# After having owned and listened to couple interconnects , I finally settled on Cardas



## hentai

I got myself a carda neutral reference rca for btn cdp to line buffer and a cardas quadlink 5c XLR  for btn the line buffer to the amp. This combination sounds pretty good as it neither sound too lively or bright nore too dull or warm. Its really really detailed and neutral. The cardas neutral reference cables are pretty impressive, they are the best i heard so far in terms of neutrality , detail retrevial and seperation.


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## Seamaster

Well, that explains your user name.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   






 just kidding.


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## hentai

Quote: 





seamaster said:


> Well, that explains your user name.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 

 haha you owned the golden reference rca before? How it sounded like?  I heard others in the line and cables such as golden cross which was too warm and syrupy.


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## Seamaster

I did own one pair Cardas GF RCA and 3 GF power cables. They are boring, and round-off anything that pass throught them, which took emotions out of music a lot. Too bad they not as good as they priced.


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## Kawai_man

sigh...


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## hentai

Haha it seems , based on the response,  i made a wrong choice. Well i am still looking around, just that right now these cables suit my listening that's all.


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## Seamaster

To the end, it is all about the listener I guess.


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## TheAttorney

Quote: 





hentai said:


> Haha it seems , based on the response,  i made a wrong choice. Well i am still looking around, just that right now these cables suit my listening that's all.


 
   
  Hentai, don't be put off by others so easily. Enjoy your cables, as Cardas fans seem to be pretty faithful to the generally warm "house sound" they have. What is "dull and boring" to one listener may be "natural and lifelike" to another.
   
  It's not just about system matching (which is important), it's also about one's personal tolerance to artificially bright sounds.
   
  Finally, from what I've read,  I think that the amount of warmth varies with model. So if someone finds the Golden range too warm, that may not necessarily apply as much to the Neutral range.


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## Seamaster

Quote: 





theattorney said:


> it's also about one's personal tolerance to artificially bright sounds.


 

 If I like bright sounding gears, why do I have Woo amp and HD650 to begain with? Why I dislike HD800? Go figure...


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## Todd R

Guys,
  I just got the new Cardas Clear Light interconnect in for a trial and I think it's something pretty special. Price is the same as the Neutral Reference. Haven't heard the NR in a while, but I think the Clear Light is a lot better.


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## Todd R

Quote: 





seamaster said:


> I did own one pair Cardas GF RCA and 3 GF power cables. They are boring, and round-off anything that pass throught them, which took emotions out of music a lot. Too bad they not as good as they priced.


 

 What model is a GF?


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## hentai

Quote: 





todd r said:


> Guys,
> I just got the new Cardas Clear Light interconnect in for a trial and I think it's something pretty special. Price is the same as the Neutral Reference. Haven't heard the NR in a while, but I think the Clear Light is a lot better.


 

 Oh if that's true , once my local distributor got it , i may request to trade in.


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## Seamaster

Quote: 





todd r said:


> What model is a GF?


 

 Golden Reference. Sorry


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## hentai

Quote: 





theattorney said:


> Hentai, don't be put off by others so easily. Enjoy your cables, as Cardas fans seem to be pretty faithful to the generally warm "house sound" they have. What is "dull and boring" to one listener may be "natural and lifelike" to another.
> 
> It's not just about system matching (which is important), it's also about one's personal tolerance to artificially bright sounds.
> 
> ...


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## TheAttorney

Seamaster, I wasn't trying to imply that your or anyone's gear is too bright or not. My main point was that it is a shame if a head-fier stops enjoying their recent purchase simply because someone else doesn't rate it.
   
  Back to Cardas: I thought that "Clear" was the fairly recent flagship model (read expensive) where they were moving to a more neutral and detailed style - and got a rave review in one of the mainstream magazines (don't they all). And that "Light" was the more recent, lower cost offshoot of Clear, which tries to maintain the flagship's sound characteristics. So I'm not sure what "Clear Light" means?


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## Todd R

Quote: 





theattorney said:


> Seamaster, I wasn't trying to imply that your or anyone's gear is too bright or not. My main point was that it is a shame if a head-fier stops enjoying their recent purchase simply because someone else doesn't rate it.
> 
> Back to Cardas: I thought that "Clear" was the fairly recent flagship model (read expensive) where they were moving to a more neutral and detailed style - and got a rave review in one of the mainstream magazines (don't they all). And that "Light" was the more recent, lower cost offshoot of Clear, which tries to maintain the flagship's sound characteristics. So I'm not sure what "Clear Light" means?


 

 Didn't you just answer your own question? "lower cost offshoot of Clear"
  Maybe they should have spelled it "Lite" like the beers 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




   
  I was comparing the Golden Reference to the Clear Light last night. They have a pretty similar sound, but the Golden has more extension at both ends and a fuller sound.
  Considering the price difference, I think it's a pretty remarkable cable.


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## Seamaster

I guess someone like their cable, that's ok, otherwise they would not stay in business for so long. Audio hobby indeed is a very personal matter. If you enjoy current set-up , that's great. One day you may find something better. This evolution never ends


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## BIG POPPA

The Cardas are a bit on the neutral side of things. The are others that can be had that are a little more musical like the Oyaide stuff. I know what Seamaster means. They may be a little polite for some.


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## hentai

I like neutral reference alot till the point that i exchange quadlink XLR with some cash for Neutral ref XLR.


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## realmassy

Definitely not the last word in neutrality, but I'm using the Cardas 300b.
  I tried other interconnects (qed, g&bl, audioquest, kimber, nordost) but I settle on Cardas as the OP. They sound a bit slow, and probably dark, but the soundstage is very good, wide, and not blurry.


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## Rdr. Seraphim

X2. That has been my experience as well. Thankfully, Cardas are well regarded and seem to keep their resale value, at least in the upper echelon's of the line, e.g. the Golden Reference IC's, speaker cables that I used to own. 
  
  Quote: 





realmassy said:


> Definitely not the last word in neutrality, but I'm using the Cardas 300b.
> I tried other interconnects (qed, g&bl, audioquest, kimber, nordost) but I settle on Cardas as the OP. They sound a bit slow, and probably dark, but the soundstage is very good, wide, and not blurry.


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## XXII

The thing about Cardas Golden Reference is that it just sounds right. If I switch to another pair of interconnects, I always wind up with the golden references after a while.
   
  Of course I just bought a pair of interconnects DIYed by a headfier so I'll see how they compare the the golden references.


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## hentai

An update - I have exchanged my Cardas XLR ( one month old)  to Acrolink 6n 2400 XLR ( one year old) and I got more highs and less sweet/refined mids. Actually I do want more highs and retain the sweet mids but perhaps I can't get the best of both worlds. So right now , i am using cardas RCA and Acrolink XLR and it sound pretty balanced. For the sake of being consistant, i will get an affordable PCOCC RCA Diy cable to see how it is compared with the cardas.
   
  Well in the end , the highs doesn't seem enough when i use both cardas together.


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## wuwhere

I've always liked Cardas cables. I've had Van den hul and Straightwire but I just like the Cardas' warm, smooth and easy sound.


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## fhuang

i read that cardas cables take a long time to fully burn-in but my year old cross still sound like kind of unstable....


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## hentai

Well, i've sold off the acrolink and selling the cardas. Now I've settled on van den hul d102 mkIII which has the tonal balance I like. There's adequate highs, sweet mids and good (but a bit loose bass). Update: Vdh puts a veil on the vocal and the instrument no bite. Trying ecosse nu diva now,  its a positive change


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## kboe

Cardas cables simply do things to my ears, they pull on the strings of my musical biases _just_ right.  Nothing sounds right to me after getting good cardas cables.


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## Todd R

Quote: 





kboe said:


> Cardas cables simply do things to my ears, they pull on the strings of my musical biases _just_ right.  Nothing sounds right to me after getting good cardas cables.


 


  I hear ya!
  I'm lovin my new Clear Light interconnects.


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## laurencenitno

Todd R said:
			
		

> /img/forum/go_quote.gif
> 
> 
> Guys,
> I just got the new Cardas Clear Light interconnect in for a trial and I think it's something pretty special. Price is the same as the Neutral Reference. Haven't heard the NR in a while, but I think the Clear Light is a lot better.






Thanks for your instruction! I understand this part, It is exactly what I need.


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## 930Blue

So I get it, some people prefer the golden reference to the clear light interconnects and vice versa.  Does anyone have an idea on the consensus?  In other words, while personal preference may vary, in total does it appear the more people like the Cardas Clear Light interconnects to the Cardas Golden or Enutral reference?


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