Just bought the Mission FS2s from QED - best route for 6.1 upgrade?

[jon smith]

Hi folks

Just got my Missions from QED. Set up is a bit of a bugger, an instruction manual and speakers shouldn't go together.

Best route for 6.1 seems to me to either change the centre for a Mission 7c or to add a Mission bipolar rear (both available in silver for a match) and try and get a co buy (as I only need one).

Replacing the centre would probably be the better cosmetic match, as the centre is on a stand anyway, but the bipolar rear may add more, as I only have one socket anyway. (although this may not be a problem because of the way the speakers work).

Got i'm hungover, i'll come back and make some more sense of this later.

[MartinC]

hi jon...
think we were talking about this last week?

anyway, asked the same question to a Mission guy at the Practical Hifi Show at the weekend.

according to them...

1. you can't use a standard centre speaker and move the spare fs2 speaker to the rear - the tone wouldn't match.
I would argue this one..., would be difficult to match but not impossible... also cheap, and stops the centre speaker dispersing too much (because of the way the FS2s work).

2. you cant plug another fs2 speaker in directly... crossover is worked out by the sub...
worth a try though.. you could buy a set of 2 fs2s, link them together and run them as a single speaker... surely some bass would be coming through other speakers/ sub anyway, especially if you can mark the centre rear as "small" on the amp?

3. you can use any other speaker as a rear centre speaker... standard or dipoles or whatever... maybe two using a switch possibly.

4. you can use a fs2-a (stereo version), with another sub and the speakers linked... but its another £300-350.


probably some other suggestions I will think of... and will be doing in 2-3 weeks.


what amp are you using BTW? (thinking about a 2802 or 3801 currently).

[jon smith]

Originally posted by MartinC
hi jon...
think we were talking about this last week?

anyway, asked the same question to a Mission guy at the Practical Hifi Show at the weekend.

according to them...

1. you can't use a standard centre speaker and move the spare fs2 speaker to the rear - the tone wouldn't match.
I would argue this one..., would be difficult to match but not impossible... also cheap, and stops the centre speaker dispersing too much (because of the way the FS2s work).

2. you cant plug another fs2 speaker in directly... crossover is worked out by the sub...
worth a try though.. you could buy a set of 2 fs2s, link them together and run them as a single speaker... surely some bass would be coming through other speakers/ sub anyway, especially if you can mark the centre rear as "small" on the amp?

3. you can use any other speaker as a rear centre speaker... standard or dipoles or whatever... maybe two using a switch possibly.

4. you can use a fs2-a (stereo version), with another sub and the speakers linked... but its another £300-350.


probably some other suggestions I will think of... and will be doing in 2-3 weeks.


what amp are you using BTW? (thinking about a 2802 or 3801 currently).

Hi Martin,

thank's for that. We were talking about it last week, but couldn't find old thread (i didn't look very hard). I was originally looking at getting more FS2s (maybe even the full set again) and daisy chaining the fronts (but don't really think that's worth it), they sound fine as they are.

The extra £300 odd for an Fs2a really isn't worth it is it.

A new centre speaker provides a better cosmetic match with the FS speaker at the back. I suppose the Mission bipole at the rear would match better soundwise (as it's only a matrixed channel) and wouldn't cost too much for a co buy (£60 per speaker or something like that), shame the cosmetics won't match. Although in Silver may not look too bad. Annoyingly a silver centre is in stock at QED, but they have to order in the rears... i'll have a think.

At the moment running a sony 1070 (like you i'm torn between a 2802, 3801 or a Marantz 7200). The Marantz is current fave, what is the best price you've seen on the Denon's?

[MartinC]

Originally posted by jon smith
I was originally looking at getting more FS2s (maybe even the full set again) and daisy chaining the fronts (but don't really think that's worth it), they sound fine as they are.
The extra £300 odd for an Fs2a really isn't worth it is it.


absolutely agree there! £300 is too much, though you can 2 or 3 fs2s for £200 which you could pair together if you can plug them direct. and maybe the AMP set to small speaker on the rear centre to redirect the bass? anyone know if this is possible?


A new centre speaker provides a better cosmetic match with the FS speaker at the back. I suppose the Mission bipole at the rear would match better soundwise (as it's only a matrixed channel) and wouldn't cost too much for a co buy (£60 per speaker or something like that), shame the cosmetics won't match. Although in Silver may not look too bad. Annoyingly a silver centre is in stock at QED, but they have to order in the rears... i'll have a think.


yes... I'll probably give the centre a try since I'll have a spare tannoy centre anyway... would at least lock dialog down.

you would want the sound to disperse a bit more so you might want to use both bipoles/ dipoles anyway...(one of those qed switches maybe). sure I read something about the brain not able to understand sound from 180deg behind... so 2 speakers would be better.


anyway... some more suggestions...

suggestion no5... what about the wharfedale flat panels - the picture frame ones? these are NXT panels as well, and have a sub as well for around £100 now from unbeatable. should be a much better match than anything else in tone and hide away better than a conventional speaker.

suggestion no6... Mission had a new set of NXT flat speakers at the fair.. perhaps you could use those? think the model is something like FS MM1... both for computer and hifi (ie... headphone and speaker input). they do upto 100W and have a sub as well... didn't look too expensive, but not as nice looking as the FS2s.



At the moment running a sony 1070 (like you i'm torn between a 2802, 3801 or a Marantz 7200). The Marantz is current fave, what is the best price you've seen on the Denon's?


why do you need to upgrade if you already have a Sony1070?

going for a 2802 at the moment, cause I want both centre rear & A/B speakers connected at the same time... (3801 cant do this supposedly... same speaker connectors?).

Dont know the Marantz 7200 features... EX/ ES ?

Denon 2802 is £490 from hifijunkies with 2 years warranty.