Mission 700 Bookshelf Loudspeakers at Vinyl Sound Buffalo, NY USA

The Mission 700 is a 2-way bass reflex standmount loudspeaker from Mission (Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom), available at Vinyl Sound in Buffalo, NY, USA. Designed by IAG Director of Acoustic Design Peter Comeau, the 700 revives the original Mission 700 first introduced in 1980, one of the earliest loudspeakers to feature Mission's landmark Inverted Driver Geometry (IDG). Drawing on 45 years of Mission loudspeaker development, the new 700 pairs a 6.5" mineral-loaded polypropylene mid/bass driver with a 28mm coated microfibre soft dome tweeter, achieving bass extension to 38Hz (-6dB) from a 24.8-litre sandwich cabinet measuring 510mm tall. Winner of the StereoNET Applause Award 2023 and the AUDIO stereoplay Goldenes Ohr 2024 Bronze Award, the Mission 700 brings together British Hi-Fi heritage, time-alignment engineering, and modern acoustic refinement in one of the most visually distinctive standmount loudspeakers available today.

Inverted Driver Geometry: Mission's Defining Engineering Contribution

The Mission 700 is the loudspeaker that introduced Inverted Driver Geometry to Mission's lineup, and the modern re-engineering preserves this principle as its central acoustic philosophy. IDG positions the tweeter below the mid/bass driver, rather than above it as in conventional loudspeaker arrangements. By placing the tweeter lower, the distance its output travels to reach the listener's ears at seated height is equalized with that of the larger mid/bass driver, achieving improved time alignment between the two drivers. This time-aligned integration means the bass, midrange, and treble outputs arrive at the listening position with precise phase coherence, producing a more accurate and stable stereo image than a conventionally arrayed speaker of comparable specification can achieve. IDG is not a simple cabinet inversion: every aspect of the driver spacing, mechanical layout, and crossover design requires precise calculation to realize its time-alignment benefit, a process that Peter Comeau has refined over four decades of Mission loudspeaker engineering.

Polypropylene Driver and Tweeter Development

The Mission 700's 6.5" mid/bass driver is a model-specific design using a mineral-loaded polypropylene cone built on a rigid cast chassis. The mineral loading increases cone stiffness over the original 700's driver, yielding tighter, faster bass reproduction that resolves instrumental detail rather than blurring it. A low-density surround is precisely matched to the cone's acoustic impedance to minimize edge reflections, and the profiled reflex port, flared at both inlet and outlet, extends bass cleanly to below 38Hz while eliminating the one-note bass coloration common in many bass reflex designs. The 28mm coated microfibre soft dome tweeter represents a significant upgrade over the original 700's 19mm unit, providing improved power handling, a wider operating bandwidth, and smoother high-frequency extension. A specially damped rear chamber controls the tweeter's fundamental resonance, lowering it well below the 3.0kHz crossover point for clean, natural treble reproduction across the full high-frequency band.

Crossover Engineering and Cabinet Construction

The Mission 700 crossover is developed through a combination of advanced software-based simulation and thousands of hours of listening tests, reflecting Mission's commitment to ear-led refinement alongside measurement accuracy. The result is a musically coherent, phase-accurate handoff at 3.0kHz that preserves the tonal evenness and dynamic character across the driver boundary. The cabinet uses a sandwich construction of differing wood materials bonded by a layer of damping adhesive, mirroring the structural philosophy of the larger 770, with internal bracing adding further front-baffle rigidity and mechanical support for the drivers. A mixture of foam and long-hair fibre provides resonance absorption and reflection control inside the enclosure without overdamping the bass character. Externally, the cabinet carries hand-applied walnut or black real-wood veneer with the signature white laminated front baffle, maintaining the visual language of the original 1980 Mission 700.

Key Features

• Inverted Driver Geometry (IDG): The tweeter is positioned below the mid/bass driver to equalize path length to the listener's ears, achieving improved time alignment and phase coherence between the two drivers for a more accurate, stable stereo image.
• 6.5" Mineral-Loaded Polypropylene Mid/Bass Driver: A model-specific cast chassis driver with a stiffened mineral-loaded cone, low-density nitrile surround, and profiled reflex port delivering tight, fast, articulate bass extending to 38Hz (-6dB).
• 28mm Coated Microfibre Soft Dome Tweeter: An upgrade over the original 700's 19mm unit, offering improved power handling and a smoother high-frequency response, with a damped rear chamber controlling fundamental resonance below the crossover region.
• Listening-Refined Crossover at 3.0kHz: Developed through thousands of hours of listening tests alongside software-based simulation, delivering phase-accurate, musically coherent driver integration across the full frequency range.
• Sandwich Cabinet Construction: Differing wood materials bonded by a damping adhesive layer, with internal bracing and a foam and long-hair fibre combination suppressing resonances and internal reflections.
• Hand-Applied Real-Wood Veneer: Walnut or black real-wood veneer with a signature white laminated front baffle, maintaining the distinctive aesthetic of the original 1980 Mission 700.
• Optional Precision-Engineered Stands: The Mission 700 Stand uses high-carbon steel columns with internal damping, hardened stainless steel base spikes, and a top plate dimensioned precisely to the 700's cabinet footprint, available at Vinyl Sound Buffalo.
• Award-Winning Performance: StereoNET Applause Award 2023 and AUDIO stereoplay Goldenes Ohr 2024 Bronze Award.

Technical Specifications

Mission 700 Stand Specifications

Awards and Critical Recognition

• StereoNET Applause Award - 2023
• AUDIO stereoplay Goldenes Ohr - Bronze Award, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Mission 700?

The Mission 700 is a 2-way bass reflex standmount loudspeaker designed by Peter Comeau of IAG and engineered in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. It features a 6.5" mineral-loaded polypropylene mid/bass driver, a 28mm coated microfibre soft dome tweeter, Inverted Driver Geometry for improved time alignment, 86dB sensitivity, a nominal impedance of 8 ohms, and bass extension to 38Hz (-6dB) from a 24.8-litre sandwich cabinet. A modern re-engineering of the original Mission 700 introduced in 1980, the 700 won the StereoNET Applause Award 2023 and AUDIO stereoplay Goldenes Ohr 2024 Bronze Award.

What is Inverted Driver Geometry and why does it matter?

Inverted Driver Geometry (IDG) is a loudspeaker driver arrangement developed by Mission in which the tweeter is positioned below the mid/bass driver rather than above it. In a conventional speaker array, the tweeter sits at the top of the baffle, meaning its output travels a shorter distance to the listener's ears than the mid/bass driver below it. This difference in path length creates a phase offset between the two drivers at the crossover frequency. By inverting the arrangement so the tweeter is lower, Mission equalizes the acoustic path length from both drivers to the listener's seated ear height, achieving improved time alignment. The benefit is more accurate phase coherence at the crossover region, a more natural tonal transition between bass and treble, and a more stable stereo image. The original Mission 700, introduced in 1980, was one of the first loudspeakers to use this arrangement.

How does the Mission 700 compare to the Mission 770?

The Mission 700 and Mission 770 share the same Inverted Driver Geometry principle, polypropylene cone driver philosophy, and sandwich cabinet construction, but differ in scale and driver specification. The 770 uses a larger 8" (200mm) mineral-loaded polypropylene mid/bass driver versus the 700's 6.5" (165mm) unit, and extends lower at 30Hz in room versus the 700's 38Hz (-6dB). The 770's higher 88dB sensitivity versus the 700's 86dB means it reaches higher output levels with the same amplifier power, and the 770's 38.5-litre cabinet versus the 700's 24.8 litres allows for greater low-frequency authority. The Mission 700 is the more compact and accessible model, suited to smaller rooms, while the 770 is intended for larger spaces and higher-output systems. Both share the same walnut or black veneer finish with signature white front baffle.

What amplifier should I pair with the Mission 700?

The Mission 700 is rated for amplifiers from 25W to 150W and presents a nominal 8-ohm impedance with a 5.2-ohm minimum. Its 86dB sensitivity is well-suited to integrated amplifiers from 40W upward for comfortable listening levels in small to medium rooms. It pairs naturally with integrated amplifiers from NAD, Audiolab, Cambridge Audio, and Rega at a matched British Hi-Fi level. For a fully Mission-centric system, the Mission AX5 integrated amplifier is a purpose-matched partner designed by the same IAG acoustic team.

Does the Mission 700 require dedicated stands?

Yes. The Mission 700 performs best on its dedicated stands, which are precision-engineered to position the drivers at the correct listening axis height and provide critical vibration damping from the floor. The Mission 700 Stand uses high-carbon steel columns with internal damping material, hardened stainless steel base spikes, and a top plate dimensioned precisely to the 700's 260 x 270mm cabinet footprint. At 485mm tall on spikes, the stands bring the tweeter to the correct seated ear-height position. The stands are available in walnut or black to match the speaker cabinet finish and can be ordered at Vinyl Sound Buffalo alongside the speakers.

How does the Mission 700 compare to the Wharfedale Denton 85th Anniversary?

The Mission 700 and the Wharfedale Denton 85th Anniversary are both British-made heritage-styled standmount loudspeakers but represent contrasting engineering philosophies. The Denton 85th uses a woven Kevlar mid/bass driver and a soft dome tweeter in a conventional arrangement, voiced for a warm, relaxed character. The Mission 700's mineral-loaded polypropylene cone and Inverted Driver Geometry produce a more time-aligned, dynamically forward presentation with tighter bass articulation. The 700 extends slightly deeper at 38Hz (-6dB) versus the Denton's approximately 50Hz and offers a more precise stereo image due to its IDG time-alignment design. The Denton's warmer tonality suits listeners who prefer a more laid-back presentation, while the 700 suits those who value imaging accuracy and rhythmic drive.

Where can I buy the Mission 700 in Buffalo, NY or the USA?

The Mission 700 is available at Vinyl Sound USA Inc., located in Buffalo, NY. Vinyl Sound is an authorized Mission dealer serving customers across the United States. Visit the Buffalo store to audition the Mission 700 alongside the optional Mission 700 Stand in walnut or black, or contact the team directly to confirm current stock, finish availability, and delivery options.