Moving up from Cardas Clear

I have tried Cardas Clear interconnects. They do nothing wrong, have ample defined bass, and an airy top end. It was very smooth and voices were rendered beautifully. I settled for Purist Audio Corvus instead. It is a little more dynamic and threw a deep soundstage into the room. It is also a little more forward overall and a touch warmer. However, the Cardas Clear had a slightly richer sound and was overall more organic/natural. I think it rendered micro details better as well. If you can trade off a bit of richness for more energy, speed and dynamics, you can't go wrong with the Synergistic Research offerings. The Apex may be what you're looking for or the new Element series.

I was wondering if someone could provide a few sentences on the sound of the Cardas Clear Power Cord. Does it have the same sound characteristics as the interconnects? I noticed the connectors on the Clear Beyond is rhodium and hope it isn't an analytic, cold sounding cable. The interconnects I found were a little on the warm side with emphasis on the mid-range/bass and airy highs that were slightly rolled off (not sharp, but smooth and airy). Overall a rich interconnect that provided nice weight throughout all frequencies, something my Magnepan 1.7's enjoy. I really wonder if the Clear Power cord does the same? I'm also considering the PS Audio AC-12 and wondering if I should be considering any other cables. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks Leatherneck for your input on the Cardas Clear power cords. Bo1972 thanks for reminding me about Purist Audio. It got me thinking and I was blessed to find a great buy on a Canorus power cord. The Limited is a big jump in price (for me) from the Cardas Clear, but the Canorus is a nice middle ground. I'll report back on impressions. Hopefully it has the excellent qualities of the Clear, with increased dynamics and soundstage.

Half a year later, I find myself looking for answers to the original question! Mikey8811, I was surprised to read your comparison between the GR and Clear. I had GR XLR's in my system and compared them to the Clear and PAD Corvus. I tried the Clear first. I played a few Celine Dion songs to test for sibilance and was surprised to find that the Clear had much less than the GR. I felt the Clear was better in every way and didn't feel that the high's were highlighted. Kind of the best of the GR's were enhanced and weaknesses addressed. The Clear had a very wide soundstage, but didn't have the soundstage depth I was seeking. The Corvus did that and I chose that cable for my CDP to Integrated amp.

Well it now turns out that my integrated amp has jumpers between the pre-out and amp-in. Jumpers of any sort have been terrible. I decided to try a short GR interconnect instead, and voila the system sounds great. So now I'm looking for GR replacement... again.

So far I haven't come across a cable that would all out beat the clear by a significant margin without paying quite a price. I think the PAD Canorus would offer all the Clear's great traits and much more (judging by the power cord), while offering the warm sound of the GR. However, at 8K retail, I don't think this is happening. I recently listed to the XLO Unlimited and found it to be an exceptional cable (vs Valhalla). I think it's very comparable to the Clear and may be sweeter in sound. There's a review by Luminator (google search) that compares the Limited to Clear speaker cables. However, I can't find the XLO cables anywhere (no longer made). This would leave the Synergistic Research Apex (without bullets) as the only cable I know of that can match the Clear, produce a 'warm' sound, and can be found for Clear prices or less. It's big though, and will not fit in my rack or integrated amp well...

There is another solution though. Furutech has an AC receptacle called the GTX-D. The Gold version offers a warm tone. However, the Rhodium version is said to be better because it does not have that layer of warmth. The GTX-D gold has thus been criticized. However, for those of using Home Depot receptacles, need some warmth, and an increase in dynamics, resolution, etc, this could be a cost effective upgrade that may provide the right balance.

I have bought a GTX-D Gold. And now I'll pick up a Cardas Clear IC again.

Mikey, I'm in the middle of moving so I won't have the opportunity to try the GTX-D Gold. I have lot's of experience with Furutech power connectors and IEC inlets. Their gold products are very warm in sound (FI-11, FI-10). I can't imagine the GTX doing any harm, not even the Rhodium.

I haven't tried the Golden Cross. If you aren't seeking to attain Cardas Clear levels of resolution, I would fully recommend trying Purist Audio Venustas (Praesto) cables (IC, SC, not the power cable). I replaced my Cardas GR speaker cables with the Venustas. It took away the sibilance that the GR had and produced a 3D like soundstage. Imaging was far better and more realistic. Bass and mid-range bloom remain, but the highs are much more clear. It is very much as warm and full as the GR. However since it is a laid back/relaxed sound the highs do no harm. Overall, the Venustas will give you more of what you like of the GR with less of what you don't like. I don't believe however, that it is at the same level as the Clear in terms of timbre, clarity and resolution. You could rent (borrow) from the CableCo. If you like it, I highly recommend the Purist dealers on Audiogon (I've bought from three different dealers here). Message them for up to date pricing and I think you'll be surprised on how good of a value the Venustas is. Purist also has another cable called Aqueous Aureus. It is smoother than the GR, perhaps even warmer. Highs are slightly more liquid than GR too. The speaker cable has strong bass (after 150 hours break-in). But overall, I think it's in the same general class as the GR but more refined (it is also cheaper). The Venustas is a big upgrade.

Since you like the Golden Cross I suspect you may have a little harshness in your system? A friend of mine let me borrow Black Diamond Racing cones (BDR) because I had this issue. I found BDR MK3 Cones with BDR MK4 pucks on top are amazing upgrades if you have no isolation. A lot of the harshness i had was because of not having any isolation. The cone/puck combo improved every area, no weaknesses. You'll find more bold images, improved bass, expanded soundstage and smoother highs. Other isolation products I found to be here and there with improvements, but the BDR's just seem to work.

I would also recommend taking up the Akiko Audio Tuning stick trial offer. To smooth your system in a warm way, try the AC stick. To add clarity and dynamics try the RCA stick. Or try both and return the one that doesn't work. This little sticks can make more difference than cable changes!