Ok So Blades are Blades in some sense. there isn't going to be a drastic difference between the 690's and the 714's. simply because blades haven't changed as much as cavity backs over the years. and they really haven't had to.  but i will say this. its a work ability thing. now then its not like comparing AP1'S to AP2's. there is a lot of significant work ability differences in those two clubs. you not going to find that same drastic difference between your 690's and the new 714. but there is some. the way the heal grind  has been done and the leading edge sharpness. If you really like your 690's and can't part with them i understand that feeling. but I'll say this i bought the 712 line and absolutely loved them. even so much i bought a second set. now then I think web Simpson still uses 690's and they work for him. but look at the other pros and there feed back on the run up to the 714 line. an over whelming majority of them told titlist don't mess with the mbs we love how they are now. that's a major statement. they didn't say tweak this or grind that or used a different material. nothing about feel or how they look. So if you Got Pro's those guys who make a living with those clubs saying we love what you got. that's a testament that the 714 line is a great buy. I would recomend them. will you magicly drop 5 strokes. probably not. but i will say this. you wont buy them an say they weren't any good. 

Dont know if that helped at all but Cheers greens and fairways to all 

Simba

From my experience...

I currently use 712 MB's. Have the 660's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. It seems that I can work the ball a little better with the 714's. Not that huge of a difference from the 712's. It depends on what you're looking for. If you'd like to work the ball more, then yes, there will be a big difference between the 690's and 714's. Along with the new technology in shafts...they could be more consistent than the 690's. If I were you, I'd get a hold on your local Titleist rep to schedule a fitting. Take your current 6 iron with you. Your fitter will be able to fit you in to the perfect 714 head/shaft combo. After that, you could compare numbers with your current 6 iron against what the fitter puts you in. 

I just posted the same question about the AP2s. In my opinion, the MBs would have a very minor difference in those 2 models. I guess the AP2s would have more of an ability to change than the MBs since they are cavity back.

I would setup an appointment with Golf Galaxy to see the difference between the 690 and 714 on the monitors. However, keep in mind they are there to sell and the monitors aren't extremely accurate, but it should be good enough to give you an idea.

I know we all like the newest stuff, but I'm not sure you'll notice a huge difference. Perhaps some new Vokey wedges instead?  :)

well i bought a 913 d2 custom fitted and performance is amazing over my 909 d3. i hit the 913 dead straight and if i miss hit it still wont miss fairway so far. i ordered custom fit ap2s monday and should be here soon! cant wait to try them out! and i will be looking into wedges too and a new 3 wood as well

Waaay late to this. But since I did a search on this topic here is an answer to the OP. Titleist 690 mb vs any blade on the market. One quick point. There is a regular 690 and a dot version. The dot has a 1/4 inch longer shaft and is a more upright lie angle. Ok, that out of the way. Having played miz, cally, Clvlnd, swoosh, TM, Ben Hogan, and Titleist's blade offerings for 15 years now I can tell you that I (ME) have found only the old Ben Hogan PC, the original swoosh blade and the miz MP-33 as irons that are comparable in feel and playability. (I would put the swoosh the hardest to hit of these) 

I have played the 710 and 712mb. Feels like every other iron on the market. (Huge Titleist fan, but also a realist and not a paid for athlete) Need the right shaft, length, grip size and swingweight to match you. I have found the 690 to be especially easy on toe hits more than any blade I have ever played (Cleveland CG1 close second). I have played the 690 in Dynamic Gold S300 and S400, as well as with Project X 6.0. Prefer the S400 but this is again to my point about having as best a fitting you can. 

Final answer. The only difference you will see in spending the money is your account will be 1100.00 dollars less and you will have a new iron set in the bag with fresh grooves. Camber, sole width, yada yada are so indiscernible that unless you have the feel of a tour level player, I doubt these should be considerations for not only your mind but real world SCORING RESULTS. That is after all what you might be interested in.

Need new grooves? Send your 690's in for a refinishing and rechroming. 500 bucks with shipping at multiple places. No, I have not played the 714 but when tour pro's say don't change anything, I would have a hard time saying they would be different than the 712's. 

sorry i havent been on here in awhile. I agree with you on that titleist blades feel like other blades for the most part. I hit miz and i swear titliest makes them for miz or vice versa. They are like dead on the same! As well im sure others you mentioned as well.

i went for the 714 AP2. 4 degrees upright, 1" longer with X100 shafts. Not going to lie have not been a fan of the AP2 the first few months i played with them. Ordered on the way back from masters and received a couple weeks later and until last few weeks i had really thought about going back to 690s! I have learned to hit them as of late and boy i like them!!! been dialed in distances and now working on alignment with them. I only spent i think $700ish on them custom fit i dont think that is bad right?

First comes the question of how much you play. Do you play once a week, two times a week, or are you an everyday golfer? This lets the fitter or us viewers determine how much use you get out of the irons and if the MB's are really the correct option for you and if you will really be maximizing your distance and your performance with the MB's. As a sales expert myself, I generally do not recommend a person to play MB's unless they are below a two handicap. Generally a person that is above a two handicap will not get the right playability out of the MB.

With that being said, if you are roughly a two handicap or below you will be able to find some differences between the two clubs. The 714 is Titleist's newest model and boasts better performance. You will hit the ball a little farther with the new 714 MB's too due to the fact that the loft on the irons is stronger. You could bend the 690's the extra degree however, the 690's will most likely feel less forgiving than the new 714's on the course. If you do in fact want to bend the 690's I recommend getting this done every year to ensure the club does not go back to the original position. This is very common among bent clubs. The shafts in the 690's will start to decay as well soon if not already. If you have ever built an older club before you will know that the shafts will most often have rust developing in the inside. One swing with a shaft like this will ruin a year. I feel it is better to spend the money for the safety and security of not having to re-shaft all the irons and bend all the irons. Work that will cost you upwards of $400.00. 

If you have a higher handicap than a 2 or 3 please consider the Titleist CB irons which will give you the forged feel while most likely performing at a much better level for you.

I hope that this helps,

Andrew

I play usually 2 times a week. Saturday and Sunday occasionally take a day off to play through the week. I am not a 2 handicap as well. I am probably 5 or 6 maybe? usually shoot anywhere from par to 78 or so. I am very inconsistent to say the least lol I shot 37 yesterday and as well as 37 on 9 Saturday. Different courses and my bogeys are mental errors or shots i know i shouldn't attempt lol so am i not disappointed right now. wish i could play everyday though and be really good.

I went with the 714 AP2s. read the above comment for specs on them.

Is it possible to lose distance from 690 mb to 714 AP2s? I think im just now starting to really hit them though. same with driver that is 12 degrees lol

I personally play with the 690 MB, and love those too, and I would guess that 12 years would do a lot, but then I saw Adam Scott play with the 680 model. Now they are from 2004 I think so a little younger, but if he goes back to them, after having 714 in his back that tells me he has some particular taste in very small headed irons, which are more important than new technology.

I would venture a guess that the lasts 10-15 years Titlest irons have been on the top of the line, and nothing much have changed.