In this review, we will be comparing Dovedale and 770, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Wharfedale and Mission.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Wharfedale Dovedale and Mission 770 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Wharfedale Dovedale | Mission 770 |
|---|
| Brand | Wharfedale
United Kingdom · founded 1932 | Mission
United Kingdom · founded 1977 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" soft dome | 1.25" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 10" black woven Kevlar cone | 8" mineral-loaded polyproylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 36-20k Hz | 42-20,000 Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 DB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6.5 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-250 watts | 25-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 26.20kg / 57.6lbs | 27.20kg / 59.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 26.0" x 14.6" x 16.4"
660 x 370 x 417mm | 23-1/4" x 11" x 11-7/8"
590 x 279.4 x 301 mm |
|---|
What size room are the Wharfedale Dovedale 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* |
Wharfedale Dovedale |
Mission 770 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| 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 Dovedale is a 3-way design whereas the 770 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.
Wharfedale DovedaleMission 770
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Wharfedale Dovedale |
Mission 770 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.25-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 10-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
Dovedale features a 1" soft dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 1 x 10" black woven Kevlar cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 560Hz and 2900Hz. 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
Dovedale has a frequency range of 36-20k Hz whereas 770 has a frequency range of 42-20,000 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 36Hz, the Dovedale can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 770'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 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
Dovedale is a 6.5 ohms speaker compared to the 770 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Dovedale sensitivity is rated at 89 DB and the 770's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Wharfedale Dovedale 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.
Dovedale can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas 770 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Dovedale.
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
Dovedale features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. 770 has a Post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Dovedale's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Mission 770's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Dovedale has a rear firing port whereas 770 has a Front firing ports.
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 Wharfedale Dovedale's and Mission 770's external dimensions. Wharfedale Dovedale has external dimensions of 660 x 370 x 417mm (23.6 x 14.6 x 16.4 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).
Wharfedale Dovedale is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 90.6mm wider, 70mm taller and 116mm deeper than Mission 770.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Wharfedale Dovedale and Mission 770 in scale.
Comparison image of Wharfedale Dovedale 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 Wharfedale Dovedale is approximately 1542.9cm2 / 239.1inch2 and base area of the Mission 770 is approximately 841.0cm2 / 130.4inch2. The Dovedale requires 83% more surface area than the 770 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 Wharfedale Dovedale weighs 26.20kg / 57.6lbs and the Mission 770 weighs 27.20kg / 59.8lbs. This makes the 770 4% heavier than the Dovedale.
Here is a comparison of how Dovedale 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
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 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 |
 Woofer Size |
10 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
36 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6.5 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Minimum Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
3.6 ohms
|
Very low impedance levels puts more pressure on amplifier |
 Height |
590mm
vs
660mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
841cm2
vs
1542cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Wharfedale Dovedale |
Mission 770 |
| Brand |
Wharfedale |
Mission |
| Speaker Type |
Bookshelf speakers |
Bookshelf speakers |
| Power Range |
25-250 watts |
25-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 DB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6.5 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.6 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
36-20k Hz |
42-20,000 Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
10" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
black woven Kevlar cone |
mineral-loaded polyproylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
low-density nitrile |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.25" |
| Tweeter Type |
soft dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
560Hz and 2900Hz |
2900Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
Front |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
660.0mm (26") |
590.0mm (23.2") |
| Width |
370.0mm (14.6") |
279.4mm (11") |
| Depth |
417.0mm (16.4") |
301.0mm (11.9") |
| Weight |
26.20kg (57.6lbs) |
27.20kg (59.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
MDF, particle board, wood |
| Available Colors |
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 |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Wharfedale Dovedale digs deeper - 36Hz against 42Hz. 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 | A | Wharfedale Dovedale takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Mission 770 is easier to place; Wharfedale Dovedale is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | A | Wharfedale Dovedale: bi-amping. Wharfedale Dovedale sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($5,000 vs $5,000 a pair). |
A Wharfedale Dovedale 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?
Wharfedale Dovedale 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 Wharfedale Dovedale the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Mission 770 for a small 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.