At long last, Mission has launched its 778S music streamer, and it's full of surprises.
This standalone streamer is designed to match the 778X stereo amplifier, a half-width design that marked Mission's return to the amplifier market in late 2022, after a hiatus of 40 years. It received five stars in our review for its wonderfully balanced sound and compact, versatile design for the attractive price (£549 / $549 / AU$1099).
The matching music streamer (and CD transport) for the 778X was first teased at High End Munich in May 2024, showcasing the same half-width design; but details and pricing were under wraps – until now.
We now know the Mission 778S is as well equipped as any modern network music player, and it is designed in partnership with streaming specialist Silent Angel.
This specialist streaming brand has been around since 2014, and Mission says the 778S integrates “a custom version of Silent Angel’s streaming engine with Mission’s own circuit designs” along with a specialised app for iOS and Android designs.
The 778S supports all the popular streaming features: Connect versions of Qobuz, Tidal and Spotify, TuneIn internet radio, and AirPlay 2. Wi-fi and ethernet are on board, while DLNA/UPnP compatibility ensures that the 778S will be able to stream files from any connected storage devices on the same home network, such as a laptop or NAS drive. The unit it also Roon Ready, but there is no Google Chromecast or Bluetooth on board here.
As part of the DAC stage, Mission uses the ESS Sabre ES9038Q2M chip along with its proprietary clock and power supply circuitry. The brand has taken care to “eliminate noise and distortion in the signal path”, along with ensuring that clean, consistent power is sent to the digital and analogue stages.
File compatibility is extensive, with the streamer supporting up to 32-bit/768kHz PCM and DSD512 – that's more than enough for the majority of digital libraries and hi-res streaming platforms.
The streamer is also able to upsample all PCM streams to 352.8kHz or 384kHz before converting to analogue, in a bid to move digital artefacts into the realms beyond audible hearing. Alternatively, users can select between five “reconstruction filters” to fine-tune the sound to your source.
There is a healthy complement of physical connections too, including USB-C and two USB-A ports for connecting to laptops and storage devices. There are balanced XLR and RCA outputs on the analogue side, along with digital coaxial, optical and USB-A outputs. It even has a 6.35mm headphone socket.
Mission stats that “every aspect of its technical design is focused on delivering sonic excellence.” We are promised a “fluid, full-bodied, detailed and dynamic” performance. The ‘mission’, according to the press release, is “to bring sonic rapture to music-loving souls on this earthly plane.” That's quite the ambition.
The 778S follows the same half-width design with anodised aluminium casing as the 778X amplifier, and features two large control dials (one for input selection, one for volume control) in a symmetrical format on the front panel.
There is no full-colour display with album artwork as we have come to expect from most modern streaming rivals; instead, the 778S has a dimmable OLED display for text-based information such as input chosen.
The Mission 778S will be available from late January in silver or black finishes, and costs £799 / $1699 / AU$1899. At this price, its main rivals are the five-star Cambridge Audio CXN100 (£799 / $1049 / AU$1899) and Award-winning Bluesound Node Icon (£899 / $1199 / AU$1949). Let’s hope Mission's first streamer has been worth the wait.
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Read our Mission 778X review
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