Help me understand the Cardas line of ICs

I've gone back and forth between GRef and NRef more times than I care to admit, and I think these are Cardas' best. They both provide a coherent musical picture. I agree with Nighthawk that NR is not neutral on an absolute scale, but is actually somewhat forgiving in the highs, as Mdomnick notes. I like NR for its overall transparency and speed relative to the other Cardas types. It's a good place to start. If you still feel that your system is a bit aggressive, try GR, which preserves most of the detail but is more relaxing, although the bass with GR becomes fatter and slower. I personally find Golden Cross way too syrupy and veiled, and if you find it is necessary for your system, then reassess your electronics.

dam, i just bought a pair of GCs. Well, I'll give them a try and see what I see. I can always sell them if I don't like them. Thanks for all your help guys.

m-

The Golden Cross mightn't be a bad thing. SF is on the fast side and is hardly a tubey tube set up. The Golden Cross will help warm it up if that's what you are after. There is a review of the Golden Ref on 6 Moons and it is found to be a bright cable. I have found that it can be bright having heard it in a Krell based system.

Let us know what you think of the Golden Cross. I am considering it too.

Will do smithy. From all the reading I have done it may be right for me. My only question is I have also heard others state the Monarchy can be a bright DAC. I bought it with the intent of someday buying the Kora Hermes II or Bel Canto, but that purchase is a long ways off, so I won't know what a new DAC will do for me for some time.

I got my Golden Cross cables and immediately hooked them up. I can't say I heard a huge difference, nor one for the better over the Neutral Ref. A little disappointed by this, I listened for a few hours, then hooked up the Neutral Ref and jotted down what I thought when listening to Joan Osborne's cd Relish and track St Teresa. I wasn't trying to compare the Neutral Ref to anything, just listening to them. Here's what I wrote:

1) could use more bass (turn my sub up)
2) would like more open highs (sounded muffled at the time)
3) semi-sweet highs
4) good center stage presentation regarding her voice
5) Mids could be better
6) good sound stage (instruments were placed around my room)

Then came Golden Cross. I again wasn't trying to compare the two, just writing what I heard, but I admit, some comparison went on:

1) Smooth highs
2) semi semi sweet highs (gives ya that tingle in your ear)
3) Big center sound stage
4) good overall soundstage
5) i like the mids. excellent transition from mids to highs

I like the GC and will keep them. I’ll try swapping them with my Acoustic Zen’s Silver Ref and use the silver between pre and amp, and gc between dac and pre.

m-