Friday speaker update.

Last weekend I told you about 3 new pairs of speakers. These are my impressions so far.

The Mission 707s sound really good. As with many speakers from this manufacturer, the construction quality is very good (Mission invested profits aggressively into R&D, and state of the art woodworking machinery), the cabinets are light but rigid, and the thick, molded plastic front baffle is a cool looking and elegant design solution. For me, these provide about 87% of the enjoyment, performance and musicallity of Mission 770s (Mk 1 or 2). I could be happy with these for a long time.

The BOSE 800s are fun, especially for rock 'n' roll. They face the listener with 8 full range drivers for each channel, and generate a mighty wall of full range sound. They lack the spaciousness of 901s, which reflect all that output off the rear and side walls (and add one extra driver aiming forward for a small direct sound component). With a big amp, like a Bryston 4B (they can soak up gobs of power), they'd make a small PA from heaven for an old school DJ or band. The 800s aren't what's needed for home listening, but as I said at the top, lots of fun, especially when my upstairs neighbors are out!

I'm listening to Archie Shepp on the Celestion SL6s as I write this, and they're really, really nice. I don't have their full measure yet. I'm going to enjoy getting a better handle on their capabilities.