Cardas Audio is one of our industry’s most respected high-end audio cable companies, with a 30-year history of developing and manufacturing cables for audio, music production, and recording applications. Cardas’ designs famously apply “Golden Ratio” geometries where possible (the “Golden Ratio” is a geometric pattern that occurs in nature and that has fascinated mathematicians since the time of Euclid). This unique approach, coupled with a reputation for innovative metallurgy and extreme build-quality, has won Cardas Audio devotees from across the globe.
Clear is Cardas’ statement headphone cable and features the firm’s proprietary “Matched Propagation,” “Golden Section,” and “Crossfield” design technologies. Clear Light “brings much of the performance of its big brother” at a more accessible price. Clear Light is lighter and more flexible than Clear and is also Cardas’ most affordable headphone cable to feature the company’s “Matched Propagation” technology.
Cardas Cross headphone cable was developed by George Cardas when his daughter Angela (who was a radio DJ then and now runs Cardas Audio) asked for replacement cables for her Sennheiser HD 600s. Cardas sought to make cables that sounded better and were more durable than the stock Sennheiser wires, and he succeeded with Cross.
Clear Light and Cross are both lightning fast, with leading-edge transient attack that is swift and sharp. Both also showcase the tonal neutrality for which Cardas designs are famous. Mids are coherently and vividly rendered. Low bass smacks and pounds without murkiness. Clear Light outperforms Cross in overall depth of field and transparency, but this is not to say that Cross is messy or muffled in its musical presentation. Clear Light merely goes further, as one would expect for the price.
Cross is also a superb performer at its price point, and makes an excellent match for Audeze’s LCD-2 headphones. Clear Light is a fantastic choice for headphone devotees seeking top-tier performance, but who lack the deep pockets needed to acquire Cardas’ amazing Clear Light cables.
Specs & Pricing
Price: Clear Light, $300 (final price depends on termination and length); Cross, $160 (final price depends on termination and length)
CARDAS AUDIO, LTD.
480 11th St. SE
Bandon, OR 97411
(541) 347-2484
cardas.com
By Michael Mercer
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