Cardas vs Cardas vs Shunyata interconnects

Update: listening to the Shunyata interconnects to DAC and to amps. Well heck, sounding pretty balanced and getting out of the way. Not wow, but just this sounds like music. Hmm, this won’t be easy to sort out. Both cable sets are quite good.

I’d assume that from the Cable Company they have been used a bit already but of course hard to know.

I did find the Cygnus was a little bright with female vocalist—maybe the spot for the Reflection.

Actually trying a mix and match right now with the Cygnus from the DAC and Reflection to the monos. So many possible combinations!

Would you agree that the interconnect between the DAC and the pre has more influence on SQ than between the pre and the monos?

@decooney I appreciate your insight as I have admired Cardas from afar and now get to try their interconnects. I’ve been seriously thinking about switching my interconnects and speaker cables to Cardas. It’s great to have Cygnus and Reflection in hand for a comparison. My system is warm leaning with a Mc system and a tube pre. Newer SF speakers are definitely more revealing than older models.

Of the cables I’m comparing, the Cygnus instantly revealed so much more in my system—better micro dynamics, more separation, tighter bass, and more engaging overall. How would you say Clear would compare with Cygnus?

I really like that that there is such a pronounced difference between Reflection and Cygnus—makes for a real choice on the type SQ one is looking for.

I’ve now given the Shunyata cables a try. Initial impressions are not a huge differed between Venom and Venom X—X a bit more revealing. They seems to be pretty balanced sounding cables but neither seemed to move the needle on my system. Probably will put them aside for a couple of days and focus on the Cardas.

When testing gear, always a good test for me is when I just keep listening to my test songs through, rather than jumping around between tracks. This has been the Cygnus so far. I just want to keep listening and if I have another cable in I feel I’m missing something. That of course is a sign of a good cable for my system.

@audphile1 kind of you to remember my PC shoot out. Indeed I did go with the Delta V2 which is superb and has had me thinking about a full Shunyata cable system but Cardas has always held interest for me. I so love the Cable Company and being able to try things out. So often we don’t like what we think we should like and then like something else. It’s the fun of it all.

@jtcf I was thinking of exactly the same thing of mixing and matching Cardas. Do you have any experience with the Parsec line? Cheaper and warmer. Thinking it could be interesting to consider for a longer speaker cable run I need to make.

@decooney I know I shouldn’t flip flop the cables, but I can’t help myself! Letting the Shunyata stay in the system for a while. Neutral, open, solid bass, detailed but not etched treble. I do think I need to try Delta interconnects. 

So, here are my current conclusions. Let’s state the obvious—cables make a significant difference in SQ. Now the question we are always working on is not what is best but what works in our individual systems and to our ears. 
 

So for my system, Shunyata is smooth and very easy to listen to without any fatigue. Solid dynamics and less edgy than my Wireworld, but not overly exciting. To use Darko’s analogy, it’s a sit back and relax cable that creates a cohesive sound. This is generally what I like.
 

Cardas is instantly wow, sit forward and hear things I haven’t hear before. It’s holy s*$& I didn’t know my system can do that sound. I was listening to Dark Side of the Moon and was floored, but depending on one’s mood can be too much. 

Comparing these cables, keeping in mind my speaker cables have remained unchanged (Wireworld), has been as big changes as swapping electrons. I love this discovery, because swapping cables is easier and more economical (to a degree). I could see having both sets honestly for different flavors.

For now I’ve made a small move towards Cardas with the order of a pair Cygnus interconnects which will allow me to try Cygnus between my DAC and Pre and amps.

That said, I’m marveling at the smooth musicality of the Shunyata set I’m listening to now. 

So, I got one set of Cygnus interconnects for my DAC to pre and using my borrowed Cygnus set from pre to monos. Holy hell—truly extraordinary. In my system these Cardas cables are like changing a major component like a DAC. Extraordinary sound stage width and height and separation between instruments. What I find most engaging is a feeling of physical texture to the music like I can touch it.
 

With the two Cygnus pairs there is now a synergy that wasn’t there when I was mixing them with the Clear Reflection. What this leads to in practice is that I can play nearly any music close to 100 dB—nasty metalcore, jazz, electronica, Taylor Swift, and outlaw country at levels that will peal paint. Nuff said.

I do of course now wonder how Clear and Beyond would sound.