Mission's five-star amplifier is the surprise Black Friday hi-fi deal I've been waiting for

Mission 778X on wooden rack with Black Friday graphic
(Image credit: What Hi-Fi?)

I'll tell you a secret: I love half-width amplifiers. From the 80s Cyrus One, the original Naim Nait 1 to the Rega Brio – there's something very pleasing about a half-width stereo amplifier that delivers a performance that far outweighs its compact footprint. Not only are these mini marvels easier to accommodate in your home (especially if you don't have a dedicated hi-fi rack), but they also tend to favour agility, dynamics, precision and subtlety over brute power and large-scale projection – which is just fine by me, as that balance is far better suited to my small living room space.

Joining that impressive fray is the Mission 778X. Originally priced at £549 – at which we gave it an effusive five-star review – it's now dropped in price to £489 at Richer Sounds and Sevenoaks thanks to today's Black Friday frenzy.

Mission 778X was £549 now £489 at Richer Sounds (save £60)
Five stars

Mission 778X was £549 now £489 at Richer Sounds (save £60)
"This is a tidy-sounding product; one that digs up plenty of detail and is composed enough to arrange all that information into a cohesive and musical whole," we said in our 778X review. It's also consistent-sounding throughout analogue and digital inputs, and particularly expressive with voices.
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Deal also available at Sevenoaks

Mission's entry-level 778X is a "fine all-rounder" as we called it in our review, packing in a generous complement of analogue and digital inputs, including a moving magnet phono stage. You get two optical inputs, one coaxial and a USB Type B input on the digital side, with the internal ESS Sabre DAC able to handle hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256.

It even has aptX Bluetooth and a 6.3mm headphone socket – it's a great array of connections you don't usually see at this price level. The casework is sturdy and solid, and the front panel rotary dials are smooth to use.

Once we start playing music through it, we like how understated the Mission amp's sound is. Nothing sticks out unduly, which is always a good thing, and we are particularly taken with how it delivers voices in a sweet, insightful way. We said in our review: "This integrated has a nice, open balance that retains enough in the way of natural warmth to avoid charges of sounding clinical. It helps that dynamics are rendered in a controlled but expressive way and the music’s changing momentum is conveyed with conviction."

There is ample clarity in the high-end and the 778X keeps things refined enough that poor or bright recordings are kept in check. Rival amps such as the Rotel A8 are that bit more refined and precise, while the Rega Brio has greater verve and drive; but the 778X's understated talents, excellent features set and well-rounded performance are worth considering. And with £60 off the full price right now, it could be your next hi-fi purchase. Especially if, like me, you have a small space to work with. But hurry - this deal likely won't last long!

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Kashfia Kabir
Hi-Fi and Audio Editor

Kashfia is the Hi-Fi and Audio Editor of What Hi-Fi? and first joined the brand over 10 years ago. During her time in the consumer tech industry, she has reviewed hundreds of products (including speakers, amplifiers, turntables and headphones), been to countless trade shows across the world and fallen in love with hi-fi kit much bigger than her. In her spare time, Kash can be found tending to an ever-growing houseplant collection and shooing her cat Jolene away from spinning records.

  • Rui
    this cyrus amplifier if like the older ones sounds really good ,allthough at the time i had the speakers they built for the Mission Cyrus first amplifier the 761,

    but had other model with a bigger box ,only the first 761 are extremelly well built, with a very good sound to 70 watts maximum power, but real ones ,

    some think nominal power is the right measure but no, the reason why we should read well the soecifications before spending money on a device kniowing at least how it will sound ,more or less,

    the 761 speakers are far better than the later released 760i at 6 ohms as the previous are 4ohms,not saying they sound bad but not as good as the older 761 maybe the best 4ohms speakers i ever had ,

    as if any amplifier even with tone controls and loudness, if from the 70´s make`em release what some said, perfect clean sound,

    has i conect them to a SA-608 from Pioneer released in 78, but with a cyrus amplifier it makes it sound very close to perfection with no tone controls,

    this to say that if one has good sounding speakers it will reveal a detailed and clean sound ,this with direct sound.

    What i think, it´s missing is the turntable like they released it when the first Mission Cyrus was released that was a very simple turntable like Rega or Pro-Ject built them today ,

    only 1000 times better built with a so good sound not comparable ´till 4.000€ turntable, if not better as cartridges and stylus today are totally inferior to before 2000´s quality.

    All this to say that i totally agree with the published avaliation of it , here on what hi-fi
    Reply