CARDAS Fans: Golden vs. Neutral vs. Presence?


I know the Reference series is considered to have less of the traditional house Cardas sound. However, I've read many differing opinions that leave me in the dark as to what they sound like.

Also, one 6moons reviewer liked the Golden Ref IC more than the Golden Ref speaker cable. He found the speaker cable somewhat lean, though detailed and transparent. The most worrisome trait, though, was that he found there to be a loss of "body sound" to vocals and strings, with an emphasis on what he called the "head sound." And the bass a bit overblowsn. This was compared to Nirvana S-L.

Then there is both the Neutral Ref and the Golden Presence. I know what Cardas says about them on their website, so I don't need their descriptions of how they hear them.

Many people find the Neutral Reference too lean with brightness on less than ideal recordings. And the bass seems to be good, but not as deep and tight as it could be.

Then there is the Golden Presence. Few have written about it, but there are a couple of people who like it best of all the Reference series.

Can I get some informed opinions on both the interconnects and the speakers cables of all three models?
zear

Showing 1 response by naggots

I had GC ICs for years and never thought I would never change. I did, to Zu Varials. The detail levels are awesome now but still not too bright.

I also had neutral ref digital Ic which bested Stereovox VX 2 and X2 -60 digital, but was eventually ousted by Zu Ash for the moment. I find the Ash bordering on too bright but the treble detail is nice compared with neut ref. I still have the neut ref tho ...... Awesome digital IC, warm and cosy and easy to live with.