Home audio is fundamental to any viewing experience, but it’s often overlooked. If you’re setting up a home theatre, a sound bar can elevate your auditory experience during movies and gaming. With so many choices, it can be hard to decide one over another. That’s when reviews like this can help.
I’m reviewing the Mission MSB21 Sound bar with Wireless Subwoofer. Admittingly, Mission is an audio brand I’ve never heard of. Unlike most brands, I’m coming into this review with no preconceived notions or bias. My criteria to assess this sound bar will be usability, overall sound quality, and customization.
Design of the Mission MSB21 sound bar
The MSB21 comes in two pieces, a sound bar, and a wireless subwoofer. The sound bar has a sleek low profile look that can sit on a TV stand or mount to a wall with the included brackets. It measures approximately 34” wide, 3” high, and 4” in depth.
Manual control buttons such as power, inputs, and volume are found on the right side of the sound bar. These controls are also found on the remote control.
Connection ports are located on the back to connect the sound bar to televisions and other audio-visual equipment. It features coaxial, optical and AUX, HDMI (ARC), and two HDMI ports. Wireless connections are available through Bluetooth audio.
The wireless subwoofer is rectangular shaped and measures approximately 14″ high, 9″ wide, and 9″ in depth. The subwoofer itself is located on the bottom, projecting bass onto the floor. It connects to the sound bar automatically when both are powered on. However, the subwoofer must be within 6 meters of the sound bar to pair successfully.
Setup of the Mission MSB21 sound bar
I tested the sound bar in my tech-themed Airbnb suite. It features a 1080p ceiling-mounted projector that produces a 137” HD screen. I built a custom shelf to protect a sound bar from the heat produced by a baseboard heater. I removed my current sound bar and installed the MSB21.
Once the subwoofer was plugged in, it paired automatically to the sound bar. From there I completed the rest of the setup with the remote. The various input options are displayed on the sound bar itself. It reminds me a lot of the car Kit from the 80’s show Knight Rider. I selected Bluetooth and it paired to my projector. In all, the setup took less than 10 minutes.
Bluetooth audio connectivity
For most, I think Bluetooth audio connection is the way to go. I absolutely despise exposed wires. There is no way I will run a cord from my ceiling-mounted projector to a sound bar 13’ away. Bluetooth audio is the perfect solution.
The one thing to note is that it uses Bluetooth 4.2, and not the new Bluetooth 5 standard. Normally for streaming music, this wouldn’t be an issue. However, if you’re connecting it to a projector like me, there can be some latency issues. This will become noticeable during dialog, with a slight delay of mouth movements and speech.
Compared to Bluetooth 4.2, Bluetooth 5 transmits eight times more data at twice the speed. I have yet to review a Bluetooth 5 sound bar. I’m curious to know if it will noticeably decrease latency issues in dialog scenes.
Using the Mission MSB21 sound bar
The Mission MSB21 sound bar is 240W with a 2.1 channel setup. I connected it to my home theatre projector and played Netflix. As the movie was playing, I used the control to switch between the different modes, music, news, and movies. The controller also allowed me to dim the brightness of the display on the sound bar.
The controller featured a dedicated button for 2.1 surround sound. It was interesting to see how well it worked. Sound bars do provide wireless flexibility, but I still miss a 5.1 surround sound setup.
I watched “Django Unchained” switching surround sound on and off with my eyes closed. I picked which sound I preferred and opened my eyes. It was with surround sound on. This should be no surprise because movies are mixed for surround sound. I was able to hear a wide dynamic range in the audio. During a gun shootout scene, the surround sound really stood out. It’s really quite amazing the impact auditory experiences have during movie viewing. I really felt like I was in a movie theatre.
The latency issues with the dialog scenes were no different than my current sound bar. While there is a slight delay between mouth movements and dialog, I don’t think most people would notice.
Sound quality and customization
The Mission MSB21 sound bar provides a powerful sound with remarkable clarity. Dialogue during quiet scenes was clear and the volume range could quickly get loud during action scenes.
The frequency response of the MSB21 ranges from 120Hz to 20KHz. Audiophiles will appreciate the ease-of-use of the controller to sounds. In addition to music, news, and movie modes, users can adjust the treble and bass levels.
I increased the bass to the max while watching a movie. I could physically feel the bass vibrating the laminate flooring. The 6.5” subwoofer pushes the bass down to the floor to create a rumble effect. This really adds to the experience when watching a movie or playing video games.
Final thoughts
I’ve always been a huge fan of sound bars. I like the sleek, minimalistic look they provide to any home entertainment setup. The MSB21 is a sound bar that will not disappoint. I found the sound to be clear, powerful, and immersive.
Functionally, it is very easy to use. The controller is simple to use and provides a range of customization options. There’s even a dedicated Bluetooth button for easy pairing to smartphones, tablets, and projectors. It is easy to switch between surround sound on and off. When off, the sound is more straight and direct.
If there was one thing I would like to add to it would be integration with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Imagine having a sound bar that can play music and answer questions on command? That would be a killer feature. It’s unlikely though as Google and Amazon have their own line of smart speakers.
Sound bars make excellent additions to any home theatre setup. With endless connectivity options, the Mission MSB21 Sound bar with Wireless Subwoofer can be used in a variety of entertainment situations. It’s a 2.1 channel combo unit that can connect to a TV, projector, or mobile device. It’s not a speaker you buy to connect to an audio receiver to create a 5.1 surround system. If anything, it’s a sleeker wireless alternative to that.
If you want to elevate your auditory experience at home, I highly recommend you give it a try. To learn more about Mission speakers, read our complete overview here.
I have a DVD of Let It Be.
I would rewatch the entire Game of Thrones series – love the score and it would sound even better with this sound bar
A good old musical like Mary Poppins
True Lies
The Empire Strikes Back
Rewatch Game of Thrones
I would watch game of thrones over again
We would love to rewatch all the Harry Potter movies on this!
I would love to hear The Lord of the Rings through the soundbar fist
would. love to listen to classic rock through this soundbar.
I would love to listen to some awesome Pink Floyd music with this sound bar
I want to watch the movie Quadrophenia through this sound bar first.
I would rewatch the Avengers films.
Let’s go back to 9 to 5 with Dolly
The Game of Thrones series
Top Gun for sound effects
So many – How about Pretty Woman
I haven’t seen Bridgerton yet and would watch that. It would be a fun experience with the mission sound bar.
Star Wars of course
Any of the original Star Wars movies would rock on the Soundbar
I would have to watch the entirety of the Star Wars movies – always known for their sound, it would be a great way to break in the soundbar!
We are big fans of adventure movies like Jumanji and Indiana Jones series. It would keep us all on the edge of our seats rewatching it with awesome audio.
NHL Games.
I’d love to use this to watch my newest favourite movie: The Martian!
The Mandalorian would boom on this sound bar.
I would immerse myself in the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s greatest hits!
I would watch Top Gun cause the fly by would song awesome
I would like to hear The Lord of the Rings movies through this Mission MSB21 sound bar with wireless subwoofer.
Watch some Borat!
I would want to hear Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker through this sound bar first.
Watching my fav series, Warrior every evening.
Would love to watch the office, and hear the intro song on this!
The NBA Finals
I want to hear Pink Floyd’s The Wall
I would watch Breaking Bad with the sound bar
I would like to hear the Olympics commentary through this soundbar.
I would binge watch HGTV all day with it
Just started listening to some of the classics from Franz Liszt and I’d bet they’d sound awesome coming out of this bar. Up first – the Faust symphony.
Hell Freezes Over – The Eagles
Gotta be 3000 Miles to Graceland
3000 Miles to Graceland
FUNK BROTHERS-Standing In The Shadows Of Motown
Have to go old school and watch Top Gun with this!
Black Widow would be the movie.
I would re-watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy !
I want to hear Game of Thrones on this setup!
I would watch the series Star Trek the Next Generation
I would watch reruns of Star Wars movies with the Mission Sound bar for a new sound experience.
I’d be watching Star Wars through this sound bar.
Would love to play games like Horizon or Genshin Impact with these speakers
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