Mission 778X Integrated Amplifier & DAC Review

[antcollinet]

Absolutely. Probably would struggle to even produce a sustained 75 decibels, but I'm guessing.

Only with exceptionally inefficient speakers.

Take typical 87dB efficiency - then you're gonna get around 87dB SPL at about 2m listening distance in a typical room with only 1W, and still have 17dB headroom for peaks.

And bear in mind an amp with double the power (100W) will only give you 3dB more, one with 4x the power (200W) only gives you 6dB more.



Then also bear in mind this amp can do 72W at 1% THD - which is where many manufacturers specify the output power of their amps. That takes headroom up to 18.5dB.

Taking that into account, and if in reality you only allow for 10dB headroom, then this amp can put out 95+dB SPL average. Too high for safe listening.

 

[DSJR]

I listened to the original Cyrus 1 and 2 back in the day and I found the sound to be a bit on the "thin" side.
Not much bass and with some speakers they sounded very cold and shouty, the 1 more than the 2.
Cyrus 2 with the PSX power supply was a bit better, but it never had the warm sound I prefer.

Reviewer Martin Colloms 'detail with pr@t' easily translates into lean/tin/clinical tones, this back in the day when 'enthusiast-grade' UK amps really DID 'sound different' (for all manner of easily measurable reasons I'd suggest!).

The cast-case Cyrus One and Two did seem ever-so-slightly mellower I remember, but the low power limits and audible, almost ringy hard clipping of the 'One' increasingly counted against it as the 90s rolled on. They started to use slit-foil (DNM) supply caps which had a whole spell woven around them.

My employer had a management buyout in 1993 and we ceased dealing with Cyrus after this point. the next amp they did (Cyrus 8?) had a gentler presentation even without the PSX-R (as it evolved into).

Reading the above, many of 'you lot' will wonder what the heck I'm talking about, but my only defence here is that many amps had design tweaks or out-and-out flaws that really *did* make for subtle audible differences. In my opinion, the Cyrus Two should have been manufactured in a full-width case and with the PSX-sized supply from the outset, but the UK-die had been cast as regards 'upgrade ladders' and add-ons to 'make it sound better. By the late 90s, Cyrus had a little custom floor-standing racking system where each piece and supply if added on, neatly stacked together and in fairness, the performance of said system was actually very good I remember -

 

[GDWL34]

Thanks for the review !

I can't help but compare this to a good class D integrated, like Audiophonics DA-S250NC, which gives you way more for a similar price...

Nice Amp. However, how would one connect a turntable? I think the Cyrus is great for people that use turntables.

 

[NHL99]

Nice Amp. However, how would one connect a turntable? I think the Cyrus is great for people that use turntables.

40 PPA - Cyrus Audio

PHONO PREAMPLIFIER

cyrusaudio.com

or

Classic PHONO - Cyrus Audio

Phono Stage

cyrusaudio.com

if using MC.

 

[YouDontHaveEnoughBass]

I've got a pair of Lintons powered by a MIssion 778X in a fairly large room (combined kitchen + dining + living space with high ceiling), was originally using just the Mission with a PC via USB input but had to add a pair of Fosi V3s via the Missions pre-out; was running into clipping A LOT and it wasn't pleasant

 

[Rick63]

I've got a pair of Lintons powered by a MIssion 778X in a fairly large room (combined kitchen + dining + living space with high ceiling), was originally using just the Mission with a PC via USB input but had to add a pair of Fosi V3s via the Missions pre-out; was running into clipping A LOT and it wasn't pleasant

That doesn't surprise me at all. The 778X is really best suited for efficient speakers and/or in a smaller room on its own without an external amp.

Just curious, do you get a power on thump through your speakers when using the Mission's preouts to the Fosi amps? I ask because I got the thump from my sub when I had it connected to the preouts.

 

[antcollinet]

40 PPA - Cyrus Audio

PHONO PREAMPLIFIER

cyrusaudio.com

or

Classic PHONO - Cyrus Audio

Phono Stage

cyrusaudio.com

if using MC.

Tricky though when the amp doesn't have an analogue in. Some sort of ADC would be required. Or a waxwing.

 

[YouDontHaveEnoughBass]

That doesn't surprise me at all. The 778X is really best suited for efficient speakers and/or in a smaller room on its own without an external amp.

Just curious, do you get a power on thump through your speakers when using the Mission's preouts to the Fosi amps? I ask because I got the thump from my sub when I had it connected to the preouts.

No power on thump, though there is an extremely satisfying array of clicks from the relays on the Mission and each Fosi switching on when I turn the Mission on

There is a power off thump though, sounds much the same as it does with your sub (I tried a sub at one point before realizing I simply didn't have enough wattage)

Will eventually replace the Mission with that Fosi DAC + Pre that got rave reviews here and use balanced connections to the Monos but until then this setup sounds lovely

 

[ghego]

I've got a pair of Lintons powered by a MIssion 778X in a fairly large room (combined kitchen + dining + living space with high ceiling), was originally using just the Mission with a PC via USB input but had to add a pair of Fosi V3s via the Missions pre-out; was running into clipping A LOT and it wasn't pleasant

I use the Mission 778x with Wharfedale Linton QED cables in my acoustically treated room. There's no need for extra power, the bass control is very good for this price category, and the volume knob never goes past 10 o'clock to reach 80 dB. After many years of listening I believe that acoustic treatment is what you should invest money on, not change the amplifier.
the room creates many problems, much more than the electronics

 

[YouDontHaveEnoughBass]

I use the Mission 778x with Wharfedale Linton QED cables in my acoustically treated room. There's no need for extra power, the bass control is very good for this price category, and the volume knob never goes past 10 o'clock to reach 80 dB. After many years of listening I believe that acoustic treatment is what you should invest money on, not change the amplifier.
the room creates many problems, much more than the electronics

I don't doubt it sounds amazing in your room but in my case where I needed more power the clipping sounded terrible

As for room treatment while the speaker does have some directionality errors (the tweeter balloons out in width compared to the mid-range driver past 2khz) I was able to avoid that being an issue by taking advantage of the size of the room and having them a good distance from side walls, so aside from trimming a peak at 46hz with EQ the response is naturally smooth - RT60 is well within the desirable range by proxy of being a living room with things in it

If distance from side walls wasn't an option I'd certainly look at first reflection absorbers an an option, but in that situation I wouldn't have got Lintons to begin with I'd have bought controlled directionality speakers where the reflections are welcome

Went off topic there sorry this threads about the Mission 778X not Lintons (though it seems a common combo!), going back to the Mission it's transparent to my untrained ears and I strongly doubt I'd pass a blind test between it and equipment with a SINAD over 100

 

[NgtFlyer]

I'm surprised that one CD player would sound obviously worse than another. Were levels the same?

It's been so long I don't remember. I do remember the JVC sounding more "open" .. best word I can come up with. The JVC in question of course used JVC's own transport and a single PCM56P DAC with a 2x oversampling filter. The Mission was a stock Philips CD104 with additional filtering in the analog output stage to make it sound "warmer"
All of this is memories that are 40+ years old.