In this review, we will be comparing Passif 50 and 770, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from PSB and Mission.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of PSB Passif 50 and Mission 770 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | PSB Passif 50 | Mission 770 |
|---|
| Brand | PSB
Canada · founded 1972 | Mission
United Kingdom · founded 1977 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1.25" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" cast aluminum basket, paper cone | 8" mineral-loaded polyproylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-20k Hz | 42-20,000 Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-200 Watts watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 13.70kg / 30.1lbs | 27.20kg / 59.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 26" x 11" x 10"
660 × 280 × 254mm | 23-1/4" x 11" x 11-7/8"
590 x 279.4 x 301 mm |
|---|
What size room are the PSB Passif 50 and Mission 770 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* |
PSB Passif 50 |
Mission 770 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Passif 50 and 770 are 2-way speakers.
PSB Passif 50Mission 770
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
PSB Passif 50 |
Mission 770 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.25-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
Passif 50 features a 1" titanium dome with ferrofluid and neodymium magnet Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" cast aluminum basket, paper cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1800Hz. On the other hand, the 770 features a 1.25" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" mineral-loaded polyproylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2900Hz.
Frequency Response
Passif 50 has a frequency range of 50-20k Hz whereas 770 has a frequency range of 42-20,000 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the 770 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Passif 50's min frequency of 50Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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
Passif 50 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the 770 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Passif 50 sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the 770's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the PSB Passif 50 a more sensitive speaker compared to Mission 770, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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 Passif 50 is rated 30-200 Watts watts and 770 25-200 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
Passif 50 features 5-Way post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. 770 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
PSB Passif 50's 5-Way post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Mission 770's 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 PSB Passif 50's and Mission 770's external dimensions. PSB Passif 50 has external dimensions of 660 × 280 × 254mm (26 x 11 x 10-inch) whereas Mission 770 has external dimensions of 590 x 279.4 x 301 mm (23-1/4 x 11 x 11-7/8 inch).
Mission 770 is 0.60000000000002mm narrower and 70mm shorter than PSB Passif 50 but it is also 47mm deeper.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of PSB Passif 50 and Mission 770 in scale.
Comparison image of PSB Passif 50 and Mission 770 Size and External Dimensions
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 PSB Passif 50 is approximately 712.0cm2 / 110.4inch2 and base area of the Mission 770 is approximately 841.0cm2 / 130.4inch2. The Passif 50 requires 15% less surface area than the 770 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 PSB Passif 50 weighs 13.70kg / 30.1lbs and the Mission 770 weighs 27.20kg / 59.8lbs. This makes the 770 99% heavier than the Passif 50.
Here is a comparison of how Passif 50 and 770's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Bookshelf class.
Weight
All Bookshelf Speakers
What's in the Box of Mission 770?
Here are the items that come with the 770:
- Mission M770 Speaker:
- 2 Stand-mount loudspeakers
- 2 Grilles
- User Manual
- Mission M770 Stand:
- 2 Top-plates
- 2 Bases
- 8 Upright posts
- 8 Spike feet
- Hardware
- Instructions
 Sensitivity |
89 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Passive Radiator |
one 8-inch
vs
None
|
Increases the bass performance |
 Base Surface Area |
712cm2
vs
841cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2499USD
vs
5000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Minimum Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
42 Hz
vs
50 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Height |
590mm
vs
660mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
PSB Passif 50 |
Mission 770 |
| Brand |
PSB |
Mission |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
30-200 Watts watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-20k Hz |
42-20,000 Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
cast aluminum basket, paper cone |
mineral-loaded polyproylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
cast aluminum basket, paper cone |
low-density nitrile |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.25" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
1800Hz |
2900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
Front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
660.0mm (26") |
590.0mm (23.2") |
| Width |
280.0mm (11") |
279.4mm (11") |
| Depth |
254.0mm (10") |
301.0mm (11.9") |
| Weight |
13.70kg (30.1lbs) |
27.20kg (59.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Passive Radiator |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
open-grain walnut veneer |
MDF, particle board, wood |
| Available Colors |
Open-Grain Walnut |
Walnut,Black Oak |
| Mounting Bracket |
No |
No |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
3 years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
3 years |
These sit in different price classes - Mission 770 costs roughly 2x what PSB Passif 50 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Mission 770 digs deeper - 42Hz against 50Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | B | Mission 770 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (200W vs 200W). |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Cabinet | depends | Passive Radiator vs Ported. |
| Expandability | A | PSB Passif 50: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | PSB Passif 50 is cheaper - $2,499 against $5,000, about 50% less; arguably a different class. |
A PSB Passif 50 B Mission 770
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?
Mission 770 is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 100% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - PSB Passif 50 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Mission 770 appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper PSB Passif 50 much easier to justify. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $2,501 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.