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  • XLR Connectors | Cardas Audio

    When George Cardas developed the Clear interconnect cable, he realized there were no XLR connectors on the market that matched the performance potential of the cable. So he designed the Cardas CG XLR. Machined from high purity brass, with contact surfaces plated with silver and rhodium. The chassis mount version soon followed. XLR Connectors Cable Mount Where To Buy Chassis Mount Back To Parts List How To Use Cardas Connectors CGXLR CG XLR Reference level cable mount 3 pin XLR. Three piece threaded design with solder pins. Fourth solder pin connects to XLR body. Red or black O-ring channel indicator included. Fits cable up to 11mm OD. Base metal: High copper content, non-magnetic brass. Plating: Silver/rhodium Termination: Solder cups Cable opening: 11mm/0.433” This part requires solder. Click here to learn about Cardas Quad Eutectic Solder & Cardas Rosin Flux. Click here for our soldering how-to videos. Part numbers: P37.3 for CG F XLR (Female) P37.4 for CG M XLR (Male) CG XLR for gallery CG XLR for gallery 1/1 CMXLR CM XLR Reference level chassis mount 3 pin XLR. Two piece design with set screw. Convertible from PCB to solderable. Fourth solder pin connects to XLR body. Gold plated mounting cup. Base metal: High copper content, non-magnetic brass. Contact Surface: Silver/rhodium Termination: Solder cups or PCB This part requires solder. Click here to learn about Cardas Quad Eutectic Solder & Cardas Rosin Flux. Click here for our soldering how-to videos. Part numbers: P37.2 for CM F XLR (Female) P37.1 for CM M XLR (Male) cm_xlr_drawing CM XLR parts cm_xlr_drawing 1/2 CE XLR All new Cardas economy XLR. Now standard XLR termination on Crosslink , Iridium , Parsec , Sky , and Cygnus interconnect. Base metal: High copper content, non-magnetic brass. Contact Surface: Silver Termination: Solder This part requires solder. Click here to learn about Cardas Quad Eutectic Solder & Cardas Rosin Flux. Click here for our soldering how-to videos. CE XLR

  • Phone Home | Cardas Audio

    Cardas Audio • Cables • Connectors • Ultra Pure Copper & Silver • Solder & Flux Learn More Team Dedication. Expertise. Passion. This is your Team section. It's a great place to introduce your team and talk about what makes it special, such as your culture or work philosophy. Don't be afraid to illustrate personality and character to help users connect with your team. Cables Ashley Jones info@mysite.com 123-456-7890 Tech Lead Don Francis info@mysite.com 123-456-7890 Product Manager Alexa Young info@mysite.com 123-456-7890 Product Designer Robert Rose info@mysite.com 123-456-7890 Customer Support Lead Kevin Nye info@mysite.com 123-456-7890 HR Lead Lisa Driver info@mysite.com 123-456-7890 HR Lead Lisa Driver info@mysite.com 123-456-7890 HR Lead Lisa Driver info@mysite.com 123-456-7890

  • Re-Termination & Warranty Service | Cardas Audio

    Cardas cables last forever. Which could be a problem, since your equipment might change. Fortunately, Cardas cables can be re-terminated with new connectors to suit your changing needs. And our lifetime warranty is there if you never have an issue. Obtain a return authorization to get a quote, and to send your cables in for service. Top Re-Termination, Repair, Warranty, & Authentication Service Click the button to fill out our Return Authorization Form, to initiate the process of having your cable re-terminated or repaired. Or read more about re-terminations and warranty service below. This form can be used for sending any Cardas product in for service, cable or otherwise. Return Authorization Form Our lifetime warranty We offer a lifetime warranty on our cables. In the unlikely event that your Cardas cables develops a functionality issue, please send it to us for repair. Just obtain a Return Authorization Number at this link , and follow the instructions. Before doing so, you're welcome to contact Cardas tech support for trouble-shooting guidance. Although the problem may be the cable, cable problems are exceedingly rare. It is not uncommon for somebody assume (or hope) that a cable is the source of a problem, send it to us for service, the cables tests perfectly, and they then realize that the actual problem is with one of their components. Perhaps wishful thinking is at play - it's a lot easier to send a cable in for service than it is to send a heavy amplifier or a delicate turntable. Our tech support advisor may be able to help you determine if the problem is truly with the cable. What is covered by the warranty? Bad or intermittent internal connections. Shorts. Loose connectors. General functionality & listenability issues. Nearly anything that can go wrong with a cable through no fault of the user. What is not? Wear and tear, such as scratched plating. Bent or broken banana plugs. Cosmetic issues. Animal damage. Vacuum cleaner damage. Re-terminations Our shop can re-terminate (ie, change the connectors on) your Cardas cables, should your needs change. • If you have a long pair of cables, we can cut & re-terminate it into two (or more) shorter pairs. • If you buy a new set of headphones, we can modify your Cardas headphone cable to work with them. • If you move from the US to Europe, we can put Shucko plugs on your Cardas power cables. • If you buy speakers with bi-wire binding posts, we can bi-wire your single-wire Cardas speaker cables. • If you switch from a balanced system to single-ended, we can change your Cardas interconnects from XLR to RCA. Or vice-versa. Nearly any Cardas cable can be modified in nearly any way. Note - we only service Cardas cables. If you have cables made by another manufacturer, they can perform this service for you. To begin the process of having your Cardas cables re-terminated, fill out the form at this link , and we'll contact you with a quote. Can't I repair or re-terminate my cables myself, or have a local shop do it? It's your cable, so yeah, do what you want. But we're glad to honor our warranty if your cable develops and issue. And if we repair or re-terminate your cable, your lifetime warranty remains intact. If Cardas cables are serviced elsewhere, the warranty becomes void. Keep in mind that we use Litz conductors. Even the most experienced technician or talented solder-ist (is that a word?) is unlikely to have much if any experience with this sort of wire. Most cables attempted to be serviced outside of our shop end up here anyway. So why not skip that frustrating and disappointing middle step? My cable has a problem, but I also want it re-terminated to different connectors. Can that be done under warranty? Our warranty polic y is pretty liberal, but it is limited to restoring your cable to its original state. In other words, if your headphone cable for Sennheiser HD800s develops a short, but you also want it re-terminated for use with Focal headphones, that is not a warranty repair. If your RCA interconnect has an issue, but you also want it switched to XLR, again, not a warranty situation. Authentication Service If you have cables that you would like us to inspect and authenticate, please fill out the form above, as you would for a re-termination or repair. Please be advised that cables deemed to be counterfeit will be indelibly marked and/or branded, and returned. If you purchased second hand cables and you doubt their authenticity, your best option is to return them for a refund from the seller.

  • Home redux | Cardas Audio

    Start Lean A Free Webinar on How to Unleash Your Inner Entrepreneur. Save My Spot Presented by Tamala Francis, Founder & CEO at Francis & Co. Introduce the webinar hosts by highlighting their career background or professional history. Just click “Edit Text” or double click the Text Box to add your own content. Save My Spot In this webinar we will cover Digital Marketing Funnel You can easily add your own content to this paragraph. Click on “Edit Text” or double click the Text Box to make it your own. Your Social Media Presence You can easily add your own content to this paragraph. Click on “Edit Text” or double click the Text Box to make it your own. Practical Branding Strategies You can easily add your own content to this paragraph. Click on “Edit Text” or double click the Text Box to make it your own. I want to join the webinar, Sign me up! First Name Last Name Email Message Submit Thanks for submitting!

  • Bob Graham | Cardas Audio

    The artwork of Bob Graham, Cardas Audio's original graphic artist. Bob created the Cardas Nautilus logo, as well as all of our marketing materials from 1987-2012. Bob Graham was Cardas Audio's first graphic designer and marketing director. He created our legendary Nautilus logo, and all of our magazine advertisements from the late 1980's through 2012. Bob and George Cardas worked together long before the founding of the company, with Bob designing the logo and advertisements for Cardas Racing Fuel. Bob and his wife Linda were amongst the members of the Cardas team who made the move from Southern California to Bandon, Oregon in 1992. Bob passed away June 28th, 2023, in Bandon. Prior to founding Cardas Audio, George Cardas was a race car driver and race team leader, and had his own blend of fuel. Bob Graham created this humorous illustration depicting George being placed into a fuel tank. All Cardas conductors employ Golden Ratio scaled stranding. In fact, the Golden Ratio is employed in a number of our products, even our Myrtlewood blocks. Bob created our Nautilus logo (original on the left, redesigned version on the right), which is not only instantly recognizable in our industry, but perfectly embodies this design principal. Most of the artwork adorning the walls of the Cardas shop and office comes from Bob Graham. George Cardas admiring a framed print of one of Bob's Cardas Audio advertisements.

  • Deep Dive | Cardas Audio

    Detailed information about Cardas Audio, covering topics such as Matched Propagation, cable constructions, Golden Ratio scaled conductors, cable break in, cable burn in, and a brief history of the audio cable. Want a little information about Cardas? Well here's a lot. Deep Dive Looking for a little more information? Well you came to the wrong place. Because here is a lot more. Matched Propagation Cable Construction History of Audio Cable Why Cardas? Golden Ratio / Constant Q Golden Section Stereo Magic Cable Break-In What Goes Into A Cardas Cable Cardas Copper Videos About Cardas Audio Choosing A Cable Do Measurements Matter PDF FAQ Matched Propagation Matched Propagation Conductors Cardas' patented, Matched Propagation cables (US Patent 7,674,973) address a core problem that is intrinsic to all cables (audio, telephone, data, etc.), matching the signal propagation velocity of the conductor to that of the dielectric quite clearly improves the sound of audio transmission. The Trouble is Dielectrics The best solid insulating materials transfer charge 22% slower than standard conductors. This is a mismatch that can be corrected in only one way; you must match the velocity of the conductor to that of the dielectric in the cable itself. Networks, working after the fact, cannot restore lost low level information or the lost time integrity of the music. The Matched Propagation Solution Cardas' ingenious, patented solution uses a precisely controlled coated strand geometry to mitigate the effects of cable capacitance continuously in the cable. This technique eliminates the low level smearing and preserves musical integrity and dynamic range by correcting an imbalance in the basic velocity relationship of the cable's conductors and dielectric. Huge Dynamic Range of Resolution Matched propagation cables preserve phase, dramatically lower resonance effects, have a huge dynamic range and amazing resolution. They preserve low level detail, leading edge integrity and accurately preserve the heart, soul and emotion in the music. Matched Propagation technology brings unprecedented clarity and realism to your listening experience. Matched Propagation technology can be found in all cables in our Clear product line, and in our Parsec Interconnect. Cable Construction This video shows part of the process of constructing a Cardas Pure Copper Litz Conductor. Cable Construction A Short History Of Audio Cable A signal cable's quality is primarily determined by the relationship of its conductors and dielectrics. In thelate 1800's, signal cables were created to replace telephone, open wire, transmission lines. In the 1800's, telegraph signals used a single open wire lead and the ground for the return. Transmission distance and dynamic range were determined by voltage and repeater sensitivity. It was a simple rising impedance system that could deliver a finger tapped, digital signal 200 miles on an 8 gauge wire! By 1870, the “open wire, ground return” systems hit their limit. With the advent of the Telephone millions of quiet, low distortion lines would be needed. The existing cables were unusable because of a basic miss match in the way conductors and dielectrics transfered signal. By 1873, James Maxwell had deduced four basic laws that explained known electric and magnetic phenomenon, but it was two more decades before they found a workable solution cable problem. By 1890, shielded, dry paper insulated cables evolved. The better dielectric constant and the velocity of propagation of dry paper improved sound quality and transmission distance, but after this, the quality of telephone cables has changed very little. Compared to "open wire", cables were still inefficient, signal quality was poor and transmission distance was very limited. The cable problems were and always will be, rooted in the difference between conductor and dielectric time constants. Signal travels at light speed on open wire, but must slow considerably in cables, as conductors are forced to track the slower dielectric velocity of propagation (VoP). At audio frequencies the trauma of this transition obliterated the signal in short order, rendering cables unusable except for short distances. As a note, dry paper insulated, twist pair cables of the time were probably superior to what we have today. Technically dry paper is a better dielectric than PFA. As used by the telephone company, the cables were pressurized with dry nitrogen to assure the paper maintained its dielectric constant of 2.0 or less. By 1900 the country was in crisis and ATT (Bell) offered a huge reward to any one that could resolve the problem. In 1904, Michael Pupin came forward with the solution. By placing coils of wire in series with the conductor, at intervals in the cable, you could match the conductor propagation velocity (and subsequent cable loading) to that of the dielectric. They were called load coils (or Pupin coils or inductors). They did not really fix the cable problem, but combined with a plethora of networks, EQ and amplification, they did make cable usable. In effect they traded bandwidth and dynamic range for a fairly dramatic increase in the distance over which an intelligible signal could be transmitted. A patent was issued to Michael Pupin in 1904 and AT&T paid him generously for its use. The basic flaw in load coils is that they make the correction at intervals rather than continuously in the cable. Essentially they match conductor velocity to that of the dielectric with a series of chokes. Cable itself has changed little since the 1890's. The focus is on compensating for its problems or bypassing it all together. A true solution to telephone audio frequency cable problems was not found. Radio and Digital Carrier Systems simply bypassed the audio cable problem by converting the signal to easily repeated pulses. These systems made the first transatlantic telephone cable possible. In 1956, using a pair of huge, unidirectional coaxial cables with polymer dielectric in ridged copper tubes, they could carry 48 lines, with a bandwidth of 3 kilohertz, over 1500 miles between Scotland and Nova Scotia, using nearly 100 repeaters. Local telephone service still uses coil loaded balanced lines (3.2 kilohertz Bandwidth). With equalization and amplification, a directional pair of these cables can cover small distances. For longer runs load coils are removed and digital carrier is used. In the 1960s, audio began to establish its own standards. The lossy “600 ohm balanced lines” were abandoned before stereo arrived and solid state components in the 1970's drove originating impedances even lower, making the “rising impedance system” universal. This "system” is very efficient, but provides little or no cable damping and cable resonance was back! Signal quality was lost and at first, "solid state" took the blame. But in reality solid state was only one part of a complex chain reaction. A cable resonance control system had been unceremoniously dropped in the pursuit of simplicity, component compatibility, larger dynamic ranges and the economy of construction. The origin of bright fatiguing sound, was a ghost from days gone by, because we forgot the cable! In the 1970's, the realization that cable was indeed part of the equation spawned a era of experimentation. Soon cable alternatives became available, along with the screams of nay sayers. It is amazing how fast we lose the lessons that were learned by our ancestors. In the 1980’s, signal cable reasearch resumed with a vengeance in audio industry. It was soon apparent that loss was not the issue, and it was also apparent that conductors made a noticeable change in cable resonance and glare. Tiny bronze strands, individually insulated, in different lays (litz wire), concentric's, weaves and braids, different shaped large solid conductors, and different metals were tried. Eventually dielectric involvement was minimized and a conductor geometry evolved! In the 1990's, resonance associated with metals and dielectrics, microphonics, eddy currents and many other issues that contribute, in part, to a complex picture were and continue to be addressed. To achieve a dynamic range of true resolution, over a 100db range, requires attention to many details in the cable and connections. In the end the main problem will be the same: dielectrics can't transfer charge as fast as conductors can propagate and “rising impedance systems” can't shunt the resultant electrical turbulence. By 2000 most of the cards were on the table, face up, if you chose to look. The main players were busy making cable and gave little time to those who wished the cable problems were not true. The overall depth of knowledge is now at a new level. I for one am enjoying watching it sink in. 2009 The impact of conductor/dielectric transition time differentials runs deep. Asymmetrical dielectric charge and decay causes subtle waveform distortions, floating DC offsets, inter transient noise, and veiling of low level information. It is responsible for Inter Symbol Interference (ISI) and jitter. It is why the dielectric constant seems to vary with frequency. It is the most fundamental issue that must be resolved in cable design. The speed (Vop) of Solid and bare stranded conductors is about 127% of the best solid dielectric. How you balance this difference is key to cable quality. Simply reducing dielectric involvement or placing coils on the ends of the cable is not the answer. By Matching conductor velocity to dielectric constant, resonance and waveform distortion can be eliminated, without the bandwidth and dynamic range limitations of periodically loaded cables or the glare and distortion of unloaded cables. Signal in a cable can be envisioned as a boat entering a canal at high speed. Initially, the boat breaks the surface of the water with much turbulence. As the boat begins to decelerate it generates a smooth wave (charge builds in the dielectric) and as the boat speed approaches wave speed (VOP) turbulence subsides. The boat can now travel at wave speed without creating any turbulence. This speed is the VOP of the boat in water. Matching conductor propagation to dielectric constant, rather that allowing the change to take place as cable length accrues, quiets transient turbulence and makes it possible to produce a silent cable that sounds the same at every length and maintains the clean, natural harmonic halo found in the original signal. It is curious how the human focus works. Seemingly gross flaws in low frequency reproduction and crossovers are largely ignored as we try to view tiny details through windows of clarity in the system. Details at -60 db from the fundamental signal are still relevant and those details are strongly influenced by the quality of the cables. History of Cable Why Cardas? Cardas’ cable design incorporates, Golden Ratio, Constant Q, Cross-Field, pure copper Litz, conductor technology. Why should I use it? What will it do for my system? It is said, wire is just wire. In reality, a high-end audio cable must balance resistance, capacitance, inductance, conductance, velocity of propagation, RF radiation and absorption, mechanical resonance, strand interaction, high filtering, reflections, electrical resonance, dissipation factors, envelope delay, phase distortion, harmonic distortion, structural return loss, corrosion, cross-talk, bridge-tap and the interaction of these and a hundred other things. As a high-end cable manufacturer, Cardas Audio strives to address every detail of cable and conductor construction, no matter how small. An elegant solution deals with quality, not quantity. Cable geometry problems are resolved in the cable’s design, not after the fact with filters. George introduced the concept of Golden Section Constant "Q" Stranding to high-end audio, but Golden Ratio, 1.6180339887... : 1 is as old as nature itself. Golden Ratio is the mathematical proportion of life itself, the heart of musical scales and chords. "Discovered" by the Greeks, but used by the Egyptians in the Great Pyramid centuries before, man has employed Golden Ratio to create his most beautiful and naturally pleasing works of art and architecture. The signal used by your system, be it digital or analog, through tube or solid state, is always alternating current. The cyclic effect of alternating current vibrates the wire in your system like the strumming of a guitar string. The beating of the capacitive, inductive and mechanical elements in audio cable is set in motion by the transient energy of the audio signal, just as the guitar string is set into motion by the strike of a pick. This form of vibration or resonance distorts the audio signal and produces many sound anomalies, from colored bass to glare. Every interconnect, every speaker cable, every chassis and speaker wire has its own resonant signature. Like the mass, tension and hardness of the guitar string, the mass, tension and hardness of the conductor, coupled with its inductance and resistance, and the capacitance of the cable, determine what sound is made. Each strand in a cable has its own note or beat. Conductor strands interact with other same sized, near unison, and multiplistic sized strands creating beats the same way a cube listening room would, or one with multiplistic dimensions like 8’ x 16’ x 32. Stereo systems depend on the purity of the audio signal. When the cable linking all components together imparts its own sound, the audio signal is corrupted. Cardas created a conductor that absorbs or cancels the noise released by the current fluxuation, by progressively layering strands that share no common resonant multiple. This conductor uses the same mathematical proportioning seen in the worlds greatest concert halls for essentially the same reasons. The infinite indivisibility of the Fibonacci Sequence or Golden Section is a key to controlling resonance. The ratio of ø (Phi), or 1 to 1.6180339887... to (infinity), is the Golden Mean, called Golden Ratio or Golden Proportion. In Golden Section Stranding, individual strands are arranged so each strand is coupled to another, whose note or beat is irrational with its own, thus nulling interstrand resonance. This is the famous "Silent Conductor". It is the silence of Cardas conductors that allows them to be so uniquely musical and pure. At the heart of cable oscillation is delayed or stored energy. This energy results from the lowered internal "Q", or resonant point, of conventional conductors. Cardas cables employ a unique stranding method where strands diminish in size towards the interior of the conductor. This design is called Constant Q Stranding and it allows each strand of the cable to share the load equally. It is a very effective method of reducing the Non-linearity seen in conventional conductors, without compromising the symmetry of the conductor or the capacitance of the cable. Ordinary Cables are di-pole antennas, both radiating and absorbing RFI/EMI, which sustains system resonance. George’s cable design incorporates Crossfield Construction in its manufacture, which reverses every other stranding layer to defuse the di-pole effect and match conductor propagation to that of surrounding dielectric materials. Cable resonance is further reduced through the use of ultra pure copper, air dielectrics and state of the art connection techniques. Our ultra pure and homogeneous metals have proven to be the best conductors for audio signals. Cardas uses diamond dies exclusively, drawing the strands in a hydrogen reduction atmosphere. This process reduces the amount of impurities and eliminates the surface contamination that occurs when standard metal dies are used. As each strand is drawn, the resultant ultra pure surface is immediately given a urethane enamel "Litz" coating. This is a continuous process that results in a perfectly insulated strand and ultimate longevity of the conductors. Ordinary uncoated copper stranding corrodes in a relatively short time. Cardas meticulously maintains the purity of the conductor strands until they are sealed at termination. Why Cardas Golden Ratio, Constant Q Stranding Golden Section Stranding mathematically eliminates resonant multiples in conductors by sequencing strand masses and their associated inductive effects in an irrational progression. A great cable has the best dielectrics and conductors, and the geometry to match one to the other. Golden ratio constant "Q" conductors (GRCQ) correct conductor problems and match dielectric propagation velocity. Interior propagation of solid strands slows in proportion to strand size and signal change, resulting in eddy currents, skin effect, "Q" fluctuations and conductor resonance. Cardas individually insulates strands and proportions their size to depth in conductor, eliminating eddy currents, "Q" fluctuations and resonance. Strands are precisely layered to match dielectric materials and cable type. Golden Ratio keys into the proportioning of conductors and dielectric as elegantly as it does into music and nature itself. Golden Ratio Const Q Golden Section Stereo Magic Alternating current can shake a wire like a guitar string. The audio signal in a stereo system is seen as alternating current. The audio signal, be it digital or analog, through tube or solid state, is always alternating current. The signal's cyclic effect, causes all the wire in the system to vibrate and ring. This ring becomes a song sung to the resonance of the electrical and mechanical components of the cable. Every interconnect, every speaker cable, every chassis and speaker wire has its own song. The stored mechanical and electrical tension and time delay characteristics of the cable determine what song is sung. Each and every strand in a cable has its own note or beat. Two or more wires of the same mass and tension have common mechanical resonating points and share the same note. Two or more wires or bundles of wires, differing in size, each have their own resonant points. When combined, wires find new points of interaction, creating yet another note. The sound produced by any stereo system depends on the purity of the audio signal. When the cable that links all the components together imparts its own sound the audio signal is corrupted. There is a unique way to eliminate the harmonic or resonant effect produced by the conductor itself. Create a multiple strand conductor, where the individual strands share no common mathematical node or resonant point and layer them to cancel the noise they each create. An infinitely indivisible progression known as the Fibonacci sequence or Golden Section is the key to resonance control. The ratio of Phi, or 1 to 1.6180339887...to infinity, is the Golden Mean, called Golden Ratio or Golden Proportion. In Golden Section Stranding, strands are arranged so that every strand is coupled to another, whose note is irrational with its own, to dissipate conductor resonance. This creates a silenced conductor, allowing Cardas cable to produce the purest possible audio signal. No other cable geometry, no other conductor design, can create the listening magic of Golden Section Stranding. The root or power plant of conductor oscillation is stored and reflected energy. The progressively layered constant Q conductors effectively attenuate this energy. Cardas cables employ a unique stranding method where the smaller strands are placed towards the interior of the conductor in Golden Proportion. This is called constant "Q" stranding. It is a very effective method for reducing the inductively stored and reflected energy that fuels cable resonance. Cardas uses pure copper, Litz wire, pure PFA and air dielectrics, ultra pure eutectic solders, custom made rhodium plated connectors and each cable is terminated by hand. It is this meticulous attention to the details of design and care in construction that have made Cardas the heart of the most uniquely musical systems in the world. Golden Section Cable Break-In Note: An in-depth description of cable break-in follows. However here's the TL;DR - just plug in your cables and use them. Many things need time to break in. For example: denim jeans, guitars, and cast iron pans. How many wear/wash cycles until your jeans feel great? How many chords & notes until a guitar plays like a dream? How many meals must it cook before a cast iron pan is fully seasoned? These aren't questions we usually ask. We acquire the jeans, guitar, or cast iron pan. We use it, and we know that it will improve over time. Yet when it comes to HiFi equipment, people often become fixated on the break-in period. In a HiFi system, the speakers can take weeks to really come alive. A power amp will need time for the capacitors to fully charge, both when new, and after being turned off for any period of time. And yes, your cables will need time to settle in and perform as designed. But don’t stress too much about it. Think of it like getting a new pair of leather boots. You put them on, and they feel stiff. How many steps does it take for those boots to break-in? 50,000 steps? 100,000 steps? More??? Nobody really knows. You just wear the boots, ignore the stiffness, and one day you find yourself thinking “Wow these are the best boots ever”. Likewise with cables - plug them in, leave them plugged in , and enjoy your life. We emphasize that they should be left plugged in. When you remove a cable, you lose much of the progress towards break-in, such that when re-connected, you're basically starting over. If you enjoy swapping cables for comparisons, that's fine. Just know that you're really comparing un-broken-in cables, even if one (or both) pair has hundreds or thousands of hours of use. Once removed, they no longer benefit from that usage. Upon re-installation, they're starting over as if they're new. With that, here's what's going on during cable break-in: There are many factors that make cable break-in necessary and many reasons why the results vary. If you measure a new cable with a voltmeter you will see a standing voltage because good dielectrics make poor conductors. They hold a charge much like a rubbed cat’s fur on a dry day. It takes a while for this charge to equalize in the cable. Better cables often take longer to break-in. The best "air dielectric" techniques, such as PFA tube construction, have large non-conductive surfaces to hold charge, much like the cat on a dry day. Cables that do not have time to settle, such as musical instrument and microphone cables, often use conductive dielectrics like rubber or carbonized cotton to get around the problem. This dramatically reduces microphonics and settling time, but the other dielectric characteristics of these insulators are poor and they do not qualify sonically for high-end cables. Developing non-destructive techniques for reducing and equalizing the charge in excellent dielectric is a challenge in high end cables. The high input impedance necessary in audio equipment makes uneven dielectric charge a factor. One reason settling time takes so long is we are linking the charge with mechanical stress/strain relationships. The physical make up of a cable is changed slightly by the charge and visa versa. It is like electrically charging the cat. The physical make up of the cat is changed by the charge. It is "frizzed" and the charge makes it's hair stand on end. "PFA Cats", cables and their dielectric, take longer to lose this charge and reach physical homeostasis. The better the dielectric's insulation, the longer it takes to settle. A charge can come from simply moving the cable (Piezoelectric effect and simple friction), high voltage testing during manufacture, etc. Cable that has a standing charge is measurably more microphonic and an uneven distribution of the charge causes something akin to structural return loss in a rising impedance system. When I took steps to eliminate these problems, break-in time was reduced and the cable sounded generally better. I know Bill Low at Audioquest has also taken steps to minimize this problem. Mechanical stress is the root of a lot of the break-in phenomenon and it is not just a factor with cables. As a rule, companies set up audition rooms at high end audio shows a couple of days ahead of time to let them break in. The first day the sound is usually bad and it is very stressful. The last day sounds great. Mechanical stress in speaker cables, speaker cabinets, even the walls of the room, must be relaxed in order for the system to sound its best. This is the same phenomenon we experience in musical instruments. They sound much better after they have been played. Many musicians leave their instruments in front of a stereo that is playing to get them to warm up. This is very effective with a new guitar. Pianos are a stress and strain nightmare. Any change, even in temperature or humidity, will degrade their sound. A precisely tuned stereo system is similar. You never really get all the way there, you sort of keep halving the distance to zero. Some charge is always retained. It is generally in the MV range in a well settled cable. Triboelectric noise in a cable is a function of stress and retained charge, which a good cable will release with both time and use. How much time and use is dependent on the design of the cable, materials used, treatment of the conductors during manufacture, etc. There are many small tricks and ways of dealing with the problem. Years ago, I began using PFA tube "air dielectric" construction and the charge on the surface of the tubes became a real issue. I developed a fluid that adds a very slight conductivity to the surface of the dielectric. Treated cables actually have a better measured dissipation factor and the sound of the cables improved substantially. It had been observed in mid eighties that many cables could be improved by wiping them with a anti-static cloth. Getting something to stick to PFA was the real challenge. We now use an anti-static fluid in all our cables and anti-static additives in the final jacketing material. This attention to charge has reduced break-in time and in general made the cable sound substantially better. This is due to the reduction of overall charge in the cable and the equalization of the distributed charge on the surface of conductor jacket. It seems there are many infinitesimal factors that add up. Overtime you find one leads down a path to another. In short, if a dielectric surface in a cable has a high or uneven charge which dissipates with time or use, triboelectric and other noise in the cable will also reduce with time and use. This is the essence of break-in A note of caution. Moving a cable will, to some degree, traumatize it. The amount of disturbance is relative to the materials used, the cable's design and the amount of disturbance. Keeping a very low level signal in the cable at all times helps. At a show, where time is short, you never turn the system off. I also believe the use of degaussing sweeps, such as on the Cardas Frequency Sweep and Burn-In Record (side 1, cut 2a) helps. A small amount of energy is retained in the stored mechanical stress of the cable. As the cable relaxes, a certain amount of the charge is released, like in an electroscope. This is the electromechanical connection. Many factors relating to a cable's break-in are found in the sonic character or signature of a cable. If we look closely at dielectrics we find a similar situation. The dielectric actually changes slightly as it charges and its dissipation factor is linked to its hardness. In part these changes are evidenced in the standing charge of the cable. A new cable, out of the bag, will have a standing charge when uncoiled. It can have as much as several hundred millivolts. If the cable is left at rest it will soon drop to under one hundred, but it will takes days of use in the system to fall to the teens and it never quite reaches zero. These standing charges appear particularly significant in low level interconnects to preamps with high impedance inputs. The interaction of mechanical and electrical stress/strain variables in a cable are integral with the break-in, as well as the resonance of the cable. Many of the variables are lumped into a general category called triboelectric noise. Noise is generated in a cable as a function of the variations between the components of the cable. If a cable is flexed, moved, charged, or changed in any way, it will be a while before it is relaxed again. The symmetry of the cable's construction is a big factor here. Very careful design and execution by the manufacturer helps a lot. Very straight forward designs can be greatly improved with the careful choice of materials and symmetrical construction. Audioquest has built a large and successful high-end cable company around these principals. The basic rules for the interaction of mechanical and electrical stress/strain variables holds true, regardless of scale or medium. Cables, cats, pianos and rooms all need to relax in order to be at their best. Constant attention to physical and environmental conditions, frequent use and the degaussing of a system help it achieve and maintain a relaxed state. A note on breaking in box speakers, a process which seems to take forever. When I want to speed up the break-in process, I place the speakers face to face, with one speaker wired out of phase and play a surf CD through them. After about a week, I place them in their normal listening position and continue the process for three more days. After that, I play a degaussing sweep a few times. Then it is just a matter of playing music and giving them time. Break-In

  • Parsec | Cardas Audio

    Parsec “My dealer sent me home with a Parsec power cable to try on my integrated amp. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was really surprised by how it basically woke my system up. More dynamic, more sparkle on the high end. I called to tell him I wouldn’t be bringing it back, and told him to get a pair of Parsec speaker cables on order for me. Again, huge gains from the speaker cables. My current plan is to get my entire system wired up with Parsec.” -J. Brusa "With my speaker cables being Parsec, I bought a pair of Parsec interconnects from Music Direct. I am extremely happy with my purchase. In my opinion these cables brought smoothness and richness while still sounding transparent. My wife also likes the sound better. -M. Kendt Parsec Interconnect Parsec Power Parsec Headphone Parsec iLink Parsec Speaker Parsec Digital (SPDIF) Where To Buy Choosing A Cable FAQ << Clear Sky Iridium >> Parsec Interconnect Interconnect Performance: Neutral with a hint of warmth on top. Very transparent for a cable of this price range. Excellent blend of warm midrange with extended bass and treble. This is the runaway favorite for best value in cables. Performs at levels more than twice its price. Standard Terminations: Cardas GRMO or Neutrik XLR. Design/Construction: Conductors: Kevlar core, Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Braided cross-field layer geometry, insulated in FEP tape wrapped jacket. Geometry: Shielded twisted pair with poly-e air-tubes bound with carbon impregnated FEP tape wrap. Outer layer uses compressed poly-e air-tubes to suspend the tin plated copper braided shield and outer extruded alcryn rubber jacket away from the conductors. Gauge: 2x23.5 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.360”/9.14mm Speaker Parsec Speaker Superb balance of characteristics. Classic Cardas midrange, quick bass, rich harmonics, and a naturally extended top octave. Works great with virtually any speaker including bi-wire. This cable evolved from Quadlink and is a mix of old and new technology found in our flagship cables. Standard Terminations: Soldered Cardas CGMS spades or CABE bananas. Design/Construction: Conductors: Braided Kevlar core Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in a PTFE jacket. Geometry: Nylon air tube core surrounded by Anti-static fibers, Star-Quad 4 conductor with PTFE air-tubes bound together in FEP tape. Flexible TPR outer jacket. Gauge: 4x15.5 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.500”/12.7mm Power Parsec Power Designed to reject and filter noise, Parsec Power borrows its conductors from the Clear Cygnus found higher up in the Cardas power cable line. Very flexible and suitable for both front end components and amplifiers. Brings your system to life with increased dynamics. Standard Terminations: Soldered and crimped Cardas power plugs with silver/rhodium plated solid copper contacts. Design/Construction: Conductors: Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free tin plated copper, gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in a PTFE jacket. Geometry: Double shielded with tin plated copper and magnet wire. Twisted triad mixed with PVC air tubes bound with FEP tape wrap. Super flexible TPR outer jacket. Gauge: 3x14 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.500”/12.7mm Parsec Digital (SPDIF) Digital Quite possibly the best value in digital cables, Parsec Digital is detailed, smooth, and musical. The cable is light, flexible and at home in almost any digital system. Standard Terminations: Cardas GRMO or BNC Design/Construction: Conductors: Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), Gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in a PTFE jacket. Geometry: Coaxial with low density polyurethane air-tubes bound together in FEP tape to suspend the aluminized polyester and tin plated copper spiral shielding away from the conductors. Specific geometry achieves 75 ohms. Gauge: 1x20.5 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.345”/8.76mm Headphone Parsec Headphone Parsec Headphone has all the legendary benefits Cardas is known for: richness, warmth, detail, non fatiguing, musical, etc. The cable is very flexible and the rubber jacket slides nicely without snagging your clothing. The shielded star-quad design is one of our most versatile and successful products, very similar to our original headphone cable introduced back in 2003. Standard Terminations: Cardas 1/4” stereo and Sennheiser HD650. There are too many headphone and amp options available to list them all. Design/Construction: Conductors: Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in a PFA jacket. Geometry: Shielded Star-Quad 4 conductor, bound together in carbon impregnated FEP tape. Super flexible Alcryn rubber jacket. Gauge: 4x23.5 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.204”/5.21mm Parsec iLink The perfect cable for connecting a portable music player or a laptop to your stereo system. Parsec iLink is made using Parsec headphone cable, but instead of headphone connectors on the output end, it has a pair of RCA plugs. Standard Terminations: 1/8" (3.55mm) to RCA. Other connectors are available, such as 1/4" (6.35mm) TRS stereo instead of 1/8" TRS. Design/Construction: Conductors: Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in a PFA jacket. Geometry: Shielded Star-Quad 4 conductor, bound together in carbon impregnated FEP tape. Super flexible Alcryn rubber jacket. Gauge: 4x23.5 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.204”/5.21mm iLink

  • Nautilus Power Strip | Cardas Audio

    The heaviest duty power strip on the market. The only one without any circuit boards or current limiting components. Pure power delivery. Featuring the Cardas 4818US and 4181EU power connectors. Nautilus Power Strip No Compromise Approach To Power Distribution US Nautilus Euro Nautilus Ground Wires for Nautilus Where To Buy US Nautilus Power Strip US Nautilus The Nautilus is the Cardas approach to pure power distribution. Its elegant design is centered around premium, custom designed connectors. Point-to-Point wiring with heavy gauge, Ultra Pure solid core copper conductors. Passive RFI/EMI protection on every outlet, the same filters found on our flagship power cables. 3D printed wire guides ensure the uniformity of each coil. Capable of delivering clean, high current to all six outlets. An attractive case echoes design features from the original Cardas Golden 6A power strip. This power strip is perfect for anyone who wants their entire system connected to one high quality device. Standard Terminations: Standard 15 amp IEC inlet and Cardas 4181US premium power outlets. A 20 amp IEC is also available. Assembled by hand in Bandon, Oregon. Conductors: Solid core Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper insulated with extruded PVC. Ground conductor is Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free cop- per, gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in a PFA jacket. Chassis: Antiresonant extruded aluminum body with copper plated brass end caps. 1 kilogram copper earth plate. Dimensions: 15.75”x4.25”x2.5” Weight: 7.65 lbs. Internal wiring of Nautilus US Nautilus, 15 amp IEC Cardas 4181US outlet Internal wiring of Nautilus 1/5 Euro Nautilus Power Strip EU Nautilus Standard Terminations: Standard 15 amp IEC inlet and Cardas 4181EU premium power outlets. Assembled by hand in Bandon, Oregon. Also available with 20 amp IEC. Conductors: Solid core Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper insulated with extruded PVC. Ground conductor is Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free cop- per, gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in a PFA jacket. Chassis: Antiresonant extruded aluminum body with copper plated brass end caps. 1 kilogram copper earth plate. Dimensions: 476.25mm x 105.25mm x 76.70mm Weight: 3.46 kg EU Nautilus internal EU Nautilus internal 4181EU connector EU Nautilus internal 1/4 Ground Wire Cardas Ground Wire Grounding issues between components leads to noise and hum. A central grounding point eliminates these problems, leading to greater dynamics, im- proved spatial imaging, and a lowering of the noise floor - especially in environ- ments with an excess of radio frequency and electromagnetic interference. Cardas 17.5 AWG multi-stranded Litz conductor Ground Wires are ideal for use with the Cardas Nautilus Power Strip. A Cardas CAB Banana connects to the 4mm jack next to the IEC on the Nautilus. Several Cardas Ground Wires can be attached to the CAB Banana, and from there, to unused line-level connectors on your equipment (ie, an RCA or XLR jack). In addition, some audio equipment has ground points to which a spade can be attached. Every sound system is unique, and Cardas Ground Wires can be purchased individually, or in sets. Any length is available, and Cardas Ground Wires are available with nearly any possible connector, allowing you to create a custom loom for grounding your system. Standard Termination: Spade, Banana, XLR, RCA. Terminations will depend on your equipment’s available connection points and the central grounding point that you’re using. To use the Nautilus Power Strip as your central ground point we suggest a Cardas CAB to which a single banana and up to three spades can be attached. Cardas Ground Wires are compatible with other makes of ground boxes that use spade or banana connectors. Refer to the manufactures of your equipment if you have any question on how to properly attached a ground point. Design/Construction: Conductors: Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in a clear PVC jacket. Gauge: 1x17.5 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.173”/4.40mm Ground Wires on Nautilus Some of the Ground Wire termination options 3 Ground Wires on a CAB banana Ground Wires on Nautilus 1/4

  • Earspeakers | Cardas Audio

    Cardas EM5813 and A8 Ear Speakers. Ear Speakers EM5813 & A8 Ear Speakers A8 Ear Speakers EM5813 Ear Speakers Where To Buy A8 A8 Ear Speakers The A8 Ear Speakers feature a 10.85mm Ultra Linear, Contour Field, Dual Magnet Driver - producing brilliant highs and deep bass - but most importantly, it sounds musical. The black chrome body incorporates a Golden Spiral curve, as with the EM5813. The lightweight, flexible cable has separate conductors for each channel and is now a continuous solid run from source to speaker. Available with balanced or custom configurations. Comes terminated with 3.5mm TRS standard. EM5813 EM5813 Ear Speakers Cardas Ear Speakers are efficient, natural, musical, and are the result of years of meticulous design by George Cardas. Components of the EM5813 were manufactured in Oregon, California, and The People’s Republic of China. Custom alloys were sourced from Italy, Germany and the US, magnets from China, and thin film from Japan. The EM5813 can be ordered with - or reterminated with - balanced connections.

  • Upgrade Program | Cardas Audio

    Cardas Audio offers a simple and generous path towards upgrading to the next level of performance. Trade-in your current Cardas cables, and get trade-credit towards your upgraded cables! Trade-in / Upgrade Program The Cardas Upgrade program provides a simple path to moving up the Cardas product line. To participate, simply trade in your qualifying Cardas cable towards the purchase of a new, higher performance Cardas cable. The higher up the Cardas product line you go, the more value you'll receive for your trade. Qualifying cables The following cables can be traded in towards an upgrade: Parsec, Sky X4, Cygnus, Reflection, and Clear. The following cables can be upgraded to with your trade: Sky X4, Cygnus, Reflection, Clear, and Clear Beyond. Getting Started The trade-in and purchase of your new Cardas Cables will go through a Cardas dealer. To get started either contact your dealer, or click this button to complete the upgrade form: Cardas Upgrade Application Trade-in credit table Restrictions & Fine Details Offer limited to Cardas Cables in our current product line. Legacy cables are not eligible to be traded in, or traded up to. See above for the list of eligible cables. Trade-in credit must be applied to the purchase of a new Cardas cable from an authorized dealer. Trade in value can only be applied to cables of the same type. For example, a pair of interconnects can be traded in on another pair of interconnects. But not a power cable or a speaker cable. A Speaker cable can be traded towards another speaker cable, etc. Traded-in cables must be in reasonably good shape. Even a cable that's been in your system for years should still appear basically brand new. Cables live an easy life. We're not taking cables with inexplicable wear & tear on trade. At least one photo will be required. You can upload a photo using the form above. If that isn't possible, you can email one later in the process. But we do require at least one photo (and we may ask for more) to complete the trade. Traded-in cables must be applied towards the immediate purchase of new Cardas cables. The Cardas orders department must receive a P.O. for the new cables associated with the trade. Trade-ins must be of equal or shorter length than the new cable being purchased. For example, you can trade in a 1 meter cable towards the purchase of a 2 meter. But you can't trade a 2 meter towards the purchase of a 1 meter. RCA interconnects can be traded in for XLR interconnects of a higher-end product. And vice versa. Same with speaker cables with spades vs bananas. Power cables can only be traded in for power cables with the same plug. For example, we're not taking a Euro (Schuko) power cable in on trade for a US cable, nor the other way around. Cardas Upgrade Application

  • Clear Sky | Cardas Audio

    Clear Sky “Sky speaker and interconnect hit a sweet spot in terms of price & performance. These cables reveal a level of realism and detail that one would usually spend a lot more to get. Don’t compare these to other cables at the same price point - listen to them in comparison to the high-end cables of other brands.” -R. Coleman, Oakland, CA Sky Interconnect Where To Buy << SE9 MP Sky Speaker FAQ Choosing A Cable Parsec >> Interconnect Sky Interconnect Performance: Transparent, dynamic, and neutral. Lowest priced interconnect using Matched Propagation technology. Excellent in long or short lengths. Suitable for any high-end system. Standard Terminations: Cardas GRMO or Neutrik XLR. Design/Construction: Conductors: Matched Propagation Kevlar core, Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Braided cross-field layer geometry, insulated in advanced ultra thin FEP tape wrapped jacket. Geometry: Shielded twisted pair with non conductive poly-e air-tubes bound with advanced ultra thin FEP tape wrap. Outer layer uses compressed poly-e air-tubes to suspend the tin plated copper braided shield and extruded alcryn rubber outer jacket away from the conductors. Gauge: 2x23.5 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.365”/9.27mm Speaker Sky X4 Speaker Performance: Based on its big brother, Clear Cygnus speaker cable, the newly up- graded Clear Sky X4 now offers better resolution than the originalSky, and is more suitable for a wider range of speakers. Our new braided conductors allow reduced production time with minimal sacrifice of performance. The new X4 geometry also allows for internal bi-wire. Finished with Cardas custom printed shrink tubing instead of machined aluminum strain relief, and soldered con- nectors instead of compression die forged terminations, Clear Sky X4 brings serious performance to the most affordable end of the Clear cable line. Standard Terminations: Soldered Cardas CGMS spades or CABD bananas. Design/Construction: Braided Matched Propagation, fibrillated polypropylene core, Grade 1, 99.9999% pure OFHC copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in a low noise PTFE tape and Electro-Dissipative dielectric. Geometry: Concentrically braided four conductor surrounded by anti- static coated fibrillated polypropylene fibers. Outside jacket is very flexible Alcryn Rubber. Gauge: 4x15 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.720”8.30mm

  • Clear Beyond | Cardas Audio

    No compromise, ultra high performance audio cables. Intended for the ultimate high-end systems, properly set up, in perfect listening rooms. Clear Beyond "A friend brought his Clear Beyond speaker cable over and insisted I try it with my Alexx V’s. I was reluctant. I was using the ‘correct’ cable (according to my dealer) for the speaker. But to appease my friend, I gave the Cardas cable a try. I was immediately blown away. I lost no detail, but gained so much body and fullness. I had no idea what these speakers were capable of. I’m now the proud owner of my own pair of Beyonds and I’ve never listened to my system so much.” -S. Richards, Lake Forest, IL Clear Beyond Interconnect Clear Beyond Speaker Clear Beyond Power Clear Beyond Power XL Where To Buy << Cables by Product Line Clear Beyond Phono Clear Beyond Phono X2 Clear Beyond Headphone Choosing A Cable FAQ Clear >> Interconnect Clear Beyond Interconnect Clear Beyond Interconnect, our ultimate flagship interconnect and a marvel of modern cable design, features our most advanced Matched Propagation Conductors. Clear Beyond Interconnect brings noteworthy improvements in spatial imaging, dynamics, and low frequency impact while retaining the classic Cardas musicality. Clear Beyond Interconnect builds on over 30 years of Cardas Audio’s relentless dedication to the perfection of high performance cables. Superior shielding and advanced air-tube suspension geometry result in an O.D. of .511”, which necessitates the use of our XRCA 13 adaptor for single-ended termination, and a re-designed CG XLR for balanced cables. More than anything, Clear Beyond Interconnect is musical. Tonal balance is completely neutral with unsurpassed speed and transparency. Each pair is made to order and hand terminated only by our most experienced technicians. Standard Terminations: Cardas SRCA or CG XLR. Design/Construction: Conductors: Matched Propagation Kevlar core, ultra fine Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions and range from 47 AWG to 39 AWG. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in ultra thing extruded PTFE jacket. Geometry: Star-Quad 4 conductors with anti-static LDPE air-tubes bound with carbon impregnated PTFE tape wrap. Outer layer uses PTFE air-tubes scaled 1.618 times larger than the core tubes to suspend the composite shield of tinned copper and magnet wire away from the signal carrying conductors. Finished in an ultra soft extruded TPR jacket. Gauge: 4x26.5 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.511”/13mm Speaker Performance: Clear Based on the Clear speaker cable and developed to go beyond reference performance in cost no object systems where the speakers require large amounts of current flow. Clear Beyond speaker is absolutely neutral and transparent. Perfectly balanced with articulate lows and delicate highs. Amazing dynamics with zero compression. This cable is like running two pairs of Clear Speaker inside one jacket and can be internally bi-wired or bi-amped. Standard Terminations: Cardas spades or bananas, compression forged using 10,000psi Design/Construction: Matched Propagation Kevlar core, Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions ranging from ultra fine 41 AWG to 25 AWG. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in an FEP tape wrapped jacket. Geometry: Concentrically wound eight conductor with anti- static PTFE air tubes and a flexible TPR outer jacket. Gauge: 8x10.5 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.934”/23.72mm See how we perform Clear Beyond Speaker Cable's solder-less forged terminations: Clear Beyond Speaker Clear Beyond Power Clear Beyond Power Designed to take current delivery and power filtration to the next level... Clear Beyond Power takes the “bigger is better” approach. Larger conductors deliver more power and our largest filter scrubs the power line clean. Don’t let the size fool you, it’s right at home powering front end components and giant mono block amplifiers. Completely neutral and transparent. Standard Terminations: Soldered and crimped Cardas E-5 premium power plugs with silver/rhodium plated solid copper contacts. Terminated by hand in Bandon, Oregon. Design/Construction: Conductors: Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free tin plated copper, gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in a PTFE jacket. Geometry: Double shielded with tin plated copper and magnet wire. Twisted triad mixed with PVC air tubes bound with FEP tape wrap. Super flexible TPR outer jacket. Gauge: 3x10 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.650”16.51mm Clear Beyond Power XL Clear Beyond Power XL To create Clear Beyond Power XL, we took our very popular Clear Beyond Power, and scaled everything up. Bigger conductors, better shielding and improved noise filtering. We then added yet another level of noise filtration, extending the path to ground to three times the length of the cable itself through a simple and graceful geometry that could only come from the mind of George Cardas. This is our most sophisticated power cable ever, and is designed to provide the largest, most power hungry amplifiers with clean, high current, while also giving sensitive source components the stable, clear and noise free power they require for the absolute highest fidelity. Terminated with our all new premium Cardas E-5 connectors, featuring silver/rhodium plated copper contact surfaces, Clear Beyond Power XL is designed for the most demanding electronics. Standard Terminations: Soldered and crimped Cardas E-5 premium power plugs with silver/ rhodium plated solid copper contacts. Terminated by hand in Bandon, Oregon. Design/Construction: Conductors: Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free tin plated copper, gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in a TPE jacket. Each conductor has multiple lay lengths and has it’s own shield. Geometry: Entire cable is double shielded with tin plated copper and magnet wire. Twisted triad mixed with PVC air tubes bound with FEP tape wrap. Super flexible TPR outer jacket. Filtration: A torodial ground filter is built into the termination and works in unison with a ground leg extension system. Clear Beyond Phono Clear Beyond Phono Clear Beyond Phono, a marvel of modern cable design, features our most advanced Matched Propagation Conductors. Clear Beyond Phono brings noteworthy improvements in spatial imaging, dynamics, and low frequency impact while retaining the classic Cardas musicality. Clear Beyond Phono builds on over 30 years of Cardas Audio’s relentless dedication to the perfection of high performance cables. More than anything, Clear Beyond Phono is musical. Tonal balance is completely neutral with unsurpassed speed and transparency. Each is made to order and hand terminated only by our senior technicians. Custom terminations including Cardas R-DIN and SME 90° DIN connections are available. Standard Terminations: Cardas S-DIN to SRCA or RCA to RCA. Hand soldered in Bandon, Oregon. Conductors: Matched Propagation Kevlar core, ultra fine Grade 1, 99.9999% pure OFHC copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions and range from 47 AWG to 39 AWG. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in ultra thin extruded PTFE jacket. Geometry: Star-Quad 4 conductors with anti-static LDPE air-tubes bound with carbon impregnated PTFE tape wrap. Outer layer uses PTFE air-tubes scaled 1.618 times larger than the core tubes to suspend the composite shield of tinned copper and magnet wire away from the signal carrying conductors. Finished in an ultra soft extruded TPR jacket. Gauge: 4x26.5 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.511”/13mm Clear Beyond Dual Phono has been a “secret menu item” for a while. We were asked to prepare a pair of Clear Beyond Interconnects for use with a 5-pin DIN tonearm in an extreme analog system being shown at the Munich High End Show. Then word spread, and those in the know fell in love with it. Now Clear Beyond Dual Phono has escaped into the marketplace. A single run of Clear Beyond Interconnect, with multiple shields, and eight 26.5 AWG Matched Propagation Conductors, is a top performing phono cable. Custom terminations including Cardas R-DIN and SME 90° DIN connections are available. Standard Terminations: Cardas S-DIN to SRCA. Hand terminated in Bandon, Oregon. Conductors: Matched Propagation Kevlar core, ultra fine Grade 1, 99.9999% pure OFHC copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions and range from 47 AWG to 39 AWG. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in ultra thin extruded PTFE jacket. Geometry: Star-Quad 4 conductors with anti-static LDPE air- tubes bound with carbon impregnated PTFE tape wrap. Outer layer uses PTFE air-tubes scaled 1.618 times larger than the core tubes to suspend the composite shield of tinned copper and magnet wire away from the signal carrying conductors. Finished in an ultra soft extruded TPR jacket. Gauge: 8x26.5 AWG Outside Diameter: 0.511”/13mm Beyond Phono X2 Clear Beyond Phono X2 Headphone One of our most challenging and extensive R&D projects has finally come to fruition. The Clear Beyond Headphone Cable project began due to the prodding from a handful of loyal customers who wanted to see us push the envelope, and outdo our vener- able Clear Headphone Cable. This was no small task, and took several years. Clear Headphone Cable required the development of the first miniaturized concentricMatched Propagation Conductor, which presented challenges in both production and termination. Once those were conquered, we had a cable that expanded the performance of every headphone on which we tried it. But the idea of taking it to the next step was daunting. We began, naturally, by looking at ways to improve the conductor. Taking cues from Clear Beyond Interconnect, we refined the stranding and braiding, creating a finer arrangement of Grade 1 Ultra Pure Cardas Copper wire. This yielded notable improvements, but we knew we could take it further by doing something we’ve never done before - adding silver. Our all new Hybrid Metallurgy Matched Propagation Conductor features a 30 awg strand of Cardas Grade 1 Silver Wire, in addition to the many improve- ments we’ve made from the starting point of Clear Headphone Cable. Theresults are spectacular. As with Clear Headphone, Clear Beyond Headphone has two separate cables, one for each channel. Braided blue & black thread, and joined together with beautiful hardware to give it “the look” it deserves. Standard Termination: There are too many options available to list them all. Please contact us to learn about the newest additions to our large selection of headphone terminations. Design/Construction : Conductors: Matched Propagation Kevlar core, Grade 1, 99.9999% pure oxygen free copper with SPN clear coat (Litz), gauge sizes scaled to Golden Ratio proportions. 30 AWG Grade 1 Silver core. Cross-field layer geometry, insulated in an PTFE tape wrapped jacket. Geometry: Concentrically wound two conductor flanked by anti-static fibers. Braided nylon outer jacket with copper plated hardware. Gauge: 8x25.5 AWG + 4x30 AWG (17.5 AWG per polarity) Outside Diameter: 0.182”/4.63mm Clear Beyond Headphone Cable

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Cardas Audio

480 11th St SE
Bandon, Oregon 97411

(541) 347-2484

info@cardas.com

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