Mission QX-2 - 39,900

The affordable speaker market is a tough place to compete – especially as prices continue 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) tweeter under-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.