In this review, we will be comparing QX-3 MKII and Prime Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Mission and SVS.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Mission QX-3 MKII and SVS Prime Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Mission QX-3 MKII | SVS Prime Tower |
|---|
| Brand | Mission
United Kingdom · founded 1977 | SVS
United States · founded 1998 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.5" Ring Dome | 1" dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 4.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5" Composite fibre | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-24k Hz | 30-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.00kg / 44lbs | 18.23kg / 40.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38-3/16" x 7-11/16" x 12-3/16"
970.0 x 195.0 x 310.0mm | 36-5/8" x 8" x 11-11/16"
931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Mission QX-3 MKII and SVS Prime Tower 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 QX-3 MKII |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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 QX-3 MKII is a 2-way design whereas the Prime Tower is a 3-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.
Mission QX-3 MKIISVS Prime Tower
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Mission QX-3 MKII |
SVS Prime Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.5-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
QX-3 MKII features a 1.5" Textile Ring Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Composite fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.0kHz. On the other hand, the Prime Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
QX-3 MKII has a frequency range of 42-24k Hz whereas Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the QX-3 MKII's min frequency of 42Hz.
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
QX-3 MKII is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Prime Tower 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 QX-3 MKII can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. QX-3 MKII sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Prime Tower's is rated at 87 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Mission QX-3 MKII a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Tower, 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.
Prime Tower can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas QX-3 MKII has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 130 watts less than the Prime Tower.
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
QX-3 MKII features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Prime Tower has a 5-Way post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Prime Tower's 5-Way post terminals
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 QX-3 MKII's and SVS Prime Tower's external dimensions. Mission QX-3 MKII has external dimensions of 970.0 x 195.0 x 310.0mm (38-3/16 x 7-11/16 x 12-3/16inch) whereas SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm (36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch).
SVS Prime Tower is 39mm shorter and 13mm less deeper than Mission QX-3 MKII but it is also 9mm wider.
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.
Near-identical footprints. Mission QX-3 MKII is 39mm 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 QX-3 MKII is approximately 604.5cm2 / 93.7inch2 and base area of the SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2. The QX-3 MKII requires 0% less surface area than the Prime Tower which gives it a small advantage 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 Mission QX-3 MKII weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs and the SVS Prime Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs. This makes the QX-3 MKII 10% heavier than the Prime Tower.
Here is a comparison of how QX-3 MKII and Prime Tower's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of SVS Prime Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Tower:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille (pre-installed)
- 4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Nuts
- 4 Protective discs
- Owners Manual
- SVS brochure
- Online Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
88 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
604cm2
vs
605cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1099USD
vs
1400USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
24k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
931mm
vs
970mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Mission QX-3 MKII |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Brand |
Mission |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-120 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.8 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
42-24k Hz |
30-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite fibre |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.5" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Ring Dome |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2.0kHz |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
970.0mm (38.2") |
931.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
195.0mm (7.7") |
204.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
310.0mm (12.2") |
297.0mm (11.7") |
| Weight |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: Mission QX-3 MKII is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | SVS Prime Tower digs deeper - 30Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 87dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | SVS Prime Tower is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | SVS Prime Tower takes more power (250W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | A | Mission QX-3 MKII: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Mission QX-3 MKII is cheaper - $1,099 against $1,400, about 22% less. |
A Mission QX-3 MKII B SVS Prime Tower
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?
The usual trade-off: SVS Prime Tower measures better, Mission QX-3 MKII costs about about 27% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Mission QX-3 MKII much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Mission QX-3 MKII the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and SVS Prime Tower for a large room and a very large room.
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.