In this review, we will be comparing ZX-3 and ZX-5, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Mission.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Mission ZX-3 and Mission ZX-5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Mission ZX-3 | Mission ZX-5 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.5" Ring Dome | 1.5" Ring Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 2 x 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Aluminium | 2 x 6.5" Aluminium |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-24k Hz | 36-24k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 30-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 20.40kg / 44.9lbs | 31.20kg / 68.6lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 40-3/8" x 9-7/16" x 14-1/4"
1025.0 x 240.0 x 362.0mm | 45-1/2" x 10-7/16" x 16-1/4"
1155.0 x 265.0 x 412.0mm |
|---|
ZX-3 and ZX-5 are members of Mission's ZX series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Mission ZX Series
History
What size room are the Mission ZX-3 and Mission ZX-5 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 ZX-3 |
Mission ZX-5 |
| 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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that ZX-3 is a 2-way design whereas the ZX-5 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 ZX-3Mission ZX-5
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 ZX-3 |
Mission ZX-5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.5-inch
|
1.5-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
2 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
ZX-3 features a 1.5" Silk Ring Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Aluminium Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2.4kHz. On the other hand, the ZX-5 features a 1.5" Silk Ring Dome Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aluminium Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 570Hz,2.5kHz.
Frequency Response
ZX-3 has a frequency range of 42-24k Hz whereas ZX-5 has a frequency range of 36-24k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the ZX-5 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ZX-3'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
ZX-3 and ZX-5 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. ZX-3 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the ZX-5's is at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Mission ZX-5 a more sensitive speaker compared to Mission ZX-3, 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 ZX-3 and the ZX-3 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.
ZX-5 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas ZX-3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the ZX-5.
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
ZX-3 features Binding post type posts and ZX-5 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 ZX-3's and Mission ZX-5's external dimensions. Mission ZX-3 has external dimensions of 1025.0 x 240.0 x 362.0mm (40-3/8 x 9-7/16 x 14-1/4inch) whereas Mission ZX-5 has external dimensions of 1155.0 x 265.0 x 412.0mm (45-1/2 x 10-7/16 x 16-1/4inch).
Mission ZX-5 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 25mm wider, 130mm taller and 50mm deeper than Mission ZX-3.
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 ZX-3 is approximately 868.8cm2 / 134.7inch2 and base area of the Mission ZX-5 is approximately 1091.8cm2 / 169.2inch2. The ZX-3 requires 20% less surface area than the ZX-5 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 ZX-3 weighs 20.40kg / 44.9lbs and the Mission ZX-5 weighs 31.20kg / 68.6lbs. This makes the ZX-5 53% heavier than the ZX-3.
Here is a comparison of how ZX-3 and ZX-5's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
 Height |
1025mm
vs
1155mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
868cm2
vs
1091cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
200 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
Mission ZX-3 |
Mission ZX-5 |
| Brand |
Mission |
Mission |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.4 ohms |
3.4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-24k Hz |
36-24k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminium |
Aluminium |
| Tweeter Size |
1.5" |
1.5" |
| Tweeter Type |
Ring Dome |
Ring Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
2.4kHz |
570Hz,2.5kHz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1025.0mm (40.4") |
1155.0mm (45.5") |
| Width |
240.0mm (9.4") |
265.0mm (10.4") |
| Depth |
362.0mm (14.3") |
412.0mm (16.2") |
| Weight |
20.40kg (44.9lbs) |
31.20kg (68.6lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Mission's ZX series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Mission ZX-5 digs deeper - 36Hz against 42Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
evenly matched |
Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 91dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom |
B |
Mission ZX-5 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Mission ZX-3 is easier to place; Mission ZX-5 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
A Mission ZX-3
B Mission ZX-5
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?
Mission ZX-5 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 42Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Mission ZX-3 the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Mission ZX-5 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.