In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Mission. Mission LX-4 MKII is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the LX-3 MKII is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Mission LX-4 MKII and Mission LX-3 MKII first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Mission LX-4 MKII | Mission LX-3 MKII |
|---|
| Brand | Mission
United Kingdom · founded 1977 | Mission
United Kingdom · founded 1977 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Composite fibre | 6.5" Composite fibre |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-20k Hz | 45-20k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-120 watts | 20-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.50kg / 34.1lbs | 8.42kg / 18.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36-1/4" x 7-7/8" x 10-3/4"
920.0 x 200.0 x 273.0mm | 13-9/16" x 8-7/8" x 12-1/8"
345.0 x 226.0 x 308.0mm |
|---|
LX-4 MKII and LX-3 MKII are members of Mission's LX MKII series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Mission LX MKII Series
History
What size room are the Mission LX-4 MKII and Mission LX-3 MKII 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* |
Mission LX-4 MKII |
Mission LX-3 MKII |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Good |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
No way |
(* 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
Both LX-4 MKII and LX-3 MKII are 2-way speakers.
Mission LX-4 MKIIMission LX-3 MKII
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Mission LX-4 MKII |
Mission LX-3 MKII |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
LX-4 MKII features a 1" Microfibre Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Composite fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3.0kHz. On the other hand, the LX-3 MKII features a 1" Microfibre Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Composite fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3.2kHz.
Frequency Response
LX-4 MKII and LX-3 MKII has exactly the same frequency range of 45-20k Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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
LX-4 MKII and LX-3 MKII have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. LX-4 MKII sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the LX-3 MKII's is at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Mission LX-4 MKII a more sensitive speaker compared to Mission LX-3 MKII, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 120 watts RMS, though LX-4 MKII is rated 30-120 watts and LX-3 MKII 20-120 watts.
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
Both LX-4 MKII and LX-3 MKII features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
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 Mission LX-4 MKII's and Mission LX-3 MKII's external dimensions. Mission LX-4 MKII has external dimensions of 920.0 x 200.0 x 273.0mm (36-1/4 x 7-7/8 x 10-3/4inch) whereas Mission LX-3 MKII has external dimensions of 345.0 x 226.0 x 308.0mm (13-9/16 x 8-7/8 x 12-1/8inch).
Mission LX-4 MKII is 26mm narrower and 35mm less deeper than Mission LX-3 MKII but it is also 575mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Mission LX-3 MKII needs about 27% more floor or shelf area. Mission LX-3 MKII is 35mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Mission LX-4 MKII is 575mm taller.
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 Mission LX-4 MKII is approximately 546.0cm2 / 84.6inch2 and base area of the Mission LX-3 MKII is approximately 696.1cm2 / 107.9inch2. The LX-4 MKII requires 22% less surface area than the LX-3 MKII which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.