Mission 77 (early–mid 1990s)

Name: Mission 77
Brand: Mission

The name Mission 77 was applied to more than one speaker, and the surviving record doesn't fully sort out which is which. What's clear is that the 77 came out in the early to mid-1990s as a successor to the long-running Mission 70 series. It was a budget line below the 75 and 76 range.

One documented version is a compact two-way bookshelf/stand-mount speaker. It used a 6.5-inch (165 mm) mineral-filled polypropylene bass/mid driver with a die-cast chassis, and a 1-inch (25 mm) ferrofluid-cooled soft dome tweeter, in a bass-reflex enclosure. The crossover was a second-order Linkwitz-Riley design. Internal wiring was oxygen-free copper, terminated at gold-plated bi-wire terminals. The Audiophile Man described the sound as exceptionally well-balanced and fluid, with a transparent midrange and polite, sweet treble. It also noted that bass weight was limited by the small cabinet and that high-volume rock listeners might want a subwoofer. Finishes were black, light oak, dark oak, and walnut. The original UK price was £180 - £220 per pair.

A separate Hi-Fi Choice archive review looked at a "Mission 77" floorstander used as the front left/right speakers in a home cinema package, alongside a 77C center and 77DS dipole surrounds. The review praised the 77 for a surprisingly wide and deep soundstage with excellent off-axis focus. It called the package one of the best-value solutions for scalable home cinema with music at its heart. It also said the low end could get a little loose at very high volume, and that there was slight brightness in the upper midrange on some material. That floorstander was ported (rear-firing), used the same 25 mm soft dome tweeter and 165 mm polypropylene driver, and was rated at 58 Hz - 20 kHz, 8 ohms, 89 dB/W/m.

No single source settles whether these are two different products sharing a name, or the same driver complement in different cabinets. The bookshelf version's butyl rubber surrounds are noted as durable and not prone to dry rot. The ferrofluid in the tweeters can dry out over time and cause dull treble, but a rebuild is available from specialist suppliers. On the used market, a pair of the bookshelf 77s typically sells for £40 - £70 depending on condition.

Known specs (bookshelf variant, per The Audiophile Man and the diverse speakers database):

- 2-way bass-reflex, 6.5-inch mineral-filled polypropylene bass/mid, 1-inch soft dome tweeter

- Frequency response: 55 Hz - 20 kHz (±3 dB)

- Impedance: 8 ohms nominal

- Recommended amplifier power: 15–80 W

- Crossover: 3 kHz

- Dimensions: 340 × 220 × 250 mm (H×W×D); 5 kg each

- Original price: £180 - £220 per pair depending on finish

Hi-Fi Choice (undated archive review) examined the floorstanding variant as part of a home theater system and found it delivered dialogue intelligibility and bass solidity that belied its price. Audio (July 1999, p.45) noted the Missions had extended highs and excellent imaging.