a timely review commentary
FWIW re: cables do matter...
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Cardas Clear Reflection. A HiFi Cables Review. | Steve Huff Photo
Cardas Clear Reflection. A HiFi Cables Review.- By Steve Huff
Ahhh Cables! A touchy and controversial topic in the realm of audio though today I feel more are seeing the reality of what quality cables can bring to a quality system. Even so it seems like some out there still feel like “cable is cable” yet others who are into this crazy audio game spend $50k (or much more) on cables without blinking an eye (I have a friend in California who owns a full loom of Nordost Odin 2)! Crazy as that is a loom that sets you back 6 figures, for cables!
Me? I am a guy who has been lucky enough to try cables that run the gamut from low to mid to high end. From $20 to $20,000, I have heard cables in my audio journey of all price ranges! So yes I do know the reality of the cable game and yes CABLES DO MATTER when you have a system that is revealing enough to show you these differences.
While I would never personally spend $20k, $30k or $50k for cables I do know 100% without a shadow of a doubt that good cables do make a difference in a quality audio HiFi system. Sometimes this difference is small while at others times it can be quite dramatic, as big as an amplifier change or pre amp change. It all depends on your system and how you have it set up.
If you have a system set up for background music than any $20-$200 cables will do. DO NOT spend a fortune on cables if you just listen casually. If your system is set up with a “sweet spot” for maximum depth and imaging then cables can bring changes in all areas of the sound you are getting and can be the difference between “GREAT SOUND” and “OTHER WORDLY SOUND”.
Snake Oil? It exists…but not in the well known brands that have stood the test of time.
You always hear the term “Snake Oil” in high end HiFi and yes there is quite a bit of that in the audio industry. Some make ridiculous products and claim massive improvements all while knowing their item does nothing but bring a placebo effect to the buyer who spent that cash and now has to justify that cash outlay. Yes, Snake Oil exists in audio but quality cables are not in the “Snake Oil” Category. There may be a brand or two who grossly overcharge for their cables but I know it is possible to find quality and “end game” cables without having to mortgage your home to do so ; )
The issue with me and cables is sort of like the issue I had with phono cartridges. I never wanted to part with too much money on something that didn’t “seem” like it would warrant a huge upgrade to the sound. Spending big cash on something that wasn’t an “electronic” componet that was big, heavy and needed to be plugged in seemed wrong! I mean…Cables? Wire? In fact I have buddies who use lamp cord that they bought from Home Depot for their cables and are 100% happy because they fail to believe that any other cable would change or improve upon the sound.
These guys do not have uber high end systems nor do they have their speakers set up for critical listening so I see where they are coming from. All they need is that lamp cord and they would probably never hear a difference in sound with different cables. These friends often tell me that high end cables are snake oil and that CAN be the case with some unknown brands but with well known brands that have been around a long time (like Cardas) that is 100% NOT the case.
I believe cables can be very important depending on the level of your system. If you have a system that cost up to $2000 total for speakers, source and amp, etc then by all means use cables that are priced accordingly for your systems cost.
On the other hand, if you have a system that runs into the $5,000, $10,000 or even higher up the money chain range one of the best things you can do to “lock in” your systems sound is with a set of well made, high performing cables. One thing to remember though is SYNERGY! If you have a system that leans bright, you want a cable that will inject some warmth into it. If you have a warm system, you want something with more excitement to be brought in. Cables can fine tune your system and for me is always the final step in system building.
I have done so many auditions of cables and have heard the differences in brands as each have a “House Sound” so to speak. Shunyata, Nordost, Audioquest, Transparent, Swisscables, and Cardas are all brands (and there are more) I have owned and tried out within my systems and sure enough each brand does have a “sound” of sorts that they bring to your system.
I do not believe in nor have I ever heard any cable that was 100% neutral to the source. EVERY CABLE, even the $20 cheapies bring some kind of coloration to your music.
Finding the one that meshes with your system the best is the key to finalizing a two channel HiFi System. In my experience there is no such thing as a 100% neutral cable as every cable does something to the sound due to the way sound travels down the wire. Some cables add, some take away. Some bring a glow and warmth and others bring stridency and extreme details. What you choose is all dependent on your tastes. My tastes are musicality, midrange magic, a big wide and deep soundstage with some 3 dimensionality. I like warmth over cold and a welcoming sound that doesn’t hurt my ears with a bright thin sound.
While each part of your system (and your room and setup) contributes to the sound of your system, cables are always the final touch for me to add the last level of refinement, polish and magic to my system.
Interconnects, Speaker and Power Cables.
In my systems and for these ears I always have found that the interconnects make the most difference followed by power followed by speaker cables. After hundreds of swaps and tests that is how I prioritize my cables but I have also become a huge believer in using full looms of one brand within my systems after years of mixing and matching brands.
I believe in having quality cables when I have a high quality system because if I were to spend $25k on a system and then outfit it with $20 cables I would be choking it, constricting it and keeping it from performing at its best. I know as I have tried I! I have tried to save cash many times in my life by going cheap with cables only to realize that doing so makes all of the money I have invested in my system sort of a waste. These days I know that if I spend substantial money on my system, even if it is $2500, $5000 (or much more) I want that system to sound its best so I buy the cables appropriate to the system I have built.
The problem I have had previously is that I never wanted to go crazy on cable. Even with being a huge believer in them, it is crazy hard to part with cash for a piece of wire, no matter how much R&D went into it. We all know this. It’s a mental thing as we see cables and say “How can I spend this much money on Wire”!?!?
I have sort of let that go though as after hearing so many brand and so many low end/high end cables I know 100% without a doubt the difference they can bring to a system. But remember the difference may not always be what you are looking for, so auditioning is key (when you can of course).
My New Reference System
Ever since I moved 10 months ago and started planning a true reference system in my new space I knew my cables would have to be upgraded eventually. While I had very good cables (Nordost Blue Heaven full loom) I knew they were actually keeping my new system from performing at its absolute best due to the quality of the pre amp, amp, dac and components I now have installed in this system.
In my lifetime I have had cables from Nordost, Monster, Shunyata, Blue Jean, Cardas, Anti Cables, AudioQuest, Swisscables, Acoustic Zen, Transparent, and many more. I have auditioned several models form each brand as well even hearing a $25k set of cables from Nordost that actually left me a little cold as they didn’t really synergize with my system at the time. I once was enthralled with another set of pricey cables from a newer brand yet found they were cheaply made when a connector broke within 3 weeks (after I bought them, so did not review them). I once fell for hype on Audiogon from a seller who claimed his $1200 interconnect beat others in the $8k range. He even had user reviews to prove it. When it arrived I burned it in and thought it was nice but about equal to a $500 interconnect. I sent it back. It’s not easy finding the right cable for a high end system that leaves you 100% satisfied and happy but when you do, you will know it.
My mainstay over the past few years has mostly been Nordost and I usually stayed in the lower realms due to cost (Blue Heaven and Red Dawn and used Valhalla at one time) but I always liked their wide open sound with micro details and even some warmth in their current lineup but climbing the Nordost ladder is a tough pill to swallow $$$ wise.
Even so, when listening to my system TODAY I felt as if these Blue Heaven LS cables were holding it back from being as good as it could be, especially after hearing the Cardas Clear Reflection cables I will be talking about in this review
Oh yea…THIS IS A REAL THING TOO…Burn baby Burn!
When I took out my Nordost Blue Heaven LS and swapped in the Cardas something unexpected happened.
The sound became a bit flat, a little dull, somewhat compressed and I was not thrilled. The effect was like I threw a light blanket over each speaker. I was in shock and then realized I had one of the speaker cables hooked up wron (red to black, black to red) which screwed with the polarity! They were now out of phase…OOPS! Lol…after I fixed the issue I heard a warm, full and big sound but it lacked excitement and detail. Hmmm. I also remembered having this happen to me before with Audioquest cables but with Audioquest it was the opposite. The sound was bright, etched and harsh when I first inserted a new set into the system and after a while they calmed down and came into their own.
Reading up about Cardas and talking with Dan at Dedicated it was recommended that these cables burn in, and yes, cable burn in is real. While 200+ hours is recommended it didn’t take that long for the cables to change in a huge way. I’d say 20-40 hours and the cables started to transform into something truly special and unique.
By 100 hours it was a completely different animal and there was nothing muffled, closed in or flat about the sound. The cables were extremely open and bringing a transformational sound to my now truly reference system. I was smiling from ear to ear as the sound coming out of my system now sounded truly polished, complete and lacked nothing at all. I mean, nothing. It was all there – detail, air, warmth, glow, body, 3D imaging and such an organic fluid sound that was much more “complete” than with the Blue Heaven
In fact this cable brings that legendary Cardas fullness, warmth and beauty but also adds an extended top end and a fluid liquid midrange with such a nice full bass performance as well. The sound is much more life-size and complete over my Blue Heaven cables. So much so that when I added them back in I heard what was missing. It was like there were holes in the music with the Nordost when I did a side by side. It was quite jarring to be honest.
With the Blue Heaven in place the sound was energetic, fast and lacked a bit in midrange fullness and sweetness at the top end. The midrange lost some of the magic and presence as well. Truth be told, I had a hard time listening as the sound became thinner and a tad more excited. With the Cardas Clear Reflection back in the magic was back and I had a mature, full, liquid, flowing presentation. Instruments sounded so real, so fleshed out and as if there was a magical light around them giving them a little bit of glow and this is where I heard a huge improvement. Not a hint of harshness or glare nor was there any hint of being closed in or overly warm. These were gorgeous cables and truly changed the sound of my system for the better over the full loom of Nordost Blue Heaven that I had for the last 2 years.