
Intro
Contents
What do you think of when you hear the word ‘mystique’? Singing monks in a candlelit church? A lake from which fog rises up, shone upon by the moon? Whatever your association, the sound produced by the Neat Mystique speakers is more likely to evoke the association of a stag party in Amsterdam.
Neat Acoustics has been around since 1990. The original Mystique was one of the models in the second range they released, after the first model, the initial Petite. Released in new form, the Petite led to much enthusiasm from our reviewer Geoffrey. And rightly so, in the big monitor loudspeaker test, the Petite Classic speakers were one of the standouts.
The name refers to the previous Mystique model, but the design is new. The floorstanding Mystique has the same high-frequency AMT unit as the Petite Classic and uses the woofer from the Motive series. The bass reflex port is angled downwards and an additional platform is placed under the opening. It is a low standing floor model.
Placing the Neat Mystique Classic speakers
Placement requires some attention. It certainly pays off to shuffle them around until the bass, in relation to mid and high, are the way you like them. Do this while having the speakers face out straight. Once they are in position, you can turn them in slightly to gain more focus in the stereo image.
Small adjustments with rotation will have an audible effect. The manual suggests about 10 to 15 degrees, but it is mainly a matter of experimentation.
Turning in a lot is not a good idea – they lose the stereo image – but with the right degree of turn-in, everything falls exactly into place: the balance between bass, mid and high, the degree of depth and texture in the sound and the size and layering of the soundstage. Your ears are the best measuring instrument here. The Neats reward you for patient position adjustment and listening.