I had been using Audioquest cables for years & then tried some Cardas.
Tried one set of Golden Presence IC & really liked it after burn in. Then swapped the others out with GP.
Then I went with Neutral Reference Bi-wire speaker cable.
I then realized how much my previous cables had been limiting the system. I have reached a new level.
I have since switched to Golden Reference bi-wire speaker cables.
These cables are not warm cables with the “house sound” how some describe the Cross line.
I’m convinced that many are holding their system back by their cable choice & it is affecting / biasing their opinions of certain equipment & speakers |
tzh, many of us know it, we just don't discuss it too often. I made a post last year bout how many of the cables companies are using their raw cable that is made for them by Cardas. Just because Cardas is making their cables, it doesn't mean they are similar. I used to work with some smaller cable companies here in New England who actually pulled the wire for Kimber, Cardas and a few others. Everything is made to the end companies own specs. |
lol. So many are listening to Cardas and do not even know it. lol |
I"m not the biggest Cardas fan. I like their new top of line. I don't remember the name, but I heard it a few weeks ago and was impressed. The irony is that Cardas supplies custom cables to many of the cable manufacturers in the world, lol. George is a great marketer.
Some cables I just can't stand as they tip the highs way too much for my tastes, but some folks love them. We all hear differently. I'm a Vandersteen fan since listening to his newest designs with carbon fiber tweeters. I have told Richard that I didn't love them in the past. I never 'got' them. This is why I audition as much as I can, whenever I can. Tastes mature over time and products change over time. |
+1 @garebear . It's totally why I don't come here that often anymore. Moved on to other sites where at least they know what the hell they're talking about or they don't pretend so. Best.....
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........there are some here you are '' self processed '' know it all's. This member has not even listened to the new line of Cardas Clear which really are good cables in certain systems. This person continues to give the same old ( bad ) advice instead of just shutting up and not trolling cable threads and or take the time to listen to the new line in order to give someone advice that is more specific and more helpful as opposed to ; '' Cardas never sounded good in my system '' Never liked Vandersteen speakers, but I don't just throw that in on very speaker thread. The guy is a real tool here |
It is well know he doesn't care for cardas! For sure!!!
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Really Stringreen ....do you just have nothing else to do but troll Cardas threads and tell everybody once again .... about how much you don't like Cardas and how they didn't work in your system ??? Don't you get tired of writing that ? I do not like Vandersteen speakers, never have but you don't see me posting that on evey speaker thread. Sensibility prevails. Please give it a break and besides that you haven't even listened to their newer Clear line of cables. Post some threads or points of view once you have listened to their new iteration of cables. Then you may have some credibility. |
I have owned the Quad Link, Cross, and Golden Cross RCA IC and speaker cables.
Cardas's reference speakers at the time were Magnepan IIIA's and Tympani's.
The Golden Cross Speaker Cables work great with with my Magnepan 3.6's.
I use the Golden Cross iC from arm to phono stage, and is sounds the best ever, after trying many brands of ICs.
I found the Cross as a good RCA IC but I now use PRO Carare Star Quad XLRs with XLR outputs to inputs.
All the cardas cables had very long (~200 hour) break in before they sounded their best.
They all had the old Cardas "house" sound - Warm mids, deep full bass, extends high frequencies, big sound stage.
Cables are always dependent on what equipment they are connected to IMO. YMMV. |
Thanks, stringreen. As you might guess, I've found Cardas a good match in my system, although I do hear them as being less transparent than some competitors.
A friend has been using Cross for years. He recently added a pair of Clear Light. In direct comparison, he reports that Light maybe sounds a little louder at the same volume, with maybe more detail in the upper frequencies, but that they are very close overall. His system is solid state, as is mine.
My experience with Cross and Clear (M) has been limited to the power cords in my own system.
Cross was a mainstay in the Cardas lineup for nearly 20 years if I'm not mistaken. Altough Quadlink was replaced by Parsec, as yet, there is no direct replacement for Cross in the new lineup. I find that curious. |
To follow Stringreens comment, the Cross were the only ones I liked I really didn't care for the others mentioned.
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I haven't tried the newest rendition of Cardas, but none before worked well in my system.
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There seemed to be a little more weight to the overall presentation in my system with the Cross in play.
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Thanks, tooblue. If you recall, what did you like better about Cross? I have owned Quadlink ICs, and currently have Golden Ref, Neutral Ref, and Golden Presence ICs (sets of each - I'm glutton for punishment, I guess). Previously owned Neutral Ref speaker, but currently using Golden Ref. Had a short-term loaner of Quadlink speaker from a friend before I got Neutral Ref speaker.
I have heard Cross sound good in other systems, but never tried it in my own.
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I have no history with the new line of Cardas cables but did try all the previous offerings out of those I definitely preferred the Cross cables over the Golden Reference, Neautral Reference and the Golden Cross and use them still in my system.
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