What is going on with Mission?

[Jodet]

Over here in the states they've been AWOL for about twenty years. There was a hole in the wall store in New York that used to import them and sold them cheap.

I see they have a couple of nice looking 'nostalgia' speakers. But nothing else on their webpage has been in production for years.

What's going on with them other than two fairly big monitors?

 

[hifinutt]

Those big monitors have made quite a hit in uk at shows . Pretty sure they are made in uk .popped into sevenoaks in solihull recently and they rather liked them and had them on demo

 

[wd40addict]

They're now another brand name owned by the Chinese IAG, along with Quad, Audiolab, Leak, Castle, Wharfedale and some others I've probably forgotten. The 770s are indeed made in the UK.

 

[Jodet]

They're now another brand name owned by the Chinese IAG, along with Quad, Audiolab, Leak, Castle, Wharfedale and some others I've probably forgotten. The 770s are indeed made in the UK.

Castle is still around? We haven't seen it in the states in decades.

 

[linnfomaniac83]

Castle is still around? We haven't seen it in the states in decades.

The name might still exist but they’ve not been in production for some years now, and the last time they were, they weren’t quite the same as the models made from the 70s to early 00s, which like high quality pieces of furniture, in a similar vein to Ruark.

 

[Craig B]

The name might still exist but they’ve not been in production for some years now, and the last time they were, they weren’t quite the same as the models made from the 70s to early 00s, which like high quality pieces of furniture, in a similar vein to Ruark.

IAG claim they exist, they've even updated the Castle website, however, there doesn't appear to be any dealers nor any way to buy them direct.

 

[John]

I had their tonearm and cartridge back when they we’re going strong in the US. The turntable, amp and speakers 770’s were quite the thing.

 

[DonMarks]

You can purchase Castle here in Denmark over at HiFi-Freaks
https://hifi-freaks.dk/hojttalere/gulvhojttalere.html

They are a direct only retailer with mostly IAG brands.
The owner of Densen used to be the man behind the shop, but a couple of years ago they had financial trouble and shut down. The shop is reborn now and seem to be running.
Not sure about the current ownership.

 

[Alex S]

Not much in the way of bigger British legacy brands left: Croft, Linn ..? I wonder how many people pop into Richer or Sevenoaks and think they're buying British.

 

[Zombie]

People pay too much for housing, no money left to buy locally produced hifi.

 

[per flemming]

? I wonder how many people pop into Richer or Sevenoaks and think they're buying British.

Still a lot average non-audiophile does, I believe.
Deep down people know but few care, its more or less the same with phones, Ipads etc..most electronics are still made in far east.

As for Mission 770 there may be several reasons they choose UK manufacture (or assembly ?)
One is price, easier to defend its very high.
Direct cost is probably 1/25th. if not lower.

 

[wd40addict]

In consumer goods in general a lot of packaging and marketing carefully bangs on 'British design' or 'enginered in the UK', often backed up by a nice flag. However, of course, these phrases just mean 'made in China', but the naïve consumer assumes they've bought 100% British...

I've noticed a similar trend more recently with 'designed in Germany'...

 

[Craig B]

In consumer goods in general a lot of packaging and marketing carefully bangs on 'British design' or 'enginered in the UK', often backed up by a nice flag. However, of course, these phrases just mean 'made in China', but the naïve consumer assumes they've bought 100% British...

I've noticed a similar trend more recently with 'designed in Germany'...

Funny, looking at @John's photo of the old Mission 777 above had me remembering that most of those that sold in North America were final assembled right here in Ontario. Notice in the photo above the following description printed on the transformer covers...

SPECIAL POWER TRANSFORMER
DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED FOR
MISSION ELECTRONICS N.A. CORP

IIRC, these transformers were made by Hammond Manufacturing in Guelph, Ontario.

P.S. One will also find "Toronto Canada" or "Made in Canada" printed on the stickers on the backs of the bass/mid drivers in many entry level Mission 'speakers of a certain age over here, despite all boasting of being "Made in England" or "Made in United Kingdom" on the label out back.