Aretai Contra 100S Bookshelf Speaker Review

[gene]

The Aretai Contra 100S is a 2.5-way bookshelf design featuring a 1.75" ring radiator tweeter housed in a custom-built waveguide horn that sits on top of the speaker. Each speaker also includes a pair of 6" forward and rear facing drivers to give them more punch than their diminutive size suggests.

At $9,900/pair, they aren't inexpensive and in fact, you could get incredibly competent fullrange towers at or less than this asking price. Does this mean, the Aretai 100S aren't worth it? Based on Don Dunn's listening experience, you may be surprised to find out just how much he enjoyed these speakers.

Read: Aretai Contra 100S Bookshelf Speaker Review

 

[TLS Guy]

The Aretai Contra 100S is a 2.5-way bookshelf design featuring a 1.75" ring radiator tweeter housed in a custom-built waveguide horn that sits on top of the speaker. Each speaker also includes a pair of 6" forward and rear facing drivers to give them more punch than their diminutive size suggests.

View attachment 70219
At $9,900/pair, they aren't inexpensive and in fact, you could get incredibly competent fullrange towers at or less than this asking price. Does this mean, the Aretai 100S aren't worth it? Based on Don Dunn's listening experience, you may be surprised to find out just how much he enjoyed these speakers.

Read: Aretai Contra 100S Bookshelf Speaker Review

That was a very clever idea to reduce cabinet height. So what they have done is to use the rear driver for BSC correction of the step response. Since a speaker is a monopole (omnidirectional) below the transition frequency it does not matter which way that driver faces.

That was a clever idea and valid. I don't see a port so I assume this is sealed design.

 

[gene]

That was a very clever idea to reduce cabinet height. So what they have done is to use the rear driver for BSC correction of the step response. Since a speaker is a monopole (omnidirectional) below the transition frequency it does not matter which way that driver faces.

That was a clever idea and valid. I don't see a port so I assume this is sealed design.

Yes they are sealed. More specs here:

Aretai Contra 100S - Aretai

aretai.com

 

[TLS Guy]

Yes they are sealed. More specs here:

Aretai Contra 100S - Aretai

aretai.com

Their specs as written are not very helpful.
Given the sensitivity of 87 db. and the size of the cabinet, I am going to estimate F3 to be 60 Hz give or take a few Hz either way. That would make the -12 db. point about 48Hz. So I bet it is around 24 db. down at their specified 32 Hz. That would not be out of line for a sealed design of that size. One thing to remember is that adding drivers does not increase bass extension, only power handling.

 

[Mikado463]

Interesting speaker, I suspect with the proper amplification and combined with competent sub(or two) they would be stellar in a small to medium sized room !

 

[TLS Guy]

Interesting speaker, I suspect with the proper amplification and combined with competent sub(or two) they would be stellar in a small to medium sized room !

Yes, I suspect an 80 Hz crossover point would be about optimal. It will have second order roll off, so sub integration will be better than if it was a ported design. So if used with a standard AVR or AVP, the crossover will make a symmetrical composite acoustic/electrical crossover. I have to say this does look like a sensibly conceived product, which unfortunately is unusual. I would like to see measurements though, as the "Devil is in the details."

 

[Trell]

Interesting speaker, I suspect with the proper amplification and combined with competent sub(or two) they would be stellar in a small to medium sized room !

You must mean European sized rooms!

 

[Bobby Bass]

Thanks for the review. Speakers that put out a sirens song bringing Don back again and again. Very cool look and big sound from a relatively small bookshelf. Out of my price range but helps me justify the price I paid for my Revels. Love the black and white design.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks for the review. Speakers that put out a sirens song bringing Don back again and again. Very cool look and big sound from a relatively small bookshelf. Out of my price range but helps me justify the price I paid for my Revels. Love the black and white design.

The problem is that they would be a risky purchase. They have practically no useful information on their site. The only data is a meaningless FR response and it clearly is out of the back of someone's neck.

What I see is just not acceptable for a serious contender in the speaker market.

Not nearly enough members here build their own speakers. If you want superlative sound at an affordable price then DIY speakers are the way forward. With C & C shops all over the place, they will make your cabinets from your design at reasonable cost. Most will finish them if you want as they have spray booths. Then you fit drivers and crossovers. The design is somewhat of a learning curve, but it is all invaluable education in audio.

The advantages of not having to speaker shop in this hobby are massive.

 

[Mikado463]

The problem is that they would be a risky purchase.

I'm assuming they have some kind of return policy ?

Not nearly enough members here build their own speakers.

perhaps but then there those that have little to no interest in doing so

The advantages of not having to speaker shop in this hobby are massive.

to you and some others perhaps but to old farts like you, myself and others the good 'ole days of plentiful brick & mortar audio shops was a fun experience, at least it was for me ! Thankfully I have almost in my backyard one of the finest audio salons in the country and it's in 'tax free' Delaware !

 

[gene]

Their specs as written are not very helpful.
Given the sensitivity of 87 db. and the size of the cabinet, I am going to estimate F3 to be 60 Hz give or take a few Hz either way. That would make the -12 db. point about 48Hz. So I bet it is around 24 db. down at their specified 32 Hz. That would not be out of line for a sealed design of that size. One thing to remember is that adding drivers does not increase bass extension, only power handling.

Adding more drivers can allow more LF boost to extend bass response. Usually more drivers, also means a bigger box which in that case can be tuned lower. In this case, with box volume held constant, I think what you're saying is true but I also believe the rear driver is providing lots of boundary reinforcement to give the perception of increased bass output compared to just having the one forward firing driver.

 

[TLS Guy]

Adding more drivers can allow more LF boost to extend bass response. Usually more drivers, also means a bigger box which in that case can be tuned lower. In this case, with box volume held constant, I think what you're saying is true but I also believe the rear driver is providing lots of boundary reinforcement to give the perception of increased bass output compared to just having the one forward firing driver.

Adding a driver does not lower F3, but it does increase bass output. Adding another driver doubles the required box volume what ever the alignment, as Vas is doubled.

So where you put the second driver that is brought in below the transition frequency, does not matter as below the transition frequency all speakers are omnidirectional.

So in this speaker below, which is a 2.5 way with the bottom driver crossed below the transition frequency which is classic 2.5 way design, it would not matter whether the driver faced forwards or backwards, the result would be the same.

Those speakers are now my AV surrounds, and it is a good thing I did not put a driver on the back, or it would be firing into the studio equipment chase!

 

[gene]

Adding a driver does not lower F3, but it does increase bass output. Adding another driver doubles the required box volume what ever the alignment, as Vas is doubled.

So where you put the second driver that is brought in below the transition frequency, does not matter as below the transition frequency all speakers are omnidirectional.

So in this speaker below, which is a 2.5 way with the bottom driver crossed below the transition frequency which is classic 2.5 way design, it would not matter whether the driver faced forwards or backwards, the result would be the same.

Those speakers are now my AV surrounds, and it is a good thing I did not put a driver on the back, or it would be firing into the studio equipment chase!

You definitely get boundary reinforcement with a rear firing driver if it's close to a wall. Legacy Audio used to make towers with rear firing woofers and a pad switch to turn them down a bit if placed close to a surface.

 

[TLS Guy]

You definitely get boundary reinforcement with a rear firing driver if it's close to a wall. Legacy Audio used to make towers with rear firing woofers and a pad switch to turn them down a bit if placed close to a surface.

I agree there will be boundary reinforcement if the speaker is close to the wall. However that begs the question as to whether the designers were requiring that, and how much reinforcement. So then the design becomes a hit and miss trial and error affair. Mind you all speakers have a boundary effect as you get close to a wall as below the transition frequency they are all omni directional.