AudioQuest vs Cardas XLR


Hello all,

Looking to upgrade my interconnects from my McIntosh C2700 to MC611 monoblocks. I am very interested in AQ Tbirds or Firebirds vs. Cardas Clear Beyond XLRs. I want an end-game cable and would appreciate some feedback. I'm open to any additional suggestions. I do enjoy the prodigious bass/midbass and the smooth midrange that the combo provides. It's a little light on top, though (as McIntosh is). I think Cardas and AQ will preserve my wishes, but is there anything out there that will keep my midrange/mid-bass/bass and improve upon the highs? I think I may be asking for too much, though! I would be very grateful for some direction. 

128x128jeffreyw

Hi @jafant 

Galen Carol has been a Cardas dealer since 1998, and would never lead you to believe that we source our materials from anywhere outside of the US.

I’m vaguely aware of the Tara Labs situation, but our being headquartered in Oregon does not infer guilt by association. This may have once been the Wild West, but I assure you that the vast majority of Oregon businesses are reputable.

Although a video won’t prove anything to a skeptic, you might enjoy Jana Dagdagan’s video about Cardas Audio, as part of Darko.audio’s "American Made" series. It depicts the making of a Cardas speaker cable, from beginning to end,  using copper mined in the Southwest, refined into wire in New England, braided & cabled in California, and terminated with spades machined at an Oregon shop, and plated in New Mexico. And of course, finished, tested and shipped from our shop in Bandon, Oregon.

Being a family owned and run small business is very important to me - we take pride in all of our manufacturing processes and our family of employees - most of which have been with us for decades. I wish you would consider the harm you could inflict by passing on misinformation that you very easily could have emailed me or anyone at Cardas to clarify before committing it to print on the internet forever.

Angela Cardas

 

Angela thank you for clarifying . I don't remember your dad using China to manufacture your cables. Correct me if Iam wrong, Cardas bought copper supplies in Japan not China.Indeed Angela I saw your video how your cable are being made.

... much of our affluence is based on manufacturing in China, you would think we would be grateful ...

No, I’m not at all grateful to China, not even a teeny, tiny little bit.

Anyway Op either Audioquest or Cardas you can’t go wrong. Both company are making good cables. Auditions both so you will find out which one is matching your system.