In this review, we will be comparing Dovedale and Mission 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.
Wharfedale Dovedale Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" soft dome Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 10" black woven Kevlar cone Woofer
- 36-20K HZ Frequency Response
- 89 DB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6.5ohms
- Power Range:25-250watts
- Weight:26.20kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 660.0" x 14.6" x 16.4"( 660 x 370 x 417mm )
Mission 770 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.25" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 8" mineral-loaded polyproylene Woofer
- 42-20,000 Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Weight:27.20kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 590.0" x 11-13/16" x 12-11/16"( 590 x 279.4 x 301mm )
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Wharfedale Dovedale and Mission 770 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Dovedale is a 3-way design whereas the Mission 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.
| 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 Mission 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 Mission 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 Mission 770's min frequency of 42Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. 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 Mission 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 Mission 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. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Dovedale can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Mission 770 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Dovedale.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Dovedale features Post type posts and Mission 770 has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Wharfedale Dovedale's Post terminals
Mission 770's Post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Dovedale has a rear firing port whereas Mission 770 has a Front firing ports.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 301mm ( 23-1/4inch x 11-13/16inch x 12-11/16inch ) .
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 Mission 770 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.