What's Best in Mid-Tier Cables

[KeithR]

back to the focus of this thread on mid-tier cables, a Clarus Crimson has arrived. It retails for ~$2k.

 

[Salectric]

I have not heard the Cardas but I am quite familiar with the Belden 1192a. That particular Belden cable has a neutral tonal balance, good dynamics and fairly good detail. It falls short in two areas---the bass is thick and lacks detail compared to the midrange and highs, and the overall resolution while good is not equal to my Audio Note cables or my DIY cables made with very old Western electric wire. I have tried the Belden with 6 or 7 different RCA plugs and both shielded and unshielded. All single-ended.

Despite my quibbles, the Belden 1192a is a stone-cold bargain in the cable world.