- WRITTEN BY DENOM
Usually the most ignored speakers in the product range of any speaker model is the entry level floor stander model. This is no different with Mission and their MX-3 floor standing speakers, which appearance wise fool people as speakers that are neither here nor there. How can the MX-3 prove that assumption really is true or not!
UnBoxing:
The Mission MX-3 came packed in cardboard boxes covered in plastic foam wrap+plastic covers, with lots of egg crate type paper mache packing at the top, bottom and sides. The Floor base platforms came packed separately in individual cardboard packing which was also placed inside the boxes along with the speakers. A set of 4 philips screws to secure the platforms to the speaker’s bottom ends and 4 spikes came along packed in small boxes separately. The quality of the packing indicates that they can be re-used for 2-3 times at the most which is adequate for most.
Appearance:
We received our pair of MX-3’s in a black ash finish which have a matt grey baffle finish rounded off with silver inserts around the drive units. The Grilles are only around the drive units which is good as the speakers appear rather handsome in this fashion. A plinth is provided with the speakers which has to be fastened to the bottom end of the speakers by means of 4 philips headed screws. Mission also provide 4 spikes for each speaker to further isolate the speakers from the floor. Attention to detail is fantastic and not expected from a pair that costs so less, but we shall discuss the pricing later on. The rear of the speakers has 2 ports one at the top & the other at the bottom. Oddly enough, the speaker wire binding posts are located some what in the centre of the speakers, which is not in line with most of the speakers available in the market. Makes wires hang in a rather ugly fashion but there is no choice. The speakers have 4 binding posts which means that the speakers can be bi-wired, which due to the odd placement will make wiring look even worse in context with the surrounding. Not WAF friendly at all! The quality of the binding posts is rather poor, with bare wire termination being rather difficult as the wires do not get firmly secured due to the design of the binding posts. Our advice is to stick with banana plug terminated speaker wires for peace of mind.
Build Quality: 4 stars
Specifications:
System type – 2-way Enclosure type Bass-reflex
Frequency response ±3dB – 48Hz to 20000 kHz
Nominal impedance – 8 Ohm
Amplifier Requirements – 25 – 100 W
Sensitivity – (2.83V/1m) 89 dB
Tweeter – 25 mm (1 in.) dome
Woofer – 2 x 130 mm (5 in.)
Dimensions (H x W x D) 815 x 172 x 340 mm / 32.09 x 6.77 x 13.39 in
Weight 19.2 kg / 42.24 lbs
Performance:
We tried a variety of gears along with the MX-3 Speakers, namely:
Source:
Marantz CD6006
Marantz SA7003
Oppo Sonica DAC
Klipsch Gate
Cocktail Audio N15
Marantz TT5005
Marantz TT15S1
Amplifiers:
Marantz 6006
Exposure 1010
Exposure 3010V2 Pre with 3010V2 Power
NAD356
Klipsch Power Gate
Marantz M-CR610
PS Audio GCC100
Cables:
Speaker: Taga TAVC-14
Nordost White Lightning
Interconnects: Nordost White Lightning
USB: Nordost Purple Flare
Right from the get go, the MX-3’s indicate that something special is part of their DNA. We heard a variety of music genre’s and each time the MX-3’s showed us what they are capable of. Every frequency is well spaced out and is showcased in the right manner, with neither piercing highs or shouty mids being present as is with most entry level floor standing speakers. The low frequencies are well fleshed out and rather in plentiful keeping in mind the size of the drive units & the form factor of the speakers. It is astonishing that the bass is so good. We tried the MX-3’s in various positions possible in a room and each time the MX-3’s performed without a sweat. The bass was always present be it near the rear walls or even when they were placed almost in the mid room position, which was surprising to say the least. The accompaniment of clear highs and mids aid in the speaker being a delight for listening to long periods of time without any indication of fatigue. Though we did not test the MX-3’s in a home theatre scenario, we are sure that the MX-3’s will do well in that aspect as well. Ideally the MX-3’s will perform in room sizes between 100 to 250 sq ft.
Verdict:
For the princely sum of Rs.33900/- we are amazed at how much value is being provided by Mission for their lovely MX-3’s. The Mx-3’s can be part of a living room or a moderately sized bedroom as the high WAF they are providing for makes complete sense. We wish that more enthusiasts looking for a budget system pay attention to the MX-3’s in order to make the most of the performance and value they provide for in either stereo or home theatre scenarios.
Chapeau Time!