In this review, we will be comparing QX-5 MKII and Imagine X2T, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Mission and PSB.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Mission QX-5 MKII and PSB Imagine X2T first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Mission QX-5 MKII | PSB Imagine X2T |
|---|
| Brand | Mission
United Kingdom · founded 1977 | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.5" Ring Dome | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6.5" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 12" Paper | 2 x 6.2" Clay/Ceramic/Poly |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-24k Hz | 30-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 34.00kg / 74.8lbs | 23.60kg / 51.9lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 40-1/8" x 9" x 16-3/4"
1020.0 x 229.0 x 426.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Mission QX-5 MKII and PSB Imagine X2T 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 |
PSB Imagine X2T |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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
Both QX-5 MKII and Imagine X2T are 3-way speakers.
Mission QX-5 MKIIPSB Imagine X2T
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 |
PSB Imagine X2T |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.5-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 12-inch
|
2 x 6.2-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 Imagine X2T features a 1" titanium with neodymium magnets Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.2" Clay/Ceramic/Poly Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
QX-5 MKII has a frequency range of 32-24k Hz whereas Imagine X2T has a frequency range of 30-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Imagine X2T can go slightly deeper then the QX-5 MKII's min frequency of 32Hz.
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 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Imagine X2T 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-5 MKII can provide this impedance level.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 90 dBdB.
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 200 watts RMS, though QX-5 MKII is rated 30-200 watts and Imagine X2T 20-200 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 QX-5 MKII and Imagine X2T features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
PSB Imagine X2T's 5-Way post 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-5 MKII's and PSB Imagine X2T'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 PSB Imagine X2T has external dimensions of 1020.0 x 229.0 x 426.0mm (40-1/8 x 9 x 16-3/4inch).
Mission QX-5 MKII is 9mm narrower and 16mm less deeper than PSB Imagine X2T but it is also 100mm 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.
PSB Imagine X2T needs about 8% more floor or shelf area. PSB Imagine X2T is 16mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Mission QX-5 MKII is 100mm 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 PSB Imagine X2T is approximately 975.5cm2 / 151.2inch2. The QX-5 MKII requires 8% less surface area than the Imagine X2T 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-5 MKII weighs 34.00kg / 74.8lbs and the PSB Imagine X2T weighs 23.60kg / 51.9lbs. This makes the QX-5 MKII 44% heavier than the Imagine X2T.
Here is a comparison of how QX-5 MKII and Imagine X2T'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 PSB Imagine X2T?
Here are the items that come with the Imagine X2T:
- Floor-standing speaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spiked Feet
- Wrench
- Quick Start Guide
- Warranty Card
 Woofer Size |
12 inches
vs
6.2 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
24k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
902cm2
vs
975cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1499USD
vs
1500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
1020mm
vs
1120mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Mission QX-5 MKII |
PSB Imagine X2T |
| Brand |
Mission |
PSB |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-200 watts |
20-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
32-24k Hz |
30-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
12" |
6.2" |
| Woofer Composition |
Paper |
Clay/Ceramic/Poly |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.5" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Ring Dome |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
180Hz,1.8kHz |
500Hz and 2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1120.0mm (44.1") |
1020.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
220.0mm (8.7") |
229.0mm (9") |
| Depth |
410.0mm (16.1") |
426.0mm (16.8") |
| Weight |
34.00kg (74.8lbs) |
23.60kg (51.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain |
| 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-5 MKII is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (32Hz vs 30Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | PSB Imagine X2T is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | Mission QX-5 MKII: bi-amping; PSB Imagine X2T: bi-amping. Mission QX-5 MKII sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,499 vs $1,500 a pair). |
A Mission QX-5 MKII B PSB Imagine X2T
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?
PSB Imagine X2T 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-5 MKII the better fit for a very large room, and PSB Imagine X2T for a mid-size room. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, PSB Imagine X2T is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.