Rewind and reload for the 778 amp
Integrated amplifier | £549| whf.cm/Mission778X
Today, Mission is known as a specialist speaker manufacturer, but that wasn’t always the case. Back in the early ’80s, it was a far more diverse brand that made all parts of the audio chain from turntables, tonearms and cartridges to CD players, right through to speakers.
The company’s first amplifiers were hugely ambitious premium designs such as the 776/777 pre/power combination, but it wasn’t long before it produced a more affordable, though hardly less distinctive, integrated design called the 778. The 778 lasted only a few years before its design was evolved into the first products of Mission’s then-new sub-brand, Cyrus.
While that original 778 was well received, it is fair to say that the visually similar Cyrus One and Cyrus Two amplifiers went on to make a bigger impact on the world of hi-fi. But that shouldn’t detract from this new 778X. Apart from being built into a half-width casing and sharing the name of the company’s first integrated amplifier, there is very little here related to that original design.
Regardless, this is a hugely competitive product that doesn’t need any help from nostalgia to appeal. It is well equipped by the standards of its peers. There is a moving-magnet phono stage alongside a pair of line-level inputs. Digital compatibility? Yes, the 778X has a pair of optical inputs, a single coaxial input and a USB Type B port. The internal DAC module is built around the long-running ESS Sabre ES9018K2M chip and can cope with 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 music files through the USB and up to 192kHz PCM with optical and coaxial.
That’s not all; aptX Bluetooth streaming is on the menu too, as is a front-panel mounted 6.3mm headphone socket. Of course, there is a remote in the box – this isn’t the ’80s after all – and it is a simple, small but effective handset. Surprisingly, Mission doesn’t supply the CR2025 button battery required to make it work, so you may need to take a trip to the shops.
The 778X’s casework’s industrial design may not be to all tastes, but there is no denying the high level of fit and finish. The casework feels solid and we like the smooth yet substantial action of the main rotary control dials. Overall, this is certainly one of the best-built integrated amps we have come across at this level.
Mission’s parent company IAG owns several brands, including Quad and Leak, so i
