Owner Review - Cardas Clear and Cardas Clear Light Speaker Cables


As part of the general lull from upgrades, while emphasizing on content, I found time to write briefly about two speaker cables I own, Cardas Clear and Cardas Clear Light

Introduction

Cardas is not required to introduce, as one of the well-known and esteemed cable companies, the company has a whole philosophy behind cable production that is similar in its structure to a conch cut. Owner George Cardas says this is an optimal structure that has the benefits of eliminating noise and resonance - anyone interested in detailed technical explanations is invited to take a look at the company’s website. Today the company produces 2 cable families, Cross (for the lower segment) and Clear (for the upper segment), with each of the two families being divided into several types of cables that differ in quantity/thickness and price. In the case in question, these are speaker cables from the same family - Clear. The Clear Cables series is above the Clear Light series (which was replaced several years ago at Clear Cygnus) and is currently placed a second below the company’s most expensive cabling, the Clear Beyond series (until recently the Clear series was at the top of the Cardas food chain).

Build

What is different and what looks like, the cables look similar, the same quality blue color that ends in black metal ring (the hallmark of the Clear series except for the Clear Reflection which come in black color and a spectacular copper color ring), the external thickness of the cables not only looks the same, it is indeed as it stands at 670 OD, a quick look at the cable extension reveals the change between them - the two tendons that exit the main cable and connect to the speaker/amplifier.Here the story is different, the cable cut in Clear stands at 2X6.5 versus 2X9.5 in Clear Light, even at a glance it’s hard to miss the difference in thickness between the two.The extension in both of my cables, 6 mm diameter rhodium terminals (9 mm extension or banana can be ordered) which Cardas connects with a high-pressure pressing device. In general, these are two cables made of high-quality materials

Sound

The similarities between the cables do not end with construction, while the Clear Light cables were introduced (since then replaced by Clear Cygnus), George Cardas said in a statement that the light version preserves most of the features of the expensive Clear series.I am usually skeptical about such statements and treat them as net marketing statements, but in the above case, things are different. From experience with both cables, the Light version provides the same sound tone as the senior version and in terms of tail performance in the senior version, I would say that the Light version is capable of covering 95% from Clear performance, it’s not bad at all given the price gap.If so, what do you get in the senior version that doesn’t exist in the lower version, in a word - everything!This is the difference that stretches the performance envelope: more detail, more depth, more stage, more detail, more dynamism, more micro-dynamics or, in short, more than anything .. But a little.The change in question was felt from the first moment the cables were connected. This is not an abysmal, dramatic difference, nor a big difference. - The difference is simply there, there is no mistaking it and no one will be confused with the qualities that the expensive cable brings with it.

Summary

Clear cable, these are speaker cables that manage to push the performance casing to the upper limit with an outstanding ability to retrieve every possible detail that your setup can extract from the original. If it is an equal purchase, here the diminishing marginal output law does not lie, if your setup is sufficiently revealing and the penny is in your pocket, my answer is positive - using the Clear cables will allow you to exhaust your setup even more than you used to, knowing that wiring the speakers is no obstacle or Limit on the way. For the vast majority of audio enthusiasts, including those with a setup price exceeding 5 digits, the Clear Light / Cygnus versions will provide all that is needed and even more so, these are cables that allow you to upgrade the setup without having to run and upgrade them. The Clear is for those who hold a no-compromise setup.

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@dmk_hifi

High-end audio is bound to the law of diminishing returns - cables are no different in that matter.
Indeed, detailed and very helpful review! I bet many enthusiasts who like Cardas are looking for comparison between these two lines of speaker cables. Sounds like Cardas Cygnus is a winner to those who can’t stretch their budget to Clear line. 
Yes, thanks for taking the time to provide your impressions.  I use all Clear Light ICs, except between my SUT and phono stage (where I use AQ Colorados for extra shielding/active DBS).  I've thought about looking for Clear Light speaker cables on the used market.  Your assessment is helpful.