Cable brands that work well with Cardas?

In my system, Cardas closed down the soundstage and made everything muddy.

@ghdprentice agree with your update on Gold Ref, they were okay with my SS system, not sot a good much with my tube systems. Resold them to two different ss amp owners.

@stringreen which ICs and speaker cables did you use?

I’m currently back to re-testing a full loom of Clear Ref ICs. Last week I compared a fully burned in pair with several hundred hours on them - - compared to a brand new (recently coiled up in a box w/tension) pair with less than 80hrs on them so far. Its not even like listening to the exact same cable - very different. I do not like the sound of the brand new pair vs. the other 90 day well burned in pair. Having been through this before, about 150 more hours to go on the new pair - - letting them relax in place, not touching them at all for 2wks. This worked in the past for me.

More from Cardas on "Insights for Break_In".

http://www.cardas.com/insights_break_in.php

As to the OP question - for whatever synergy reason, I've had exceptional results with pairing up some Cardas Interconnects at my sources with downstream interconnects between the preamp and amps with Analysis Plus Crystals. 

This became an  affordable short cut not having to buy Clear Beyond for my downstream pairs. Will continue to re-test some of these theories. 

+Cardas Clear Cygnus vs. Analysis Plus Crystal RCA interconnects 

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Past few weeks I've been intermixing both of these within my system too.   

I was trying to decide to stay all-AP or all-Cardas having full sets of both. Looks like intermixing may be a nice option to stay with. Some interesting results surfaced.   

TESTs:

-#3 Intermixing Cardas Clear Reflection with Analysis Plus Crystal ICs

-#4 Intermixing Cardas Clear Reflection with Cardas Clear Cygnus

RESULTS:

Unexpectedly, in my system and for whatever reason, one of the nicest combinations is intermixing the AP/Crystals with Cardas Clear Reflection ICs.  

Can't keep all of it but its been a fun test before consolidating everything down. 

Intermixing works too, even designer Brian at Cardas suggested this to me once. 

VALUE for the $:

Again [in my system] The Analysis Plus is the hidden gem for the money between these, hands down. If you like ultra smooth grain free sound with a large sound stage, these OCC cables are unique.  A future test will compare these to Cardas Clear Beyond on demo at 5x the price. Kinda betting AP/Crystals hold their own.   

I once had Cardas Clear interconnects and went to Audiomica and find they had a more musical presentation at a much lower price. Then got Audiomica sc and have never looked back.