and

Everything, buy them today.

Not a single one, They sound great and look just as good!

These are some of the best speakers I have ever heard. Not being biased since I own them, I have bought and sold many speakers that I ended up not really caring for. These I don't think I will ever sell. For the price I paid I don't think I could have found a better speaker. If they ever go out I am willing to pay retail to get them replaced.

Similar Products Used:

Infinity, Bose, Paradigm, Polk

Clarity, Accuracy, Build Quality, and Looks.

Limited Availability in the US

I, like most who visit this sight, searched for months for a pair of main speakers for my system. I read reviews in magazines, on this sight, and of course auditioned numerous brands/models.

I read so many outstanding comments on the Mission 77 series that it peaked my interest to the point that I was actually considering buying them without hearing them (I Know, I Know). I was able to locate one dealer in the San Francico Bay Area (Harmony Music) who carried the Mission 77 line. When I heard the Mission 774's, I was astonished in the detail, clarity, and tight base they produced. They are so sleek, that they amaze with the sound stage they produce. I was fortunately able to switch from the Mission's right to the B&W 602s2, as they were both hooked up to the same amp. IN MY OPINION, there was no contest, not even close. The B&W's were not in the same league, TO ME. By the way, the wife loved the look of the Mission's, they are really sharp!

The dealer would not budge on the $1,200 price, so it was a no go at that time. I located a sore in IL (United Audio Center) that had their entire Mission line at 50% off (they were bought out, and the new store doesn't carry Mission). Needless to say, I had these babies on my doorstep in 6 days for $640.00.

I hooked them up yesterday, and BAM. I am very impressed. Soundstage, Bass Accuracy, and Staging are superb. IN MY OPINION! At $1,200 these speakers are great, at $600, they are unbeatable. Give them a listen if you can find them!!!

My set up:
Marantz SR-7000
Sony 530 DVD
Mission 77C1 (Center)
Mission 774's (Main)
Mission 77Ds (surrouds.. on order)
When I save enough, HSU sub.
Monster cable all the way around.

Similar Products Used:

I auditioned: B&W 602s2, 603s2, Snell, Paradign 60's, Monitor Audio Silver 5 and 7, Polk, Klipsh, etc....

Clearity, response, definition, obvious quality.

Not the best at low volume (e.g. in an apartment)

I grew up listening to my dad's Quad ESL-63s. I bought the Mission's because unlike most $600 speakers, music sounds like music. These aren't Quads, but the detail is there to make our individual instruments within orchestral pieces. Compared to the equivalent Mirage or B&W's my friends have, there is no comparison.

For me, the test of a speaker is listening to music and determining wheather the instruments and vocals sound like, well, instruments and vocals. There are no other speakers at this price point with nearly the accuracy of the Missions. Plus, you can frequently get them on sale, as they are not popular with the rap and metal crowd.

I drive the speakers with a Dennon 3700 receiver and the Dennon 560 CD. In hindsight, I should have bougth a level up receiver (probably the Dennon AVR-5700 would do nicely)