I own two Beyond Power (one on the integrated amp, one on the SACDp) and a Clear Power (on the SACDp AC filter), with Beyond XLR Interconnects (!!!) and the old double run of Golden Reference Speaker in "shotgun" configuration.
I tried a single pair Clear Rev.1 Speaker first down than up and I realized I have to buy two pairs, Clear Rev.1 is clearly better in every parameter but now this new Beyond XL Power may change my plans...
What should I buy first now (since I have to choose) ?
The "basic" Beyond Power sounds extended, neutral, controlled, with great ability to resolve the single instruments and their melodic lines.
I think bass fullness and "slam" was its main lack, compared to power cords like, for example, Shunyata Anaconda Helix Alpha I could try in my system.
The "basic" Beyond provides more harmonics, reverbs and ambient informations, with better image widht and height but it is a bit less dynamic than my previous Lessloss DFPC Signature; furthermore, it may sound a bit bright on some gear ... not mine, but many told me, anyway it doesn’t have quite the smoothness and warmht of some Purist Audio Design or Kubala Sosna power cords I had before.
I expect the Beyond XL to be weightier in the bass, more dynamic than the "gentle" character of the "basic" Beyond, with a slightly warmer presentation.
Clear M is now a "Legacy" product on the Cardas website, so I expect the old Beyond to become the recommended cable for sources, being the XL the one for integrated and main power amps.
I wait for impressions of early users!
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A forum-mate told me he experienced that Clear Beyond may sound a bit bright/hard on some "digital" digital sources, where he did prefer the softer Clear M.
I think it's a matter of quality of audio gear, you cannot use the Beyond Power on poor audio equipment, it will reveal their faults.
On my Accuphase DP700 the Beyond Power replaced a MIT Oracle AC1, sounding more natural, gentle, neutral, not "boombastic" like the MIT was, with LESS hardness/brightness than the MIT, which was both "warm" with big fat bass and "silvery" on the top.
Clear Beyond sounds pretty good on my system, where I use it both on Luxman 509u and DP700 (linked by the superb Clear Beyond Interconnects) but in my (and another forum-mate) experience it can't be used in series; on power strips and conditioners it is better to use a Clear Power as "first cable", if a Beyond is used after to the audio gear.
Beyond Power extends the frequency response on both extremes remaining absolutely neutral, but two Beyonds in series may sound too "pumped" on the extremes with obscured voice, at least in my system.
No problem if two Beyond are used in parallel, after a power strip/conditioner powered by a Clear Power (a delicious version of the good old Golden Reference Power, without its faults: more neutral and focused, more natural, less bright on the top and with less pronounced midbass).
Try to swap the Golden Reference for your sorce with the Beyond for power distributor and let me know ;) .
The only thing I miss with the "standard" Beyond Power is a bit more of "slam", I'd like more "punchy", impactful and dynamic sound, with more "PRAT" effect; maybe this is what Beyond XL will bring to the table.
The only power cable I know sounding better than the standard Beyond is the Shunyata Anaconda Helix Alpha, but It costs twice (I think it is in the same class of the XL) and I have some doubts about its neutrality.
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Absolutely, to my ears and in my system Clear Power ("Golden Reference II") is less bright than Golden Reference Power, but it is also more neutral (less brightness, less midbass bloom, more naturally warm, less congested sound).
Golden Reference Power pushes sound forward, now I use it on home theater equipment (a/v receiver and MySky HD, I would like to find other two for oled tv and blu ray).
I read some of you use Golden Reference Power on source, that’s why in my opinion Beyond Interconnects may sound a bit bright: in the Golden Reference series there was a sort of compensation, where brightness of power cable was tamed by darkness of the interconnects, so if you replace the latter with a neutral cable like the Beyond, colorations of the former will come out.
In my experience Beyond interconnects require Beyond(XL!?) Power on integrated or main amps, Clear Power on preamps (I guess; I have an integrated) and small filters dedicated to low power absorption gear (digital sources and preamps), Clear Beyond Power on sources, Clear (now Beyond XL!?) Power on power strips/conditioners/regenerators.
As I told before, Clear Beyond power on power strips (/etc.) may make another Clear Beyond after (in series) to source or/and amps sound not well.
New series do not blend well with older ones.
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@garebear
1) as you noticed, I noted "in my experience";
2) I never said Clear Beyond Interconnects require Beyond Power XL, I think my meaning was...clear: Golden Reference series do not blend with Clear(Beyond) series;
3) about using C.B. in succession, me and another audiophile I know had the same experience: it may not work... sorry if it is annoying you;
4) does my expectation of a "warmer" Beyond XL Power seem so weird, since the same thing happened when Cardas launched Beyond Interconnects, thicker, richer, fuller, more musical than Clear Rev.1 Interconnects?
5) Clear Power sounds warmer than Golden Reference and matches with the "highly neutral" (I would say overly "flat") Clear Rev.1 Interconnects, while Golden Reference Power sounds brighter and more forward to compensate the dark, laid back sound of Golden Reference Interconnects... what’s wrong with it?
It seems strange since it is named "Clear", but Cardas itselfs admits that Clear Power comes from the ashes of Golden Reference Power.
Sorry again if my opinion and experience with Cardas Cables (since 2010) bother you. |
Like @mikey8811 , I don't understand if the Beyond XL is more musical (since @garebear says "The XL continues to remain neutral but maintains the musical side") or if it is leaner, more analytical than the regular Beyond (since he is afraid a full set of XL may sound "too neutral" losing musicality and "meat").
Maybe 80 hours of burn-in are not enough, every Cardas cable tend to sound with lack of "weight" if burn in process is not complete.
More than 100 hours are needed, only after you can say how the XL sounds compared to the standard Beyond.
Since the Beyond has more noise filtering and wire gauge, I'd expect a less shimmering, quieter and more relaxong sound with more dynamics and slam on low frequencies...
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@guidocorona I agree with you, but if one says "I am afraid it’s too neutral" means a cable sound that way many audiophiles call "neutrality", but reality is that sound is thin, lacking of weight and body.
I would say it won’t happen with Cardas, but it happened in the past with the Clear Interconnects, "fixed" by the Beyonds... I think Clear Interconnects it’s good example of "too neutral" sound.
However, as I told before I am almost sure that the "excessive neutrality" he talked about comes from the only 80 hours of use: that amount of copper deserves at least 100 cooking hours to start talking seriously about how does XL sound |
Any update or further impressions about the XL?
I share my recent experience about standard Clear Beyond and Clear Power cords.
As I wrote before, I used to keep a Clear Beyond from the Purepower 3000 (feeded by a 12AWGx3 dedicated line with Oyaide C279 at the end) to the integrated, a Clear Power from the Purepower 3000 to the Goldenote Dumbo AC (filter/isolation trasformer dedicated to source only) and a Clear Beyond from the Dumbo to the SACDp.
After having suggestions from a dealer I chatted with on Facebook (it started with me asking about the XL!), I swapped Clear and Clear Beyond on the Dumbo, obtaining best focus and more natural sound, with speakers better disappearing than before and more image depht.
I don't feel that slow and not so much extended sound I noticed when I tried the Clear Power on the integrated, neither I lose the goods of Beyond Power (in terms of neutrality, extension and detail) on the source (it's still there, but before, no more after the filter); simply, swapping Clear and Clear Beyond on the Dumbo, with the higher gauge on the filter and smaller on the source seem to give the best results, keeping the goods of both cables and reducing or eliminating their faults.
After this experience I am re-considering Cardas tips of putting smaller gauge cables on sources. |
With the XL on my Luxman 509u integrated amp it feels like I replaced it with double powered separates.
More power and control, you can play louder with less confusion and distortion, with more dynamics, more focused, taller and very much wider image, better vocals, better bottom end (deeper and tighter), better top end (more airy, extended and kess fatiguing), every single thing gets better.
The XL lowers dramatically the noise floor letting details to emerge in a natural way, with better separation of vocals and instruments.
The XL is not that kind of cable which colours sound its way, there are no tricks or special effects: it simply improves your system.
Astonishing. |
