Any Cardas users and opinions?

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GEBBY44
GEBBY44 Posts: 939
in 2 Channel Audio
In the fun that is the cable carousel I'm currently grooving with Cardas Golden Cross IC's and Golden Hexlink 5c speaker cables and loving the combination. Extremely musical and great midrange if a little bloomy. Easy to melt into the music.

I rarely hear Cardas cables discussed here and was curious any Cardas cables Polkies may have heard in their systems and liked or just general opinions of them.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,600
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    I've used some of their high quality adapters and accessories, but have never had the pleasure of trying out their SCs or ICs.

    Definitely a premium brand with a relatively high cost of entry, but it might be one of those situations where you get what you pay for.

    Thanks for sharing your insight on what you heard with the Cardas combo. What ICs and SCs were you using previously?
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  • GEBBY44
    GEBBY44 Posts: 939
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    Previously had some Audioquest Columbia's and then Nordost Baldur IC's and I could have lived with either of them also. The Cardas Golden Cross IC's sacrificed a small amount of top end sparkle but made me melt into my seat with the midrange. Same thing happened when replacing my Straghtwire Duet speaker cables (which are incredibly balanced bargain speaker cables) with the Golden Hexlink 5c's. Overall presentation is darker but not in a muddier sense. Just easier to get into the music like with a good tube amp. I think the speaker cables were something like $1000 per 6ft pair 20 years ago so obviously a premium cable at the time. Just amazed with I haven't heard more about Cardas from here since you guys are the best level-headed source of audio knowledge on the net.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,600
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    From what you are describing I would probably enjoy their cables. Thanks again for sharing your listening impressions.
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  • mantis
    mantis Posts: 17,056
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    Cardas is one of the one 3 cable brands I prefer. Cardas makes fantastic quality cables from entry to extreme. I have had speaker, analog audio digital and power cables from Cardas.
    Dan
    My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time.
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 7,658
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    I've used their cable as internal component wiring, a bit of a challenge getting the insulation off all those individual Litz type wires, but worth the effort. I also use their tonearm wire to rewire my turntable

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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,798
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    I use or have used their binding posts, solder, chassis wire and cables. I like everything except their cables, which I found too dark as in they sucked the life out of the music. Not sure why, probably just poor synergy.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • GEBBY44
    GEBBY44 Posts: 939
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    @F1nut which cables were you using that sucked the life out of it? And I understand the synergy issue. These same cables did not work at all with the Anthem integrated I had
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 49,798
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    They were speaker cables, but it was so long ago that I don't remember the model. I want to say they had a light gray or maybe beige jacket?
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 24,575
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    Same here, binding post, solder and RCA ends. I've never used their cables.
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  • CH46E
    CH46E Posts: 3,547
    edited February 2021
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    FWIW
    im using Cardas solder right now for my Infinity RSII crossovers. I also used it in the past for some JBL L80T crossovers as well as binding posts.

    I could not be happier with thier solder. Very easy to work with.

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