Mission QX-2

The affordable speaker market is a tough place to compete – especially as prices contine to slide. As we'll soon see in this Round-up, there's plenty of talented, keenly priced competition for these Missions to respect. But they need not fear it.

The first thing we notice when taking the QX-2S out of their packaging is their unusual proportions. At 32cm high and almost as deep, they’re a chunky proposition, needing stands with a decently large top plate.

Mission has made an effort to make the QXS look distinctive, and we think it has succeeded. The company’s traditional (and still unusual) tweeterunder-mid/bass arrangement is used here. The advantage of this configuration is that it makes the distance between the acoustic centres of both drive units and the listener more even, so delivering a more coherent sound.

Nice clean plates

We also like the use of aluminium plates on the top and base panels – not only does it look good, but it also helps to solidify the cabinets and dampen resonances within them. The QX-2S are available in four finish options – blackwood, rosewood, walnut or white.

The drive units are unusual too. The 38mm tweeter is a ring-radiator design with a shaped phase plug in the centre. The back pressure from the diaphragm vents into twin rear chambers, which helps to reduce resonance and maintain a wide operating bandwidth.

The 15cm mid/bass uses a smooth pulp/acrylic fibre cone that doesn’t have a dust cap. This kind of design tends to have a cleaner response and looks pretty tidy too. There’s an extra support behind the cone that lends greater rigidity to the area the voice coil attaches to.

A rear-firing slot reflex port is used to augment the mid/bass’s low-frequency output. The port is ribbed in a bid to reduce the noise and distortion caused when dealing with low bass notes played at high volume levels. Its location at the back of the cabinet means that the QX-2S work best if given a little space to breathe, rather than being shoved right up against a back wall.

We end up with the units about 80cm out into our listening room, but we’d suggest starting at 40cm and adjusting from there. It’s always a trade-off between bass weight and stereo imaging.

As with any standmounters, the quality of the support makes a big difference to performance. We use the Custom Design FS104 Signatures to good effect. As for partnering electronics, speakers at this price can’t afford to be overly fussy. They’re likely to be used with a wide range of electronics from affordable all-in-one systems right up to quality premium separates and will be expected to perform well regardless.

However, the natural amplification partners for these Missions are likely to be something from Marantz’s PM6006UK (£330) up to the Rega Brio (£600), with sources to match.

Fun-loving energy

We start with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’s Can’t Hold Us and the Missions revel in the song’s unstoppable momentum. We like these Missions. They are fun and have a lovely energetic character that takes a grip of the listener and refuses to let go.

They charge along with this piece, delivering plenty of agility and insight. There’s lots of punch to that thumping bassline along with an impressive amount of grip. Bass notes are delivered with vigour and a surprising amount of weight for a speaker of this size. We like the way the QXS time too. They deliver the song’s hard-charging rhythm with plenty of verve, maintaining their prowess regardless of volume.

We change gear to Tchaikovsky’s Marché Slave Op.31 and the Missions are happy to respond. While the likes of the excellent KEF Q350s sound more tonally even and render a more expansive soundstage, these standmounters still do well by general standards. They counter with expressive dynamics and the ability to tie instruments together into a more cohesive and musical whole.

Partner with care

There’s a decent degree of refinement here despite the QX-2S having a treble output that verges on the edge of excess without quite overstepping the mark. We like their high frequency bite but would advise avoiding bright or aggressive partnering equipment.

Overall, the QX-2S are fine speakers. It wasn't long ago that they were selling for £399, and even at that price they were an impressive proposition. Given that they can now be had for £299, they are nothing less than a terrific bargain.