ARETAI
ARETAI | CAT |PLAYBACK DESIGN
Janis Irbe, a consummate gentleman, was, as always, good to see again. It was good to hear another of his Aretai speakers— the Contra 200s. I have found the Aretai speakers beautifully designed, with a modern look, that, I imagine, would blend beautifully into aesthetically-inspired interiors in uptown pied-à-terres to penthouse condos to period mansions. Just saying.
Janis happily took my streaming request—London Grammar’s ”Night Call” (If You Wait, Columbia), as sung by Hannah Reid—which would give me quick insight to the Aretai, Convergent Audio Technology (CAT), and Playback Design system. My familiarity with two of the three—CAT and Playback—would provide the beginnings of a fair understanding of the Aretai Contra 200s, in brief.
Hannah’s voice was excellent—clear, textured, engaging, her tone/timbre were decidedly natural. The dynamics were quick and effortless, bass tight, agile, and there was great transparency throughout. The music was truly engaging, the center-fill excellent, which allowed the music to wrap itself around you, as though unwilling to let you go.
I do look forward to reviewing and spending a bit of time with Janis’ Aretai speakers, as they are impressive and very promising, always. A simple system which rendered one of the best sounds of the show, certainly for a digital front end.
The system, as far as I remember was composed of the following:
ARETAI CONTRA 200 SPEAKERS
CAT SL1 LEGEND BLACK PATH EXTREME
CAT JL7 MONOBLOCK POWER AMPLIFIERS X2
PLAYBACK DESIGN MPD6-DAC EDELWEISS DAC W. STREAMING MODULE
KIRMUSS ADRENALINE LIMITED EDITION SPEAKER CABLES
