The canton of Valais (pronounced “valley”) in Switzerland consists of the Rhône valley and the steep Alps that rear up on either side of it. These mountains contain world famous ski resorts such as Zermatt, the home of the Matterhorn, Verbier, Crans-Montana or Saas Fee.

The people of the Valais are famously independent, uncompromising, straight-talking and even a little forbidding on a first encounter. But once you have got to know them, they are warm-hearted, amusing and intensely loyal. They also possess the resourcefulness and seriousness that typifies mountain people, because in a harsh environment you need to be self-reliant and precise – it can make the difference between life and death.

Stenheim speakers are every inch a product of the Valais. They may seem outwardly austere in their hard aluminium enclosures but listen to them and their generous nature is immediately apparent as the music pours out of them, precise, detailed, as clear as a mountain torrent. …