Mission M-Cube 5.1 speaker system

When speaker manufacturer Mission asked Seymourpowell to create a home theatre system for its radical flat panel technology, designers and client alike were determined to avoid the room-dominating industrial designs typical of high-end speaker systems, offering instead something all the more adaptable and discreet.

Challenge
Mission's flat panel 'distributed mode loudspeaker' (DML) technology pointed the way to a product innovation that could step away from the usual monolithic, 'trophy purchase' approach to home theatre systems. Instead, a product design that would blend with contemporary home furnishings could deliver the cutting-edge technology with a warmer, domestic finish.

Response
Focusing from the beginning on the product's final location in the home environment, the project began with research into trends in contemporary furnishings. Two elements were particularly important here - offering a range of colour options and the size and form of the speaker units themselves.

The final cube configuration of the speakers works in harmony with the DML technology, with smoothed corners and chamfered faces softening the minimal form and enhancing discreetness. Construction from solid aluminium and thick-walled polycarbonate creates a lovely cold-versus-soft contrast.

Two basic colourways - the light Ivory and dark Midnight - are adaptable with a wide central fabric strip that wraps around each speaker. Along with the default wraps ('slate' for Midnight and 'mushroom' for Ivory) are three additional coloured strips: chocolate brown ('umber'), red ('ruby') and light green ('olive').

Result
The Mission M-Cube 5.1 speaker system garnered numerous rave reviews for its innovative combination of high-end audio performance, unique structural design and clever material finishes.

'A slick-looking, great-sounding system that blends effortlessly into your living room.' - Esquire, March 2005

'For some, a 5.1 surround system must be heard and not seen. The M-Cube is an attempt to cater for these aesthetic needs while at the same time providing a performance to be proud of - a tall order that's pulled off here with admirable ease.' - Home Cinema, March 2005