Mission 770 vs PMC Prophecy 1: which premium standmount speakers are best for you?

The Mission 770 speakers have been our What Hi-Fi? Award winner for the best premium speaker ever since they launched in 2022, but this year, they were ousted by a new entrant in the shape of the PMC Prophecy 1.

But this fact alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Both speakers have fundamentally different design philosophies and are of different sizes, but for those looking for the best-sounding standmount speakers in this price range (roughly £2500-£3700), these are two of the best we’ve encountered in recent years.

How do these premium speakers compare and contrast? Let’s find out.

Price

The Mission 770 are yours for £3499, and this price includes the all-important stands. Without the stands, they cost £3299, but we would urge you to opt for the bundled stands that are tailor-made for the 770s. They are necessary, after all.

The PMC Prophecy 1 cost a little less at £2875 – but don’t come with any speaker stands bundled in. Once you add in a good quality pair of speaker stands (again, crucial to their performance), however, it starts to make up the difference in price with the Missions. We recommend the matching Prophecy 1 302 stands (£280) or the Custom Design FS104 Signature (about £300) as a starting point.

**Winner: PMC Prophecy 1 **

Build & design

Looking at both speakers side by side, they couldn’t be more different.

First, there’s the size. The Mission 770 are huge standmount speakers – they measure 59cm tall and 30cm across the depth and width, with a capacious 38.5 litre internal volume.

This large size isn’t by accident; it’s a direct inspiration from the original Mission 770 from the late 1970s, which were hugely successful speakers that in turn were inspired by the BBC/Spendor models of their (hey)day. The more contemporary model resurrects the same dimensions and two-way, front-ported design, complete with the white baffle and bold branding on the front panel.

In the new 770s, Mission has combined this pleasing retro design with all the advancements brought about by current technology and lessons learned from modern speaker design. The cabinet is made of high-density MDF and particle board, with the two layers bonded by a ‘damping’ glue, which helps to control each layer’s resonances.

The 28mm microfibre polyester tweeter is a vented design, while the 20cm mid/bass driver is housed in an open, rigid die-cast chassis and carefully honed motor system. While the polypropylene cone material is coloured white just like in the original, here it is mineral-loaded and carefully shaped for better rigidity, and coupled to a low-density nitrile surround to further control any resonances.

Fit and finish are of a high quality, and we find – when compared directly with an original pair of 770s – that the new speakers have a heavier and sturdier build.

Adding to the quality feel are the dedicated 770 stands, which are a frame design made of high carbon steel and internally damped to control resonances. These solid stands ensure the tweeter is positioned at the ideal height for our listening position.

In stark comparison, the PMC Prophecy 1 speakers have a “refreshingly modern aura”, as we said in our original review, and doesn’t look to any past models for inspiration. The cabinet here is considerably smaller than the Missions, standing 40cm high but just 16.5cm wide – rather slim even compared to current standmount standards. To ensure there is enough internal volume, the PMCs have a relatively generous depth of 26cm.

The build quality is excellent, with the cabinets feeling solid and having crisp edges and beautifully applied veneer. The clean, uncluttered design sets them apart from the competition, so much of which still looks so traditional. The substantial vent at the base of the cabinet is a weighty metal structure that gives the speakers an impressively engineered feel.

The drivers used here are a mica-loaded 12.5cm mid/bass unit and a 27cm soft dome tweeter with a distinctive grille which, in combination with a heavily dished waveguide, claims to deliver wide and controlled dispersion.

Key to these speakers is the use of PMC’s proprietary Advanced Transmission Line (ATL) bass loading system, instead of a reflex port to tune the bass performance. This clever technology involves a folded, carefully damped path (of about 1.79m length) inside the cabinet, where the rearward output of the mid/bass driver gets absorbed and leaves only the lowest frequencies to emerge from the substantial vent at the speakers’ base.

The resulting effect is tuned to fill in below the point where the mid/bass’s output starts to tail off, offering clean, low-distortion bass output from a small-box speaker.

Both speakers feature single-pair speaker terminals, with both sets solidly made and nice to use. They are otherwise unadorned, and come in fairly conventional finish options to suit most interiors.

Of course, choosing between these two models on looks or size alone will be down to each prospective buyer’s tastes and listening space. We applaud PMC’s forward-thinking technology and slim proportions, and there’s no denying the retro charms of Mission’s big speakers. But in pure quality terms, the PMC's build and finish have the edge here.

**Winner: PMC Prophecy 1**

Compatibility

The larger Mission speakers certainly need ample space to accommodate them, while PMCs would play happily in smaller rooms. However, both models still need some care with placement to sound their very best.

In our large 3x5x7m (hwd) test rooms, we found both speakers sounded best when placed 70-75cm from the rear wall, and angled slightly towards the listening position to help with focus and stereo imaging.

We would particularly resist the urge to push the smaller PMCs up against a wall or put them into a corner, and they should ideally be placed far away from the side walls.

The sensitivity ratings for both speakers are fairly unremarkable, though the Missions are clearly more sensitive. In either case, the partnering amplifier should be chosen on quality rather than power output grounds.

It's worth noting that the PMCs are more likely to put a spotlight on any flaws in the system and recordings due to their exceptional transparency, whereas the Missions are more forgiving in this area.

We used a variety of amplifiers during our testing, from our reference Burmester 088/911 MkIII pre/power, to more compatible models such as PMC Cor, Naim Supernait 3 and Nait XS 3, and didn’t find any issues with driving power. Sources include the reference Technics SL-1000R and Rega’s Planar 8 turntables, along with the Naim ND555/555 PS DR and Cyrus 40 ST hi-res music streamers.

**Winner: Mission 770**

Sound

It won't surprise you that the Mission 770s are pleasingly big and authoritative speakers. Those that enjoy revelling in big-scale sound with generous lashings of bass will find much to love here.

It isn't just the amount of bass that's of note here; the quality of the low-end frequencies is nicely taut and agile, and we are impressed with the "delicate way they paint bass textures and resolve low-level information" when playing Massive Attack's Heligoland album.

That huge sense of scale is coupled with plenty of punch and power. When playing Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring, we noted that the Missions "sound right at home", with a "musically cohesive presentation that’s controlled and nicely organised."

Position the speakers with care, and you'll get a layered, focused and uncluttered stereo image, too.

The 770s have a nicely detailed and articulate nature, along with a bit of extra sparkle in the mids and high frequencies that gives them a lively and engaging character. The mids are just a little forward and the tweeter has just enough bite – but neither feel thin or overly aggressive.

Overall, the Missions have a very fluid presentation that makes them wonderfully easy to listen to. They are unfazed by complex arrangements, handling high-octane energetic compositions in a sure-footed manner, while calmer, quieter moments are handled with composure. Turn up the volume, and the 770 "keep a firm grip on dynamic integrity and refinement."

The PMC Prophecy 1 speakers simply can't match the Missions' scale or amount of bass on offer due to their more compact size. However, these small speakers leap ahead in bounds in every other sonic parameter: they are clearer, more detailed, more agile and more precise.

Play the same Massive Attack tracks, and the bass notes sound crisper, tauter and more tuneful than through the Missions. The PMCs have a natural sense of rhythm that lends itself to a more natural and musically cohesive performance across all music we play through them.

Along with the "kind of free-flowing dynamics that seem a little out of place in such a compact design", they have no issue delivering the full impact of orchestral crescendos with an impressive amount of composure and punch.

The Prophecy 1 have a lovely tonal balance, too, with no part of the frequency range getting any undue emphasis and with the integration between the drivers so good they almost sound like one driver in unison. For speakers with such small cabinet sizes, their soundstage is unusually expansive and projected far beyond the cabinet's physical limitations. Their imaging is layered and focused, with every musical element precisely placed in a three-dimensional depth of space.

Most importantly, the PMCs have a level of transparency that outstrips the Missions, making the 770s sound a little fuzzy in comparison. We said in our review that the PMC's "detail resolution is exceptional for the price", with convincing vocals and instrumental textures that simply sound natural.

As we said in our review, this model is "as happy to party as it is microscopically examining the production of a recording." This can be a double-edged sword, but while the PMCs can encourage you to dig into every detail of a recording, with all warts laid bare, their precise and expressive character also allows you to simply sit back and enjoy the music.

To give credit to both speakers, we noted how they remain stable and composed even when confronted with demanding tracks, and neither falters when we push the volume up high, either.

**Winner: PMC Prophecy 1**

Verdict

Mission's big, brawny and easy-flowing character will find plenty of fans looking for big standmounts – especially if they have an equally large room to fill. The 770's comparatively unfussy nature and their undeniable vintage charm remain a great example of the modern-retro trend, and they are easy to recommend for those looking for big bass and fluid dynamics.

The PMCs, however, are simply the better-sounding speaker in nearly every regard. Their slimmer profile means they will fit into more spaces and, given some care, they will reward you with a stunningly detailed, clear and rhythmically precise sound that is both revealing and hugely enjoyable to listen to. Their clever engineering and superb build quality are just the cherry on top of a highly recommendable pair of premium speakers.

**Overall winner: PMC Propehcy 1**

MORE:

Our guide to the best speakers we've tested for every budget

The Mission 770 story takes in the BBC, Spendor and the drive to do better

An influx of excellence from Acoustic Energy, Dali and PMC has shaken up the standmount speaker market

The best 39 hi-fi speakers of What Hi-Fi?'s lifetime