In this review, we will be comparing Sandwich 250 and 770, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Leak and Mission.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Leak Sandwich 250 and Mission 770 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Leak Sandwich 250 | Mission 770 |
|---|
| Brand | Leak
United Kingdom · founded 1934 | Mission
United Kingdom · founded 1977 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.2" Dome | 1.25" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4.25" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 11" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone | 8" mineral-loaded polyproylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42Hz-26kHz | 42-20,000 Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88.5 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-250 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 27.30kg / 60.1lbs | 27.20kg / 59.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 25.8" x 14.6" x 11.8"
655 x 370 x 300 mm | 23-1/4" x 11" x 11-7/8"
590 x 279.4 x 301 mm |
|---|
What size room are the Leak Sandwich 250 and Mission 770 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Mission 770 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Sandwich 250 is a 3-way design whereas the 770 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Leak Sandwich 250Mission 770
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Mission 770 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.2-inch
|
1.25-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4.25-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 11-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
Sandwich 250 features a 1.2" Coated Textile Dome Tweeter, a 4.25" Midrange and 1 x 11" Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 470Hz and 3100Hz. On the other hand, the 770 features a 1.25" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" mineral-loaded polyproylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
Sandwich 250 has a frequency range of 42Hz-26kHz whereas 770 has a frequency range of 42-20,000 Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Sandwich 250 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the 770 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Sandwich 250 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Sandwich 250 sensitivity is rated at 88.5 dB and the 770's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Leak Sandwich 250 a more sensitive speaker compared to Mission 770, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Sandwich 250 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas 770 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Sandwich 250.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Sandwich 250 features Post type posts and 770 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Leak Sandwich 250's Binding post terminals
Mission 770's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Sandwich 250 has a rear firing port whereas 770 has a Front firing ports.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Leak Sandwich 250's and Mission 770's external dimensions. Leak Sandwich 250 has external dimensions of 655 x 370 x 300 mm (25.8 x 14.6 x 11.8 inch) whereas Mission 770 has external dimensions of 590 x 279.4 x 301 mm (23-1/4 x 11 x 11-7/8 inch).
Mission 770 is 90.6mm narrower and 65mm shorter than Leak Sandwich 250 but it is also 1mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Leak Sandwich 250 and Mission 770 in scale.
Comparison image of Leak Sandwich 250 and Mission 770 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Leak Sandwich 250 is approximately 1110.0cm2 / 172.1inch2 and base area of the Mission 770 is approximately 841.0cm2 / 130.4inch2. The Sandwich 250 requires 32% more surface area than the 770 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Leak Sandwich 250 weighs 27.30kg / 60.1lbs and the Mission 770 weighs 27.20kg / 59.8lbs. This makes the Sandwich 250 0% heavier than the 770.
Here is a comparison of how Sandwich 250 and 770's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Mission 770?
Here are the items that come with the 770:
- Mission M770 Speaker:
- 2 Stand-mount loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- User Manual
- Mission M770 Stand:
- 2 Top-plates
- 2 Bases
- 8 Upright posts
- 8 Spike feet
- Hardware
- Instructions
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
11 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
26k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
2399USD
vs
5000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Height |
590mm
vs
655mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
841cm2
vs
1110cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Leak Sandwich 250 |
Mission 770 |
| Brand |
Leak |
Mission |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-250 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88.5 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42Hz-26kHz |
42-20,000 Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
11" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminium-Foamcore Sandwich cone |
mineral-loaded polyproylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
low-density nitrile |
| Tweeter Size |
1.2" |
1.25" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.25" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
470Hz and 3100Hz |
2900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
Front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
655.0mm (25.8") |
590.0mm (23.2") |
| Width |
370.0mm (14.6") |
279.4mm (11") |
| Depth |
300.0mm (11.8") |
301.0mm (11.9") |
| Weight |
27.30kg (60.1lbs) |
27.20kg (59.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
real-wood veneer |
MDF, particle board, wood |
| Available Colors |
walnut |
Walnut,Black Oak |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
3 years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
3 years |
These sit in different price classes - Mission 770 costs roughly 2.1x what Leak Sandwich 250 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (42Hz vs 42Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Mission 770 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | Leak Sandwich 250 takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Mission 770 is easier to place; Leak Sandwich 250 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | A | Leak Sandwich 250 is cheaper - $2,399 against $5,000, about 52% less; arguably a different class. |
A Leak Sandwich 250 B Mission 770
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Match it to your room: we rate Leak Sandwich 250 the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Mission 770 for a small room. In a large or open-plan room, Leak Sandwich 250 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Mission 770 is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.