Owner Review - Cardas Clear and Cardas Clear Light Speaker Cables

exupgh12

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Jul 30, 2019
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As part of the general lull from upgrades, while emphasizing on content, I found time to write briefly about two speaker cables I own, Cardas Clear and Cardas Clear Light

Introduction

Cardas is not required to introduce, as one of the well-known and esteemed cable companies, the company has a whole philosophy behind cable production that is similar in its structure to a conch cut.
Owner George Cardas says this is an optimal structure that has the benefits of eliminating noise and resonance - anyone interested in detailed technical explanations is invited to take a look at the company’s website.
Today the company produces 2 cable families, Cross (for the lower segment) and Clear (for the upper segment), with each of the two families being divided into several types of cables that differ in quantity/thickness and price.
In the case in question, these are speaker cables from the same family - Clear.
The Clear Cables series is above the Clear Light series (which was replaced several years ago at Clear Cygnus) and is currently placed a second below the company’s most expensive cabling, the Clear Beyond series (until recently the Clear series was at the top of the Cardas food chain).

Build

What is different and what looks like, the cables look similar, the same quality blue color that ends in black metal ring (the hallmark of the Clear series except for the Clear Reflection which come in black color and a spectacular copper color ring), the external thickness of the cables not only looks the same, it is indeed as it stands at 670 OD, a quick look at the cable extension reveals the change between them - the two tendons that exit the main cable and connect to the speaker/amplifier.
Here the story is different, the cable cut in Clear stands at 2X6.5 versus 2X9.5 in Clear Light, even at a glance it’s hard to miss the difference in thickness between the two.The extension in both of my cables, 6 mm diameter rhodium terminals (9 mm extension or banana can be ordered) which Cardas connects with a high-pressure pressing device. In general, these are two cables made of high-quality materials

Sound

The similarities between the cables do not end with construction, while the Clear Light cables were introduced (since then replaced by Clear Cygnus), George Cardas said in a statement that the light version preserves most of the features of the expensive Clear series.
I am usually skeptical about such statements and treat them as net marketing statements, but in the above case, things are different.
From experience with both cables, the Light version provides the same sound tone as the senior version and in terms of tail performance in the senior version, I would say that the Light version is capable of covering 95% from Clear performance, it’s not bad at all given the price gap.
If so, what do you get in the senior version that doesn’t exist in the lower version, in a word - everything!
This is the difference that stretches the performance envelope: more detail, more depth, more stage, more detail, more dynamism, more micro-dynamics or, in short, more than anything .. But a little.
The change in question was felt from the first moment the cables were connected. This is not an abysmal, dramatic difference, nor a big difference. - The difference is simply there, there is no mistaking it and no one will be confused with the qualities that the expensive cable brings with it.

Summary

Clear cable, these are speaker cables that manage to push the performance casing to the upper limit with an outstanding ability to retrieve every possible detail that your setup can extract from the original.
If it is an equal purchase, here the diminishing marginal output law does not lie, if your setup is sufficiently revealing and the penny is in your pocket, my answer is positive - using the Clear cables will allow you to exhaust your setup even more than you used to, knowing that wiring the speakers is no obstacle or Limit on the way.
For the vast majority of audio enthusiasts, including those with a setup price exceeding 5 digits, the Clear Light / Cygnus versions will provide all that is needed and even more so, these are cables that allow you to upgrade the setup without having to run and upgrade them. The Clear is for those who hold a no-compromise setup.
 
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Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
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Hello exupgh12,

Thank you for posting this report!

I am interested in Cardas Clear Beyond cables, so I was interested to read your thoughts on the Clear line.

Do you use a Clear cable for a phono connection?
 
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exupgh12

Well-Known Member
Jul 30, 2019
390
449
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Hello exupgh12,

Thank you for posting this report!

I am interested in Cardas Clear Beyond cables, so I was interested to read your thoughts on the Clear line.

Do you use a Clear cable for a phono connection?

Hello Ron,

my phono cable is Clear Cygnus before it I had an Ortofon phono cable - the differences were night and day.
when compared with clear cable, the clear has the edge over the Cygnus. howe ever this is a small one and for me, it was hard to justify buying such cable at full price, as second hand I wouldn't hasitat to buy one.

the rest of my interconnects. even in the home theater are all cardas clear - i just love those cables, and for me the company represents excellent value compared to some other companies on the market.
 

kodomo

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Apr 26, 2017
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I use cardas clear tonearm internal wire and a cardas clear rca from phono pre to pre. Cardas xlr from dac to pre and cardas xlr from pre to all 4 mono amps.

They do not color the midrange and are extended in both bass and treble, at least this is how I perceive them. Overall I am happy with these cables.
 
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exupgh12

Well-Known Member
Jul 30, 2019
390
449
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53
I use cardas clear tonearm internal wire and a cardas clear rca from phono pre to pre. Cardas xlr from dac to pre and cardas xlr from pre to all 4 mono amps.

They do not color the midrange and are extended in both bass and treble, at least this is how I perceive them. Overall I am happy with these cables.

Thank you for the comment Kodomo/

Clear series as its name suggests, has clear and reviling sound. however any setup is the some of all its part.
My setup is built from Luxman 900 pre and amp, Zesto PS phono and Cary DMS 500 as a source even on my reviling magico S3MKII the sound has excellent balance between bit of warm and resolutive sound - which is exactly what I love.
 
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exupgh12

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Jul 30, 2019
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