In this review, we will be comparing QX-5 MKII and QX-3 MKII, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Mission.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Mission QX-5 MKII and Mission QX-3 MKII first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Mission QX-5 MKII | Mission QX-3 MKII |
|---|
| Brand | Mission
United Kingdom · founded 1977 | Mission
United Kingdom · founded 1977 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.5" Ring Dome | 1.5" Ring Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 12" Paper | 2 x 5" Composite fibre |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-24k Hz | 42-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 25-120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 34.00kg / 74.8lbs | 20.00kg / 44lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-1/8" x 8-11/16" x 16-1/8"
1120.0 x 220.0 x 410.0mm | 38-3/16" x 7-11/16" x 12-3/16"
970.0 x 195.0 x 310.0mm |
|---|
QX-5 MKII and QX-3 MKII are members of Mission's QX MKII series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Mission QX MKII Series
History
What size room are the Mission QX-5 MKII and Mission QX-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 QX-5 MKII |
Mission QX-3 MKII |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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-5 MKII is a 3-way design whereas the QX-3 MKII 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.
Mission QX-5 MKIIMission QX-3 MKII
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-5 MKII |
Mission QX-3 MKII |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.5-inch
|
1.5-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 12-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
QX-5 MKII features a 1.5" Textile Ring Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 12" Paper Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 180Hz,1.8kHz. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
QX-5 MKII has a frequency range of 32-24k Hz whereas QX-3 MKII has a frequency range of 42-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the QX-5 MKII 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-5 MKII and QX-3 MKII have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. QX-5 MKII sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the QX-3 MKII's is at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Mission QX-5 MKII a more sensitive speaker compared to Mission QX-3 MKII, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the QX-5 MKII and the QX-5 MKII can provide this impedance level.
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.
QX-5 MKII can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas QX-3 MKII has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the QX-5 MKII.
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-5 MKII and QX-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 QX-5 MKII's and Mission QX-3 MKII's external dimensions. Mission QX-5 MKII has external dimensions of 1120.0 x 220.0 x 410.0mm (44-1/8 x 8-11/16 x 16-1/8inch) whereas 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).
Mission QX-5 MKII is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 25mm wider, 150mm taller and 100mm deeper than Mission QX-3 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.
Mission QX-5 MKII needs about 49% more floor or shelf area. Mission QX-5 MKII is 100mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Mission QX-5 MKII is 150mm 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-5 MKII is approximately 902.0cm2 / 139.8inch2 and base area of the Mission QX-3 MKII is approximately 604.5cm2 / 93.7inch2. The QX-5 MKII requires 49% more surface area than the QX-3 MKII 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 Mission QX-5 MKII weighs 34.00kg / 74.8lbs and the Mission QX-3 MKII weighs 20.00kg / 44lbs. This makes the QX-5 MKII 70% heavier than the QX-3 MKII.
Here is a comparison of how QX-5 MKII and QX-3 MKII's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
120 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Minimum Impedance |
3.8 ohms
vs
3.5 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Height |
970mm
vs
1120mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
604cm2
vs
902cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1099USD
vs
1499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Mission QX-5 MKII |
Mission QX-3 MKII |
| Brand |
Mission |
Mission |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
25-120 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.5 ohms |
3.8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-24k Hz |
42-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Composite fibre |
| Tweeter Size |
1.5" |
1.5" |
| Tweeter Type |
Ring Dome |
Ring Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
180Hz,1.8kHz |
2.0kHz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1120.0mm (44.1") |
970.0mm (38.2") |
| Width |
220.0mm (8.7") |
195.0mm (7.7") |
| Depth |
410.0mm (16.1") |
310.0mm (12.2") |
| Weight |
34.00kg (74.8lbs) |
20.00kg (44lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Mission's QX MKII series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Mission QX-5 MKII digs deeper - 32Hz against 42Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | Mission QX-5 MKII is more sensitive (90dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Mission QX-5 MKII takes more power (200W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Mission QX-3 MKII is easier to place; Mission QX-5 MKII is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Mission QX-5 MKII: bi-amping; Mission QX-3 MKII: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Mission QX-3 MKII is cheaper - $1,099 against $1,499, about 27% less. |
A Mission QX-5 MKII B Mission QX-3 MKII
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: Mission QX-5 MKII measures better, Mission QX-3 MKII costs about about 36% 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-5 MKII the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Mission QX-3 MKII for a small room and a mid-size 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.