The Mystère Story
It’s midnight and the year is 1,500 BC. An eerie wind is blowing across the Salisbury Plain in southern England and the flat, green ground is bathed in the
moon’s ghostly light. A faint orange glow can be seen in the distance, seemingly coming from a huge circle of majestic stones that stand out in solitary
grandeur against the barren landscape. As one draws closer, dark figures dancing around the wooden fire that smoulders at the centre of the great circle of
stones become visible. Strangely, not a sound can be heard. The whole place is shrouded in mystery.
I am, of course, referring to the world-famous Stonehenge, which stands to this day as a powerful tribute to the people of the late Stone and Bronze Ages
and consists of a ring of extremely large stones and while modern techniques in archaeology have helped shape new theories about these stones, their
ultimate purpose nevertheless remains a fascinating and enduring mystery.
Whatever their exact purpose was, recent research has revealed that the stones at Stonehenge are able to contain and amplify sounds. Furthermore, most
sounds made in the centre are not clearly transmitted beyond the rings of stone.
Almost all of the stones at Stonehenge were shaped, with the inner surfaces of many stones being dressed to be either flat or concave and their outer
surfaces irregular or convex. The contrasting acoustic experiences between the inside and outside of the stone circle that result from the shaping and
placement of these stones may have been utilised by the ancient builders to isolate people on the outside from the activities at the centre. An audience
occupying the inner circle of Stonehenge would have heard amplified sounds. In contrast, no-one outside the monument could have clearly seen or heard
events within, thus creating a sense of mystery!
Recent research suggests that the original Stonehenge probably had an almost concert-like acoustic that our ancestors developed and perfected over
many generations. While undertaking a series of tests, one researcher commented, “A simple drum beat sounded incredibly dramatic. It felt special.”
Similarly, we want to invite you to join our select inner circle of audiophiles to sample the delights of the Mystère series. Be enticed towards the faint orange
glow of the tubes that peer out from between the vertical slots of the sleek cover. Marvel at the realism and joy of music that has been perfected over many
generations of equipment design, resulting in the Mystère range of audio products.
Now your search for the ultimate experience is over!
