I want this amp, bad. I remember seeing them at one of the local shops when I was a kid. I'm wondering if it has the classic british sound (laid back), but since it is a mosfet amp, I would expect it to be a bit bright. It's almost too expensive to buy without hearing, but I've never seen one for sale before.

[cgi.ebay.com]

kj.

wow, that is unique. The specs seem good, and if what the seller says is true then this would be a good deal. Never heard or seen one of these before so I don't know how it would sound in person.

Heard of 'em. Great reputation.

It looks like Darth Vader! The mouth is how it's cooled. kj.

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kj
It looks like Darth Vader! The mouth is how it's cooled. kj.

The entire chassis is how it's cooled.

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It is what it is.

>>The entire chassis is how it's cooled.

The case is fairly thick cast iron. MOST of the cooling is through the mouth, but you're probably right not all. kj.

When the amp is running, it is also used as a branding iron. This is where George Forman got is idea for the grill! Check out his palm sometime -- you can see "ISSI" from when he was moving the home theater.....

They were indeed popular there (UK) - around 78-80. I would be interested to learn why the capacitors required replacement. Not in general, but why THIS amp required them, and who made that determination.

The point of including the slew and damping with a linking load value, etc., is somewhat pointless. Especially out to 20KHz.

You might want to ask Dick - as he used to work at Klipsch, among other places, but for $275 (buy it now), I'd probably be inclined to look for a Crown DC300a. Crown, BEFORE Harmon, was absolutely flawless.

The amplifiers they made (I mean gigantic, signal solid amps for use in laboratories and supplies for ultra critical applications that weren't Sound related) - were simply unsurpassed.

Harmon has done to Crown what Peavy has done to Crest.

I never thought I'd see a "mediocre line" with a Crown nameplate - but they exist and are now plentiful. You used to pay an arm/leg for a 30 watt Crown amp that took up 1U for a reason -- it was "perfect."

The Mission? If the reserve is high ---- Plus shipping? I'd personally pass. If you could get it for $100 and are in Pennsylvania or near? Just as a conversation piece I'd grab it!

A good (not perfect, GOOD) amplifier always has a place in the home..... or wherever. Then again, I have storage in 2 cities far apart from each other while I live in a 3rd. So I might not be the best, most unbiased source, about audio gear and computers.

:-D



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/2007 09:10AM by Jimmypoo.

Thanks, that's what I needed to hear. I want it mainly because of the looks. I've never seen anything like that. It is relisted, and went up to 167.00 before. And the shipping would be killer (2500miles). I actually have a decent amp (adcom 535), and don't need that much power. I bet it wouldn't sound that much better. I should pass on it and save for a tube amp. kj.

Good decision, kj. Mission was more of a player in the loudspeaker market, and as the styling of the amp shows they leaned more towards a mass-marketing approach than established British amplifier manufacturers (Naim, Linn, Creek, etc.).

Yeah, if I get a solid-state, I think I would get an arcam. They're actually pretty reasonably priced. kj.

Arcam makes nice stuff (Creek and Rega, too), and I can almost guarantee you it would be more reliable than the Mission unit. Depending on your power needs, don't rule out an integrated amp from one of those manufacturers. In the US there has long been an unfounded prejudice against integrateds, but in the UK there are taken quite seriously and thus very well designed and made.

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Jimmypoo

The point of including the slew and damping with a linking load value, etc., is somewhat pointless. Especially out to 20KHz.

meant to type WITHOUT a linking load value, etc.

I like all the british stuff. I've had lots of different equipment, etc. and finally ended up with some Quad speakers (not the electrostatic, unfortunately), and they have the sound I've always known I wanted. The adcom is considered a little harsh sounding, so I can only imagine what a nice smooth, warm amp would do with the Quads. That's a good point about the integrated. I even noticed one of the arcams allows you to bypass the preamp. Fun stuff. kj.