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

I’m a 30+ year Cardas owner, several different models. While I’ve tried all sorts of other cables/brands in between, all of my interconnects, digital, speaker cables on my primary system are authentic Cardas Audio. Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Agree, it’s unfortunate how a few spread false information without regard for damage or impact to a business. I for one would expect nothing less from Angela, Josh, Brian, and others at Cardas than to stand up and inform the uninformed.

Thank You @cardasa, and to the crew, your Cardas Community has your back.

 

 

 

"much of our affluence is based on manufacturing in China"

yes it is a real problem. It's skewing the prices of goods in America, and inflates our materialistic, greedy nature. If prices reflected the cost of resources and human labor that go into a product, we would be much more mindful of our purchases.  This is only a short-sighted, short term gain. 

There is nothing normal about how many hours an American works for e.g. an iPhone, vs a person from another [almost any pick] country.

I’ve had Dragon and Clear Beyond. I prefer Cardas hands down…but it will come down to personal preference as both cables are great. Cardas just sounds much more natural without loss of detail/resolution. 

OP what about you tell us about the equipment you have and the rest of your cabling? Both Cardas and Audioquest are amazing manufacturers, but both are not universal. And so are the rest of the top cable manufacturers like Shunyata, Transparent and Nordost. The closest I’ve seen to « universally good match » is Siltech and even those are not liked by everyone…

@habermas 

McIntosh C2700/MC 611s, speakers Kef Reference 1 Metas, Aries Cerat Helene DAC. Current interconnects are Mogami gold. PCs are AQ Hurricanes and speaker cables Analysis Plus Oval 9 (circa the mid-2000s). The funny thing, many have steered me away from the Cardas/McIntosh synergy, considering my wishes to liven up the highs. Nordost has been suggested as a solution. The speaker cables will be upgraded at a later date.