In this review, we will be comparing QX-4 MKII and C 97 II, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Mission and Jamo.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Mission QX-4 MKII and Jamo C 97 II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Mission QX-4 MKII | Jamo C 97 II |
|---|
| Brand | Mission
United Kingdom · founded 1977 | Jamo
Denmark · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.5" Ring Dome | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Composite fibre | 3 x 6" Composite |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-24k Hz | 32-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 50-180 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 23.80kg / 52.4lbs | 24.55kg / 54lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 39-3/8" x 8-11/16" x 13-9/16"
1000.0 x 220.0 x 345.0mm | 42-1/8" x 9-3/4" x 15-13/16"
1070.0 x 248.0 x 402.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Mission QX-4 MKII and Jamo C 97 II 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-4 MKII |
Jamo C 97 II |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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 QX-4 MKII is a 2-way design whereas the C 97 II 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-4 MKIIJamo C 97 II
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-4 MKII |
Jamo C 97 II |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.5-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 6-inch
|
QX-4 MKII features a 1.5" Textile Ring Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Composite fibre Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.2kHz. On the other hand, the C 97 II features a 1" Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6" Composite Woofer.
Frequency Response
QX-4 MKII has a frequency range of 36-24k Hz whereas C 97 II has a frequency range of 32-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the C 97 II can go slightly deeper then the QX-4 MKII's min frequency of 36Hz.
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-4 MKII is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the C 97 II which has a nominal impedance of 6 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-4 MKII can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. QX-4 MKII sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the C 97 II's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Jamo C 97 II a more sensitive speaker compared to Mission QX-4 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.
C 97 II can handle a max power of 180 watts RMS, whereas QX-4 MKII has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 30 watts less than the C 97 II.
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 QX-4 MKII and C 97 II features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Jamo C 97 II's Posts terminals allows 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 QX-4 MKII's and Jamo C 97 II's external dimensions. Mission QX-4 MKII has external dimensions of 1000.0 x 220.0 x 345.0mm (39-3/8 x 8-11/16 x 13-9/16inch) whereas Jamo C 97 II has external dimensions of 1070.0 x 248.0 x 402.0mm (42-1/8 x 9-3/4 x 15-13/16inch).
Jamo C 97 II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 28mm wider, 70mm taller and 57mm deeper than Mission QX-4 MKII.
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.
Jamo C 97 II needs about 31% more floor or shelf area. Jamo C 97 II is 57mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Jamo C 97 II is 70mm 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-4 MKII is approximately 759.0cm2 / 117.6inch2 and base area of the Jamo C 97 II is approximately 997.0cm2 / 154.5inch2. The QX-4 MKII requires 24% less surface area than the C 97 II 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-4 MKII weighs 23.80kg / 52.4lbs and the Jamo C 97 II weighs 24.55kg / 54lbs. This makes the C 97 II 3% heavier than the QX-4 MKII.
Here is a comparison of how QX-4 MKII and C 97 II'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 Jamo C 97 II?
Here are the items that come with the C 97 II:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Outrigger feet
- 4 Spikes (pre-installed on outrigger feet)
- 4 Rubber feet
- 8 Machine screws
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Hex-key
- User Manual
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
6 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1000mm
vs
1070mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
759cm2
vs
997cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1299USD
vs
1378USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
180 watts
vs
150 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 |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
36 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Mission QX-4 MKII |
Jamo Concert 9 Series C 97 II |
| Brand |
Mission |
Jamo |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
50-180 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.8 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
36-24k Hz |
32-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite fibre |
Composite |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.5" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Ring Dome |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2.2kHz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1000.0mm (39.4") |
1070.0mm (42.1") |
| Width |
220.0mm (8.7") |
248.0mm (9.8") |
| Depth |
345.0mm (13.6") |
402.0mm (15.8") |
| Weight |
23.80kg (52.4lbs) |
24.55kg (54lbs) |
| 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 |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
A generation apart: Mission QX-4 MKII is the newer design, against a 2016 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 | Jamo C 97 II digs deeper - 32Hz against 36Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (88dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Jamo C 97 II is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (150W vs 180W). |
| Size | depends | Mission QX-4 MKII is easier to place; Jamo C 97 II is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Mission QX-4 MKII: bi-amping; Jamo C 97 II: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,299 vs $1,378 a pair). |
A Mission QX-4 MKII B Jamo C 97 II
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?
Jamo C 97 II has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate Mission QX-4 MKII the better fit for a very large room, and Jamo C 97 II for a mid-size room. In a large or open-plan room, Jamo C 97 II has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Mission QX-4 MKII 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.